I set out to learn web development earlier this year, and while I’m still working through Javascript, I’m well on my way to being able to develop websites and apps from scratch.
The following is a breakdown of some of the best online resources I have found that offer free lessons and information on the languages and theory of web development. There are thousands more out there, and I’ll be updating this list regularly with new sites and courses as I discover them.
If you know of any good ones not listed here let me know and I’ll include them.
Free Code Camp
Free Code Camp is a learning environment with a difference. As you learn, you can use your newfound skills to work on real projects for non-profits, allowing you to build a portfolio while volunteering for groups around the world. The lessons are organised in a linear curriculum, starting with the basics of HTML and getting more complicated as you progress, taking in CSS, Bootstrap, JQuery, and Javascript. Free Code Camp also has an excellent community you can get involved in, getting help with exercises and helping others in turn, and there are local groups in many cities.
The curriculum comprises 800 hours of practice and 800 hours of real work on non-profit projects. It offers certificates for front end and full stack development, and Free Code Camp has announced plans to expand the curriculum further from January.
Codecademy
Codecademy will guide you through a series of programming languages, offering a good grounding in the basics of HTML, CSS, Javascript, JQuery, SQL, and Ruby on Rails. Master these and you will be well on your way to developing your own websites and apps from scratch.
Bento
A curated site featuring some of the best web development and coding resources, Bento offers links to just about any programming language you can think of, covering data science as well as web and app development and APIs. It can all look a bit confusing for a beginner, but Bento has helpfully provided a curriculum of front end and back end web development resources.
Udacity
Udacity’s free web development course (it also offers paid nanodegrees in front end and full stack development) has less emphasis on Javascript and CSS than most courses, focusing instead on Google Apps Engine and Python. The course is delivered by Reddit co-founder Steve Huffman, who provides a lot of information on the fundamentals of web security. It would be useful to have some knowledge of Python before taking this course.
Code School
Code School offers a range of free courses which cover areas such as Javascript and Ruby on Rails, along with an introduction to Chrome Developer Tools, and an introduction Git course which was developed in conjuction with GitHub.
W3Schools
W3Schools, the biggest web development site on the web, offers tutorials in HTML, CSS, Bootstrap, Javascript, SQL, PHP, and more. If you’re taking a course elsewhere, W3Schools is an excellent reference if you hit a stumbling block, and this is probably the best way to use the site. All lessons are free, and certificates are also available for a fee.
Dash from General Assembly
General Assembly offers free introductory courses in HTML, CSS, and Javascript which help you learn by developing simple projects.
Level Up Tuts
Level Up Tuts offer serveral free tutorials on the fundamentals of web development and design, ecommerce tools, WordPress, and Drupal.
