What should I learn to become a developer?

To become a developer, you'll want to build skills in several key areas, starting with programming fundamentals and gradually working your way into specialized areas. Here’s a roadmap to help guide you:

1. Start with the Basics of Programming

Learn a Programming Language: Start with languages that are widely used and beginner-friendly, like Python or JavaScript. These languages have a lot of resources and are versatile across different types of development (e.g., web, data science).

Understand Core Concepts: Focus on the fundamentals, such as:

Variables and data types

Control structures (loops, conditionals)

Functions and methods

Error handling and debugging

Practice Problem-Solving: Use sites like LeetCode, HackerRank, or CodeSignal to practice algorithms and problem-solving skills. This is crucial for improving your logical thinking and coding speed.

2. Get Comfortable with Version Control (Git)

Learn Git and how to use platforms like GitHub or GitLab. Version control helps you track code changes, work on collaborative projects, and manage multiple versions of your code.

Understand basic commands like git commit, git push, and git pull, as well as creating and merging branches.

3. Explore Frontend Development

Frontend developers build the part of the application that users interact with, like websites or mobile app interfaces.

Learn HTML, CSS, and JavaScript: HTML and CSS are essential for structuring and styling websites, while JavaScript allows you to add interactivity.

Learn a Frontend Framework: Popular JavaScript frameworks and libraries like React, Vue, or Angular help you build dynamic and complex front-end applications. React is especially popular and has a large community, making it a good choice for beginners.

4. Learn Backend Development

Backend developers work on the server side of applications, handling data, business logic, and server interactions.

Learn a Backend Language: While Python (with Django or Flask), JavaScript (Node.js), and Ruby are popular, there are many choices like Java, PHP, or Go.

Understand Databases: Learn about SQL databases (like MySQL or PostgreSQL) and NoSQL databases (like MongoDB) for storing and managing data.

APIs and RESTful Services: Learn how to build and consume APIs, which are essential for connecting the frontend and backend. You’ll need to understand RESTful principles, and, eventually, it’s helpful to know GraphQL.

5. Get Familiar with Full-Stack Development

Full-stack development means you have skills in both frontend and backend development. You don’t need to master everything, but understanding both sides will make you versatile.

Consider working on a full-stack project that involves both a frontend framework (like React) and a backend framework (like Express for Node.js) to integrate your skills.

6. Study Data Structures and Algorithms

Data structures and algorithms are key for problem-solving and technical interviews. Understanding them will improve your coding efficiency and problem-solving ability.

Start with basics like arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, trees, and graphs, and algorithms like sorting, searching, and dynamic programming.

Practice implementing them and understanding their time and space complexity.

7. Develop Strong Debugging and Testing Skills

Debugging: Learn how to use debugging tools available in your chosen development environment (e.g., Chrome DevTools for web, IDE debuggers for Python or Java).

Testing: Understand the basics of testing your code. Unit testing (testing individual components) and integration testing (testing how components work together) are especially useful. Learn testing frameworks like JUnit for Java, Jest for JavaScript, or PyTest for Python.

8. Learn about Development Tools and Best Practices

IDEs and Text Editors: Get comfortable with IDEs (like VS Code, IntelliJ, or PyCharm), which can speed up your workflow.

Development Best Practices: Learn about best practices, like writing clean, maintainable code, following naming conventions, using comments judiciously, and adhering to principles like DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself) and KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid).

9. Understand Web Development Concepts

Learn how the internet works (HTTP, servers, and clients) and how web browsers interact with servers. This knowledge will help you better understand the bigger picture when developing web applications.

Familiarize yourself with hosting and deployment. Platforms like Heroku, AWS, and Netlify are popular for deploying applications.

10. Build Projects to Practice

Building projects is one of the best ways to reinforce what you’ve learned and create a portfolio to show potential employers.

Start with small projects, like a to-do list app, personal website, or calculator. Then move on to larger projects, like a full-stack web application or data visualization dashboard.

Real-world projects help you apply multiple skills at once, making you a more well-rounded developer.

11. Work on Soft Skills and Collaboration Tools

As a developer, especially in a professional setting, you’ll need to collaborate with others. Familiarize yourself with Agile and Scrum methodologies and collaboration tools like JIRA or Trello.

Communication skills are key, as you’ll often need to explain complex ideas or give and receive feedback.

12. Consider a Specialization

Once you have a strong foundation, consider specializing in a specific area based on your interests:

Mobile Development: Learn languages like Swift (for iOS) or Kotlin (for Android), or use cross-platform frameworks like Flutter or React Native.

Data Science/Machine Learning: Learn Python, data processing libraries (Pandas, NumPy), and machine learning frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch).

Cloud Computing: Learn about cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and cloud-native development.

Additional Resources

Courses: Use sites like Udemy, Coursera, freeCodeCamp, or Codecademy.

Books: "Eloquent JavaScript" for JavaScript, "Python Crash Course" for Python, and "Clean Code" by Robert C. Martin for coding best practices.

Communities: Join online communities, like Stack Overflow, GitHub, or Reddit’s programming communities, to ask questions, share your work, and learn from others.

By focusing on these areas, you'll build a well-rounded skill set and gain confidence as a developer. Starting with the fundamentals and working through projects step-by-step will help you progress effectively.