Learning how to be a web developer means learning many new concepts, technologies, tools, etc. Many times you will find yourself stuck and without any clue what to do next. Then you think about how I look for answers as a web developer However, the good news is that you are probably not the first person to have encountered that specific problem, and we have the internet to help us share our knowledge, difficulties we faced, and possible solutions. So, the knowledge is out there, and the best skill you can develop is making sure you are not afraid to use it.
Why is it important?
Being a web developer is the type of job that requires constant learning. Looking for solutions, asking questions, and discussing different options will be a part of your daily life. It is impossible to learn everything you need to know to become a web developer and then stop learning anything new because there is so much information out there and so much of it changes frequently that it requires web developers to constantly learn new things to keep up with new standards and ways of doing things. Since it is impossible to learn everything about web development because it is such a broad, quickly changing field that means that you will often be using external resources to answer your questions and learn new things not only during the entire Microverse program but also in your future job. Even though it is quite typical for web developers to look up information sometimes, many beginners feel like it is a shame not to have all of that information memorized. If that is how you feel, then the sooner you stop feeling that way, the sooner you will be able to begin practicing how to research things online.
How to look for answers online
- Let’s start with the fundamental tool that you are probably already familiar with: Google. Read why Google is your best friend in the article Google: A Developers Best Friend.
- Then, learn why Stack Overflow = Programmers’ Best Friend.
- Since you might be wondering “Do experienced programmers use Google frequently?”, read this article to find out the answer!
Technical documentation
And last but not least: documentation deserves a special mention. Whatever technology you use, it should be documented online (and remember, you can find it using Google – your best friend!). Documentation can be scary when you first look at it because it gives you a lot of technical details without giving you direct answers to your questions. However, as soon as you get familiar with the documentation, you will be able to search it to find the answer to your specific question. As a starting point, please check:
- Mozilla’s documentation of the
<a>HTML tag and browse the documentation for other tags. - Mozilla’s documentation of the CSS property
colorand browse the documentation for other properties.