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24 Lessons, 12 Weeks, Get Started as a Web Developer

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freeCodeCamp.org's open-source codebase and curriculum. Learn to code for free.

The open curriculum for learning web development

🎓 Path to a free self-taught education in Computer Science!

Interactive roadmaps, guides and other educational content to help developers grow in their careers.

:books: Freely available programming books

A complete computer science study plan to become a software engineer.

Quick Overview

Microsoft's Web-Dev-For-Beginners is a 12-week, 24-lesson curriculum for learning web development basics. It covers JavaScript, CSS, and HTML fundamentals, along with modern web development concepts. The course is designed for beginners and includes quizzes, assignments, and projects to reinforce learning.

Pros

  • Comprehensive curriculum covering essential web development topics
  • Free and open-source, making it accessible to learners worldwide
  • Includes hands-on projects and assignments for practical experience
  • Structured lessons with clear learning objectives and assessments

Cons

  • May not cover the most cutting-edge technologies or frameworks
  • Pace might be too slow for some learners or too fast for others
  • Limited coverage of backend development and server-side technologies
  • Requires self-discipline and motivation to complete independently

Getting Started

To get started with the Web-Dev-For-Beginners curriculum:

  1. Visit the GitHub repository: https://github.com/microsoft/Web-Dev-For-Beginners
  2. Clone or download the repository to your local machine
  3. Navigate to the 1-getting-started-lessons folder
  4. Start with the first lesson by opening the README.md file
  5. Follow the lesson structure, complete assignments, and take quizzes
  6. Progress through the curriculum at your own pace

Note: This is not a code library, so there are no code examples or quick start instructions for implementation. The repository contains lesson materials, assignments, and project instructions for learning web development.

Competitor Comparisons

freeCodeCamp.org's open-source codebase and curriculum. Learn to code for free.

Pros of freeCodeCamp

  • More comprehensive curriculum covering a wider range of web development topics
  • Larger community and more active contributors
  • Includes interactive coding challenges and projects for hands-on learning

Cons of freeCodeCamp

  • Can be overwhelming for absolute beginners due to its extensive content
  • Less structured learning path compared to Web-Dev-For-Beginners
  • May take longer to complete the entire curriculum

Code Comparison

Web-Dev-For-Beginners focuses on HTML, CSS, and JavaScript basics:

<h1>Hello, World!</h1>
<p>Welcome to my first web page.</p>

freeCodeCamp covers more advanced topics, including frameworks like React:

import React from 'react';

function App() {
  return <h1>Hello, World!</h1>;
}

export default App;

Both repositories provide valuable resources for learning web development, but they cater to slightly different audiences. Web-Dev-For-Beginners offers a more structured, beginner-friendly approach with a focus on core web technologies. freeCodeCamp provides a more comprehensive curriculum that can take learners from beginner to advanced levels across various web development disciplines.

The open curriculum for learning web development

Pros of curriculum

  • More comprehensive and in-depth coverage of web development topics
  • Community-driven content with regular updates and improvements
  • Includes additional resources like external links and reading materials

Cons of curriculum

  • Less structured learning path, which may be overwhelming for absolute beginners
  • Requires more self-motivation and discipline to follow through
  • Lacks the polished, professional presentation of Microsoft's course

Code Comparison

curriculum:

def fibonacci(number)
  if number < 2
    number
  else
    fibonacci(number - 1) + fibonacci(number - 2)
  end
end

Web-Dev-For-Beginners:

function fibonacci(num) {
  let a = 1, b = 0, temp;
  while (num >= 0) {
    temp = a;
    a = a + b;
    b = temp;
    num--;
  }
  return b;
}

The curriculum example uses a recursive approach in Ruby, while Web-Dev-For-Beginners uses an iterative approach in JavaScript. The curriculum's code is more concise but potentially less efficient for large numbers, whereas the Web-Dev-For-Beginners code is more performant but slightly longer.

🎓 Path to a free self-taught education in Computer Science!

Pros of computer-science

  • Comprehensive curriculum covering a wide range of computer science topics
  • Structured learning path with clear progression
  • Utilizes high-quality, free online courses from reputable institutions

Cons of computer-science

  • Requires significant time commitment (2-3 years)
  • Less hands-on coding practice compared to Web-Dev-For-Beginners
  • May be overwhelming for absolute beginners

Code Comparison

Web-Dev-For-Beginners focuses on practical web development skills:

<header>
  <h1>My Web Page</h1>
  <nav>
    <ul>
      <li><a href="#home">Home</a></li>

computer-science covers more theoretical concepts:

def binary_search(arr, x):
    low = 0
    high = len(arr) - 1
    while low <= high:
        mid = (low + high) // 2

Web-Dev-For-Beginners is tailored for aspiring web developers, offering a hands-on approach with practical projects and exercises. It's more accessible for beginners and provides a quicker path to building web applications.

computer-science, on the other hand, offers a comprehensive computer science education covering various topics beyond web development. It's ideal for those seeking a deeper understanding of computer science principles and a well-rounded foundation in the field.

Interactive roadmaps, guides and other educational content to help developers grow in their careers.

Pros of developer-roadmap

  • Provides a comprehensive overview of various tech stacks and career paths
  • Regularly updated with the latest industry trends and technologies
  • Offers interactive roadmaps with clickable resources for each topic

Cons of developer-roadmap

  • Less structured learning approach compared to Web-Dev-For-Beginners
  • Lacks hands-on projects and exercises for practical application
  • May be overwhelming for absolute beginners due to the breadth of information

Code Comparison

While both repositories focus on web development education, they don't contain extensive code examples. However, Web-Dev-For-Beginners includes more practical coding exercises. Here's a small example from one of its lessons:

// Web-Dev-For-Beginners
let myArray = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5];
console.log(myArray[0]); // Output: 1

developer-roadmap doesn't typically include code snippets, as it focuses on providing roadmaps and resources rather than direct coding instruction.

Both repositories serve different purposes in the web development learning journey. Web-Dev-For-Beginners offers a structured curriculum with hands-on projects, while developer-roadmap provides a comprehensive overview of various tech stacks and career paths. The choice between them depends on the learner's goals and preferred learning style.

:books: Freely available programming books

Pros of free-programming-books

  • Extensive collection of resources covering a wide range of programming languages and topics
  • Regularly updated with community contributions
  • Available in multiple languages, making it accessible to a global audience

Cons of free-programming-books

  • Lacks structured curriculum or learning path
  • Quality of resources may vary as they are curated from various sources
  • No hands-on projects or exercises included

Code comparison

Not applicable for this comparison, as free-programming-books is a curated list of resources and doesn't contain code samples. Web-Dev-For-Beginners, on the other hand, includes code examples and projects as part of its curriculum.

Summary

free-programming-books is an extensive collection of free programming resources, offering a wide range of topics and languages. It's great for self-directed learners who prefer to choose their own learning path. However, it lacks the structured approach and hands-on projects found in Web-Dev-For-Beginners.

Web-Dev-For-Beginners provides a more guided learning experience with a specific focus on web development. It includes projects and exercises, making it ideal for beginners who prefer a structured curriculum. However, it covers a narrower range of topics compared to the vast collection in free-programming-books.

The choice between these repositories depends on the learner's preferences and learning style. Those who want a comprehensive resource library might prefer free-programming-books, while those seeking a structured web development course would benefit more from Web-Dev-For-Beginners.

A complete computer science study plan to become a software engineer.

Pros of coding-interview-university

  • Comprehensive coverage of computer science fundamentals
  • Structured learning path for interview preparation
  • Extensive resource links for in-depth study

Cons of coding-interview-university

  • Less hands-on coding practice compared to Web-Dev-For-Beginners
  • Primarily focused on theoretical concepts rather than practical web development
  • May be overwhelming for absolute beginners

Code Comparison

Web-Dev-For-Beginners typically includes practical web development examples:

<button id="myButton">Click me!</button>
<script>
  document.getElementById("myButton").addEventListener("click", function() {
    alert("Button clicked!");
  });
</script>

coding-interview-university focuses more on algorithm implementations:

def binary_search(arr, target):
    left, right = 0, len(arr) - 1
    while left <= right:
        mid = (left + right) // 2
        if arr[mid] == target:
            return mid
        elif arr[mid] < target:
            left = mid + 1
        else:
            right = mid - 1
    return -1

Both repositories offer valuable resources for aspiring developers, but they cater to different learning objectives. Web-Dev-For-Beginners is ideal for those looking to start web development, while coding-interview-university is better suited for computer science fundamentals and interview preparation.

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Open in Visual Studio Code

Web Development for Beginners - A Curriculum

Learn the fundamentals of web development with our 12-week comprehensive course by Microsoft Cloud Advocates. Each of the 24 lessons dive into JavaScript, CSS, and HTML through hands-on projects like terrariums, browser extensions, and space games. Engage with quizzes, discussions, and practical assignments. Enhance your skills and optimize your knowledge retention with our effective project-based pedagogy. Start your coding journey today!

🧑‍🎓 Are you a student?

Visit Student Hub page where you will find beginner resources, Student packs and even ways to get a free certificate voucher. This is the page you want to bookmark and check from time to time as we switch out content monthly.

📣 Announcement - New Curriculum on Generative AI was just released!

Don't miss our NEW 12 lesson curriculum on generative AI!

Each lesson includes an assignment to complete, knowledge check and challenge to guide you on learning topics like:

  • prompting and prompt engineering
  • text and image app generation
  • search apps

Visit https://aka.ms/genai-beginners to get started!

🌱 Getting Started

Teachers, we have included some suggestions on how to use this curriculum. We'd love your feedback in our discussion forum!

Learners, for each lesson, start with a pre-lecture quiz and follow through with reading the lecture material, completing the various activities and check your understanding with the post-lecture quiz.

To enhance your learning experience, connect with your peers to work on the projects together! Discussions are encouraged in our discussion forum where our team of moderators will be available to answer your questions.

To further your education, we highly recommend exploring Microsoft Learn for additional study materials.

📋 Setting up your environment

This curriculum has a development environment ready to go! As you get started you can choose to run the curriculum in a Codespace (a browser-based, no installs needed environment), or locally on your computer using a text editor such as Visual Studio Code.

Create your repository

For you to easily save your work, it is recommended that you create your own copy of this repository. You can do this by clicking the Use this template button at the top of the page. This will create a new repository in your GitHub account with a copy of the curriculum.

Running the curriculum in a Codespace

In your copy of this repository that you created, click the Code button and select Open with Codespaces. This will create a new Codespace for you to work in.

Create codespace

Running the curriculum locally on your computer

To run this curriculum locally on your computer, you will need a text editor, browser and command line tool. Our first lesson, Introduction to Programming Languages and Tools of the Trade, will walk you through various options for each of these tools for you to select what works best for you.

Our recommendation is to use Visual Studio Code as your editor, which also has a built-in Terminal. You can download Visual Studio Code here.

  1. Clone your repository to your computer. You can do this by clicking the Code button and copying the URL:

    Copy your repository URL

    Then, open Terminal within Visual Studio Code and run the following command, replacing <your-repository-url> with the URL you just copied:

    git clone <your-repository-url>
    
  2. Open the folder in Visual Studio Code. You can do this by clicking File > Open Folder and selecting the folder you just cloned.

Recommended Visual Studio Code extensions:

  • Live Server - to preview HTML pages within Visual Studio Code
  • Copilot - to help you write code faster

📂 Each lesson includes:

  • optional sketchnote
  • optional supplemental video
  • pre-lesson warmup quiz
  • written lesson
  • for project-based lessons, step-by-step guides on how to build the project
  • knowledge checks
  • a challenge
  • supplemental reading
  • assignment
  • post-lesson quiz

A note about quizzes: All quizzes are contained in the Quiz-app folder, 48 total quizzes of three questions each. They are linked from within the lessons the quiz app can be run locally or deployed to Azure; follow the instruction in the quiz-app folder. They are gradually being localized.

🗃️ Lessons

Project NameConcepts TaughtLearning ObjectivesLinked LessonAuthor
01Getting StartedIntroduction to Programming and Tools of the TradeLearn the basic underpinnings behind most programming languages and about software that helps professional developers do their jobsIntro to Programming Languages and Tools of the TradeJasmine
02Getting StartedBasics of GitHub, includes working with a teamHow to use GitHub in your project, how to collaborate with others on a code baseIntro to GitHubFloor
03Getting StartedAccessibilityLearn the basics of web accessibilityAccessibility FundamentalsChristopher
04JS BasicsJavaScript Data TypesThe basics of JavaScript data typesData TypesJasmine
05JS BasicsFunctions and MethodsLearn about functions and methods to manage an application's logic flowFunctions and MethodsJasmine and Christopher
06JS BasicsMaking Decisions with JSLearn how to create conditions in your code using decision-making methodsMaking DecisionsJasmine
07JS BasicsArrays and LoopsWork with data using arrays and loops in JavaScriptArrays and LoopsJasmine
08TerrariumHTML in PracticeBuild the HTML to create an online terrarium, focusing on building a layoutIntroduction to HTMLJen
09TerrariumCSS in PracticeBuild the CSS to style the online terrarium, focusing on the basics of CSS including making the page responsiveIntroduction to CSSJen
10TerrariumJavaScript Closures, DOM manipulationBuild the JavaScript to make the terrarium function as a drag/drop interface, focusing on closures and DOM manipulationJavaScript Closures, DOM manipulationJen
11Typing GameBuild a Typing GameLearn how to use keyboard events to drive the logic of your JavaScript appEvent-Driven ProgrammingChristopher
12Green Browser ExtensionWorking with BrowsersLearn how browsers work, their history, and how to scaffold the first elements of a browser extensionAbout BrowsersJen
13Green Browser ExtensionBuilding a form, calling an API and storing variables in local storageBuild the JavaScript elements of your browser extension to call an API using variables stored in local storageAPIs, Forms, and Local StorageJen
14Green Browser ExtensionBackground processes in the browser, web performanceUse the browser's background processes to manage the extension's icon; learn about web performance and some optimizations to makeBackground Tasks and PerformanceJen
15Space GameMore Advanced Game Development with JavaScriptLearn about Inheritance using both Classes and Composition and the Pub/Sub pattern, in preparation for building a gameIntroduction to Advanced Game DevelopmentChris
16Space GameDrawing to canvasLearn about the Canvas API, used to draw elements to a screenDrawing to CanvasChris
17Space GameMoving elements around the screenDiscover how elements can gain motion using the cartesian coordinates and the Canvas APIMoving Elements AroundChris
18Space GameCollision detectionMake elements collide and react to each other using keypresses and provide a cooldown function to ensure performance of the gameCollision DetectionChris
19Space GameKeeping scorePerform math calculations based on the game's status and performanceKeeping ScoreChris
20Space GameEnding and restarting the gameLearn about ending and restarting the game, including cleaning up assets and resetting variable valuesThe Ending ConditionChris
21Banking AppHTML Templates and Routes in a Web AppLearn how to create the scaffold of a multipage website's architecture using routing and HTML templatesHTML Templates and RoutesYohan
22Banking AppBuild a Login and Registration FormLearn about building forms and handling validation routinesFormsYohan
23Banking AppMethods of Fetching and Using DataHow data flows in and out of your app, how to fetch it, store it, and dispose of itDataYohan
24Banking AppConcepts of State ManagementLearn how your app retains state and how to manage it programmaticallyState ManagementYohan

🏫 Pedagogy

Our curriculum is designed with two key pedagogical principles in mind:

  • project-based learning
  • frequent quizzes

The program teaches the fundamentals of JavaScript, HTML, and CSS, as well as the latest tools and techniques used by today's web developers. Students will have the opportunity to develop hands-on experience by building a typing game, virtual terrarium, eco-friendly browser extension, space-invader-style game, and a banking app for businesses. By the end of the series, students will have gained a solid understanding of web development.

🎓 You can take the first few lessons in this curriculum as a Learn Path on Microsoft Learn!

By ensuring that the content aligns with projects, the process is made more engaging for students and retention of concepts will be augmented. We also wrote several starter lessons in JavaScript basics to introduce concepts, paired with a video from the "Beginners Series to: JavaScript" collection of video tutorials, some of whose authors contributed to this curriculum.

In addition, a low-stakes quiz before a class sets the intention of the student towards learning a topic, while a second quiz after class ensures further retention. This curriculum was designed to be flexible and fun and can be taken in whole or in part. The projects start small and become increasingly complex by the end of the 12-week cycle.

While we have purposefully avoided introducing JavaScript frameworks to concentrate on the basic skills needed as a web developer before adopting a framework, a good next step to completing this curriculum would be learning about Node.js via another collection of videos: "Beginner Series to: Node.js".

Visit our Code of Conduct and Contributing guidelines. We welcome your constructive feedback!

🧭 Offline access

You can run this documentation offline by using Docsify. Fork this repo, install Docsify on your local machine, and then in the root folder of this repo, type docsify serve. The website will be served on port 3000 on your localhost: localhost:3000.

📘 PDF

A PDF of all of the lessons can be found here.

🎒 Other Curricula

Our team produces other curricula! Check out:

License

This repository is licensed under the MIT license. See the LICENSE file for more information.