The Beginning: HTML and CSS

My web development journey started, like many others, with learning HTML and CSS. At first, I felt a great sense of achievement just by creating simple static web pages.

My First Website

My first website was really simple:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <title>My First Website</title>
</head>
<body>
    <h1>Hello!</h1>
    <p>Welcome to the world of web development.</p>
</body>
</html>

Looking back now, it’s very basic, but at the time, just seeing it displayed in a browser was fascinating.

Meeting JavaScript

Not satisfied with static pages, I soon started learning JavaScript. The ability to create dynamic websites was really exciting.

First Interaction

I still remember the joy of implementing a simple feature where a message appears when you click a button:

document.getElementById('myButton').addEventListener('click', function() {
    alert('You clicked the button!');
});

The World of Frameworks

As I developed with pure JavaScript, I felt its limitations and started learning React. I realized the power of component-based development.

React Component Example

function Welcome({ name }) {
    return (
        <div className="welcome-box">
            <h2>Hello, {name}!</h2>
            <p>Welcome to the world of React.</p>
        </div>
    );
}

Expanding to Backend

Feeling that frontend alone wasn’t enough, I studied Node.js and Express. By working with databases and APIs, I came to understand the overall structure of web applications.

Simple API Server

const express = require('express');
const app = express();

app.get('/api/users', (req, res) => {
    res.json({ users: ['Alice', 'Bob', 'Charlie'] });
});

app.listen(3000, () => {
    console.log('Server is running on port 3000');
});

Lessons Learned

Important lessons from my web development journey:

  1. Fundamentals Matter: Frameworks change, but basic principles remain constant
  2. Continuous Learning: Technology keeps evolving, so you can’t stop learning
  3. Practical Projects: Theory is important, but actually building things is most effective
  4. Community Engagement: You can learn a lot by interacting with other developers

Future Goals

Currently, I’m working on various projects as a full-stack developer, but there’s still much more I want to learn:

  • Cloud Infrastructure: Cloud services like AWS and Azure
  • DevOps: Building CI/CD pipelines
  • Microservices: Designing scalable architecture
  • Performance Optimization: Developing faster and more efficient applications

Closing Thoughts

Web development is a field that requires constant learning and growth. While it can be difficult and challenging at times, it’s equally rewarding. I hope you enjoy your own journey!