What should you learn to become a Web Developer in 2023?
…is a question I get asked all the time. As a self-taught developer, I can’t really say I have been following a conventional path. All of my previous endeavors have led me to where I am today.
There are countless paths that you can go on, in fact, so many that it leaves you with your head spinning. Nowadays, there is a multitude of languages you can learn to embark on your web development journey - but all of them share one thing.
HTML and CSS
If you want to become a web developer, you will not get around learning HTML and CSS. Gladly, that can be done within a week or two. While HTML is fairly easy to learn, you can go down endless rabbit holes with CSS. There is a multitude of frameworks out there nowadays that make writing CSS easier, Tailwind CSS being the prime example.
But even if you decide to use a CSS framework like Tailwind, you should know at least the basics of CSS.
JavaScript
Once you are done learning these, most of you will probably start learning good old JavaScript. It’s a no-brainer when you want to learn web development, as JavaScript is the dominant language, and for the time being, there is no change in sight.
Learning JavaScript can be daunting. For me, I much prefer the clear and much more readable syntax of Python. But if you want to learn web development, there is no way around JavaScript.
TypeScript
But hol’ up. There’s more! TypeScript is quickly catching up in popularity and has replaced classic JavaScript for many developers out there. TypeScript is a syntactic superset of JavaScript that adds static typing. This is extremely helpful when working with larger projects and/or teams.
Now, do you need to directly jump the wagon and learn TypeScript? Probably not. But the truth is very many job descriptions out there nowadays either require you to know TypeScript or include the phrase “Knowing TypeScript is a Bonus!”.
If you have just started learning JavaScript, I would probably invest a couple of months just working with that before jumping into TypeScript.
Web Frameworks
There is an average of 1 new JavaScript framework being released every day. At least it feels like this. JavaScript frameworks are moving fast, and hot new technologies are coming out faster than I can write type interfaces.
I won’t recommend any particular framework to you since this also depends on your location and your local industry. While you can pick the hottest, newest, shiniest framework out there because you like it, there might not be any jobs using it where you are located or in general.
Let us look at some of the most popular frameworks out there, the ones that offer the most job opportunities:
React
Vue
Svelte
Angular
Django (Python)
Flask (Python)
These are definitely the most dominant Web Development frameworks out there, and knowing any of these should land you a job. But of course, there are many other popular frameworks that partly build on other ones and help you make full-stack web applications:
Next.js (React)
Nuxt (Vue)
SvelteKit (Svelte)
Astro
While I much prefer writing web applications in Astro, if I want to get a job, I would pick React and Next.js as my framework of choice since there are the most jobs for it out there.
It can be a pain to choose a framework that fits you, especially since there is so much information out there. In my opinion, you can never go wrong with picking React.
How to learn Web Development
When it comes to learning Web Development, you have countless options. Some of which are:
Bootcamps (usually expensive but in-depth and quick)
Udemy
YouTube
Blogs
Books
At the least, I can share with you my favorite resources that tremendously helped me to learn programming on my own!
Web Development Resources
The Web Developer Bootcamp 2023 - Colt Steele (Udemy)
Brad Traversy’s YouTube Channel
50 Projects in 50 Days - HTML, CSS & JavaScript - Brad Traversy, Florin Pop (Udemy)
JavaScript Resources
The Modern JavaScript Bootcamp Course - Colt Stelle, Stephen Grider (Udemy)
Brad Traversy’s YouTube Channel
Brad Traversy’s brand new JavaScript course (Udemy)
TypeScript Resources
So far, I have only done Mastering TypeScript - 2023 Edition by Colt Steele on Udemy and can highly recommend it. Apart from that, the TypeScript documentation is a great place to get started.
Python Resources
Angela Yu’s 100 Days of Code: The Complete Python Pro Bootcamp for 2023 - Dr. Angely Yu (Udemy, by far my favorite Python resource)
Python Engineer’s YouTube Channel
If you want to learn Astro, which is an excellent web framework for beginners, I highly recommend checking out the Astro section of my blog as well.
In Conclusion
There are many different paths one can embark on when learning Web Development, and there is no one-size-fits-all method. Everybody has to find his or her own path. The most important thing is that you have fun while doing it.
In my opinion, the best way to learn is a project-based approach, which is why I like Brad Traversy’s courses so much. Once you start building things on your own, things really start to click. Have fun with it. Web Development is a great career path with endless opportunities.
What is your opinion on Web Frameworks to learn in 2023? What are some of your favorites and why? Share with us in the comment section below!