Software is Not for the Faint of Heart
When I step back and look at what does a “full stack web programmer” need to know to successfully do their job, it’s impressive!
- JavaScript
- HTML
- CSS
- Server language & framework
- SQL
- RegEx
On this list of six thing, there’s a different paradigm for each item. The relationship between Javascript and HTML? The fact they run on the web browser. (This list is longer when the server language is different.)
The mental model one needs to map between each and effectively work with them - wow.
Commonalities?
Where are things one can see right across the web programming stack? What could get you the biggest bang for your buck?
RegEx is a model that one can use in any programming language - so you can expect to find RegEx on the front or the back! Expect RegEx to appear anywhere there is text.
Similar with HTML and CSS - those only exist on the web browser, unless your server framework can manage it, to say: save effort on the web browers.
Isolated??
SQL is just on the database, so that mental model is only around the database.
Yet, it’s one of the most important because a key function of almost all web applications is to persist data.
Unless your application is using a NoSQL solution - which some have a SQL interface working on a different mental model.
Depending on the application you are working on, you might even have SQL on the web browser. Welp, there goes that idea.
The Industry
If you’re getting into web programming now from never programmed before, there’s a lot to learn. Everyone has built this web programming stack from current mental models available and sometimes just not related at all - hence, it’s so hard to “learn”.
It’s not you, it’s the industry.
More More More!
The craziest part, I believe we just got started. Modern developers need to know even more.
Start to add in data, infrastructure, security, graphic design, etc. and you can see, software is a mindful and there’s still more to learn and grow.
Oh - don’t forget all the skills you need to interact with: people.
😬