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What are some of the best free resources for Web development?

What would be a great "syllabus" for taking advantage of all of the free/low-cost resources on the web for learning web design and development?

  • There are tons of resources out there for people to learn web design & development. But I think a lot of would-be students don't know where to start. It would be nice if someone knowledgable could put together a syllabus (for lack of a better word) that gives students a step-by-step mix of reading, video tutorials, and exercise-based online material. For this question, assume the student wants to learn enough front and back end development to build a decent web app using either Ruby or Python and HTML/CSS/Javascript. Perhaps when we have sufficient answers we can organize a comprehensive summary in the Wiki here for each track.

  • Answer:

    I've been a professional software engineer for 20 years. I'm just now in the process of learning Django. Here's my advice: Start with some good books. For python, I suggest http://www.amazon.com/Learning-Python-Powerful-Object-Oriented-Programming/dp/0596158068/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1323118010&sr=8-3. For Django, start with http://www.amazon.com/Django-Website-Development-Ayman-Hourieh/dp/1847196780/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323118072&sr=1-2 and augment it with http://www.amazon.com/Definitive-Guide-Django-Development-Right/dp/143021936X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323118072&sr=1-1. Pick a simple project to apply what you read. For example, create a database that allows you to add, view, and remove items (your CD collection, girlfriend/boyfriend list, people who owe you money (or if that doesn't work, people you owe money to)). Try and implement it with what you learn from the books. Where the book doesn't answer questions, go to the main documentation on the django and python sites. Failing that, search on google for error messages and answers to your questions. The web is a landmine of answers from people who, while well-intentioned, often barely have a clue.  This is especially true when it comes to web programming. Unlike books, anyone can publish an answer on these websites, and none of it is peer reviewed to the extent that a publisher will demand for a book. Sometimes, however, they can be of enormous help. Just recently I was able to get to the bottom of a problem doing google searches, but I only went there if I didn't find the answer in one of my books, or the project documentation sites. The more I learn from reading books or "official" websites, the better I am able to filter the wrong answers from the right ones.

Syd Logan at Quora Visit the source

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http://teamtreehouse.com http://lynda.com That's all you need to know. Treehouse alone will give you a better education in web design, development, and programming than most CS majors get in 4 years at university. Treehouse is $25 per month, and is organized into tracks with prerequisites all organized in such a way that you earn "merit badges" when you complete "levels" of knowledge, which culminate in a code test that checks your ability to code or design using the concepts you just learned. It's incredibly user friendly, assumes no pre-existing knowledge, and is very, very easy to work your way through. Lynda is $24 and will fill you in on Photoshop, Dreamweaver, InDesign, Illustrator, After Effects and other apps. So for about $50/mo you can get an education that will beat what you'd get for tens of thousands of dollars at a college or university. That's well nigh impossible to beat.

Justin Lowery

For learning HTML/CSS/JavaScript, I'd definitely recommend the "Head First" series as a primer: http://shop.oreilly.com/category/series/head-first.do After that, it's a matter of practicing and Googling any questions or problems that you come across.. For HTML5/CSS3, I'd recommend A Book Apart: http://www.abookapart.com/products/. Brief, succinct books to learn the latest techniques quickly and then "get back to work." Best of luck!

Andrew Hwang

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Mark Borrens

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