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Getting Started with Technology (V2)

3:12 with Chris Zabriskie

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    If you've ever thought about building websites or

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    mobile apps as a career, you might be wondering how all of the many tools,

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    languages, and jobs in the tech industry fit together.

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    Let's start with the three most common types of projects.

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    Mobile apps, websites, and web apps.

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    You probably already know what mobile apps are.

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    They are the apps you use on your SmartPhone or

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    other device, like SnapChat or Instagram.

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    To build a mobile app, you first have to choose whether you'll start with

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    an app for the iPhone or iPad, or Android phones or tablets.

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    Building an iPhone app requires a Mac computer, and a free program called Xcode.

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    You'll use Xcode to write your app in a programming language called Swift.

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    Once you've finished your app, you can sell it for real money in the App Store.

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    You'll upload your app to the App Store, and

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    once it's been approved by Apple, you're ready to start selling it.

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    Creating an app for Android devices is a similar process using a Mac or Windows PC.

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    Android apps are built in a free program called Android Studio

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    using a language called Java.

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    Let's move on to building websites.

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    Websites are built in text editors, using a combination of languages,

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    such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

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    These are some of the easiest languages to learn.

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    And getting your first basic website online is something anyone can do.

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    If you wanna add interactivity to your website, like the ability for users to

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    login and create accounts, then what you really want to build is a web app.

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    Facebook, Twitter, and Google Maps are all examples of popular web apps.

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    Web apps are created with text editors much like normal websites are,

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    except web apps are built using more powerful programming languages,

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    such as Ruby, PHP, or Python.

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    You'll also need a database, which stores all of the information that

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    powers your site, like user account details or pictures.

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    Now, let's talk about the most common types of jobs in the tech industry.

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    Mobile apps, websites, and

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    web apps are built by designers, front-end developers, and back-end developers.

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    Designers are focused on the way things look and behave.

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    They create the visual design of apps and

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    websites using tools like Photoshop and Illustrator.

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    If you've ever noticed how nice a website looks, or

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    how easy to use a mobile app is, you can thank the designer.

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    Once a design has been created, a front-end developer takes the design, and

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    turns it into code a browser can understand, using HTML, CSS,

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    and Javascript.

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    Often, a designer and a front-end developer are actually the same person,

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    both creating the design and turning it into functional front-end code.

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    And finally, we have the back-end developer.

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    They're the ones who add web app functionality to a website,

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    connecting it to a database, and

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    writing the code that makes it possible to log in and create accounts.

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    All of this is done using some of the more powerful languages we mentioned earlier,

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    Ruby, Python, PHP, and Java, just to name a few.

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    Designers, front-end developers, and

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    back-end developers are the backbone of the tech industry.

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    Treehouse teaches all the skills you need to start a new

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    career in the exciting world of technology.

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