The Complete Guide to Web Development
Web development is a broad field that includes any tasks pertaining to the creation and maintenance of web applications and websites for online browsers. This includes any element that ensures the website will function properly, as well as the features that make it engaging for users. It’s up to Web Developers to make sure the sites people are visiting perform in a manner that optimizes user experience. This requires writing code in various programming languages, depending on the task at hand.
A Brief History of Web Development
The field of web development has evolved considerably since the early days of the internet. In 1991, Tim Berners-Lee created the first website, which was a basic HTML page containing text, images, and hyperlinks to other pages. At this time, HTML was the only language used in web development. With the growth of the internet, Web Developers incorporated new techniques and technologies into their site construction. By the late 1990s, CSS was introduced to web development. This language provided a way for Developers to separate a web page’s presentation from its content. In 1995, JavaScript was introduced, which drastically changed web development. With this language, Developers could create dynamic and interactive web pages with functional elements like drop-down menus and pop-up windows.
In the past several years, web applications have grown in popularity. Web apps are websites that perform like desktop applications and offer users a more interactive experience. They’re created with a combination of CSS, HTML, and JavaScript, as well as server-side languages like Python or PHP. Plus, the field of web development continues to transform rapidly. New techniques and technologies, such as virtual reality, the Internet of Things (IoT), and artificial intelligence, promise daily advancements and options. For example, the increasing prevalence of mobile devices has posed challenges for Web Developers. Since more people use their tablets or smartphones to access the internet, it’s up to Web Developers to ensure the websites they create are responsive and optimized for use on smaller screens that have touch-based navigation.
Web Development Training Locations
Web Development Classes Onsite
If you want to build practical skills without having to sacrifice creativity, consider learning web development. It's a smart path to explore because virtually every business these days has an online presence, and having a strong, easy-to-use website is one of the most important factors in building a client base, improving profits, and establishing a brand ethos. It's a skill that opens professional doors to all industries, from education and healthcare to retail and tech. Web development, in essence, is at the heart of how organizations present themselves and succeed. Because it's such a hands-on skill, many opt for onsite training as it provides more real-world experience. You can find web development training in major cities across the country, so you can get started creating websites that stand out.
Web Development Classes NYC
185 Madison Avenue, 3rd Floor, NYC, New York, 10016
New York City is packed with job opportunities for Web Developers. Whether you're just starting out or hoping to advance in your field, NYC companies rely heavily on web development teams to provide them with a stable digital space for high traffic and engagement. Having a sleek landing page, functional tools, and a structured e-commerce site can be the difference between a company's success and the brand fading into the background, so training in web development can be a worthwhile career move. Noble Desktop hosts web development classes in person and live online, but you can also request onsite training at your organization so your team can all learn at the same pace. In a city as fast-paced and tech-reliant as NYC, web development can build a solid foundation for a fulfilling career.
Web Development Classes San Diego
3904 Groton Street, San Diego, CA, 92110
The California coast is well-known for beautiful beach towns and cities, many of which are teeming with tech companies, healthcare networks, and higher education institutions -- all of which require web development to build and maintain their online presence. Web Developers can create patient portals for hospitals and devise educational programs for universities or local school districts. Even the U.S. Navy, which has three naval bases in San Diego, hires Web Developers to create its internal pages and tools. VDCI offers self-paced courses and onsite training in a slew of subjects, including web development. If you're based in San Diego and want to explore web development, it's worth investing in your future to learn this valuable and transferable skill.
Web Development Classes Washington, D.C.
600 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, D.C., 20024
There are ample reasons a Web Developer may want to live and work in Washington, D.C. The nation's capital serves as the epicenter for government agencies and private-sector organizations that all rely heavily on digital tools to communicate, serve, and engage with the public. Web Developers working in the federal government need to ensure the security and accessibility of these pages, as well as ensure that internal platforms are designed properly and operating smoothly. Graduate School USA gives you a chance to learn more about web development through their training options, which include onsite training. If you want to make a real impact in D.C., web development gives you the skills to do so.
Web Development Classes Chicago
29 E. Madison Street, STE 1620, Chicago, IL, 60602
Web Developers in Chicago have a wide variety of industries to explore, including finance and healthcare. Finance is the major player in Chicago, and although you may not think of web development fitting into the finance world, it certainly does. Many banks and investment firms actively hire Web Developers to build user-friendly client portals and create secure, responsive websites that make financial information easier to find and understand. It's not just about making the page look nice -- it's about making these complex systems easier for the user to interact with. Practical Programming provides training in web development and offers onsite training in Chicago to those who want to get a start on tools like HTML, CSS, and full-stack frameworks. All in all, web development is a useful tool to have in your toolkit as a professional living in Chicago.
Web Development Classes Los Angeles
With the city's deep ties to the entertainment, media, and tech industries, Los Angeles is a perfect place to put your web development skills to good use. Film studios often seek Web Developers to create their official websites. Many will also develop e-commerce platforms so celebrities, influencers, and businesses alike can sell their merchandise. Plus, there's a significant tech scene in L.A., meaning Web Developers are in demand to create mobile-friendly websites that can serve a large audience. Overall, web development is a field that blends creativity with tech, and in a place like L.A., it makes total sense to learn.
Web Development Classes Dallas
Dallas is becoming a major tech hub, and at as rapid a rate as any. Startups and major companies (like Texas Instruments and AT&T) call Dallas home, but other major companies have recently announced their headquarters relocation to the region, like Jean Paul Mitchell Systems, or are opening new campuses, like Goldman Sachs. These companies, although diverse in their purpose, all require web development experts to design their landing pages, web applications, and serve the clients and customers. Knowing your way around HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for front-end or Python and SQL for back-end can give you a huge advantage. If you're ready to take your skills to the next level, consider learning web development in Dallas.
Web Development Classes Boston
Exploring Boston's expanding job market is a good place to start in your career search, particularly with web development skills. Web Developers in Boston often find themselves working on everything from patient portals for hospitals to educational platforms for universities like Harvard and Northeastern. Research labs also rely on Web Developers to provide a secure and well-maintained digital infrastructure. Ultimately, Boston offers a well-established environment to develop your skills and apply them across your choice of industry.
Web Development Classes Miami
The city of Miami has a powerful economy that's supported by industries like tourism, finance, trade, and real estate. Web development professionals can find a career in each, particularly those with a creative edge who are able to reach wider and more diverse audiences. For instance, Miami has high-rise condos and luxury properties all around, and the highly competitive and digital landscape means real estate agencies need highly-skilled Web Developers to produce a website that's not only aesthetically pleasing but functional to provide the easiest experience for the client. Wherever your web development education takes you, there's a spot for you in a Miami business.
Web Development Classes Philadelphia
Philadelphia-based Web Developers typically have a wide array of options when searching for a career. That's because the city's major industries all rely on web development skills for their online needs. Education is huge in Philly, with the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University being located in West Philly. Educational institutions hire Web Developers to create online learning platforms, admissions websites, or student portals, ultimately simplifying the application and enrollment process for everyone involved. Philly offers opportunities to budding web development professionals so you can gain experience and apply your skills in a meaningful way.
Web Development Classes Phoenix
As Phoenix continues to grow, so do the industries. And as the industries grow, the need for web development experts will also rise. Tech, education, and finance are all major players in the overall city and state economy, so many Web Developers search for work in these areas. However, even in the public sector, Web Developers create scalable digital platforms that are intuitive and organized. Learning web development in a place like Phoenix is a highly valuable skill, especially in the quickly evolving market.
Types of Web Development
Web development is typically broken into three types: front-end, back-end, and full-stack. Each plays a different role in website construction and relies on different tools to do so:
- Front-end web development involves a website’s outward features (the ones users see). These are often referred to as front-end features, or the client side, since these are typically what comes to mind for most people when they think about a website. Front-End Developers create all elements necessary for users to interact with the site.
- Back-end web development pertains to creating any website features on the server side, or back-end, of a site. These features create the programs and servers so users can interact with the components on the front-end.
- Full-stack web development requires knowledge of both front-end and back-end development to ensure everything on the site is running smoothly.
What Tools do Web Developers Use?
Web Developers rely on a range of tools and programming languages to create responsive websites. The specific languages they use depend on whether they’re doing front-end or back-end development:
- Front-End Developers typically work with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
- Back-End Developers often use languages like Python and Java.
- Full-Stack Developers must be familiar with several front-end and back-end languages to ensure they can program and maintain both the client and server sides of a website.
In addition to programming languages, those who work in web development also work with other tools to improve workflow:
- GitHub is a cloud-based Git hosting service that provides Web Developers with a web-based graphical interface. This platform also helps Web Developers build a personal brand, expand their networks, and manage projects.
- Sublime Text is intended for those who are new to computer programming and writing code. This text editor has applications for code, markup, and prose. It also offers simultaneous editing features to control multiple cursors, so Developers can make edits to several lines of code at once.
- Visual Studio Code offers a range of built-in features, including Git commands, syntax highlighting, and auto-complete, which make coding easier and faster. This open-source code editor is free to use and runs on macOS, Linux, and Windows.
- Bootstrap is a popular tool for designing responsive web apps and performing front-end development. This tool has a range of CSS, HTML, and JavaScript scripts for web design functions and components, which save Web Developers a substantial amount of time that would otherwise be required to manually code them.
How Hard is it to Learn Web Development?
Like any skill, the challenges associated with learning web development are subjective and depend on the learner’s prior coding experience, their approach to learning, and their ultimate goals for studying. For most individuals, learning web development isn’t as daunting a task as it may seem. Most people who have no prior programming experience can learn the fundamentals of web development in just a few months, which would be sufficient training to secure an entry-level position. Enrolling in a live training course is a great way to expedite the learning process and ensure the training you receive will provide you with the web development skill set needed to get started working in this field.
Within the umbrella of web design specializations, full-stack web development typically requires the most training of any non-specialized web development position. It requires proficiency in many coding languages that have their own applications, including core languages like HTML/CSS and JavaScript, as well as other more specialized languages like SQL or Python. Full-Stack Web Developers also need to be able to work with advanced programming frameworks like Node.js or React. Since front-end and back-end web development require only some of this training, these types of web development usually require less time to master.
How Does Web Development Differ from Web Design?
Although the terms “web development” and “web design” sound similar, there are some key differences between these related fields. Generally speaking, Web Designers create the visual assets that contribute to a site’s aesthetic value and ensure users have the best experience possible while using the site. On the other hand, Web Developers add functionalities to these sites. Web Developers translate Designers’ wireframes and mockups into code using languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Web Designers usually don’t have to write actual code. Instead, they design layouts, create mockups, and work with tools like Photoshop to incorporate images. Another important distinction is that web development is typically more expensive than web design since it requires extensive coding knowledge.
What Can I Do With Web Development Training?
Before you embark on training in web development, you may wonder what you can do with this skill set. The good news is that web development remains a popular career path. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this field is expected to experience an 8% employment growth from 2022 to 2032, with nearly 19,000 job openings expected. This is above the national average in other professions. The median pay rate for Web Developers in the US is approximately $93,000 a year.
Learning web development isn’t just a great way to earn a competitive salary; it’s an in-demand skill set across industries, including education, healthcare, and finance. As businesses continue to incorporate new technology into their work environments, more organizations than ever are relying on internet-related tech to complete everyday professional tasks. Those with web development training can increase their professional value by helping their employer build the company’s website. Because of how prevalent internet use is across industries, web development training is a transferable skill across sectors and career paths.
Studying web development is also an excellent way to boost your creativity. Because a major component of web development involves incorporating input from various sources and bringing these ideas to life, this profession requires a creative mindset and problem-solving abilities. Completing websites can pose many challenges, and it’s up to the Web Developer to evaluate every possible option to find the most feasible creative solution. Careers in web development can also provide you with a lot of professional flexibility. Web Developers can pursue careers as salaried employees, start their own businesses, or pursue freelance roles. Within a given organization, Web Developers also have the flexibility to work in various roles, including front-end, back-end, or full-stack web development. They may also wish to specialize in one programming language and work as a Python or Java Developer.
Why Enroll in a Web Development Class?
While it may seem complicated to learn web development, many excellent learning resources are available to help streamline this process. Whether you’re new to web development or have years of experience creating responsive websites, enrolling in a web development class is an excellent way to take your skills to the next level. Coursework is available in many formats, including in-person, live online, and on-demand. Students who opt for live training benefit from real-time instruction and have the opportunity to interact with an instructor who has industry experience creating and maintaining websites. Live training also affords students the opportunity to connect and even network with others who are on a similar learning path. These classes usually cover essential web development tools and skills, such as how to create dynamic websites using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
If you have a busy work schedule or obligations that may interfere with attending live classes, on-demand training options are also available. These programs are pre-recorded and placed online for students to access and complete on their own time, at their own speed.
Depending on the type of web development class you opt for, professional development incentives may be included with tuition. For example, many certificate programs in front-end, back-end, or full-stack web development provide learners with more than hands-on, in-class training; they also offer professional perks intended to help graduates get a job.
Many certificate programs also provide learners with the opportunity to develop their professional portfolios. Web Developers often have online portfolios that feature a collection of the best web development projects they’ve completed in the certificate program or elsewhere. These are an essential part of the job application process and should display a range of projects that illustrate the applicant’s abilities, skills, and areas of expertise.