Web development is an important facet of any business due to the massive growth of the Internet and the extensive use of digital devices today.
Programme manager Jeyashree Rajkumar from Lithan Academy, Singapore, was presenting a virtual talk on how to become a web developer on 2 April 2022. About 15 people attended the event organised by the School of Digital Technology (DiGiT).
She highlighted the critical role of web development in creating websites and relevant web pages. Web development, she added, is useful for branding, “to promote the products or service,” and digital marketing, “to attract user traffic to generate leads”.
“Web development creates a content hub for sharing information with others. You sell your product or service, and provide online support to the people,” she asserted.
She said the job scope of the web developer encompasses designing, developing, deploying and maintaining websites, web design, web programming, database management, and web hosting.
Jeyashree listed the five steps needed for full stack web development, namely front-end development, back-end development, databases, DevOps (combines software development and IT operations), and mobile app development.
She also explained the components of the web development process. The HyperText Markup Language (HTML) aids in the layout and content structure, while JavaScript is a programming language which executes advanced features on web pages. Then there is the Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) that define how elements should be rendered on digital and print media as well as on other forms of media.
“These three components are the backbone and the fundamentals to building a website. If you aspire to be a web developer, your journey starts here,” she stressed.
She said the rapid growth of the Internet has increased market demand for web developers. “Networks use the Internet protocol suite to link billons of devices worldwide. There are millions of private, public, academic, business and government networks, linked together by electronic, wireless and optical networking technologies, which carry information resources and services,” Jeyashree elaborated.
She mentioned various web standards bodies, including the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) that establishes standards for the World Wide Web (WWW). The WWW domain comprises of web servers that deliver requested information through its software using Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), and web browsers.
At WOU, students can pursue the Bachelor in Software Engineering (Honours) (Application Development) [BDSE] programme through on-campus and flexible distance learning, for skills in programming and related technologies. Among the course modules under BDSE are Programming Foundations; Front-End Web Development; Database Design & Implementation; and Web Development Using Platforms.