Top 10 Essential Skills for Web Developers to Learn in 2022 [UPDATED]

During the initial days of the web, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript were enough but today, frameworks such as Angular and libraries such as React.js are used in developing high-performing frontend.

Angular is the most popular JavaScript framework while React is the most popular library. To master frontend development, an individual should master such frameworks and libraries.  While you are free to choose between Angular and Reactjs, I suggest learning Reactjs as it’s the most popular and used by both small and big organizations. 

If you need a course to learn Reactjs, there is no better course than React – The Complete Guide (incl Hooks, React Router, Redux)  by Maximillian Schwarzmuller on Udemy. More than 300K students have already joined this course. I bought in just $10 during the Udemy sale and I must say its valued far exceeds the cost. 

5. CSS PreProcessors

Understanding CSS is important but sometimes, it is limited. When a project grows, CSS grows with it and becomes tough to manage. CSS starts demanding more time and effort which can be avoided using CSS preprocessing.

Sass, Stylus, and LESS are some of the most popular CSS preprocessors. No website today is complete without CSS and learning CSS preprocessors will surely increase your frontend development skills.  

And when it comes to CSS Pre Processor, Saas is the most popular CSS extension. If you need a course to learn SaaS and CSS Preprocessing, you can check out Geroge Lomidze’s SAAS- The Complete SAAS course (CSS Preprocessor) on Udemy. 

If you need more courses to learn CSS Preprocessor then you can check out my list of advanced CSS courses where I have mentioned many useful courses to learn CSS pre-processor. 

6. CSS frameworks [Bootstrap]

As mentioned earlier, CSS is a very important part of frontend development. Every front-end developer should know at least one CSS framework like Bootstrap or Tailwind CSS. These frameworks are similar to JavaScript frameworks but less complicated and with ready-made CSS files.

Bootstrap is the most popular CSS framework. Understanding bootstrap is not that tough but implementing is.  

That’s why a good knowledge of Bootstrap is important for any skilled Frontend developer and I highly recommend you join a comprehensive course like Bootstrap 4 From Scratch With 5 Projects by Brad Traversy to learn Bootstrap using hands-on projects. 

7. Responsive Design

Today, websites are not limited to the desktop. In fact, more people access websites on smartphones rather than traditional desktops. The size of the screen varies from device to device. So responsive design is designing the layout of a website in such a way that it automatically adjusts itself according to the size of the screen.

It is very important for a frontend developer to have responsive design skills, and if you need an online course to learn Responsive web design then you should check Web Design for Beginners: Real World Coding in HTML & CSS course by Brad Schiff on Udemy. 

8. Testing and debugging

In modern development, a developer not only develops but also test. Well, most of the teams always have a separate testing team but a frontend developer should also be capable of testing. A frontend developer should be aware of different testing techniques such as functional testing and unit testing. Moreover, it is also recommended to know testing frameworks.

It does not matter what kind of developer a person is, debugging skills are always necessary. So always work on your debugging skills. Such skills are enhanced only when you code carefully.  

If you need an online course to learn JavaScript debugging, I suggest you check out this JavaScript Debugging crash course on Udemy which tells both classic and modern ways of debugging Javascript programs using Developer tools. 

9. Version control systems (Git)

Tracking the code is important. Sometimes you may need to make changes, or revert the code or track the developer who worked on a part of the code. The version control systems are used for such trackings.

Knowledge of version control systems is necessary when working on a real-time project with a team. Git is the most popular version control system. Git has various commands and it is not tough to understand it. 

10. Chrome DevTools

Working on the front end means you are often going to use a browser. Google Chrome is the most used web browser. It is very popular among frontend developers because of its DevTools. These tools are very useful in various ways, most importantly, for debugging. 

As mentioned earlier, debugging is an essential part of every kind of development, so understanding Chrome DevTools helps a lot while looking for bugs. While there are not many courses to learn Chrome developer tools, I found Devtools Pro: Beginner to Expert w/ Chrome Developer Tools a good one to start with. 

That’s all about 10 essentials skills you can learn to become a front-end developer. These were the top ten front-end skills. HTML, CSS, and JavaScript come at the beginning and these three are the core skills of every frontend developer. CSS is a bit complicated. A brilliant frontend developer not only understands CSS but is also skilled in CSS preprocessors and frameworks.

JavaScript frameworks and libraries are essential today. It is a challenge to master one of them but it is necessary. Responsive design is another important skill because websites are accessible on smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc.

Then comes testing and debugging. A frontend developer should know how to test and debug the code. Other important skills are version control systems such as git and Chrome DevTools.