Web development

[Zohr Ridhan]

I have question about web development / design field. I know basic HTML,CSS,js and php.And I know how to make websites using cms like WordPress and Squarespace(fairly easy).It has been 2months(because of my exams ) ,I haven't touched them.My question is how do I start from zero again in a systematic way so that I have advanced level of knowledge in this field. I have heard alot from my cousins(engineers) that in later years there will be much demand of MEAN i.e.,mango db,express ,angular js and node js. I want to become a full fledged stack developer of good knowledge(not just basic),every next guy has nowadays basic knowledge of web development and design.I thought for a nanodegree course but thats 200$ per month(too costly atleast for me).Please guide me a way.A brief note about me-I am first year engineering student and I have aimed to get good knowledge in 3 field by the end of my 3rd year .(please give your views if I am not thinking right way)1-web development. 2-core programming(Java only)3-networking.If this is not type of the question to be asked on this forum ,I beg your pardon.

[chris webster]

I'm not a web development specialist, but here's a few thoughts.

You definitely need to learn some JavaScript for any serious web development, but there are lots of online tutorials, free courses (see below), books etc.

You mention the MEAN stack (which is based on JavaScript), and if you Google "MEAN stack tutorial" there are lots of examples, so just try working through some of these.

If you want to work with MEAN, then you should definitely learn about MongoDB, but this is very easy, as MongoDB's free course M101JS MongoDB for Node Developers starts again on 4 August. I haven't done this course, but I've done the Java and Python equivalents, and they were a great way to get started with MongoDB. Based on the course overview and my experience with the Java/Python courses, I'm guessing you probably don't need to be a Node/JavaScript expert, as a lot of the course material will focus on MongoDB itself anyway.

There are tons of online tutorials and documentation around Node.js, so you should be able to learn some Node.js on your own before the course starts.

Angular.js also seems to have plenty of online tutorials e.g. W3 Schools Angular tutorial to get you started, and there are books on all these topics as well.

You also mentioned "nanodegrees":

Udacity offers "nanodegrees" for $200 per month, as you say, but you can sign up for the courses in these nanodegrees for free. Just look for the individual course page e.g. Intro to HTML and CSS and choose the "free" option. Of course, if you don't pay for the nano-degree, then you won't get the extra tutorial support for a project, but you can learn enough to start working with these tools on your own and build your own demonstration project anyway.

Coursera has "specialization" tracks which are similar to Udacity's nanodegrees i.e. a specific set of courses where you pay for extra tutorial support and certification. but you can do these courses for free as well, you just won't get a certificate at the end. So have a look at the courses and see if any of them look interesting, then just do them.

EdX is another provider of good quality online courses. Again, they offer paid-for certified courses, but you can take most of these for free instead if you want (choose the "audit" or "free" option).

So there's nothing to stop you learning about web development for free if you want, and working on your own demo project to show people what you can do. All you need is time and effort. Good luck!

[Zohr Ridhan]

Thanks, I will surely try !