Welcome to the Treehouse Community

Want to collaborate on code errors? Have bugs you need feedback on? Looking for an extra set of eyes on your latest project? Get support with fellow developers, designers, and programmers of all backgrounds and skill levels here with the Treehouse Community! While you're at it, check out some resources Treehouse students have shared here.

Looking to learn something new?

Treehouse offers a seven day free trial for new students. Get access to thousands of hours of content and join thousands of Treehouse students and alumni in the community today.

Start your free trial

JavaScript

Ryan Maneo
Ryan Maneo
4,342 Points

Front-End-Web-Developer

I am a bit confused by the definition of Front-End-Web-Developer... some say that "Front End Devs use HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to design and manipulate / animate a web page" and a back end "uses more powerful languages like node.js, Ruby, Java, Python, and Go to handle things that require a database, such as user logins, forums, or blogs, but dont control any design" but some also say "A front end web dev uses JavaScript to Generate HTML/CSS code"

What does Generate mean? What is the actual Job of a Front-End-Web-Developer? Does Treehouse cover whats needed to be a Front-End-Web-Developer that is also a Web Designer? (Since it teaches CSS?)

My goal by April is to complete the Front-End-Web-Developer course and hopefully land a Job as a Front-End-Web-Dev. (While continuously building up my toolbelt including studying iOS Development). Hopefully someone can explain this further so when the time comes to look for a Job, I know what I'm doing.

Thanks to whoever clears this up, –Ryan

In some larger web dev business, the is a Graphic Designer who draws all the pieces, a web editor to cut graphics in to pieces, a front end programmer who makes the changes happen on the website and passes information back and forth to the back ends people.

Wouldn't that be nice?

2 Answers

Finish the front end dev track, and if you have time, the web design track. Otherwise, pick and chose the courses from the web design track. I found the svg and sass courses from web design track to be good additions on top of the front end track.

Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,248 Points

:point_right: You may want to supplement your track with some additional courses.

I would consider the Front-End-Web-Developer track to be good, but introductory-level information. Time permitting, I would recommend covering as many supplemental courses as you can, particularly from the HTML and CSS categories. And JavaScript has a much more thorough track of it's own: Full Stack JavaScript (that one's going to take a while). But you might consider also doing the Web Design track, some courses overlap with the track you're on now so it should go quickly.

Regarding code generation, I'd consider that a gray area involving both front-end and server-side operations. It's also a rather advanced topic and likely won't be part of an entry-level job.

Ryan Maneo
Ryan Maneo
4,342 Points

Would you say FullStack JavaScript is necessary for a Front-End position? Since the FullStack JavaScript seems to cover node.js which is for back end stuff (to my knowledge?)

If I did the Front-End-Web-Developer course & Web Designer course would that alone (plus a portfolio of projects done on the side to display my skillset) be enough to take an entry level job or freelance?