If you want to grow as a web developer and reach new heights, there are some tools and technologies that you simply can’t get by. These are things you’ll commonly see used by other developers and discussed actively, and there’s a good reason for that.
And while the toolbox of the traditional web developer changes from time to time, there are some things that have established themselves as constants in this area, and if you’re wondering what to learn next, these are good points to consider.
JavaScript Frameworks
It’s a cliché at this point, and a highly controversial topic in some fields. But whether you like it or not, the reality is that JavaScript is here to stay, and some of the frameworks that have been established around it in recent years are likely going to be among the technologies of the future.
There’s a lot to gain from expanding your JavaScript knowledge in general, and it’s not only going to improve your success when working on your own projects, but it will also boost you success rate at job applications in the field.
Just make sure that you inform yourself about the frameworks you’re considering before investing any significant amount of time into any of them, as some JavaScript frameworks definitely are just passing fads that won’t be around in a couple of years.
Bash Scripting
It’s an old skill, but it’s still one of the most useful things you can spend your time learning as a developer of any kind. Since you’re pretty much guaranteed to be using Linux at some point, you should know your way around its standard terminal, bash. It has a very powerful scripting language that can allow you to automate various tasks, executing them with one line as opposed to clicking around dozens of times.
You may not get a frequent opportunity to use this skill, depending on your circumstances, but when you do, you’ll be glad you’ve spent the time to learn it. There’s no shortage of information about it online, so just take a look around and you should find a few good tutorials.
Python
On that note, Python is a great language worth spending some time on if you want to automate some tasks or make your life as a developer easier in general. It has thousands of libraries for pretty much anything you can think of, including various tools for web development and design. From testing to automating tasks, Python can be extremely powerful, and it’s also very simple to learn, with a syntax designed to look like pseudocode as much as possible.
Not to mention that it’s one of the most popular languages at the moment, guaranteeing you a lot of support if you run into problems with it, as well as fantastic opportunities in the field if you ever start applying for jobs. It’s very likely that this is one of the languages that are going to survive over the next few years, and it’s still under active development, making it a pretty safe bet at the moment.
Hosting Knowledge
You can never know too much about hosting if you work in software development, even if it’s not web development specifically. Modern web hosts have evolved significantly, and they now offer a variety of services that are designed to fit the needs of pretty much every customer on the market. And while you don’t have to understand every single type of hosting deal on the market right now, it’s still a good idea to learn about the most popular ones and know what type of hosting is right for every general situation.
This will also allow you to save a lot of money on future projects, as it’s not rare to see professionals and companies overspending on their hosting in situations where they could have invested significantly less. But when you’re not even aware that a better deal exists in the first place, you’re doomed to fall for that mistake yourself.
Security Testing Suites
If you’re working on any kind of development where security is an important feature, you should get up to speed with some automated testing suites that can reveal issues in your security structure in an easy and straightforward manner. You can easily check if your site has any obvious security holes with just a few clicks or a single command, and you’ll be notified every time you’ve made a change that potentially compromises your current security.
Of course, this won’t catch every single issue that comes up with the design of your projects, but it’s still much better than trying to hunt down every single problem yourself, something which is definitely guaranteed to leave you with various security holes that you won’t be aware of.
Git
Last but definitely not least, take some time to learn git if you still haven’t. It’s practically a basic requirement for being an efficient developer these days, and there are many resources online that can help you get started and learn the basics of the system, as well as dig deeper into it. Version control is something that will not only simplify your work as a single developer, but it will also be a fundamental part of working in any serious team, so make sure that you cover that base as thoroughly as possible. Don’t worry if it turns out that you’re actually the most knowledgeable guy when it comes to git at your next job or project – while it’s not a very positive sign about your team as a whole, it should at least be a manageable situation if people are willing to communicate properly.
If you want to make your life as a developer easier, you should start by familiarizing yourself with the most popular technologies in your relevant corner of the market, and you should spend enough time exploring them in depth. This will not only allow you to use them right, it will also help you decide when the current situation actually calls for one of those specialized technologies, and you’ll be able to recognize those cases more easily.
