Web developer: Difference between revisions

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A '''web developer''' is a [[software developer]] or [[software engineer]] who is specifically engaged in the development of [[World Wide Web]] applications, or distrubuted network applications that are run over the http protocol using an http server, a [[web server]], and an http client, a [[web browser]]. Web developers can be [[webmasters]] who handle website administration and web design as well as web application development or can simply be web application developers. Web developers are formally in charge of [[web development]] within their respective organizations or also as freelance software developers.

{{Short description|Programmer who specializes in World Wide Web applications}}

{{More citations needed|date=May 2013}}

A '''web developer''' is a [[programmer]] who develops [[World Wide Web]] applications using a [[client–server model]]. The applications typically use [[HTML]], [[CSS]], and [[JavaScript]] in the client, and any general-purpose [[programming language]] in the server. [[http|HTTP]] is used for communications between client and server. A web developer may specialize in client-side applications ([[Front-end web development]]), server-side applications (back-end development), or both (full-stack development).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Web Development |url=https://www.w3schools.com/whatis/ |access-date=2024-02-15 |website=www.w3schools.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Tools of the trade==

== Prerequisite ==

As software developers for the Web, web developers use:

There are no formal educational or [[license]] requirements to become a web developer. However, many colleges and trade schools offer coursework in web development. There are also many tutorials and articles which teach web development, often freely available on the web - for example, on [[wikiversity: Basic JavaScript|JavaScript]].

*interpreted scripting languages like [[Perl]], [[Python (programming language)]], [[PHP]], [[Ruby (programming language)]], [[VBScript]], [[JScript]], etc. as well as some compiled languages like [[Java (programming language)]],[[C (programming language)]],[[C++]],[[C Sharp|C#]],[[VB.Net]] that are either pre-compiled or just-in-time compiled to create dynamic and interactive server-side web applications.

Even though there are no formal requirements, web development projects require web developers to have [[knowledge]] and skills such as:

*the client-side interpreted scripting language [[JavaScript]], also called [[ECMAScript]], [[HTML]] markup, [[Cascading Style Sheets]], and the web browser DOM, or the [[document object model]], to build client-side web applications.

* Using [[HTML]], [[Cascading Style Sheets|CSS]], and [[JavaScript]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=HTML: HyperText Markup Language {{!}} MDN|url=https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML|access-date=2022-05-12|website=developer.mozilla.org|language=en-US}}</ref>

* Programming/coding/scripting in one of the many server-side languages or frameworks

* Understanding [[server-side]]/[[client-side]] architecture and communication of the kind mentioned above

* Ability to utilize a [[database]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Trapp |first=Tom |date=2022-01-12 |title=Full-fledged full stack with Next.js |url=http://b-nova.com/en/home/content/full-stack-with-next-js |access-date=2022-12-12 |website=b-nova |language=en}}</ref>

== See also ==

*[[relational database management systems]], or [[RDBMS]]s, like [[MySQL]], [[Microsoft SQL Server]], [[Oracle database]], [[PostgreSQL]], etc. as well as the self-describing markup language [[XML]], extensible markup language, to handle data collection from web users as well as storing either public or private data that is shared over networks via the Web.

* [[Frontend and backend]]

* [[Outline of web design and web development]]

* [[User interface]]

* [[User experience]]

* [[Website design]]

* [[Web development]]

* [[Software developer]]

==References==

==Setting a standard==

{{Reflist|2}}

== External links ==

Web developers are the gatekeepers of the Web. They are supposed to adhere to the open standards and guidelines created by the [[World Wide Web Consortium]], [[W3C]], when creating any programming for the web. Often, web developers help contribute to these open standards and guidelines through their work on open source projects working to help enhance and debug web-based technologies.

{{Wikiversity|Web design}}

* The US Department of Labor's description of [http://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/web-developers.htm/ Web Developers]

* [https://www.w3.org/ / World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)]

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:WorldWeb Wide Webdevelopment]]

However, because of the fairly low barrier to entry -- freely available development environments (web server environments and development languages), freely available tutorials and information on how to do web development -- more often than not, novice Web Developers do not "adhere to the open standards and guidelines". Additionally, poorly designed or proprietary software tools that don't follow the "open standards and guidelines" create ad hoc and defacto standards which, unfortunately must be followed in order to "make things work". This was especially true during the "[[Browser Wars]]" of the 1990's. It is becoming less true as more and better tools enter the market place.

[[Category:Computer specialistsoccupations]]

== Common Misconceptions ==

As is often misunderstood by the layperson, a Web Developer does not always create graphics, logos, or identity, or create written, video, or audio content for a website, however some do. [[Web design|Web Designers]], [[Web Copy Editors]] and [[Web Content]] Creators are different from Web Developers.

[[Category:Computer specialists]]

[[Category:World Wide Web]]