4 FREE resources for becoming an amazing javascript developer
The internet is awash in information. What you probably need is quality, not quantity. Here are 4 resources that take you from zero to hero.
1. Language Foundations
This is a FREE course that covers all the critical aspects of javascript. It’s very thorough and most developers don’t know anywhere near all that is covered.
2. Handling UI
Most web UI these days is written with React. Learning React sometimes gets complicated with all the build tools, react/redux/storybook, plugins, and so on. Ditch all that and master the basics.
Learn React By Itself - no NPM, no Webpack, no Redux, no Router - React Armory
Once you are done there, here is a good follow up:
3. Server side
Foundations and front end have been covered, now it’s time to master Node! The Art of Node is a great resource for learning Node. Not only can you learn but if you struggle along the way, you can contribute to open source by helping clarify things.
It’s free, and has pointers to other libraries depending on the type of application you are building. It’s both a tutorial and a fantastic resource for discovering tools to accelerate development.
Alternative All-in-one:
Discover Meteor and the Meteor framework are great for building and prototyping apps very quickly. If you are trying to build your own thing from scratch, it’s one of the most complete solutions out there. This is listed as an alternative because it isn’t free, but it’s cheap. It’s also different from the more ubiquitous Express framework, but has more functionality baked in.
Discover Meteor - Learn how to build real-time JavaScript web apps with the Meteor.js framework
4. Deployment and production
Here is a maintained and recently updated checklist for going live:
Checklist: Node.JS production best practices (August 2018)
This will introduce you to things like process managers and monitoring tools. While absolutely critical, a lot of these things get missed by Node.js practicioners because they aren’t critical for running a dev environment on your laptop. Master these and you’ll have end-to-end node.js skills!
Conclusion
It’s not about how much you know, it’s about how well you know it! Focus on the fundamentals and you’ll always be effective.
About Brenn
Brenn is an entrepreneur and digital nomad who loves good coffee, metal music, and takes a freedom-over-everything approach to life. He currently lives on a beach in Asia making more money than he can spend.
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