Front-End Developer Skills

If you are looking to become a Front-End Developer, this is the essential skills for front-end developer that you might need to have in order to land a job as a front end developer.

HTML, CSS and JavaScript are the most essential skills that front-end developer should have. Front end developers deals with HTML, CSS and JavaScript almost every day.

HTML

HTML is a markup language that front end developers almost used by every single day to build the basics structure of the site block by block.

If you are just start out, I recommend you start from the Basics HTML tutorial.

HTML Structures
HTML Text and Text Formatting
HTML Comments
HTML 5
HTML Elements
HTML Attributes
HTML Start & End Tags

CSS

CSS is a style sheet language that front end developers use to change and updates the HTML styles to makes the website look beautiful by changing the HTML blocks colors, font styles, layout and more.

Go Deeper with CSS 3

If are already mastered the CSS, It’s recommend to go deeper with CSS and learn CSS 3. Although it’s not required to learn CSS3 to get your site look beautiful, however if you it’s a good PLUS if you good at it.

Responsive Layout

By default, the HTML isn’t responsive for all the devices. When you are opening HTML web page with desktop it might be fine. But if you are opening the HTML page with small screen devices on smart phone.

Then, the web page might looks weird if you don’t built the site with responsive.

CSS Framework

Front end developer often mastered at least one CSS framework. It’s recommend learning at least one CSS framework if you are planning to become a front end developer. However, it’s not required to learn all the CSS frameworks.

Bootstrap – Bootstrap is one of the most popular framework over the web development. As a completely beginners, it’s good to start with the Bootstrap framework to build your site that fit both computer and mobile devices.
Base
Bulma
Concise
Foundation
Material Design Lite (MDL)
Metro UI
Mini.css
Mobi.css
Picnic
Pure.css
Semantic UI
Shoelace
Spectre.css

CSS Pre-Processing

Less
Sass
Stylus

CSS Utilities

CSS Linter

https://jshint.com/

JavaScript

JavaScript is the core programming language for front end developer that allows them to dynamically control the HTML and CSS code to make the site more interactive.

JavaScript is the core and the major programming language that front end developer deal with every single day. It’s important for JavaScript developer to mastered JavaScript fundamental.

JavaScript Variables
JavaScript Numbers
JavaScript Strings
JavaScript Objects
JavaScript Arrays
JavaScript Functions

JavaScript can be use to build a validation form, data visualization, games and many fun stuffs. If you would like to test your JavaScript skills, you can try to build some projects to showcase your skills.

Go Deeper with JavaScript

ES6+ modules
Restful and API

JavaScript Framework

jQuery – Also Read You Don’t Need jQuery
Vue.js
React.js
Backbone.js
Knockout.js
Angular.js
Ember.js

JavaScript Linter

JSHint

JavaScript Best Practices

If you are planning to work as a front end developer, it’s highly recommend to learn about JavaScript best practices and coding standards that help you to bring your JavaScript into another level.

To help you get better at writing clean code and high quality JavaScript program, I’ve putting my heart and soul into JavaScript Code Optimization training course that help you to learn and avoid the common mistakes of the developers.

I’ve also a Free training to help you get start of understand the difference between good code and bad code.

Code Version Control

Git

Git is one of the most popular and widely use tool for front end developer for version control. It’s very useful and highly recommend learning Git as it’s not very difficult to learn.

Alternative can learn more about the Mercurial or SVN.

Web Developer Tools

Front end developers use web developer tools to improve productivity, testing and debugging their code. There are tons of tools and resources over the internet. I would recommend a few that I often use to build site.

Testing and Debugging

Browser Developer Console

Code Editor

For code editor, I would recommend to use Visual Studio Code. Visual studio code is built and maintain by Microsoft, it’s one of the most light-weight and feature rich code editor in the world.

Page Speed Test

KeyBoard Shortcut

To make production more productivity, front end developer often mastered the keyboard shortcut of the tools they are using.

If you would like to stand out and build things faster than most developers. Then, it’s highly recommend to get yourself good at the keyboard shortcuts of tools you are frequently used.

Basic Server-Side Knowledge

Front end developers rarely deal with server-side stuffs such as Linux or server-side programming languages like Python, PHP or even expand your JavaScript knowledge with Node.js.

However, if you want to stand out or going beyond your limit. It’s recommend knowing the fundamental of server-side programming and Linux basics.

Although it’s not required to learn server-side stuffs. It’s good to learn some of the basics that help you get to know the web deeper.

Soft Skills

To be more accurate that front end developer really do, I recommend you research about front end developer job description of the area you are living or you are planning to work.

Although the job description, roles and responsible of the front end developer are almost the similar. However, front end developer job description from difference country or city might difference. It’s all depending on your employer requirement.