1. HTML/CSS (Extended)
Semantic HTML
- Use semantic elements like
<header>
, <nav>
, <section>
, <article>
, and <footer>
for better accessibility and SEO.
- Improve the structure of your code by making it easier for browsers and developers to understand the content's meaning.
- Example: Replace
<div>
or <span>
with elements like <main>
for the main content and <aside>
for sidebars.
CSS Basics
- Flexbox: Simplify your layout by using
display: flex;
to align and distribute space among items within a container. Flexbox makes it easier to create dynamic, responsive layouts.
- CSS Grid: Create advanced two-dimensional layouts with the grid system. Control both rows and columns, making complex layouts easier to handle.
- Example: Use
grid-template-columns
to define columns and grid-template-rows
.
Responsive Web Design
- Ensure your web pages look good on all devices (desktops, tablets, phones).
- Use media queries in CSS to apply different styles based on screen size or device characteristics. This makes your design adaptive to various screen sizes without breaking the layout.
- Embrace relative units like percentages,
em
, rem
, or vw
for a more flexible, scalable design.
- Example of a media query:
2. JavaScript (Extended)
Core JavaScript Concepts
- Variables: Learn about
var
,let
, andconst
for creating variables. Know how they differ in where they can be used (scope) and whether they can be changed later (reassignability).
- Data Types: Familiarize yourself with primitive data types such as
string
, number
, boolean
, null
, undefined
, and complex data types like objects
and arrays
.
- Functions: Understand how to create and use functions to modularize and reuse code. Explore function expressions, function declarations, and arrow functions (introduced in ES6).
- Control Flow: Use
if
, else
, and switch
statements to control the flow of your program based on conditions.
- Loops: Learn looping structures like
for
, while
, and forEach()
to iterate over arrays or other data structures.
- Scope: Understand how variable scope works in JavaScript, focusing on block-level scope (with
let
and const
) and function-level scope (with var
).
- Example:
DOM Manipulation
- Selecting Elements: Learn how to select elements in the DOM using methods like
getElementById()
, querySelector()
, and querySelectorAll()
.
- Modifying Content: Use
innerHTML
and textContent
to dynamically update content on the webpage.
- Event Handling: Add interactivity by attaching event listeners to DOM elements using
addEventListener()
. Learn about event types (click, hover, etc.) and how to handle them.
- Classes and Styles: Use JavaScript to add, remove, or toggle classes and inline styles on elements to dynamically change their appearance.
ES6+ Features
- Arrow Functions: A shorter syntax for writing functions, often used in callbacks and cleaner code.
- Example:
- Template Literals: Use backticks (
) to create strings with embedded variables and expressions for more readable code.
- Example:
- Destructuring: Easily extract values from objects or arrays into individual variables.
- Example:
- Promises: Handle asynchronous operations like API requests or timeouts. Learn the difference between
resolve
, reject
, and the then()
and catch()
methods.
- Example:
Async/Await (A more modern way to handle asynchronous operations introduced in ES8)
- Simplifies working with promises by allowing you to write asynchronous code in a synchronous manner.
- Example:
3. Version Control (Git) (Extended)
Basic Git Commands
- git init: Initializes a new Git repository in your project directory, creating a
.git
folder to track changes.
git add: Stages changes for the next commit. You can specify individual files or use . to stage all changes.
git commit: Creates a snapshot of the staged changes with a message describing the commit. This is essential for version history.
git status: Displays the state of the working directory and the staging area. It shows changes that are staged for the next commit and those that aren’t.
git log: Shows the commit history for the project, allowing you to see the history of changes.
git push: Uploads local commits to a remote repository (like GitHub or GitLab).
git pull: Fetches and merges changes from a remote repository into your local branch, keeping your code up to date.
Branching and Merging
- git branch: List, create, or delete branches. Branching allows you to work on features or bug fixes in isolation without affecting the main project.
Switch to the branch:
Or create and switch in one step:
- git merge: Combine the changes from one branch into another. Often, you merge feature branches into the main or development branch.
- Example: Merge
feature-login
into main
:
Resolving Merge Conflicts: When two branches modify the same parts of the code, Git may not be able to automatically merge them. You’ll need to manually resolve conflicts, choose which changes to keep, and mark the conflict as resolved:
Working with Remote Repositories
- git remote add: Add a remote repository (like GitHub) to push your changes to or pull updates from. Typically, the remote is named
origin
.
git clone: Copy an existing repository from a remote source to your local machine. It also sets up the remote so you can push and pull changes.
Undoing Changes
- git reset: Reverts changes to the working directory or resets the commit history. Be cautious with this command, as it can rewrite history.
git revert: Creates a new commit that undoes changes from a specific commit without rewriting history. It’s a safer alternative to reset in shared repositories.
Stashing Changes
- git stash: Temporarily saves changes that are not ready for commit, allowing you to switch branches or pull new changes without losing your work. You can apply or discard stashed changes later.
Collaborating with Others
- Forking and Pull Requests: In open-source or shared repositories, forking creates a copy of the repository under your own account. You can then push changes to this copy and submit a pull request (PR) to the original repository to merge your changes.
- Code Reviews: Git’s collaboration model supports code reviews. Team members can review changes in PRs and comment on lines of code before merging.
Best Practices for Version Control
- Use Descriptive Commit Messages: Clearly describe what changes you’ve made in each commit. Avoid vague messages like
fix bugs
; instead, use fix login redirect issue
.
- Commit Often, But Meaningfully: Make small, logical commits instead of one massive commit. This ensures each change is easier to review and understand.
- Create Feature Branches: Always work on new features or bug fixes in separate branches to keep the main branch clean and stable.
- Sync Regularly: Regularly pull changes from the remote repository to ensure your code is up to date and avoid conflicts.
4. Package Managers (npm/yarn) (Extended)
Managing JavaScript Dependencies
- Introduction to Package Managers: Package managers like
npm
(Node Package Manager) and yarn
help you manage dependencies, which are libraries and tools your project relies on.
npm
comes bundled with Node.js, and it’s widely used in JavaScript projects.
yarn
is an alternative to npm
, designed for faster and more reliable dependency management.
- Installing Dependencies: When you initialize a new project, the
package.json
file lists the libraries and their versions. Use the following commands to install dependencies:
- Install all dependencies listed in
package.json
:
Install a specific package:The -save flag adds the package to your project’s package.json file, so others can easily install it.
-
Package Versions: Learn how versioning works in package.json
. You’ll see version numbers like ^1.0.0
or ~1.0.0
. The caret (^
) allows minor version updates, while the tilde (~
) allows patch updates. You can also specify an exact version by omitting the caret or tilde.
Example from package.json
:
Creating a New Project
- npm init/yarn init: Initializes a new project and creates a
package.json
file that contains metadata about your project and its dependencies.During initialization, you’ll be prompted to enter details such as the project’s name, version, and description. Alternatively, you can use y
to skip the prompts and use default settings.
Global vs Local Packages
- Global Packages: Installed across your system and can be used from any project. These packages are useful for tools like
eslint
or prettier
that you want to use in multiple projects.
- Install a global package:
- Local Packages: Installed only for the specific project and listed in
package.json
. Use local installation for project-specific dependencies.
Scripts for Running and Building Projects
- npm scripts/yarn scripts: You can define custom scripts in the
package.json
file to automate tasks like running tests, starting a development server, or building the project for production. These scripts are run with the npm run
or yarn run
command. Example package.json
with scripts:
Scripts for Running and Building Projects
- npm scripts/yarn scripts: You can define custom scripts in the
package.json
file to automate tasks like running tests, starting a development server, or building the project for production. These scripts are run with the npm run
or yarn run
command. Example package.json
with scripts:
To run the scripts:
- Popular Scripts:
- start: Often used to start a development server or application.
- test: Runs tests using a testing framework like
jest
.
- build: Prepares the project for production by bundling and minifying files.
Managing DevDependencies
- devDependencies: Packages used only during development, such as linters, testing frameworks, or build tools. These packages won’t be included in the final build when deploying the application.
- Install a dev dependency:
In package.json, these dependencies are listed under devDependencies:
\
Updating and Removing Dependencies
- Updating Dependencies: Ensure your project uses the latest versions of dependencies to benefit from bug fixes, security patches, and new features.
Update all packages:
Removing Dependencies: If a dependency is no longer needed, you can uninstall it and remove it from package.json:
Lock Files
- package-lock.json (npm)/yarn.lock (yarn): Lock files ensure that all developers working on a project install the exact same versions of dependencies, even if the dependencies' versions in
package.json
are flexible.
- These files are automatically generated and updated when you install or update dependencies. They are essential for ensuring consistency across different environments.
Best Practices for Package Management
- Use lock files: Always commit the lock file (
package-lock.json
or yarn.lock
) to your version control system to ensure consistency in dependencies across different environments.
- Use Semantic Versioning: Follow the rules of semantic versioning (
major.minor.patch
) when updating packages to avoid breaking changes.
- Organize devDependencies and dependencies: Separate dev tools from production packages by listing them under
devDependencies
and dependencies
accordingly.
- Regularly update dependencies: Keep your project up to date with the latest versions of packages for security and performance improvements. Use tools like
npm audit
or yarn audit
to find vulnerabilities in dependencies.
5. CSS Preprocessors (SASS or LESS) (Extended)
Introduction to CSS Preprocessors
- What are CSS Preprocessors?: CSS preprocessors like SASS and LESS extend the basic functionality of CSS by introducing variables, nesting, mixins, and more. They help write CSS that's more organized, maintainable, and reusable.
- SASS (Syntactically Awesome Style Sheets) and LESS (Leaner Style Sheets) are the two most popular preprocessors. SASS is more widely adopted due to its flexibility and power.
Variables
- CSS preprocessors allow you to define reusable variables, which is especially useful for colors, font sizes, spacing, etc.
- Example in SASS:
Example in LESS:
Nesting
- Preprocessors allow you to nest your CSS selectors, which reflects the HTML structure and improves readability.
- Example in SASS:
Example in LESS:
Mixins
- Mixins allow you to reuse a block of CSS throughout your project. You can define a mixin with parameters to make it even more flexible.
- Example in SASS:
Example in LESS:
Partials and Importing
- You can split your CSS into multiple files using partials and then import them into a single main file. This helps keep styles organized.
- Example in SASS:
Example in LESS:
Extending and Inheritance
- You can extend existing CSS classes and reuse their styles using the
@extend
directive in SASS or the :extend
feature in LESS.
- Example in SASS:
Example in LESS:
Compiling SASS/LESS into CSS
- Since browsers don’t understand SASS or LESS directly, you need to compile them into regular CSS using tools like the node-sass package or by configuring build tools like Webpack.
Best Practices for CSS Preprocessors
- Modular Structure: Break down your styles into smaller, logical partials for better organization.
- Use Variables Consistently: Define all reusable values like colors and sizes in variables to ensure consistency across the project.
- Avoid Over-Nesting: Nesting more than three levels deep can make your CSS hard to maintain. Keep it simple.
7. Build Tools (Webpack/Babel) (Extended)
What are Build Tools?
- Build tools like Webpack and Babel are essential for modern JavaScript development. They help in bundling, transpiling, and optimizing code, making it ready for production.
- Webpack is a powerful module bundler that bundles your JavaScript files and other assets like styles, images, etc., into a single output file.
- Babel is a JavaScript transpiler that allows you to write modern JavaScript (ES6+), which is then converted into browser-compatible JavaScript.
Module Bundling with Webpack
- Webpack bundles all of your project’s JavaScript modules into a single (or multiple) output file(s). It processes entry points and dependencies to generate a bundled file.
- Example Webpack configuration:
Babel for Transpiling Modern JavaScript
- What is Babel?: Babel helps developers write modern JavaScript by converting ES6+ code into ES5 code that is compatible with older browsers.
- Example Babel configuration (
.babelrc
):
- This preset ensures that your JavaScript is transpiled according to the environment’s requirements (e.g., browser versions).
ES6+ Features in Babel
- Babel supports a range of ES6+ features such as:
- Arrow functions: Transpiling modern syntax:
- Promises: Babel can also polyfill new APIs such as Promises, allowing older browsers to use them.
Code Splitting with Webpack
- Code splitting is a Webpack feature that helps break up large bundles into smaller chunks, improving performance by loading only the code that is needed for a particular page.
- Example of dynamic imports in Webpack:
Loaders and Plugins
- Loaders in Webpack allow you to preprocess files before bundling (e.g., compiling SASS to CSS).
- Plugins add extra functionality like minifying code, cleaning directories, etc.
- Example: Using MiniCssExtractPlugin to extract CSS into separate files.
Development vs. Production Mode
- Webpack allows switching between development (with source maps and unminified code for debugging) and production (with minified, optimized code) environments using the
mode
option.
- In production mode, Webpack automatically enables optimization features like tree shaking (removing unused code) and code minification.
Best Practices for Build Tools
- Use Source Maps: Enable source maps in development mode to debug the original code, even after it’s transpiled and bundled.
- Optimize for Production: Use production mode with features like minification and tree shaking to reduce the file size of the final bundle.
- Leverage Code Splitting: For large applications, implement code splitting to load only the necessary parts of the code when needed.
8. Testing (Jest, Cypress) (Extended)
Introduction to Testing
- Why Testing is Important: Automated testing ensures that your application behaves as expected and helps catch bugs early. In frontend development, both unit tests and end-to-end (E2E) tests are important for validating components, functionality, and user flows.
Jest for Unit Testing
- What is Jest?: Jest is a JavaScript testing framework often used for unit testing React applications. It’s fast, easy to configure, and integrates well with other tools like React Testing Library.
- Unit Tests: Focus on testing individual components or functions in isolation.
- Example unit test in Jest for a simple React component:
Mocking and Spying in Jest
- Mocking: Jest allows you to mock functions, modules, or components to simulate different conditions during tests.
- Example of mocking a function in Jest:
Testing Asynchronous Code
- Jest provides built-in support for async/await, making it easy to test asynchronous functions or API calls.
- Example:
Snapshot Testing
- Snapshot testing is a feature in Jest where the UI output of a component is stored and compared during future test runs. This ensures that the UI hasn’t unintentionally changed.
- Example of snapshot testing:
Cypress for End-to-End Testing
- What is Cypress?: Cypress is a powerful tool for end-to-end testing, which tests the complete user flow by interacting with the application like a real user (e.g., filling forms, clicking buttons, etc.).
- E2E Tests: Cypress simulates user actions in the browser and checks whether the app behaves as expected.
Example of Cypress E2E Test
- A Cypress test that checks if a user can successfully submit a form:
Assertions in Cypress
- Cypress comes with built-in assertions to verify the behavior of the application, like checking if an element is visible, or if a button is disabled.
- Example assertions:
Continuous Integration with Testing
- Tools like Jest and Cypress can be integrated into CI/CD pipelines to automatically run tests whenever code is pushed to the repository. This ensures that new code doesn’t introduce regressions.
- Example GitHub Actions configuration for running Jest tests:
Best Practices for Testing
- Write Meaningful Tests: Write tests that accurately reflect the expected behavior of your application.
- Test Coverage: Ensure adequate coverage for both unit and end-to-end tests.
- Run Tests Frequently: Integrate tests into your development workflow and run them with every code change to catch bugs early.
9. APIs and AJAX (Extended)
Introduction to APIs
- API (Application Programming Interface) allows frontend applications to interact with backend services, usually by sending HTTP requests.
- Common types of APIs used include REST APIs and GraphQL. REST APIs rely on HTTP methods like
GET
, POST
, PUT
, and DELETE
.
AJAX for Asynchronous Requests
- AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) enables web applications to send and retrieve data asynchronously without refreshing the web page.
- Modern web development uses Fetch API or libraries like Axios to make AJAX requests.
Making Requests with Fetch API
- Fetch API is the modern way to make HTTP requests in JavaScript. It returns a promise that resolves to a
Response
object.
- Example Fetch API request:
Axios for AJAX Requests
- Axios is a promise-based HTTP client that simplifies making requests.
- Example Axios request:
Handling Asynchronous Requests
- Use async/await to handle asynchronous requests cleanly:
Error Handling in API Calls
- Always handle errors in API calls to prevent crashes or unexpected behavior:
10. State Management (Redux/Vuex/MobX) (Extended)
What is State Management?
- State management is essential in larger applications where data needs to be shared between multiple components. Instead of passing data via props or relying on local state, global state management tools like Redux, Vuex, and MobX provide a centralized store for managing app-wide state.
Introduction to Redux
- Redux is one of the most popular state management libraries for React applications. It uses a centralized store that holds the entire application’s state.
- Actions: Objects that describe what happened (e.g.,
ADD_TODO
).
- Reducers: Pure functions that take the current state and an action and return the new state.
- Store: Holds the entire state tree of the application.
Example Redux Setup
Reducer to handle the action:
Store setup:
Vuex for Vue.js
- Vuex is the state management pattern + library for Vue.js applications.
- Mutations: Responsible for updating the state.
- Actions: Commit mutations and can contain asynchronous logic.
- Example of adding a mutation and action in Vuex:
When to Use State Management
- Use global state management when multiple components need to share the same state, such as user authentication, theming, or managing a complex data structure.
11. TypeScript (Extended)
Introduction to TypeScript
- TypeScript is a superset of JavaScript that adds static typing, which helps catch errors during development.
- TypeScript improves developer productivity by making code more predictable and readable. It’s especially useful in large projects or teams.
Adding Types to JavaScript
- Example of typing variables:
Interfaces and Type Checking
- Interfaces allow you to define the shape of an object.
- Example:
TypeScript with Frontend Frameworks
- TypeScript can be easily integrated with frontend frameworks like React and Vue.
- Example of using TypeScript with React:
12. Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) (Extended)
What is a PWA?
- Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) are web applications that provide a native app-like experience by leveraging modern web capabilities. They are fast, reliable, and can work offline.
Key Features of PWAs
- Offline Functionality: PWAs work offline by using Service Workers, which cache assets and resources.
- App Manifest: PWAs have a Web App Manifest that defines app metadata like icons, name, and background color.
- Push Notifications: PWAs can send push notifications to re-engage users.
- Add to Home Screen: PWAs can be installed and added to the home screen on mobile devices.
Building a Service Worker
13. Build and Deploy (Extended)
Building Frontend Applications
- Building for Production: Use build tools like Webpack or create-react-app to bundle and optimize your application for production.
- Example of a production build command using Webpack:
CI/CD Pipelines
- Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines automate the process of building, testing, and deploying applications.
- Example using GitHub Actions:
14. Real-World Projects (Extended)
Importance of Real-World Projects
- Building real-world projects is essential to solidifying frontend development skills. These projects allow you to apply your knowledge and create a portfolio to showcase to potential employers or clients.
Portfolio Projects
- Examples of real-world frontend projects:
- Personal Portfolio Website: Create a responsive website to showcase your skills, projects, and contact information.
- E-commerce Application: Build a fully functional online store with product listings, shopping carts, and payment gateways.
- Blog Application: Develop a blog platform with features like authentication, content management, and comment sections.
Best Practices for Real-World Projects
- Version Control: Always use Git to track changes and collaborate on real-world projects.
- Responsive Design: Ensure that your projects work on all screen sizes, including mobile devices.
- Performance Optimization: Focus on