Thursday, June 30, 2016

A Quick Primer For New Web Designers

Drawing out the details of a new website on paper, with a computer, ipad, and smartphone showing different stages of web development

New to web design? Eager to learn the ropes so you can write slick-looking, functional web code? Everyone has to start somewhere, which is why getting a solid grasp of the basics and the best tools to use can set you up for success right from day one.

These articles from the Hiring Headquarters—Upwork’s resource for entrepreneurs, executives, and freelancers—will help familiarize you with some of the important terms, tech, and tools you need to get started.

Understanding the Language of HTML

Web development is an ever-changing landscape driven by innovation and fresh ideas. Code continues to improve over time, with new updates replacing older programming practices. It can be challenging to keep up at times, though it’s a necessity for anyone who wants to stay relevant in an industry constantly in flux.

Rest assured: If you’ve ever been puzzled by the subtle nuances between different iterations of HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), you’re not alone.

HTML vs. XHTML vs. HTML5: Understanding the Difference Between These Commonly Confused Terms” helps unravel the mysteries of these vital markup languages that have long served as the foundational building blocks of web design.

The article explores the key differences between HTML, XHTML, and HTML5, while shining light on the role each has played in the ongoing evolution of the web coding language. It’s an excellent starting point to get a firm grip on how things have changed over the years.

The New Evolution of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)

Much as HTML has changed and improved over time, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is also following a continued evolutionary track. A visual language that changes the global look and flow of content, CSS defines everything from text and imagery to color data and more for an entire site—and it’s expanding into broader territory with the arrival of CSS3.

CSS vs. CSS3: New Features in the Evolving Visual Language of the Web” breaks down the basis of CSS and how it works with HTML, while also offering a detailed look at what’s new with CSS3. Improvements to this updated visual language include a more mobile-friendly responsive approach, greater web font support, module-based code, a greater range of visual effects, and much more.

Text Editors for Taming Your Code

A great text editor can be a web developer’s best friend. Because you’ll spend lots of time working with this tool to design your code, it’s important to find the text editor that best suits your needs and feels comfortable to tinker with. Once you settle on a text editor that works for you, it’s likely you’ll stick with it for the long haul. So now the big question is: What text editor should I pick?

Battle of the Text Editors: Atom, Sublime & Brackets” is an excellent starting point, if you’re still shopping around for a high quality editor.

The article breaks down the core differences between three popular text editors—Atom, Sublime, and Brackets—and takes a closer look at the ins and outs of each program. It compares the features of each tool and how well they integrate with other popular programs you might use for related web design tasks. Going an extra step further, the piece also makes specific recommendations on which text editor to consider, based on your specific needs and goals as a coder.

Ready to learn more and progress towards the deeper end of the info spectrum as a web developer? The Hiring Headquarters has tons of articles to help you out.

The post A Quick Primer For New Web Designers appeared first on Upwork Blog.



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