WHAT IS CODING?

According to careerkarma.com,
“Coding is the process of creating instructions for computers using programming languages.
Coding is used to program websites, apps, and other technologies we interact with every day.” – careerkarma.com

Coding is like another language that is used to give instructions to the server in the back end to be shown in the front end. The back end is where you program this language and save the data with the information and instructions you write, the users cannot interact with this part and you can create these codes in applications like Visual Studio. The front end is the server where that information is shown and can be seen and makes it accessible to the users.

Think of each server has a very important component known as a host, just like a helpful guide responsible for directing data across the internet. This host, often called a domain name, is like a map that tells the internet where to send information. And, to make a website accessible, it needs an IP address, like its home address on the web. That's it! Every server has its host and a home address (IP address), the digital location of the website.

When it comes to coding a website, several fundamental programming languages and technologies are used to create the different parts of a website. Let's break them down!

HTML

(Hypertext Markup Language):

Think of HTML as the "skeleton" of a webpage. It works by defining the structure and formatting of the web pages you create with coding, here is where you structure the content, text, images, headings, and links.

CSS

(Cascading Style Sheets):

Cascading Stylesheet most commonly known as CSS for its abbreviation, is the design language you can use to make websites look attractive and focus on your target audience by the design. CSS helps make your site look unique by controlling colors, fonts, spacing, layout, and more. This can be attached to any HTML element.

JS

(JavaScript):

JavaScript is known for its functionality, is a powerful and interpreted language meant for website development, and is also used for the interactivity part. JavaScript adds the "magic" to your website. It makes things happen when you click buttons, fill out forms, and interact with the page. It brings your site to life!

Database Management Systems:

Web Frameworks:

Web frameworks are like ready-made tools for building websites. They save you time and effort by providing a blueprint for creating web applications.

Responsive Design and Media Queries:

This is like the "flexibility" of your website. It ensures your site looks good and works well on all devices, from big computer screens to small smartphones, and it can be as customizable as you want! Remember, building a website is a creative and fun journey. You can start with the basics and gradually explore these technologies as you become more comfortable. We have so many tools out there, so don't be afraid to experiment and learn along the way!

Resources

w3schools

One of the most used platforms to learn to code for websites is called “w3schools” – https://www.w3schools.com/ – is very interactive, with so many explanations, examples, quizzes, and activities parts that are designed to learn code.

Code with Mosh

Another site that is very helpful when starting to learn coding is https://codewithmosh.com/, he has a YouTube Channel as well and everything is well explained, he covers many different coding topics, the format of the site and his videos are clean and organized, is easy to understand, and presents different exercises that allow you to practice your coding skills.

Code Validator

When it comes to making mistakes in our coding work, we can use this page called “W3C” - https://validator.w3.org/ - this is a code evaluator that can help to identify mistakes on the code, it will tell you in which line you have a mistake and if you do not understand the results, you can look up the mistake on the browser to find more information about it and being able to fix it.

Compressed Podcast

Here is another great tool for people like me, that loves listening to podcast, is called Compressed, a podcast about web design and development by James Q Quick and Amy Dutton https://www.compressed.fm/. They have so many useful resources, a website with courses, and experts on different design topics that talk about everything related to the industry.

Visual Studio

Finally! We need to mention Visual Studio Code, this is a popular integrated development environment (IDE) that provides a user-friendly interface for coding, which means that you can create your website on this app. It also offers helpful features like code highlighting, debugging tools, and a preview of your website as you create it. It's an awesome choice for web development. You can download VS Code here: https://code.visualstudio.com/.

React

If you're looking to build interactive and dynamic user interfaces, consider learning React. React is a JavaScript library that makes it easier to create web applications with reusable components. You can find the official documentation and tutorials at https://reactjs.org/.

jQuery

jQuery is a popular JavaScript library that simplifies tasks like DOM manipulation and event handling. While it has seen a decrease in popularity with the rise of native JavaScript capabilities, it can still be useful. You can learn more about jQuery at https://jquery.com/.