The Complete Web Developer RoadMap
Tags: Web Development, Tech, Software Development, Programming, JavaScript

The 2021 FullStack Web Developer RoadMap

An illustrated guide to becoming a Web Developer with links to relevant courses

Hello Guys, if you want to learn to code or to become a Web Developer in 2021 then you have come to the right place. Earlier, I have shared 20 websites to learn coding and the best web development courses and today I have something special to share with you, the complete Full-stack Web Developer RoadMap.

This is an excellent illustration of how to become a full-stack web developer in 2021 and guide you on how you can learn and master Web Development in 2021.

It’s a collection of different paths to learning front-end, back-end, and full-stack, including all other things a Web developer should know. You will not just know about web development but about essential programming stuff which is important for all kinds of programmers.



The RoadMap is also divided into 3 sections, the first section is about essential skills which every web developer should know, while the second and third section is about front-end and back-end development, two main areas of web development.



You can either learn Front-end or Back-end or both, depending upon your choice. If you want to become a FullStack Web developer then you have to learn both front-end and back-end, there is no escaping there.



In Frontend also you can choose to learn the framework you want like React, Angular or Vue.js, you don’t need to learn them all but learn the one you like. If you ask for my recommendation, Vue.js is a better choice in 2021 than the other two but again those are more used than Vue.js yet.



Btw, you might have seen this RoadMap before. This awesome visual guide to becoming a web developer was created by Kamranahmedse and posted on his GitHub repository here. It’s one of my favorite places and I have bookmarked it for a repeated visit.



Last year, while doing some internet surfing I stumble upon this excellent page. I first found the DevOps RoadMap and React Developer RoadMap there and become an instant fan of Kamran Ahmed. In fact, I have these RoadMap printed and stick to my Desk for regular reference.



Btw, the Roadmap tells you what to learn but doesn’t tell you how to learn and where you can learn those skills. I have tried to supplement that part by providing links to some useful courses and books you can take to learn the technologies, programming languages, frameworks, and libraries required to become a web developer and mentioned in this RoadMap.

How to Become a Full Stack Web Developer in 2021

Anyway, Here’s where you’ll start. As I have said before, You can choose either the Front-end or Back-end path below, depending upon your interest. Regardless, there are eight recommendations in yellow that you must learn for either path, these are the common things every programmer should know.

Recommended learning for either path

Here are some essential skills you will need to become either a frontend developer or a server-side backend developer.

1. Git

One of the most popular version control system. It’s just not possible to live without Git anymore. You can check out The Git Complete Guide on Udemy to start with.

2. SSH

It allows you to remove login to another host, another popular networking concept which every web developer should know.



3. HTTP / HTTPS

The HTTP protocol is the backbone of the web and a good knowledge of both HTTP and HTTPS is mandatory for a web developer



4. Basic Terminal Usage Linux Command line Basics

Not just a web developer but for any programmer, the Linux command line is very very important and I strongly recommend you to spend some time learning them. The Linux command line basics course on Udemy is a good place to start with and if you like free courses, you can use these free Linux courses to start learning Linux.

5. Data Structures and Algorithms

These are the building blocks of any program and better knowledge of Algorithms and Data Structure is key for your next job or doing well on your current job.

If you are interested in learning algorithms and data structure, I suggest you choose the course which is in the programming language you understand.

For example for Java developers Data Structures and Algorithms: Deep Dive Using Java is a good one to start with.

Similarly for JavaScript Developers Colt Steele’s JavaScript Algorithms and Data Structures Masterclass is a good one.

And, if you use Python then Algorithms and Data Structures in Python is a nice one.

And, if you don’t mind learning from resources then you can also use this list of free algorithms courses to start with.



7. Character Encodings

If you are creating global applications that show information in many different languages across the world then you should have a good knowledge of character encodings. It basically tells your browser how to show your data.



8. GitHub

There is no doubt that every programmer should know Git and Github as they are the standard in terms of version control and code repository. If you want to learn and master Git and Github, you can check these free Git course.

The Complete Frontend Developer RoadMap

If you want to become a front-end developer in 2021 then you should follow the below Front-end Developer RoadMap. You should focus on yellow boxes that highlight important things to learn and follow from there. Below the RoadMap, you will find additional resources like books and courses to aid your learning.

1. Web Development Basics

It’s pretty obvious that if you want to become a Web Developer then you should know the basics of internet, web applications, protocols like HTTP, and web development in general. Thankfully there are a lot of courses where you can not only learn these but much more than that.



I recommend the following resources for all programmers who want to learn Web Development:

2. HTML and CSS

HTML and CSS are the backbones of any website. HTML provides the structure while CSS provides the style and helps them to look better and more visually appealing. If you want to become a serious frontend developer then you must master these two and to start with, you can check these free HTML and CSS courses to learn online.

3. JavaScript

Just like the four pillars of object-oriented programming, I mean Abstraction, Encapsulation, Polymorphism, and Inheritance, there are three main pillars of web development, namely — HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.



The first two provide structure and style but it’s the JavaScript that makes them alive by adding interactiveness. It’s extremely important for a modern Java developer to learn JavaScript and thankfully there are many courses which you can look to learn both beginner and advanced JavaScript, here are some recommendations:

4. TypeScript

Just like we have C and C++, TypeScript can be considered as JavaScript++ though it’s not as popular as C++.

The good part of TypeScript is that it adds type-safety in JavaScript code which means you can catch nasty JavaScript type-related errors in the development phase.

It also makes developing object-oriented code easy for JavaScript. If you want to learn TypeScript, Understanding TypeScript is a great course to start with, and if you need more choices or free alternatives, here is another list of some free TypeScript courses to start with.

5. Angular

Gone are the days when people build websites using plain HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Nowadays most of the work is done by a framework like Angular, React JS, or Vue.js.



They not only provide a structure for storing your code but also makes it easy to develop a web application in a quick time.



Angular is backed by Google, hence learning Angular is a good choice for any modern Web Developer. If you want to learn Angular there is no better course than Max’s Angular 7 (formerly Angular 2) — The Complete Guide on Udemy.

7. React JS

Similar to Angular, React is also a popular library for developing web applications. It allows you to write reusable components which you can then use to create modern looking interactive web pages.

Like Angular is backed by Google, React is backed by Facebook and hence quite popular. If you want to learn React then you either join Stephen Grider’s Modern React with Redux or Max’s React — The Complete Guide on Udemy. Both are excellent courses to learn to React online.



Here are the links:

8. Vue.js

The Vue or Vue JS has really picked up speed last year and more and more people are recommending and using Vue.js. I am still a beginner on Vue and probably take some time to learn and migrate into Vue based application. But, if you have already made a decision you can start with the Vue.js Essentials course on Udemy.