Currently I am interning at a company as a \"full stack\" developer (Application
ID: 648237 • Letter: C
Question
Currently I am interning at a company as a "full stack" developer (Application developer on the job title) and I realize that I am having difficulties coping with frontend tasks. This is especially true when I am tasked with implementing a new frontend feature and I can see myself struggling to get the hang of frontend development philosophies and structure (where it feels like magic, I don't exactly see how HTML and javascript work in tandem and adding Angular.js makes it even more weird) as compared to backend (Having static typed languages (Java, C#), being able to find my way to see how is everything defined, and can easily traverse through the code).
Note* I am defining backend as everything after the REST curtain, code that is executed by the server and frontend as everything before the REST curtain, code that is for the web browser.
In the past, all my work and internships has been working with backend code, servers, databases, and files. For hackathons, I specifically do the backend architecture by myself while my teammates does the frontend coding.
With that being said, what would be the best approach to walk into frontend development with only backend experience? Language specific, what is the best way to understand how javascript and angularjs work with HTML and how do I traverse through such languages to find how everything is connected?
The justification behind this question is to seek ways to get started with understanding how Javascript, HTML, and CSS and its derivatives work so that I may have a better understanding of how it functions and how to traverse/program it. I have understanding of the basic JS syntax through web courses but not how is it integrated in web design.
Explanation / Answer
How did you start to be a backend developer? It must've felt very similar back then. Yet you managed it. I'm sure you'll do the same for frontend.
Here's how I'd suggest your learning:
Get to know html first. That should be very easy and quick.
Learn CSS. Not master it. Get familiar with majority of its properties (no problem if you don't master flexbox as long as you know it exists) and all CSS3 selector types (you should know exactly how they work for all of them)
Play a bit with #1 and #2
Learn DOM and understand how javascript works and interacts with it
Learn jQuery and async communication - Ajax
Learn Javascript thoroughly like OOP in prototypes
learn Angular.
It should eventually all fall into place and be understandable.
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