What Is Coding in Web Development?
This article explains code, why it's important, and how you can learn to code to make your website more attractive to viewers and cost-efficient to you.
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Join For FreeWeb designing or development is the creation of dynamic web applications. It is the best form of coding for beginners to learn. The good news is that it is easy to set up and guarantees instant results. Social networking sites like Facebook and e-commerce sites like Amazon are some examples. This includes writing, markup, or coding in web programming for web content, web client, server scripting, and network security.
Besides, web programming is slightly different from just programming. The most popularly used languages for web programming include XML, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, etc. Moreover, there are two broad categories of Web development. First, front-end development, also known as client-side development. The second, back-end development, also known as server-side development.
Front-side development refers to developing what a user sees when they open a specific application. Here, the clients require programming to access data from users and provide information. Moreover, it also needs to ensure there are enough plug-ins for a better user experience, including security measures. For improving functionalities and other user experiences, usually, JavaScript is used. It is an amazing platform for designing and implementing web applications as well.
Whereas, HTML and CSS are responsible for handling functionality by other application frameworks. On the other hand, back-end development is what goes behind the scene of a web application. It often uses a database for generating the front-end. Server-side needs programming for data retrieval, performance, and security. Tools that are used here consist of Lotus Notes, PHP, etc.
HTML for Structuring Content
HTML stands for Hyper Text Markup Language, a special code for marking up text to convert it into a web page. It is a language that tells your web browser what each part of the website is. By using HTML, you can define headers, links, paragraphs, images, and so much more. This way, your browser will know how to structure the web page you’re looking at.
Every page on the net is written in HTML and is the backbone of any web application. HTML consists of a series of elements that you can use to enclose or wrap your content. It can make it appear in a certain way. The enclosing tags can make a hyperlink to somewhere else with a word, or image. Additionally, it can italicize words, change the font to bigger or smaller.
HTML makes it possible to organize or format documents, just like Microsoft Word. But how does HTML work? These are files that end with .html or .htm extension. You can use any web browser such as Google Chrome or Firefox to view them. An average website has numerous HTML pages. For example, about pages, contact pages, home pages, etc.
CSS for Visual and Aural Layout
CSS, short for Cascading Style Sheets, is a designing code that sets style rules for the appearance of a web page. In short, it handles the cosmetic side of the web. This language gives the web pages their look and formatting. Users use CSS to make their website look attractive and eye-catching.
You can use fancy fonts, rich colors, backgrounds, slick animation, and even create 3D effects. They create a layout for a wide range of devices. Besides, it allows users to adapt to the presentation on large screens, small screens, and printers. CSS can be used with any XML-based markup language and is independent of HTML.
Maintaining blogs, exchanging style sheets across websites, and tailoring pages to different environments is simpler with the separation of HTML from CSS. This is known as the distinction from the presentation of the structure, or contents. However, HTML and CSS are both core technologies for building web pages and web applications.
JavaScript for Implementing Complex Features
JavaScript is a programming or scripting language through which you can implement complex features on a web page. It allows you to create dynamically updating content, animate images, control multimedia, and many more. Every time you look at a web page, and display static information, behind it, is JavaScript. It is responsible for displaying timely content updates, 2D or 3D graphics, interactive maps, scrolling video jukeboxes, etc.
On the client-side, you can perform various functions with the help of JavaScript language. The common programming features allow you to operate on pieces of text, known as strings in programming. You can run code in response to certain events on a web page. Other than that, storing useful values inside variables is another important function. Using JavaScript for your web page has multiple benefits.
The top advantage is less server interaction. This means you can validate user input before sending it to the server. It can save you from traffic. Resulting in less load on your server. Another benefit is the immediate feedback for the visitors. It is also useful in increasing user interactivity and the page won’t take time in reloading.
Therefore, to give your site visitors a rich user-interface, you can use JavaScript to include elements as drag-and-drop components and sliders.
Coding for Beginners
As a beginner in the market, the most daunting task is probably learning how to code. Website builders may not need it, however, if you’re a beginner, this is something you must consider. Codes are also known as ‘languages’. It may seem like learning a completely new language for speaking. But that’s how it works. However, once you dive into the process, it won’t seem as hard as you might think it would.
If you’re thinking of building your website, you might be looking for reliable ways to learn to code. You can also update your website through templates that are available online. Using such website builder templates is effective but learning yourself has numerous benefits. It can save you from troubles later. Besides, you can make minute changes that a template won’t offer.
But before you start coding, you must learn all the aspects related to what coding is and what benefits it offers.
What Is Code?
As interesting as it seems, a code is the foundation of every website ever. From shopping apps that you use frequently, to networking sites, to websites; everything is made from code. A much easier explanation is that it is like building a bridge. For example, you are gathering tiny pieces of code into a larger unit and building something that’s functional and useful.
You may have seen in movies when a villain is hacking a system, and you may have thought that was coding. However, that’s not what coding is. The concept of coding is somehow misinterpreted in movies. The use of codes involves a lot of punctuation such as semicolons, etc.
Even the page you’re reading now has invisible codes. If you pull back the curtain a bit, even the words typed now need code to function effectively. From headings to content, every aspect of a page on the internet is surrounded by codes.
Why Is Coding Important?
Now that you know what coding is, you might wonder why it’s important. If you’re a website owner, this is something you must be good at. It is just as important as knowing basic mechanics when you own a car. For example, when your car breaks down, you know what to do; you either fix it yourself or take it to a repair shop. However, doing it yourself is time-saving as well as cost-saving.
Similarly, when you know how to do coding, you’ll save your time and money in hiring a web developer. Learning to code doesn’t mean you have to have the skills of a software engineer. Instead, it’s the basic level. Have a bunch of files to rename on your computer? Don’t worry because coding can save you from the hassle. Write a python script and let coding do the rest of the part.
Coding Languages
Coding is a broad niche that consists of many languages. You don’t have to be a pro in all of them. However, for your website to function effectively, just learn the four main languages. For example, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP. It’s good to have them all under your belt. Moreover, it is recommendable to have a basic understanding of these four languages:
- HTML: known as the ‘markup’, it controls the content at the most basic level. For example, text, buttons, format, HTML handles it all
- CSS: stands for Cascading style sheets, this language controls what your content looks like. From colors, fonts, to sizes, CSS manages everything
- JavaScript: this language is responsible for handling all the interactions on the site. After both HTML and CSS is done playing their part, JavaScript does the rest
- PHP: stands for Hypertext Preprocessor, it is a backend language. It controls what’s happening behind. For instance, user accounts, emails, logins, and many more
All of the above coding languages control the backend and frontend of a website. But, if you’re handling the website completely on your own, you must also learn to maintain cloud infrastructure. For example, provisioning EC2 instances, DNS, SSL, certificates, etc.
Ways to Learn Coding in 2021
In the past decade, millions of people are preferring to learn to code themselves. A lot of marketplaces offer users to learn different coding languages for free. Users all over the world are willing to take advantage of this opportunity. If you’re eager to learn to code, the subsections below detail a few easy ways that can help you to learn it in 2021.
Codecademy
Codecademy has a free plan and is offering 150 courses on various programming languages. Their monthly premium plan starts from $39.99. Moreover, their page displays a list of the most popular courses that they offer. Head onto their website and learn a new coding language.
Even if you’re a beginner, they can guide you where to start. They will give you recommendations as well as proper guidance. The only drawback is that their services are quite pricey.
Code.org
This is yet another amazing site to learn coding at an early age. They offer classes in a casual and playful setting that is beneficial even for kids. This website is surely a good place to start learning from.
Besides, they start by teaching you how to make small games and apps. For instance, if they’re teaching a balloon popping game, they’ll let you experiment first. However, this site is more focused on gaming techniques than designs.
Py
This user-friendly app offers classes on programming languages daily. You can choose between 10 different coding languages like CSS, HTML, and JavaScript. Moreover, they let you start with the basics and only then proceed further.
The app is free initially, for in-depth courses you’ll need a premium package. Also, they can help you learn to build your website from scratch.
Free Code Camp
This is an interactive web learning platform. They have an online community forum with chat rooms, local organizations, and online publications. The goal of this platform is to make coding accessible to everyone.
So, head onto their website and learn databases, CSS, HTML, and other languages as well.
EdX
EdX has around 140 institutions all over the world. Currently, they are offering more than 2000 courses on various coding languages. They also offer a certificate of completion when you learn all the necessary skills.
Other than that, they have a mobile application for users’ convenience as well.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the use of programming languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript can make a huge difference in your career. Learning is not just for production and print designers. Instead, if you are an event manager, small business owner, or even a sales manager, you can benefit from it. You can also learn web coding yourself. Research, inspect source code, explore templates, and take advantage.
To increase organic traffic on your website, you must use these codings to develop your website efficiently. It will certainly improve the ranking of your site on google. More and more readers and potential customers will be attracted to your site in a short period. Either establish a team to do web designing and development or hire a reliable and licensed web developer.
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