Skills you need to become a frontend developer in 2023
Tags: webdev, frontend, programming, career
Published: 2023-08-30 15:43:54

**Introduction**
Frontend development is the use of programming languages to develop the visible sections of a web application. According to grabjobs.co, the average salary in Nigeria for a Front End Developer is about ₦102,621 per month and about ₦1,231,452 per annum. There is high demand for frontend developers in the world and the aim of this article is to provide you with a step by step guide on how to become a frontend developer.

**Prerequisite** 
This is a beginner's guide, there is no prior knowledge required to understand this article.

**Table of contents**

- What is frontend development
- How to become a frontend developer
- HTML
- CSS
- JavaScript
- API integration
- CSS libraries and CSS preprocessors
- JavaScript libraries / frameworks
- Typescript
- Version control
- Data structures and algorithms
- Conclusion

**What is frontend development**
Frontend web development according to coursera.org is the act of building the frontend portion of web applications using web languages such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript that allow users to interact with the web application.

**How to become a frontend developer**
To become a frontend developer, you need to learn the tools needed to build frontend web applications. The tools needed to become a frontend developer are: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, CSS libraries, CSS preprocessors, JavaScript libraries/ frameworks, API integration, version control, data structures and algorithms. 

**HTML**
The very first skill to become a frontend developer is HTML and According to Astari, S.(2023),  hostinger.com, HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language and it is a markup language for developing  web page structures. HTML is used in creating and structuring the sections, paragraphs, and links of a web page using HTML elements such as tags and attributes. 

**CSS**
The next tool to learn is CSS which according to javatpoint.com, CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets and it  is a style sheet language which is used to customize the look and formatting of a document written in HTML. It provides additional styling feature to HTML. It is generally used with HTML to change the style and look of user interfaces of web pages.

**JavaScript**
After learning CSS, you must become skilled in using JavaScript and Mozilla developer network defines JavaScript as a scripting language that enables you to create dynamic contents, control the functionality of a website and animate images in the website.

**API integration**
Learning how to integrate APIs into your web application is a core skill of every professional frontend developer. API stands for Application Programming Interface and is a set of protocols that allow applications to interact with each other. Cleo.com defines API integration as a process of connecting two or more applications  by using APIs to exchange data. 

**CSS frameworks and CSS preprocessors**

"A CSS framework is a library allowing for easier, more standards-compliant web design using the Cascading Style Sheets language " according to Wikipedia.org. popular CSS frameworks include bootstrap, Tailwind CSS.
and according to raygun.com, "CSS preprocessors are scripting languages that extend the default capabilities of CSS. They enable us to use logic in our CSS code, such as variables, nesting, inheritance, mixins, functions, and mathematical operations". Examples of CSS preprocessors are SASS, LESS, and stylus.

**JavaScript libraries/ frameworks**
A JavaScript framework extends the functionality of JavaScript and most of the JavaScript frameworks provides single page application ability. There are varieties of JavaScript libraries/frameworks which includes, React.js, Vue, Angular, Sveltte etc. 

**Typescript**
Typescript uses the same syntax as JavaScript but extends the functionality of JavaScript codes. TypeScript extends JavaScript and improves the developer experience. It enables developers to add type safety to their projects. 

**Version control**
According to gitlab.com, Version control  facilitates coordination, sharing, and collaboration across the entire software development team.

**Data structures and algorithms**
Data structures are the building blocks of a programming language and algorithms are the methodologies used to solve problems in programming. Use platforms like leetcode and hackerrank to practice data structures and algorithm problems.

**Recommendation**
There are many courses online to learn the skills both free and paid, but not all courses are recommend, before taking any course check the reviews of others.

**Conclusion**
In conclusion, becoming a frontend developer takes time and effort, but following this guide will lead you to becoming one and landing a job as a frontend developer.