2015
Nov
09

Web front-end developers become a hot jobs in recent years, a lot of software engineers want to learn some front-end skills do more front-end developing works. These engineers they know some programming languages such as C/C++, Java, PHP, Python. Always, They think that they already are software engineers for many years and it must not be difficult for learning the front-end programming language called JavaScript. It is true, the JavaScript is just another programming language and is a easier language for them. But unfortunately, they are doing the wrong way, the problem is not because JavaScript is a hard programming language, the problem is that the front-end developers need many different concepts compared with software developers. To be a software developer, their jobs are writing a correct logic programming without caring about the usability of graphical user interface. On the other hand, front-end developers have to build a beautiful and usable webpage for any users or fulfill some specific users' need.

I have been both backend and front-end engineer called full-stack engineer for couple of years. In my experiences, the JavaScript is not the most important skill on the web front-end technical area, it can only handle the programming logic. But we also need the CSS and HTML to handle layouts and styles. The version of CSS have been upgraded a lot of times such as CSS1, CSS2, CSS3 in recent years, CSS is not as easy as many people's think, there are lot of hacky knowledges on CSS technology in order to make webpage being more compatible on different browser. About HTML, It have produced a lot of new APIs year after year. These two technologies are very useful for developers to create a webpage. A good developer must deeply realize the CSS and HTML knowledges.

There are many different browsers in the world, people can choose any browser they like. The professional front-end developer should keep the same styles of webpages on the different browsers. CSS and HTML is the only one skill can do this. Any styles on the webpages are defined by CSS and HTML. So the CSS and HTML are more important skills on the front-end technology area. Also there are many front-end skills existing in the world, and there are more than 10 new front-end technologies, like HTML5, File API, Post message, come out in every year. JavaScript is not the only one skill that front-end engineer have to learn.

Requirements for a font-end developer.

  • Style View & Design ability

Front-end developer need to create a beautiful views also have the reasonable and logical HTML structure, someone have to design the styles of web page if they are talented on art.

The more design ability you have will be a plus for front-end developer.

  • Cross browsers and devices

Front-end developer don't have any change to refuse to support the different browsers. Because end-users can choose any browser by themselves.

There are many different mobile devices increasing lot of compatible problems, front-end developer should know the basic theory of browser to reasonable solve problems. Please remember that try not to use unreasonable solutions to fix compatible problems.

  • Performance on browser

Front-end developer should use built-in libraries of browsers as more as possible in order to improve the performance on browser.

What technologies you need to learn.

If you still want to be a front-end developer and want to have better skills than others, please remember to learn CSS and HTML technologies as more as possible. The following technologies are some good things for you to study.

HTML Theory

HTML APIs

  • AJAX, PJAX, CORS, JSONP
  • File API
  • Web Socket
  • Web worker
  • Canvas
  • Server-Send Event
  • Post Message

CSS


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