Must have industry skills for frontend developers

Frontend developers are programmers who are able to bring a user-focused website to life through their skills in various programming languages, frameworks, and libraries. Consumers today want to access websites that are fast, responsive, and user-friendly. Therefore, organizations from all industries seek out frontend developers who can make their user experience a winning one. The need has grown along with the competition for developers, thus it is crucial for them to gain all the skills required to meet this demand. Here are some skills and proficiencies that are vital for all frontend developers in the industry today:

• HTML/CSS: The two primary technologies that are fundamentally used for creating web pages are HTML (the Hypertext Markup Language) and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets). For most devices, HTML allows the developer to design the page structure, whereas CSS handles the (visual and auditory) layout, making them vital skills for any frontend developer.

• Javascript/jQuery: Programmers use JavaScript alongside HTML and CSS to make dynamic and interactive online apps and browsers. JavaScript is one of the most popular programming languages in the world today and is also considered one of the most sought-after skills for a frontend developer. Additionally, it is also advised that developers learn how to use jQuery as it is a Javascript library and is largely dependent on it.

• Version control/Git: The process of monitoring and managing changes to software code is known as version control, more commonly referred to as source control. Software technologies called Version Control Systems are used to assist software development teams in tracking changes to source code over time. The benefits of learning this skill are that it allows for collaboration and safety because multiple users can work independently on a single project. 

• Responsive Web Design: Responsive web design (RWD) creates dynamic adjustments to the layout of a website according to the screen size and orientation of the device being used to view it. Given the increase in the use of mobile phones and devices with smaller screens, it is essential that websites can be rendered on a smaller screen without any distortions, further creating a better online experience for any user.

• CSS Preprocessors (SASS, LESS, Stylus): CSS Preprocessors such as SASS, LESS, and Stylus are used to compile the code written by any particular compiler. The code is then used to produce a CSS file, which the primary HTML document may subsequently make use of. With the help of CSS Preprocessors, coders can avoid repetitions, ensure minimum time-wastage, join multiple stylesheets into one, further making the code more organized and clean. CSS Preprocessors are the best solution when developing a large user interface that requires heavy style sheets.

• Testing and Debugging: Two extremely important skills that all front-end developers must learn are testing and debugging. Testing allows developers to find faults and defects in the programming, in addition to comparing actual results with desirable results. Debugging is a cyclic action done to fix any faults discovered during the testing phase. To ensure that there is little to no scope for errors, it is imperative that these two processes are carried out.

• Command Line:  A command-line interface, or command language interpreter (CLI), is an approach to interacting with a computer programme in which the user (or client) issues commands to the programme in the form of successive lines of text. In addition to easier control, the command line is also less resource intensive, as it helps maximize the speed and efficiency of a developer as compared to using a GUI.

• Web Performance (image optimisation, CSS and JS minification):  Web Performance Optimization is an objective evaluation of a website or application's user experience. It includes factors such as reducing overall load time, increasing smoothness and interactivity, server time, render time, speed index and several others. By acquiring this skill, coders create a better experience for all users, further reflecting on the overall application review as well. 

• Soft Skills (creativity, teamwork, problem solving): Developers must be able to ask questions that will aid in teamwork and be able to communicate coherently. Frontend developers should have an understanding of design and ability to solve issues effectively by taking right judgement in time. Coders should come-up with creative solutions that help reduce wastage of time, energy, and effort. 

The article has been written by Relevel, an Unacademy Group Company