The Basics of Web Coding

Web coding is the process of creating, publishing and maintaining websites. It involves a variety of skills, from web design and web programming to database management. It’s common for web developers to be experts in multiple coding languages, and it’s also common for them to have a specialization within the field, such as front end or back end development.

A good place to start with web coding is learning HTML and CSS. These are the core building blocks of all websites and help determine how your site will look and function. You can find a variety of tutorials and resources online, including free web-based training courses like Treehouse and Khan Academy, and countless YouTube videos and books. There are also forums dedicated to coding, such as the Mozilla Developer Network and Reddit, which offer an incredible amount of information and support from other coders.

Once you’ve learned the basics of web coding, you can move on to more complex tasks. These tasks can involve more complex data and user interaction, which may require more sophisticated coding and scripting skills. If you’re ready to take on a new challenge, you can use a visual design tool, such as a wireframe, to create a blueprint of your website. This can be a simple hand-drawn sketch or a more advanced tool, such as Invision or Slickplan. This can give your web development and marketing teams a clear idea of what needs to be done, avoiding potential roadblocks down the line.

Many websites are built using a content management system (CMS). These tools allow you to create a website without the need for coding, and many come with libraries of pre-built templates that can be easily customized to suit your needs. These tools can make it easier to create a responsive website that will be compatible across all devices and browsers.

The most popular web coding language is HTML. This is a markup language that allows you to structure and format your website’s pages. It was developed in 1990 by Tim Berners Lee and was used to publish the world’s first website on August 6, 1991. HTML has been updated and expanded since then, but its basic purpose of formatting and displaying website content remains the same.

To view the source code for a page, you can use your browser’s “View Page Source” or “Inspect Element” feature. These features will open a side panel with the HTML code for the selected element, showing you what’s going on behind the scenes. This is especially useful when debugging your site or ensuring that your coding is correct.

While you can use a graphical design tool to build your website, the best way to learn web coding is to start with a text editor. Most computers come with a default text editor, such as Notepad on Windows, Gedit on Linux and TextEdit on MacOS. You can also use a more advanced software program, such as Dreamweaver or Adobe Dreamweaver CC, which will help you to create more structured, responsive and modern websites.