essay web development

My journey to becoming a web developer from scratch without a CS degree (and what I learned from…

by Sergei Garcia

My journey to becoming a web developer from scratch without a CS degree (and what I learned from it)

First, let me introduce myself. My name is Sergei Garcia, and I’m a full-time front end developer with 2 years experience. In that time, I’ve worked as a front-end developer for both a Forbes 500 consulting firm and a small company.

This may not sound like a lot of experience, but finishing my second year as a developer has been a huge milestone for me. This is because I had no real experience doing web development — and not much programming experience in general beyond some basic C# and Java training I got from a few online courses. I also didn’t have a computer science degree since I graduated with a degree in IT project management.

I’d never written about my experience despite all the help I’ve received from wonderful resources like Medium, Stack Overflow, and Reddit’s programming subreddits. So today, I decided to change that. Today I’m going to fill you in on what went right, and what didn’t, so that if you’re embarking on this journey, you’ll have better luck than I did.

I know that there are a lot of articles like this, but not very many of them discuss the process with the benefit of an extra two years of hindsight.

I’ll start off with my journey, including what went wrong along the way. If you just care about what my suggestions for the shortest possible route to becoming a web developer from scratch are, feel free to skip to the last section: The shortest route .

So, without any further ado, Let’s get started!

Getting the Basics

After deciding I wanted to get into web development the first question on my mind was “What do I learn?” After doing some research, I ended up making my learning path based on what most entry-level web developer positions asked for, which was:

HTML & CSS

• CSS Preprocessors (Less & Sass)

Responsive Design

Design patterns.

• Task Runners

Here’s how it went.

I began my Journey learning JavaScript through CodeSchool (paid) and Codecademy (free). If you don’t know about these, they’re great websites that allow you to learn to code by coding inside the browser.

I found learning resources like this were the best when you are just getting started. Just be advised that this method of learning gets tiring quickly once you get into more advanced stuff, since their algorithms for checking whether you solved the code example correctly have some accuracy issues. Both of their introductory courses to JavaScript were outstanding and I highly recommend them.

Once I got the basics out of the way, I proceeded to get a stronger JavaScript foundation by reading the Eloquent Javascript: A Modern Introduction to Programming book by Haverbeke (free).

This book was recommended to me by a lot of people in the JavaScript forums as a must read, and for good reason. That book was tough — especially if you’re just learning programming like I was back then. But I’m glad I didn’t give up and kept at it. It was phenomenal due to the vast scope of programming concepts it covers, even if it was a bit ruthless at times. Whatever you do, don’t skip the code challenges. Once you finish this book, then you can finally say with confidence that you have a good grasp on JavaScript.

You can also optionally learn jQuery (though I really don’t recommend learning it yet — more on this later). You can learn it through CodeSchool’s Try jQuery course.

After learning JavaScript, I proceeded to learn the fundamentals of HTML & CSS and web design through CodeSchool’s HTML & CSS learning path . These courses are still my favorites today, since the pacing is great, and the overall scope of what they cover allowed me to acquire a stronger foundation to this.

You could also switch this out easily for something like Codecademy’s HTML & CSS course and still get similar results. Or if you are up for a challenge, Udacity’s course Intro to HTML and CSS is far more complete, and slightly more challenging.

Bonus : If you can get your hands on Jon Duckett’s HTML and CSS: Design and Build Websites book, it’s also a rock solid starting point for learning HTML & CSS (with a sprinkle of web design). It’s highly rated (4.7/5 on Amazon), offers a solid introduction to the world of web development. It’s a beautiful book thanks to it’s clean design with big letters and colorful pages. I often come back to it just to admire it.

Less / Sass

For those unfamiliar, Less & Sass are CSS transpilers that allow you to write CSS in a more elegant manner. This lets you do things that aren’t normally supported, like nesting CSS rules. Once finished, these CSS transpilers “compile” your code and convert it to normal CSS.

There are 2 major CSS transpilers right now: Less and Sass . Sass is the more popular one, but I found learning Less first to be easier, mainly because using Sass on your computer requires also installing Ruby, which I wasn’t fond of.

You can get a quick, yet complete overview of Less using WinLess’s Online Less Compiler and it’s code examples to see how your Less code would turn into CSS. You can also try Sass online using SassMeister (though this doesn’t include code examples).

It doesn’t matter whether you learn Less or Sass first. They’re extremely similar, so once you know one, you pretty much know the other. You can find a great quick comparison between Less and Sass on Shelby Moulden’s article Comparison between LESS & SASS .

I originally learned about responsive design and Bootstrap using Codeschool’s HTML & CSS path, but I recently found Udacity’s course by Google on Responsive Web Design Fundamentals to be fantastic at covering the basics and beyond in a far more complete manner than Codeschool did.

You can do responsive design without any additional framework, but it’s far easier with the help of a responsive framework like Bootstrap. Bootstrap’s official documentation is very well made so you should have no problem at getting started with it.

If you are having trouble grasping it’s basic principles, read Froont’s blog post on 9 basic principles of responsive web design . It has beautiful clean & simple animations that help illustrate visually the principles of responsive web design.

I didn’t really know what exactly AngularJS was back then, but I knew everyone was talking about it, and that if I wanted to become a web developer I needed to learn it. I found Google Developer’s Design Decisions in AngularJS to provide the best general overview of what AngularJS was and how it improved making web applications.

I first thought of learning AngularJS through their official documentation, but this turned out to be a terrible idea. The documentation wasn’t very easy on beginners, and the cluttered formatting made it hard to read and understand.

I then proceeded to learn AngularJS through Codeschool. With my positive experience on the JavaScript and CSS courses also from there, I expected nothing less than a great course. I was wrong. The course was a disaster from the get go, since the algorithm used to check if you got the code example right sometimes didn’t work right and marked your clearly right solution as incorrect. There were even times where all it took to fix the broken validation system was a page refresh. As for the course’s content, it wasn’t great either. It did an ok job at explaining the basic components of an AngularJS application, but it did a terrible job at integrating these into a real application, leaving me with far more questions than I started with.

After some searching around forums, I stumbled upon Egghead.io (free / paid) where I had much better luck. Their course material was a lot cleaner, more concise, and more complete, making for a far better experience. Not to mention that apart from their courses, they have bite-sized 2–5 minute lessons that cover important topics. (For example: What is a controller? What is a filter? What is $scope?) These make it really easy to understand the basics. They also have some videos that require payment, but they are usually the ones covering more advanced angular topics you will not need until later on. I took their AngularJS Fundamentals course and I was fully satisfied with the results (and also became a big fan of Egghead.io’s courses in the process).

Design patterns are basically reusable code solutions that can be repeatedly used to solve common software problems. Having a foundation on this will make you far more competitive software developer in any programming language. This will also make it easier for you to understand other people’s code, since you’ll quickly identify what design pattern they used on their code to better understand it.

I found the 2 best sources to learn this are doFactory’s JavaScript Design Patterns and Addy Osmani’s Learning JavaScript Design Patterns . I found doFactory a lot easier to understand, while Addy Osmani’s book was a lot more complete.

Chrome DevTools

Chrome is one of the most powerful tools for a web developer. The sooner you master it, the more time you can save later on. Codeschool’s free course Explore and Master Chrome DevTools does a great job at introducing them.

Git (Version Control)

Ah, Git — the tool I never knew I needed until I discovered what it could do. Git basically it lets you keep a track of the changes you make to your code so that if things go wrong, you can roll back to a previous point in time. It also lets you see your code’s history.

I found CodeSchool’s free Try Github course to be a friendly way to get started. Atlassian’s Git training was superb at covering the more advanced commands available. Codeschool’s Git Learning Path is also great at covering Git’s fundamentals.

It didn’t take long before I learned that having a basic understanding of NodeJS would help me greatly in my quest of becoming a web developer (more on this soon).

I tried Codeschool’s courses on Node, but I found them really lacking in content. I found NodeSchool.io to be a far better teacher at getting the basics right, and it was fun! I loved the hands-on approach it offered, which was similar to Codeschool and Codecademy — with the added improvement that I was really running NodeJS.

Task Runners (Grunt & Gulp)

Grunt and Gulp were quite a big surprise to me in that I had no idea tools like that even existed — but I’m extremely glad they do! Basically, these task runners allow you to automate common tasks. For example, remember Less/Sass? Normally you would have to manually run the CSS compiler every time you make an edit for it to compile the CSS, and then update the browser. Using a task runner, you can set it up to watch your Less/Sass files for changes, and when it detects a change, compile your CSS, and automatically refresh the browser. This is immensely useful at reducing your development time.

There are 2 main task runners right now: Grunt and Gulp. While they do the exact same thing, they work in very different ways, with Grunt being a lot more verbose and configuration oriented, and Gulp being shorter to write and preferring code over configuration.

Knowing NodeJS will help you write better Grunt and Gulp files since both of them run on NodeJS . You can pick whichever you want, but I found Gulp to be far easier to learn and write. I still today prefer it because of its minimalist — yet powerful — pipe-based approach.

I found Scotch.io’s courses on Grunt and Gulp to be among the best out there.

Challenges I faced on my first job

Once I covered the fundamentals of web development, I was ready for my first web development interview for an entry level position. I won’t go into details about the interview since this isn’t this article’s main focus. But I will say that I was told my relatively strong JavaScript knowledge help me secure the position. (Thanks, Eloquent JavaScript!)

I have to say, I was quite nervous on my first project. It involved making reusable web components with HTML, CSS and JavaScript, along with Bootstrap, Sass, Grunt as tooling. T

he two biggest mistakes I found at first were:

• Fear of failure. Because I was the new guy, I was constantly in fear of my code being wrong or poorly made, so I spent a lot of time double-checking everything and adhered to coding best practices. Because of this, I rarely attempted solutions in creative new ways because of my fear that it might not work correctly at the end. This effectively shut down my drive to learn new things.
• Doing things because “X” person who knows better than me said so. I did this a lot at first. While not completely wrong, doing things in a certain way only because “X” expert on the matter said so — without knowing why — lead to me not really knowing when to why things were done the way they were. I soon learned that there were exceptions to everything, and that you always should know the reason behind best practices.

Thankfully, I had an understanding team lead during my first project who helped me overcome these issues. He constantly motivated me to try new things, even if things went wrong sometimes. He also told me to question everything — even his teachings.

In time, I learnt my lesson. From then on, I’ve always been a person that looks forward to trying new things. I always try to understand why best practices exist, when they’re right, and when they don’t apply to a situation.

Using AngularJS in an actual project also posed quite a big challenge for me. This was mainly because a lot of the things I did with it, I did without fully understanding why they happened. I thought of it as “angular magic.”

There were many times that I wished I knew how Angular actually worked, but it was scary looking at the documentation.

I eventually stumbled upon an amazing book called Build Your Own AngularJS . I didn’t read all of it, but reading the section on Scopes and Watchers and how they worked really unveiled how the magic behind angular, wasn’t really magic. It was just a clever way of maintaining data-binding using dirty checking and nested scopes. I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking to fully understand AngularJS.

The other challenge I faced a year later was how fast web development progressed. I had just mastered AngularJS and Grunt, and was feeling all proud and mighty — only to soon find out Gulp and ReactJS were on the horizon. And a year later after learning them, Webpack started gaining ground, and I had to learn that too. As you can imagine, a big part of me was pretty disappointed with how quickly some of my knowledge became obsolete. But a coworker soon enlightened me by telling me something that changed how I viewed libraries and frameworks forever:

“Libraries and Frameworks may become obsolete, but the concepts and solutions they propose often survive the test of time.”

He was right. AngularJS may have become obsolete, but fully understanding the magic behind it helped me better understand React’s web component architecture, which improved upon Angular’s Directives concept. It also helped me understand how ReactJS gained so much popularity, as well as what kind of future awaited.

I don’t recall facing any other major challenges on my subsequent projects. But what I will say is that over the course of the 2 years I’ve been doing web development, the #1 thing that has helped succeed (according to my own coworkers) was my excitement and my powerful drive to always be on the lookout for new things to learn. I soon found out this was a winning combination with web development since things over here change really, really fast, with new frameworks and libraries constantly emerging.

On the flip side of the coin, the other thing that helped me a ton — and something I found out quite recently actually — was understanding what not to learn. This became critical to my process of becoming a better web developer.

It’s not uncommon to see people criticizing the abnormally fast pace of evolution of web technologies, or how a new JavaScript library or framework comes out nearly every day. But in time I saw the light and finally understood:

You don’t have to learn every new library or framework that comes out.

Often it’s a great idea to do a simple hello world example app so you can see what a framework offers. Then you can move on. But usually, you should try to focus on what best suits your project’s needs. This can be hard at first, but thankfully great places like Stack Overflow, Medium and Reddit exist where you can find useful discussions between frameworks, and figure out which ones fit your specific use cases the best.

Going Further

In the upcoming years, I proceeded to continuously improve in the following ways

Once you finish Eloquent JavaScript, it’s rather easy to say and feel like you’ve mastered JavaScript, but then comes You Don’t Know JS and it absolutely destroys you (or at least it did to me). This book series (free by the way) was mentioned to me several times by a few senior web developers in the office as the book to read, and that only until I’ve read it can I say I fully know JavaScript. They were right, since page after page it continuously blew my mind as to how truly complex JavaScript really was, as well as many, many common pitfalls un-experienced & experienced people without a proper JavaScript understanding may have.

Reading that book series really opened my mind, and I also highly recommend it to anyone wanting to call themselves an expert JavaScript developer. Once you got that out of the way, there are 2 extra resources I highly recommend to get an even further, more advanced JavaScript knowledge;

• JavaScript, The Better Parts : An amazing talk by D. Crockford that talks about JavaScript’s biggest weaknesses, it’s “Foot Guns,” and how to utilize them as its strengths.
• The Two Pillars of JavaScript : a solid article by recognized JavaScript Medium writer Eric Elliott that talks about the 2 great pillars of JavaScript: Prototypical Inheritance and Functional Programming

Once you have a profound understanding of JavaScript, proceed with ECMASCript 2015 (also known as ES6), the latest, and current JavaScript standard. Smashing Magazine’s article ECMAScript 6 (ES6): What’s New In The Next Version Of JavaScript is a great short review of what’s new in ES6. You can try ES6 in the browser using Babel’s online transpiler .

CSS can get messy and disorganized very, very quickly. There have been quite a few different methodologies proposed to write cleaner CSS, but 2 stand out which I highly recommend you read about ASAP to stay competitive:

• SMACSS : Scalable and Modular Architecture for CSS. A flexible guide to developing sites small and large.
• BEM : a methodology that helps you to achieve reusable components and code sharing in the front-end.

I personally prefer SMACSS because of it’s cleaner look, but some companies and CSS Frameworks still use BEM, so it’s worth knowing both.

You should also start focusing on your CSS’s performance. Smashing Magazine’s article Managing Mobile Performance Optimization and HTML5 Rocks’s article High Performance Animation did a solid job at providing a head start on this. A quick read through both articles should give you a solid foundation.

JavaScript Bundlers

By now you should have strong understanding of Grunt or Gulp. The next step is adding a JavaScript bundler to your task runner, which will allow for a more modular organization of your JavaScript application.

The two biggest players right now are:

• Browserify : lets you require modules in the browser by bundling up all of your dependencies.
• Webpack : basically Browserify on steroids. Harder to configure and set up.

Scotch.io’s mini-course Getting Started with Browserify can provide you a jump-start with browserify, while David Fox Powell article Why Can’t Anyone Write a Simple Webpack Tutorial ? is a great, fun to read introduction to webpack.

Personally I haven’t spent a lot of time using webpack, but in my time with it, I have to say it’s been amazing — even if it’s slightly harder to set up. If you are just getting started, I’d go for Browserify since it’s a lot simpler to set up. Just be aware that webpack is the future, and what bigger projects are starting to use.

ReactJS is quickly gaining popularity, and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down — to the extent that people are asking “Is React killing Angular?”

Scotch.io’s Learning React.js: Getting Started and Concepts provides a solid overview of React. Once you got that out of the way, continue with Egghead.io’s course on React Fundamentals where you will build a fully working ReactJS app and then migrate it to ES6 syntax. You can follow up with the official ReactJS documentation which is very well made and will allow you to fully master it.

Since React is only the view, it’s highly recommended you learn Redux. Most courses on Redux are a bit complex in my opinion, but CSS Tricks Leveling Up with React: Redux does score a great balance between simplicity and being informative at getting started with Redux.

You might have also heard of Flux at this point, but if you’re wondering why you should use Redux over Flux, check out the question on Stack Overflow Why use Redux over Facebook Flux? which was answered by Redux’s creator!

Looking back on my mistakes and what I learned

I made a lot of mistakes in my 2 years of learning web development. Overall, I think my biggest mistake was not mastering the basics before moving on to libraries and frameworks. I guess this applies to almost every programming language out there, but in my opinion it applies even more to JavaScript. This is because in many ways, JavaScript is a broken language and contains a lot of “Foot Guns” (you should have heard of this if you watched D. Crockford’s talk on “JavaScript, the better parts” I mentioned earlier). These can make life insufferably hard if you don’t fully understand them.

I recall once having gotten stuck in an AngularJS issue with $scope which took me 3 days to debug, only to find it wasn’t even an AngularJS issue, but a JavaScript issue that I caused myself because of failing to understand how this works.

It’s strange that I don’t see this talked about as often. I didn’t always care for writing clean code, but honestly it’s one of the things I’m most proud of having learned. This is because everyone loves to complain how their last place had one of the worst, ugliest code base in the world. So why can’t anyone talk about how great their last one was? How their code ended up so clean and well made they were proud of it?

This is a trend I’d like to change, and I believe a difference can be made if enough people push for it. Strive to make variable and function names understandable in English, even if you have to write a bit more. Not doing so will only lead to you having to manually document it sometime in the future to make it clearer. This will also cause your overall codebase to become harder to understand by new developers and yourself. Yes, yourself. Why yourself? Because if you’re not enforcing clean code, what makes you think your coworkers should enforce it and write clean code for you to easily understand? Let’s lead by example.

And if that isn’t a good enough incentive, people very often recognize and value clean code writers. You’ll find that by writing clean code your coworkers and friends will enjoy working with you even more, and in turn, you’ll live a happier life.

Some of you might notice I also didn’t make much of an emphasis on jQuery. This is because in my experience, I found jQuery did me more harm than good at first. Some of you may not agree, but please let me explain: When I first learned it, the general idea I understood was that jQuery was everywhere and that you could use it for pretty much everything. Because of this, I got used to using jQuery for pretty much anything, and for any problem I encountered, I looked for a solution for it that used jQuery.

Don’t get me wrong, jQuery was awesome in my time using it, so awesome in fact, that I blindly ignored that 90% of what I did with jQuery could be done natively in modern browsers in a similarly easy syntax.

You may now be thinking: “So what’s wrong with that? jQuery doesn’t weight all that much anyway and using it you still end up writing less code than if you did things natively.” But using jQuery over native APIs wasn’t the problem. The problem was that my entire way of thinking and all the solutions to common problems I knew up until that point required jQuery to work. And this became a huge problem when I got my first project and was told jQuery wasn’t a dependency.

Using jQuery made me useless without it, and made me completely ignore the native methods and solutions that have always existed. It made all my solutions less portable too, since using them required jQuery.

Since then, I’ve strived to not use jQuery unless it is absolutely necessary and truly provides big improvement in efficiency and readability to our codebase (for example, heavy DOM manipulation).

Once again, don’t get me wrong, jQuery is great, but if I could go back in time and meet my past self that was just learning web development, I’d heavily advise myself against learning jQuery altogether until I’ve learned how to do things without it. If you are having trouble doing the switch like I did, check out You Might Not Need jQuery .

As for course material; while a lot of CodeSchool’s courses were outstanding (The HTML & CSS branch was specially fantastic), even if a few of their courses on frameworks fell flat a bit flat (AngularJS, BackboneJS, etc.).

I also took quite a lot of Pluralsight courses, which I didn’t mention because after all this time, I’ve reached the conclusion that picking their learning path is overall a bad idea and unreliable . Since their courses are made by teachers who aren’t always (in my opinion) very good at teaching, I found their course quality fluctuates wildly since their course quality standards are non-existent. I’ve had courses where even the person giving the course sounded like he was falling asleep. And I honestly don’t have the attention span to keep paying attention on a 6–10 hour course — and a lot of them last that long, if not longer.

I spent a good 80–100 hours of training in Pluralsight, and I honestly want a good part of it back. Don’t get me wrong, I had a few amazing courses on Pluralsight, but their focus on quantity over quality really made me waste my time. I could have learnt so much more if I had taken courses from better sources like Egghead.io and CodeSchool, where they value more quality of quantity.

The only reason I could ever think of someone using Pluralsight is to take a course that no other website has in some more obscure technology (like Installshield, or Xamarin), or to take a few very specific courses that they know were very well received and reviewed (For example, John Papa’s Angular Fundamentals).

Overall, if you want to use Pluralsight, be sure that you are taking courses hand-picked by someone that took them first and that are recognized as high quality and useful.

I also recently tried Team Treehouse training and I’ve got to say, I’m amazed at the quality that went into their courses, even rivaling that of CodeSchool, and their course material is highly extensive.

After skimming through the HTML, CSS and JavaScript learning paths there, I see you could easily acquire the foundation of pretty much everything. Don’t believe me? Just look at their learning tracks and tell me it’s not amazing. Sure, it’s a bit expensive at $30 USD a month, but in my opinion it’s incredibly worth it. (I’m paying for it right now to learn WordPress since I need it for a freelance project and the material is great).

A word on paid courses

I felt a need to speak about this since I’ve noticed the general consensus that you can learn programming without paying a dime and be as competitive as one that paid for a course. While true, I cannot stress enough the value paying for the right course has. Sure, quite a lot of the most valuable course material I’ve written about is free, but a lot of it is also paid. Mainly because sometimes you just can’t beat having someone carefully explain things to you in a visual way.

Yes, there are terrible learning paid courses which I would advise against since their value proposition is questionable (see Pluralsight), but others like Egghead.io, CodeSchool, and Team Treehouse offer outstanding bang-for-your-buck, despite their relatively costly monthly subscription ($25-$30 a month). Plus, they all have free 7–15 day trials so you can see which one works best for you.

If you play your cards right, paying 1–2 months of either of them can easily net you knowledge you would only otherwise get after stumbling upon countless of articles and blog posts over a year. They’re honestly that good.

So yes, they are not necessary, but if you can afford at least one month, you can be sure it will give you a strong edge.

The secret sauce for success

I’ve met a lot of developers over the past 2 years I’ve been a web developer. Along my journey, I’ve met a few developers who really stood out — developers who were clearly in a league of their own, and to whom me and everyone else looked up to. I found these individuals shared quite a few characteristics, which I’d like to share with you right now. These are in my opinion the secret sauce to being a successful web developer:

• Love what you do. This is simply the most important characteristic of them all. If you don’t love what you do (be it CSS Styling or JavaScript), it will truly show in what you do. Those who are passionate about what they do often clearly stand out from the crowd.
• Be generous and share your knowledge . It’s very easy to want to keep that new CSS/JavaScript hack you found that solves the project’s issues a secret, but please don’t. The people who share their knowledge the most are often the most valuable, since they can be placed in any kind of team and improve it’s quality by a huge margin.
• Always be on the lookout for new things . Most of the successful developers I’ve met share this common trait. Whether it be by reading blogs, spending lots of time in programming related discussions, or even talking about what’s new in web development during lunch breaks. Being on the lookout for new things all the time allows the best developers to always stay ahead of the curve.

The shortest route

Whew, this article took a while to finish (6 hours and counting). We’re almost done! You may be wondering: “Ok, cool story, but what’s the quickest route?” And so, here it is.

I’ve organized this in the way that I would take it if I could go back and do things right. I also added a few bonuses, which I would have loved to have had back then. Enjoy!

• CodeSchool or Treehouse’s Javascript learning path (paid) OR Codecademy’s Javascript course
• Eloquent JavaScript
• You Don’t Know JS
• JS: The Right Way
• Learn ES6 by Egghead.io
• CodeSchool or Treehouse’s HTML & CSS learning path(Paid) OR HTML and CSS: Design and Build Websites by John Ducket OR Codecademy’s HTML & CSS course .
• Specifics on CSS Specifity by CSS Tricks
• Learn CSS Layout
• 9 basic principles of responsive web design by Front
• Responsive Web Design Fundamentals by Google on Udacity (Take if you didn’t use CodeSchool or Treehouse learning path)
• Managing Mobile Performance Optimization by Smashing Magazine OR Browser Rendering Optimization and Website Performance Optimization by Google on Udacity
• Web fundamentals by Google

Developer Tools

• Explore and Master DevTools by CodeSchool
• Learn Git by Codecademy and Try Github by Codeschool
• Introduction to Linux Commands by Smashing Magazine
• Automate Your Tasks Easily with Gulp.js by Scotch.io
• Design Decisions in AngularJS by Google Developers (Intro to AngularJS)
• AngularJS fundamentals by Egghead.io
• John Papa’s Angular Styleguide
• Creating a Single Page Todo App with Node and Angular (MEAN) by Scotch.io
• AngularJS application structure by Egghead.io (Paid) OR Scotch.io’s Angular Courses
• Learning React.js: Getting Started and Concepts by Scotch.io
• Intro to webpack by Egghead.io
• React Fundamentals by Egghead.io
• Leveling Up with React: Redux by CSS Tricks
• NodeJS tutorials by NodeSchool.io
• How I explained REST to my Wife
• Creating a Single Page Todo App with Node and Angular by Scotch.io (Node, ExpressJS, MongoDB, Angular, REST)

Bonus: Resources

Completely optional, but some of my favorite articles and resources which I’ve found over the years which you will probably love if you are interested in their respective topic.

• Web Design in 4 minutes . A very creative and original interactive tutorial that teaches you the fundamentals of web design.
• Awwards . Looking for web design inspiration? Look no further.
• Why Hiring is so hard in tech by Eric Elliott. Here Eric is does an amazing job at summarizing how it’s surprisingly hard to find great developers, and how to become one.
• NoSQL database systems mega comparison by Kristof Kovacs. This is a superb comparison between the most popular NoSQL database systems out there. MongoDB, Redis, CouchDB, Cassandra, ElasticSearch, they and more are all here.
• XSS Game . Cross-site scripting (XSS) bugs are one of the most common and dangerous types of vulnerabilities in Web applications. Using this awesome resource you can learn how to find and exploit XSS bugs, and how to prevent them from happening to your web application.
• How To Write Unmaintainable Code . Hilarious article on how not to write maintainable, clean code.

Bonus: My tools

I thought it’d also be nice to share some of the tools I discovered (some well known, some not so much) that have made my life easier as web developer so here they are.

• Jetbrains Webstorm : Full featured Web Development IDE. (My editor of choice) Paid, but offers a 1 year free license for students.
• Atom.io : Highly extensible text editor with IDE like features rivaling Webstorm. Free.
• Sublime Text : Lightning fast text editor with plugins support and an aesthetically pleasing look. (I normally keep Webstorm/Atom installed as IDE for serious work, and Sublime Text installed for quick edits to files.)
• caniuse.com : Browser support is critical for websites, and this is the #1 resource at figuring out what features are supported by which browser version and which are.
• Cloud 9 : Cloud based development environment and IDE with Git support that runs on Linux. Great for programming remotely and testing out NodeJS or other server side things without needing to install anything on your machine
• CodePen , Plunker and JSFiddle : Great cloud based front end playgrounds that let you do quick HTML/CSS/JS demos you can share, or work on later on if you create a free account. CodePen is often best for CSS related things because of it’s minimalistic interface and plethora of CSS related features, Plunker for JavaScript demos because of it’s powerful JS features, and JSFiddle for demos that you wish to collaborate with others in real time thanks to it’s live editor sharing collaboration feature.
• Vanilla List : A repository of JavaScript plugins and libraries using only vanilla JavaScript (meaning they require no libraries to work, like jQuery)
• YouMightNotNeedjQuery : You probably don’t. See for yourself.
• PublicAPIs : Ever wondered what public APIs exist? Look no further!
• Gravit.io : Cloud based design application rivaling adobe illustrator. (Free!) Useful for quick mockups and web design.
• Adobe Kuler : Webapp to help you create harmonious color combinations for any website. Also has an “Explore” showcase of color palettes built by other designers as well as a ranking system to help inspire you.
• Name that color : Stop spending lots of time figuring out how to name your color variables in less/sass and just use their rightful name with this webapp

I’d just like to say I really enjoyed writing this, and it makes me really happy to have been finally able to give something back to the incredibly supportive programming community everywhere.

As some of you already noticed, this is my first blog post, but you can be sure I plan to write more. Just don’t expect one every week. Remember: quality over quantity!

If any of you have any questions left, feel free to leave a comment and I’ll do my best to get back to you ASAP.

I hope this was useful to you guys, until next time, Best!

March ’18 Update : For those curious as to what I’ve been up to, here’s a quick status update!

https://medium.com/@sgarcia.dev/status-update-im-still-here-with-cool-stuff-incoming-f031bab49eca

If this article was helpful, share it .

Learn to code for free. freeCodeCamp's open source curriculum has helped more than 40,000 people get jobs as developers. Get started

Web Application Development Essay

The ways to specify the colors in css: pros and cons, enterprise web development and distributed web applications, the browsers’ internal style sheets differences, the compatibility of website with the browsers, designing for iphone users, issue of contents and devices compatibility: tables, w3c standards for developing content for wireless technologies, works cited.

There are multiple methods of the color indication in CSS: hexadecimal color value, RGB, HSL, color keywords and X11, etc. (Dawson par. 1). Hexadecimal value is the most popular method to specify colors. It provides a large color range and is very precise, it thus widely supported by the internet browsers. RGB color value is also well elaborated.

One can specify the color by combining RGB red, green, and blue values. HSL color value successfully compliments RGB notation. HSL provides the combination of hue, saturation, and brightness. Color keywords specification has the easiest format because it doesn’t require any calculations of degrees and percentages. Previously, the keywords notation was too basic but it was expanded with the X11 color palette. Nevertheless, the lack of its support by browsers makes it difficult to use.

Nowadays, the programmers often argue about the best data models suitability for the application development. But according to the experience of many web developers, all the programming languages have advantages and disadvantages (Saint Laurent par. 4).

The main challenge in the development of enterprise applications is the choice of the language, data models, and scripts or their combination to provide the product’s efficiency. The choice of the programming language must be determined by the consideration of the multiple nuances and requires the strategic research. The second challenge is the development of the flexible design that could be suitable for a big number of devices. The success of the content delivery depends on the user’s technological capability.

The abrupt differences can be easily smoothened by the implementation of the layouts that can be adjusted according to browser’s environment. For example, one can choose a relative layout or an elastic layout. The relative layout adjusts the size of the page according to the browser’s view, and the elastic layout can be expanded or narrowed in size (Dawson par. 4).

The design will be developed for the travel company. It requires many pictures, it should be bright enough to draw attention yet shouldn’t repel. The sizes of fonts, the color matching, the sizes of pictures must be taken into consideration because the browsers can display them differently. The layout format will be the most relaxed and mutable. However, the smart placing of page elements and their correspondence with the website’s style is crucial.

The design for iPhone users is more fixed; it can be kept up to the certain rules while the designing for browsers has to deal with the multiple differences of browsers’ capabilities. Nevertheless, designing for iPhones requires the designer’s comprehension. For example, a designer need to know that the element must be smaller, the text formatting must be suitable for the small screen, and the links should consist of more than one word to tap easily (Kyrnin par. 6).

The large default tables can’t be completely seen on the screen of the mobile devices. Some alterations thus are required. A designer needs to take into consideration the amount of the table’s content and the device’s capability to support CSS and JavaScript. The content can be distributed in small tables, converted into a pie chart, or placed in PDF file with the link available for a customer (“Tables in Responsive Design” par. 8).

The W3C standards are needed for the developmental processes regulation and the positive outcomes of the design. HTML is considered to be a standard, and it is commonly accepted (Dubost par. 10). Moreover, the wireless devices can support only HTML and its variations.

The technology’s format must be considered by a designer, and the rules must be followed. For example, a designer needs to know that the mobile technologies usually do not support Flash and Cookies. A designer also needs to consider that the sizes of the elements should be relative.

“Tables in Responsive Design.” Liquid Light 10 December 2013: n.pag. Web.

Dawson, Alexander. “A Guide on Layout Types in Web Design.” Six Revisions 22 July 2010: n.pag. Web.

Dawson, Alexander. “A Guide to CSS Colors in Web Design.” Six Revisions 1 June 2011: n.pag. Web.

Dubost, Karl. “My Web Site Is a Standard! And Yours?” W3C Quality Assurance 8 April 2002: n.pag. Web.

Kyrnin, Jennifer. “How to Write Web Pages for Mobil Devices: Tips to Design Web Pages that Work Well on Small Screen Mobile Devices.” About Tech . n.d. n.pag. Web.

Saint Laurent, Simon. “Web Application Development is Different (and Better).” Radar 29 January 2014: n.pag. Web.

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2020, May 3). Web Application Development. https://ivypanda.com/essays/web-application-development/

"Web Application Development." IvyPanda , 3 May 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/web-application-development/.

IvyPanda . (2020) 'Web Application Development'. 3 May.

IvyPanda . 2020. "Web Application Development." May 3, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/web-application-development/.

1. IvyPanda . "Web Application Development." May 3, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/web-application-development/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Web Application Development." May 3, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/web-application-development/.

• Case Studies in Website Upgrade for Improved User Experience
• Pros and Cons of Using CSS-Preprocessors
• Cascading Style Sheet (CSS)
• The Process of Building Websites With CSS
• Tables Vs. Cascading Style Sheets
• PDF Viewer in Firefox, Opera, and Chrome Browsers
• Determinants of Website Usability
• Information Security Basics: Web Browsers
• The CSS Zen Garden, Digital Design and Communication in the Kyoto Forest
• Principles of Color Printing
• Web 2.0 Technology: Design Aspects, Applications and Principles
• Programming: Organizations as Socio-Technical Networks
• Object-Oriented, Event-Driven and Procedural Programming
• The Ideal HPC Programming Language
• Vicarious Programming and Its Artificial Technology

Tutorial 1 : An Introduction To Web Development

Welcome to the first day of your web development short course, and congratulations on taking your first step towards becoming a fully-fledged web developer!

Introduction

In this course, you’ll learn all about becoming a web developer, from the responsibilities that a web developer performs on a day-to-day basis to the set of skills that you’d need to succeed in such a role. And, of course, you’ll also get your hands dirty with code: We’ll introduce you to the fundamental building blocks of the web and make sure you leave this course having developed your very first website!

What are we going to do today?

• Learn what the role of a web developer is and discuss the different types of web developers
• Take a look at the skills required to become a web developer
• Preview what we’ll be learning over the next 5 days
• Create your first webpage using a text editor and browser

Ready to dive into the magical world of web development? Let’s go!

1. Who is a web developer?

A web developer is at heart an interactive artist . They’re someone driven by a deep desire to create things . A web developer’s canvas is a user’s web browser.

Much like how a curious child takes pleasure in making toys by joining LEGO blocks—and then experiences a similar joy in taking things apart to see how they’re made, a web developer’s job is to use the basic building blocks of the web (like HTML, CSS and JavaScript) to create something complex like a webpage. Don’t sweat it! We’ll get into all of those terms soon.

It's also the web developer’s job to diagnose problems in a website’s functionality, to understand how something works by reading the code behind it, and to make changes to fix any issues. That essentially makes web developers the physicians of the world wide web. When we talk about the world wide web, we’re mainly referring to websites and web applications. At this point, the curious aspiring developer in you might be wondering, “What’s the difference between the two?”

Well, we’re glad you asked! A website is usually a simple page or a group of pages (the popular web comic site, xkcd , for example). However, modern websites are much more than that. Take Google Docs, for example . It has a nice interface that, once opened, looks very much like a desktop software like Microsoft Office. Such complex websites are often termed web applications . A web developer today is expected to know how to create and work with web applications. Having said that, most people use the terms interchangeably, so don’t get too hung up on the terminology!

Types of web developers

There are different types of web developers who focus on different areas. These include:

• Frontend developers: Frontend developers implement web page designs using HTML and CSS. They make sure the website looks pretty on different devices, and that the forms and buttons work.
• Backend developers: Backend developers create the backbone of the web application. They write code logic that handles a user’s input (for example, what should happen when you click the signup button after filling in a form).
• Full stack developers: Full stack developers do bits of both backend and frontend. Depending on the problem at hand, they can switch cape 🦸‍♀️🦸‍♂️ and move stacks. You can learn more about the differences between frontend and backend development in this guide .

There are many other specific roles in web development, like system architects, AI developers, machine learning and security engineers. These roles require more specialized knowledge of one or more of the above types of development, so many professionals in these roles will start by gaining some general web development experience.

2. What are the skills required to become a web developer?

What does it take to become a web developer? Essentially, just three things: HTML, CSS and JavaScript—the three pillars of the web, which we’ll be learning about over the next few days.

Together, these three pillars make every website work, defining the content to be displayed (HTML), telling a browser how to display that content (CSS), and making the content interactive (JavaScript), respectively.

A web developer is well versed in these three technologies. They can read other people’s code and make changes to it. They can find and debug bugs (shortcomings in existing code). A web developer might, at times, work on a new project (a new website) from scratch, or may have to work on an existing website and make it better. A typical day in the life of a web developer involves fixing bugs, developing new features (that is, enhancements) and webpages, and working with other developers to discuss ways to solve problems.

Don’t be overwhelmed by all of these details. You’ll soon see that they’re all very connected, and learning one of these automatically makes you good at a few others!

What’s the job outlook like for web developers?

In short, very good. Employment of web developers is projected to grow 16% from 2022 to 2032 , much faster than the average for all occupations. Demand will be driven by the growing popularity of mobile devices and ecommerce ( Bureau of Labor Statistics ).

While 2022 and 2023 brought with it news of  tech layoffs  due to over-hiring post-pandemic, web developers and software engineers looked further afield and found opportunities in a whole range of industries, from healthcare to finance.

Why AI won't replace developers

If you’re thinking “AI is going to wipe out web developer jobs” you’d also be mistaken.  In his New Yorker article  on whether coding is "over", seasoned programmer Jason Somers examines the impact of Chat-GPT and AI on development, and concludes:

Computing is not yet overcome. GPT-4 is impressive, but a layperson can’t wield it the way a programmer can. I still feel secure in my profession. In fact, I feel somewhat more secure than before. As software gets easier to make, it’ll proliferate; programmers will be tasked with its design, its configuration, and its maintenance.

This is echoed on the CareerFoundry blog, in our experienced software engineer Nicole Abramowski’s  profile of the future of AI and web development . Nicole states that basically, to work effectively with AI in coding, you'll still need to have a solid grasp of the fundamentals. She says:

In the end, working with AI is all about asking good and specific questions. If you don’t understand how different technologies work, and their use cases, you won’t be able to write good prompts.

So, if you don’t know the fundamentals, how will you know if the information is correct? And this is where these tutorials come in!

3. What we’ll be learning in the next five days

No web development course is complete without a hands-on project. In this course, we’ll be using the three pillars of the web (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript) to build your first project, a personalized portfolio website.

Once you have these under your belt, picking up other tools and languages is much easier. Pay extra attention to the basics, as a shaky foundation leads to loads of confusion later on. We’ll also give you the resources needed to put your website online so that you can share it with your friends and family.

Today, we’ll start by getting a bird's-eye view of the web development world. We’ll talk about the tools we’ll use in this course, and we’ll also write some HTML.

On the second day, we’ll write more HTML and HTML elements, and create the rough layout of our project website.

On day three, we’ll write some CSS to make our website mobile responsive, which means that our website will be viewable on computers, tablets, and mobile phones.

On the fourth day, we’ll dive into some advanced CSS and add cool effects to our page.

On the fifth and final day, we’ll learn how to write basic JavaScript. We’ll also look at form validations and other common elements of JavaScript programming.

To give you a tiny glimpse, this is roughly how your website will look like at the end of this course. Pretty cool, right?

Ready to get started? Let’s begin by setting up your developer environment.

Setting up your developer environment

For this course, we’ll need two tools that every web developer uses:

• A text editor to write code
• A web browser to see what we’re building

While you can use any web browser or text editor, we recommend using Google Chrome and Sublime for this course.

• Google Chrome can be downloaded from https://www.google.com/chrome/
• Sublime Text can be downloaded from https://www.sublimetext.com/3 .

Like any good craftsperson, it’s important that you know and understand your tools. For that reason, let’s take a brief look at what we have so far.

Google Chrome

Google Chrome is a web browser. You may or may not already be using Google Chrome for browsing the web.

A web browser allows us to view webpages (similar to the one you’re reading this very text on). We’ll use Google Chrome to view the results after writing and making changes to our code.

Sublime Text

Sublime Text is a popular text editor. A text editor is a very aptly named piece of software; it helps us edit text. It's similar to the default text editor that comes preinstalled on Mac or Windows, but has additional features like code highlighting to enhance our coding and debugging experience.

⚠️ Watch out! Sublime Text is a paid software with an unlimited trial period. You’ll occasionally see a dialog box popping up prompting you to pay for the software license. You can pay for it if you wish, but you don't need to just for this course .

This course is OS independent, meaning that you can follow it on Windows, Mac OS or Linux.

😎Pro tip : If you get stuck when installing Chrome or Sublime, or see any error messages, it's best to do a web search (try a Google or DuckDuckGo search) for the exact error message. It's likely that other people have had the same problem before us and a solution already exists.

After downloading, install it according to the instructions you’ll find on those websites. Once you’re done installing, you’re ready to move to the next section.

4. Your turn: Creating your first webpage

We’ll now use the tools that we downloaded and installed in the previous section to do our first development work, creating our first text on a webpage. We’ll use HTML for this purpose. Let’s talk about HTML quickly before we start creating our first page.

HTML stands for H yper T ext M arkup L anguage. In a nutshell:

• Hypertext simply means text that can jump from one point to the other. If you have ever clicked a link on a page (try this: google.com ), you’ve used hypertext.
• Markup is simply a way to structure content so that we can distinguish between different blocks of text.
• Language means a, umm, language. Computer languages are similar to real world languages like English and German, just very strict in their syntax.

HTML lets us structure our page and the data in it. Once we have a structure and data to work with, we can focus on style and functionality.

Okay, that’s enough theory for now. Let’s get right into it by opening Sublime Text.

⚠️ Watch out! Students frequently get stuck at this step, so take it slow.

Click File > Open Folder (or simply Open… if you are on MacOS). Notice that on MacOS, the toolbar is at the top of the screen (as shown in the screenshot below).

Once you select File > Open / Open Folder, it will open a new window that will allow you to select an existing folder or create a new folder. Navigate to your ‘Desktop’ and create the folder there. Creating the folder on your Desktop makes it easy to find later on.

Click on the little icon that allows you to create a new folder. It can look different on different operating systems.

On MacOS, it will look like this:

While on Linux, it will look like this. If you click it, you’ll be able to create a folder by giving it a name.

We’ll name this folder portfolio because that’s what our project is, but feel free to choose a different name.

⚠️Watch out! While it's not strictly required to follow the naming scheme that we use, we recommend you stick to our way for this course. This will make it easier to follow the course later on when we work with multiple files.

If all goes well, you should see a screen like the following.

From here, right click on portfolio in the left sidebar, and click New File . You should see a new file labeled “ untitled” . That’s okay, since we’ve not named it yet.

Let’s save the file. Click File > Save and you should get a window asking you to enter the file name. Here, enter index.html and click save.

We name it specifically ‘index.html’ as per convention. By default, the entry point into a website is called the index page, hence the name.

Also, make sure you save the file inside the portfolio folder. Here’s what you should see now.

Now it’s time to write our first few lines of code! For today, we’ll just get our page up and running. Tomorrow, we will dig into the meaning of each line, talk more about what HTML is, and put more structure into place.

🙋  Just a heads up: The code snippets in the video might not match exactly with the code snippets in the tutorial text. That’s okay—in programming, there is usually more than one correct way of accomplishing the same result. Rest assured, you’re learning the same concepts!

So let’s get started coding your first webpage. Type the following code as is into your index.html file:

Done already? Good. Here’s how it should look on your screen.

View code changes on GitHub >

Okay, good work! You just wrote some real HTML code. It’s time to see how it looks in a browser. This is called running the code and we’ll be doing it all the time in this course.

To run your HTML, open the Google Chrome web browser that we installed previously. Once there, press Ctrl+O on Windows and Linux or Cmd+O on Mac to open the file explorer dialog box.

Navigate to the Desktop and then portfolio folder and you should see the index.html file that we just wrote some code in. Open that file and you should see something like the following:

If you see the above page, give yourself a pat on the back. You just created your first functional webpage. Notice where the text “ First Webpage ” and “ Hello World ” appear.

Let’s go back to Sublime Text and try to change the Hello World on line 7 to Hello World, check out my website! Save it and refresh the page in Chrome. You should see an updated version of the text.

Congratulations! You just created and edited your first webpage and viewed it on your browser. With this, you’re well on your way to building your first website.

Aside on “Github commit URLs”

Throughout this course, you’ll occasionally see a Github ( https://github.com ) link, like the one above. Github is a website that developers (and even non-developers) use to host code projects, and share it with others. Each change (for example, change to our heading) is called a ‘commit’ and the link under the images will take you to the corresponding commit.

This link will take you to the exact point in the project’s history and show you what has changed. For example, the above link shows that the line in red was removed and the line in green was added . That’s the change we made.

As your projects grow, this becomes very useful and we’ll use it extensively throughout this course.

And with that, our first tutorial comes to an end. Good work!

Today we learned what being a web developer means and the different sub-roles in web development. We also got a bird’s-eye view of the web development technologies that we’re going to study later in the course.

Then we installed the necessary tools and got our computers ready for the next couple of days of this course. We also created our first webpage, made edits to it and learned how to ‘run’ our code. That’s really good progress for day one! Tomorrow, we’ll dive into some syntactic aspects related to HTML, talk about all the HTML elements that we’ll be using in our course and create a basic structure of our portfolio page in HTML.

But wait, there’s more! If you’re feeling motivated and want to add more types of text to your webpage before tomorrow, why not give the daily challenge a try?

🧐Daily challenge

Did you notice how the text on line 4 (<title>First webpage</title>) and line 7 (<h1>Hello World</h1>) appear in the tab name and in bold on the page respectively?

title and h1 (heading 1) are what we call HTML elements. There are many more such elements, like p (paragraph), h2 , h3 .. h6 (heading 2, heading 3…heading 6) and strong (bold text).

For today’s challenge, try adding the following tags to your page with your own content

When you’re done, your page should look something like this. The text inside the tags ( “I am an explorer” , for example) can be customized to be whatever you want.

Your job is to write it as shown in the picture (maybe with your customized text) and explain to yourself what h3 , strong and p elements did. If you were successful in getting everything to work, post a screenshot and tag @careerfoundry on Twitter.

Did you figure out what each tag does?

h3 is a heading, just like h1 , but less important (and looks smaller). strong makes the text appear bold. p is short for paragraph, and is used for textual content.

📗References

• HTML Headings (<h1>, <h2> … <h6>)

Q. I’m still not able to figure out how to create a new folder on my desktop. Can you help me out with that?

A. If you’re not able to create a new folder via Sublime, you can create it using your File Manager (like Finder on MacOS). What’s important is that the folder gets created and you can open it up in the Sublime Text editor.

Q. Can I use Atom / Nodepad / Wordpad / Google Docs / ‘X’ to write code and Firefox / Safari / Opera as my browser?

A. While you can use the tool of your choice, we recommend that you to stick to the tools we use in this course. Once you get the hang of it, you can choose whatever works best for you.

Q. I didn’t understand the code that we wrote today. What is h3 and strong? How does it work?

A. Patience! We’ll learn more about HTML tomorrow, and these questions will be answered.

Q. I am getting a ‘ Your file was not found ’ message on a dark and dull screen

A. Most likely you didn’t open the right file, or entered the wrong file path. Check it again and try doing it exactly as we did in the course.

Q. Why are we building a portfolio website and not an online game / animation / social network?

A. Given that this is an intro course intended towards newcomers to web development, we want to touch the important aspects of the web development scene and give you a feel of real world web development, but at the same time not overwhelm you with too many details.

If you have questions or feedback along the way, you can simply reply to any of the course emails you receive to share your thoughts with us. We’d love to hear from you!

Senior Program

You can become a job-ready web developer from scratch in as little as 6 months. Arrange a call with your program advisor today to discover how you can change your career from the comfort of your own home with the CareerFoundry Full-Stack Web Development Program .

• Prep Courses
• Coding Questions
• Behavioral Questions
• Build Your Portfolio
• Goal-Setting
• Productivity
• Start a Blog
• Software Engineer
• Game Development
• Blockchain Developer
• Cloud Computing
• Web3 Developer
• The Complete Software Developer’s Career Guide
• 10 Steps to Learn Anything Quickly
• How to Market Yourself as a Software Developer
• Create a Blog That Boosts Your Career
• 10 Ways to Make Money From Your Blog
• Best Coding Hardware
• Blockchain Languages

What is Web Development?

Written By John Sonmez

Web Development is some-what a vague term used to describe the building or maintaining of web sites hosted on the internet. I use the word ‘vague' because there's so many programming languages, frameworks and tools that are used for Web Development. Web Development could refer to a single web page built with HTML and CSS that might contain a couple hundred lines of code. Or on the other end of the spectrum it could refer to a website like Facebook that supposedly contains around 60 million lines of code, See reference: How Many Lines of Code?

Introduction

• What is Web Development
• History of Web Development

How the Web Works

• Web Development Technologies

Rendering: Server-Side

• Rendering: Client-Side

I’m going to be completely honest with you: I’m not a huge fan of web development .

Don’t get me wrong. I’ve done plenty of web development, but in comparison to developing desktop apps or mobile apps, web development is… well… trickier.

Like it or not, as a software developer you have to know about it —at least the basics.

In fact, most software developers today are web developers.

It’s true; web development has taken over the world. It’s the King Kong of development platforms.

Desktop and developers used to be the norm, but more and more applications have moved to the web and continue to do so.

Even with the rapid growth of mobile development, web development is still critical because, as cell phones and tablets get more powerful, creating cross-platform apps will become easier by making them web apps which run in the browser.

That means, whether or not you are planning on becoming a web developer, you need to at least be familiar with web development, how the web works, and the major technologies involved.

In this chapter, we are going to cover some of the basics.

What Is Web Development?

Web development itself and how it is done has changed greatly over the years, but one thing has remained the same: web development is about creating applications which run in a web browser.

Some of those applications have most of their logic living on a web server which renders HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to create an application.

Other applications only utilize the server to create their initial state, download the logic to run the application, and then use the server only to retrieve and store data.

Regardless, though, of how web development is done, the basic technologies are the same: HTML, JavaScript, CSS —and a large amount of patience.

Web developers today utilize about every major programming language to create web applications. To name a few of the most popular web development languages in no particular order:  

• Python (that includes Django, the Python web development framework)

Reference: Wikipedia: Programming languages used in most popular websites

This is possible because the user interface of a web application is essentially HTML, CSS, and Javascript which can be generated by any programming language capable of generating text.

JavaScript is used to manipulate what is known as the DOM (Document Object Model), which is a representation of a webpage in the browser, to directly change the user interface displayed in the browser without directly creating new HTML or CSS code.

A Brief History of the Web

Let's talk about the history of web development. It will give us a good reference point for talking about “what is web development” today.

Web development started in a very different place than where it is now.

Early web development consisted mostly of creating static HTML pages , and navigation was done exclusively by hyperlinks.

An early web developer didn’t really create an “app.” They created a set of static web pages which were used to convey information and perhaps a few pictures, all linked together with hyperlinks.

In order for web development to be useful, there needed to be a way to make web pages more interactive and to conditionally render some content (or other content), as well as to track some kind of state.

Early web developers utilized a technology called CGI to create the earliest web applications which were able to conditionally generate HTML depending on data, like query strings, which were sent from the browser to the server.

Then came along actual web development frameworks which were designed to make CGI and dynamic generation of HTML easier.

You may have heard of technologies like ColdFusion or ASP. These were some of the early web frameworks which made web development much easier.

Now a web developer could create HTML mixed with special tags and markup to make the generation of that HTML conditional and could also execute certain logic to determine what kind of HTML to produce for a given web page.

This kind of technology worked like a templating language and allowed a huge number of developers to create web applications for the first time.

Eventually with browser technology evolving and computers getting faster—as well as a growing demand for more complex applications— JavaScript started being used to expand the capabilities of many web applications.

CSS also came along around this time to make it easier to style and change the style of web applications by giving HTML the role of defining content and CSS the role of defining the layout and style of that content.

Developers kept on trying to find ways to make the web more and more dynamic.

Rendering everything on the server was too slow and didn’t feel responsive, so technologies like AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) were invented to allow web pages to update dynamically without refreshing the page.

Eventually entire web applications were built dynamically without any page refreshes at all. These types of web applications are known as SPAs, or Single Page Applications. Ever been on a website, filled in some information on a form, pressed refresh, and the webpage didn't reload? That's likely AJAX submitting the request. It makes it possible to dynamically change a webpage without having to refresh it. Pretty cool stuff.

The web continues to move forward as it evolves to be more and more like desktop applications of the past, with the browser really starting to act like an operating system.

In fact, this has become so true that Google created a web-based OS called Chrome OS in which the OS is basically the Chrome web browser. One day everything will be hosted on the web because browsers will be powerful enough to run everything. It's already moving in that direction as we see more and more Cloud-Based technologies popping up.

It’s difficult to understand what web development is if you don’t have at least a general idea of how the web works.

Some things have changed over the years, but the basic functionality of the web and its underlying technologies have mostly remained the same.

Consider this brief primer a very condensed and basic explanation of how the web works.

First of all, we have the web browser.

The web browser is able to parse and render HTML and CSS into a visible format which we call a web page.

A web browser is also capable of executing JavaScript to do various things including modifying the underlying structure of a web page.

The web browser has to send a request to a web server in order to get a web page to render.

This is done through a protocol known as HTTP, or Hypertext Transfer Protocol.

When a request for a particular resource or URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) is sent to a web server, that web server finds the requested content—if it exists—and send back a response to the browser.

The browser then parses and renders that response, which is what the end user sees in the web browser.

Now, obviously there is much more going on under the covers, but the basic idea is that the web browser makes a request and the web server responds by returning back from HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Why is this important to understand if you want to do web development?

Because, as you can imagine, a web application has to be thought about a bit differently than a normal desktop application , since web applications have to continually make requests from the server for every action that happens in the application. (I’m generalizing here, but this is mostly true.)

In a desktop application, you might be able to hold various bits of state in memory and be able to access that state data when you switch to a different page or section of the application.

For web applications, you have to work around the fact that the underlying HTTP protocol is stateless.

You have to have some way to manage states between requests and keep track of the individual users that are using the web application simultaneously.

Now, obviously, there are frameworks and patterns that make this easier to do, but it’s critical to understand that web development is much different than other kinds of development due to the statelessness of HTTP and the constant client server interactions.

Primary Web Development Technologies

All right, now that you have the basics of how the web works and understand a little bit about how the web evolved over time, let’s talk about a few of the most common web development technologies you are likely to encounter.

This is the keystone of web development. All web development must contain some HTML, because HTML is the basic building block of the web.

You can build an entire web application using just HTML—although it won’t really do that much (and I’d probably call it a web page).

HTML, or (Hypertext Markup Language) , is used to specify the format and the layout of a web page.

HTML consists of a series of tags that define the parts and components of a web page.

For example, you might use the <img> tag to embed an image on a page.

A web browser will parse the HTML and use it along with CSS and JavaScript to render a page.

Before CSS existed, HTML was used to both specify the format of a web page as well as to dictate how it should be displayed and styled.

This was a problem because it meant that in order to change the styling of a web application— for example, to make all the buttons a different color—the HTML would have to be changed in many places in the application.

CSS was invented to solve this problem by cleanly separating the content of a web page from the styling of it (although the two do overlap from time to time).

CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) can be linked to in a web page in order to define the styling for that web page.

An entire web application can link to a set of CSS pages which set the style for the entire web application.

Then, if you want to change the color of a button, you can just modify one CSS file, and all the buttons for the entire web application will change.

Quite a useful technology.

If you are good with CSS, there is quite a bit you can do to change the presentation of a web page, from making elements appear or disappear, to changing the locations of elements, resizing, changing fonts, and just about anything else you can imagine.

When JavaScript first came out, it was a bit of a novelty that was used to do some very basic things on web pages, but JavaScript has evolved to take a much more central role in web development.

At its heart, JavaScript is a fully-functional dynamic language which can be executed directly in the web browser.

JavaScript makes web pages more interactive and allows for programmatic manipulation of web pages and their content.

JavaScript can directly interact with the DOM of a web page, which is its underlying structure.

By using JavaScript to manipulate the DOM, the entire structure and style of a web page can be changed programmatically.

In web applications, this all happens inside of the browser ( unless you are using a technology like Node.js , which runs JavaScript on the server to actually parse requests and send back responses).

Before we can wrap up our very basic overview of web development, we do need to talk about the differences between server-side rendering and client-side rendering, because they can be quite confusing.

Let’s start with server-side rendering.

In the most simple model of web development, all web pages are rendered on the server and the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript of that page is sent to the web browser, where it is parsed and displayed to the user.

Server-side rendering simply means that the pages are fully constructed by the logic on the server.

So, with server-side rendering, the logic for the application lives almost entirely on the server.

As we talked about in the history of the web, this was the original way most web applications worked.

Today, technologies like ASP.NET or PHP still mainly utilize this model, although with the use of various JavaScript frameworks, even a server-side rendering technology can be used for client-side rendering.

Client-Side Rendering

With the increasing capabilities of browsers and JavaScript engines in browsers, there has been a strong movement towards what is known as client-side rendering.

Client-side rendering simply means that the content of the web page is constructed in the browser—via JavaScript—instead of on the server.

With client-side rendering, you can almost think of the web server delivering an “app” to the browser, and the browser executes that app internally to render the pages, create the navigations, and request any additional data from the server.

Behind the scenes, JavaScript is being used to create and manipulate DOM elements and even produce HTML or CSS that is part of the web page, or in this case, the web app.

As you can imagine, client-side rendering appears more seamless to the end-user because there isn’t a need to make requests back to the server to have new pages rendered, only requests for additional data, which is then “plugged into” the web page dynamically.

This is why some client-side rendered apps are called SPAs.

There is usually only one page and the contents of that page are dynamically updated.

Both techniques can even be combined in a single web application , where some parts of the user interface are rendered client-side and other parts and pages are rendered server-side.

web development Recently Published Documents

Total documents.

• Latest Documents
• Most Cited Documents
• Contributed Authors
• Related Sources
• Related Keywords

Website Developmemt Technologies: A Review

Abstract: Service Science is that the basis of knowledge system and net services that judge to the provider/client model. This paper developments a technique which will be utilized in the event of net services like websites, net applications and eCommerce. The goal is to development a technique that may add structure to a extremely unstructured drawback to help within the development and success of net services. The new methodology projected are going to be referred to as {the net|the online|the net} Development Life Cycle (WDLC) and tailored from existing methodologies and applied to the context of web development. This paper can define well the projected phases of the WDLC. Keywords: Web Development, Application Development, Technologies, eCommerce.

Analysis of Russian Segment of the Web Development Market Operating Online on Upwork

The Russian segment of the web services market in the online environment, on the platform of the Upwork freelance exchange, is considered, its key characteristics, the composition of participants, development trends are highlighted, and the market structure is identified. It is found that despite the low barriers to entry, the web development market is very stable, since the composition of entrenched firms that have been operating for more than six years remains. The pricing policy of most Russian companies indicates that they work in the middle price segment and have low budgets, which is due to the specifics of the foreign market and high competition.

Farming Assistant Web Services: Agricultor

Abstract: Our farming assistant web services provides assistance to new as well as establish farmers to get the solutions to dayto-day problems faced in the field. A farmer gets to connect with other farmers throughout India to get more information about a particular crop which is popular in other states. Keywords: Farmers, Assistance, Web Development

Tradução de ementas e histórico escolar para o inglês: contribuição para participação de discentes do curso técnico em informática para internet integrado ao ensino médio em programas de mobilidade acadêmica / Translation of summary and school records into english: contribution to the participation of high school with associate technical degree on web development students in academic mobility programs

Coded websites vs wordpress websites.

This document gives multiple instructions related to web developers using older as well as newer technology. Websites are being created using newer technologies like wordpress whereas on the other hand many people prefer making websites using the traditional way. This document will clear the doubt whether an individual should use wordpress websites or coded websites according to the users convenience. The Responsiveness of the websites, the use of CMS nowadays, more and more up gradation of technologies with SEO, themes, templates, etc. make things like web development much much easier. The aesthetics, the culture, the expressions, the features all together add up in order make the designing and development a lot more efficient and effective. Digital Marketing has a tremendous growth over the last two years and yet shows no signs of stopping, is closely related with the web development environment. Nowadays all businesses are going online due to which the impact of web development has become such that it has become an integral part of any online business.

Cognitive disabilities and web accessibility: a survey into the Brazilian web development community

Cognitive disabilities include a diversity of conditions related to cognitive functions, such as reading, understanding, learning, solving problems, memorization and speaking. They differ largely from each other, making them a heterogeneous complex set of disabilities. Although the awareness about cognitive disabilities has been increasing in the last few years, it is still less than necessary compared to other disabilities. The need for an investigation about this issue is part of the agenda of the Challenge 2 (Accessibility and Digital Inclusion) from GranDIHC-Br. This paper describes the results of an online exploratory survey conducted with 105 web development professionals from different sectors to understand their knowledge and barriers regarding accessibility for people with cognitive disabilities. The results evidenced three biases that potentially prevent those professionals from approaching cogni-tive disabilities: strong organizational barriers; difficulty to understand user needs related to cognitive disabilities; a knowledge gap about web accessibility principles and guidelines. Our results confirmed that web development professionals are unaware about cognitive disabilities mostly by a lack of knowledge about them, even if they understand web accessibility in a technical level. Therefore, we suggest that applied research studies focus on how to fill this knowledge gap before providing tools, artifacts or frameworks.

PERANCANGAN WEB RESPONSIVE UNTUK SISTEM INFORMASI OBAT-OBATAN

A good information system must not only be neat, effective, and resilient, but also must be user friendly and up to date. In a sense, it is able to be applied to various types of electronic devices, easily accessible at any whereand time (real time), and can be modified according to user needs in a relatively easy and simple way. Information systems are now needed by various parties, especially in the field of administration and sale of medicines for Cut Nyak Dhien Hospital. During this time, recording in books has been very ineffective and caused many problems, such as difficulty in accessing old data, asa well as the information obtained was not real time. To solve it, this research raises the theme of the appropriate information system design for the hospital concerned, by utilizing CSS Bootstrap framework and research methodology for web development, namely Web Development Life Cycle. This research resulted in a responsive system by providing easy access through desktop computers, tablets, and smartphones so that it would help the hospital in the data processing process in real time.

Web Development and performance comparison of Web Development Technologies in Node.js and Python

“tom had us all doing front-end web development”: a nostalgic (re)imagining of myspace, assessment of site classifications according to layout type in web development, export citation format, share document.

Web Development

Web development roadmaps, front-end roadmap, to become a web developer, start with the subjects below, in the following order:, 1. create your first web page.

The first thing you have to learn, is HTML, which is the standard markup language for creating web pages.

It is used to format text, create links, tables, lists, forms, display images and more.

2. Style your web page

The next step is to learn CSS, to set the layout of your web page with beautiful colors, fonts, and much more.

How to use CSS to change the appearance and layout of all the pages in a Web site.

3. Make your web page interactive

After studying HTML and CSS, you should learn JavaScript to create dynamic and interactive web pages for your users.

What's Next?

Now you know how to use html, css, and javascript to create, style, and make interactive web pages., the next step is to publish your website, so that the rest of the world can see your work., there are tons of hosting services to choose from. we have made one for you, for free:, w3schools spaces, build your own website with w3schools spaces..

Hello, Front-End Developer!

People who create websites and web applications for a living, are called front-end developers ., tip: many front-end developers also have basic knowledge of different css and javascript frameworks and libraries, like bootstrap , sass (css pre-processor) , jquery and react , and the popular version control system, git ., what about back-end, front-end development refers to the client -side (how a web page looks ). back-end development refers to the server -side (how a web page works )., front-end code is used to create static websites, where the purpose is to display the web page. however, if you want to make your website dynamic (manage files and databases, add contact forms, control user-access, etc.), you need to learn a back-end programming language, like php or python , and use sql to communicate with databases., a list of other popular languages can be found on our homepage ..

COLOR PICKER

Contact Sales

If you want to use W3Schools services as an educational institution, team or enterprise, send us an e-mail: [email protected]

Report Error

If you want to report an error, or if you want to make a suggestion, send us an e-mail: [email protected]

Top Tutorials

Top references, top examples, get certified.

Development Of Web Programming essay

Web programming languages have evolved from one technology to another. This evolution has been aided by the increased affinity and inclination of most people to the internet. The internet constitutes a global platform where different people and organizations converge to share ideas, information and resources. Programming languages are the enabling technologies behind the internet wave and most technological application used in numerous organizations across the world. The needs, complexities and functionalities of websites have expanded with the demands of internet users and expanding business objectives.

This study examines the evolution of web programming languages, the major types, their functionalities, the future of web-enabled applications and the programming languages/technologies that drive them. The major types of web programming languages include Ada, HTML, Basic, C++ DHTML, JavaScript, . NET, Java, Lisp, Ajax ,Java web 2. 0. Perl, Visual Basic and so on. Web Programming & Development The basic programming language that was first used in building most websites is the Hyper Text Mark-up Language (HTML). It is still in use today but different versions have been developed to increase its capabilities.

This language allows web developers to edit the look and feel of their web pages to suit their needs. A modification to HTML is the Extensible Hyper Text Mark-up Language (XHTML) and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). HTML is easy to learn and its codes are executed through the incorporation of commands known as tags. CSS is a lot easier because it creates a distinction between the style, presentation controls and the content of the web pages. It makes programming easier by preventing a lot of HTML Coding. HTML can be described as a Markup language that comprises a set of tags which are used to describe web pages that are under construction.

These tags usually come in pairs that are capable of giving functionality to the web pages. HTML can enclose scripting languages such as JavaScript and is easily compatible with other web programming languages (Moller & Schwartzbach, 2006). The first programming language that serves as the basis of all other programming languages was created by Ada Lovelace and Babbage who wrote programs for the “difference engine” and the “analytical engine” (Sureau, 2008). By 1954, Fortran was created. It was the first high-level language to make use of a compiler.

Related essays:

• NAVAL essay
• Hacking In Ethical Way essay
• Political problem essay
• Web Programming essay

Fortran is the acronym for formula translation and it was invented by John Backus and researchers at IBM. The main purpose of Fortran was the translation of mathematical formulas and functions into computer code. Functions, Sub-routines and loops were introduced with Fortran II. In 1958, Lisp was invented by John McCarthy as a form of list processing programming language. It was well known for its use in meta-programming applications. It can also be described as a programmable programming language used most in artificial intelligence applications (Sureau, 2008).

Basic, an acronym for Beginner’s All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code was designed in 1963 as an interactive code that could be interpreted. Basic has been used largely in the design of most PCs. Statistics reveal that by 2006, over half of the total number of developers for . NET platform used mostly Visual Basic. Microsoft still uses Basic today; Visual Basic is a flavour of Basic that is used in developing applications for daily use which is significantly influenced by the original BASIC. ASP is another programming language used for developing web applications.

Other flavors of BASIC include Microsoft Basic, Apple Basic, TI-Basic and so on (Sureau, 2008). Structured Query Language (SQL) is another programming language that is used in web programming. Most websites are database-driven and have the capability to supply information based on the users’ requirements. SQL is a database programming language that has a robust set of features for executing commands such as sorting, listing, backing up data and general management of data. SQL is used in the query of relational database management systems (RDBMS).

MySQL is another query tool used for relational databases and has the same functions as the SQL programming language but it is an open source technology. This means that anyone can add to it and modify the code according to their needs (Moller & Schwartzbach, 2006). Java is an object-oriented web programming tool developed by James Gosling and notable programmers at Sun Microsystems. It was initially released into the market as an interactive language known as oak in 1991. In 1994, it was rewritten, customized for the internet and became known as Java.

Java programming language derives its structure and syntax from elements of C and C++ programming languages. Java applications are compiled to structures known as byte code and can run seamlessly on interpreters known as Java Virtual Machines. Java is a free software application and is used rampantly in the development of numerous web and mobile applications (Sureau, 2008). Another interesting web programming tool is PHP, an acronym for Personal Home Pages Hypertext Processor that was introduced by Rasmus Lerdorf in 1995.

It is a scripting language that can be used in conjunction with HTML and other web programming languages. It allows web developers to build dynamic pages and it can produce a pure HTML page. PHP is a general-purpose, open-source scripting language that is suited for web development. It is implemented via the use of a web server and is very popular with web developers. It receives PHP code as input and produces web pages as output. It can easily be installed on any operating system and it is presently deployed at over 20 million websites all over the world.

PHP can perform server-side scripting and is in the league of operating systems such as Java Server Pages (JSP) invented by Sun Microsystems’, Microsoft’s Active Server Pages (ASP), and mod_perl (Sureau, 2008). JavaScript Programming Language, now officially known as ECMA Script was introduced in 1995 by Brendan Eich of Netscape. It is a dynamic programming language that has significant linkage to web browsers. It is extremely popular and quite easy to use when compared with other languages.

The main objective of JavaScript is to add interactivity to pages coded in simple HTML. It is a scripting language that is usually encoded into HTML code. It acts as an interpreted language and does not require a compiler (w3schools, 2009). AJAX is not a new programming language and is a combination of XML and JavaScript. It was made popular by Google when it was implemented in Google Suggest. AJAX is centered on JavaScript and HTTP requests and can be used to create faster and easy-to-navigate web-enabled applications (Moller & Schwartzbach, 2006).

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

• View all journals
• Explore content
• About the journal
• Publish with us
• Sign up for alerts
• NEWS FEATURE
• 23 April 2024

Lethal AI weapons are here: how can we control them?

• David Adam 0

David Adam is a writer in Hertford, near London.

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

In the Donbas region of Ukraine, a Ukrainian soldier prepares a drone to carry a hand grenade for an attack in March 2023. Credit: Aris Messinis/AFP/Getty

In the conflict between Russia and Ukraine , video footage has shown drones penetrating deep into Russian territory, more than 1,000 kilometres from the border, and destroying oil and gas infrastructure. It’s likely, experts say, that artificial intelligence (AI) is helping to direct the drones to their targets. For such weapons, no person needs to hold the trigger or make the final decision to detonate.

The development of lethal autonomous weapons (LAWs), including AI-equipped drones, is on the rise. The US Department of Defense, for example, has earmarked US$1 billion so far for its Replicator programme, which aims to build a fleet of small, weaponized autonomous vehicles. Experimental submarines, tanks and ships have been made that use AI to pilot themselves and shoot. Commercially available drones can use AI image recognition to zero in on targets and blow them up. LAWs do not need AI to operate, but the technology adds speed, specificity and the ability to evade defences. Some observers fear a future in which swarms of cheap AI drones could be dispatched by any faction to take out a specific person, using facial recognition.

Warfare is a relatively simple application for AI . “The technical capability for a system to find a human being and kill them is much easier than to develop a self-driving car. It’s a graduate-student project,” says Stuart Russell, a computer scientist at the University of California, Berkeley, and a prominent campaigner against AI weapons. He helped to produce a viral 2017 video called Slaughterbots that highlighted the possible risks.

The emergence of AI on the battlefield has spurred debate among researchers, legal experts and ethicists. Some argue that AI-assisted weapons could be more accurate than human-guided ones, potentially reducing both collateral damage — such as civilian casualties and damage to residential areas — and the numbers of soldiers killed and maimed, while helping vulnerable nations and groups to defend themselves. Others emphasize that autonomous weapons could make catastrophic mistakes. And many observers have overarching ethical concerns about passing targeting decisions to an algorithm.

The issue of weapons equipped with artificial intelligence was discussed by the United Nations Security Council in July 2023. Credit: Bianca Otero/Zuma/eyevine

For years, researchers have been campaigning to control this new threat 1 . Now the United Nations has taken a crucial step. A resolution in December last year added the topic of LAWs to the agenda of the UN General Assembly meeting this September. And UN secretary-general António Guterres stated in July last year that he wants a ban on weapons that operate without human oversight to be in place by 2026. Bonnie Docherty, a human rights lawyer at Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, says that getting this topic on to the UN agenda is significant after a decade or so of little progress. “Diplomacy moves slowly, but it’s an important step,” she says.

The move, experts say, offers the first realistic route for states to act on AI weapons. But this is easier said than done. These weapons raise difficult questions about human agency, accountability and the extent to which officials should be able to outsource life-and-death decisions to machines.

Under control?

Efforts to control and regulate the use of weapons date back hundreds of years. Medieval knights, for example, agreed not to target each other’s horses with their lances. In 1675, the warring states of France and the Holy Roman Empire agreed to ban the use of poison bullets.

Today, the main international restrictions on weaponry are through the UN Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), a 1983 treaty that has been used, for example, to ban blinding laser weapons.

Autonomous weapons of one kind or another have been around for decades at least, including heat-seeking missiles and even (depending on how autonomy is defined) pressure-triggered landmines dating back to the US Civil War. Now, however, the development and use of AI algorithms is expanding their capabilities.

The CCW has been formally investigating AI-boosted weapons since 2013, but because it requires international consensus to pass regulations — and because many countries actively developing the technology oppose any ban — progress has been slow. In March, the United States hosted an inaugural plenary meeting on the Political Declaration on Responsible Military Use of Artificial Intelligence and Autonomy, a parallel effort that emphasizes voluntary guidelines for best practice rather than a legally enforceable ban.

Part of the problem has been a lack of consensus about what LAWs actually are. A 2022 analysis found at least a dozen definitions of autonomous weapons systems proposed by countries and organizations such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) 2 . The definitions span a wide range and show a limited amount of agreement on, or even an understanding of, AI, says Russell.

The United Kingdom, for example, says LAWs are “capable of understanding higher-level intent and direction”, whereas China says such a weapon can “learn autonomously, expand its functions and capabilities in a way exceeding human expectations”. Israel declares: “We should stay away from imaginary visions where machines develop, create or activate themselves — these should be left for science-fiction movies.” Germany includes “self-awareness” as a necessary attribute of autonomous weapons — a quality that most researchers say is far away from what’s possible with AI today, if not altogether impossible.

“That sort of means that the weapon has to wake up in the morning and decide to go and attack Russia by itself,” says Russell.

Although a more comprehensive, specific and realistic definition for LAWs will need to be ironed out, some experts say this can wait. “Traditionally in disarmament law, although it's counter-intuitive, actually they often do the definition last in negotiation,” Docherty says. A working definition is usually enough to start the process and can help to soften initial objections from countries opposed to action.

The AI advantage

According to a 2023 analysis published by the Center for War Studies at University of Southern Denmark in Odense 3 , the autonomous weapons guided by AI available to army commanders today are relatively crude — slow-moving and clumsy drones equipped with enough explosive to blow up themselves and their targets.

These ‘loitering munitions’ can be the size of a model aircraft, cost about $50,000, and carry a few kilograms of explosive up to 50 kilometres away, enough to destroy a vehicle or to kill individual soldiers. These munitions use on-board sensors that monitor optical, infrared or radio frequencies to detect potential targets. The AI compares these sensor inputs with predesignated profiles of tanks, armoured vehicles and radar systems — as well as human beings.

Observers say that the most significant advantage offered by these autonomous bombs over remote-controlled drones is that they still work if the other side has equipment to jam electronic communications. And autonomous operation eliminates the risk that remote operators could be traced by an enemy and themselves attacked.

Although there were rumours that autonomous munitions killed fighters in Libya in 2020, reports from the conflict in Ukraine have cemented the idea that AI drones are now being used. “I think it’s pretty well accepted now that in Ukraine, they have already moved to fully autonomous weapons because the electronic jamming is so effective,” says Russell. Military commanders such as Ukraine’s Yaroslav Honchar have said that the country “already conducts fully robotic operations, without human intervention” 3 .

It’s hard to know how well AI weapons perform on the battlefield, in large part because militaries don’t release such data. Asked directly about AI weapons systems at a UK parliamentary enquiry in September last year, Tom Copinger-Symes, the deputy commander of the UK Strategic Command, didn’t give much away, saying only that the country’s military is doing benchmarking studies to compare autonomous with non-autonomous systems. “Inevitably, you want to check that this is delivering a bang for a buck compared with the old-fashioned system of having ten imagery analysts looking at the same thing,” he said.

Although real-world battlefield data is sparse, researchers note that AI has superior processing and decision-making skills that, in theory, offer a significant advantage. In annual tests of rapid image recognition, for example, algorithms have outperformed expert human performance for almost a decade. A study last year, for example, showed that AI could find duplicated images in scientific papers faster and more comprehensively than a human expert 4 .

In 2020, an AI model beat an experienced F-16 fighter-aircraft pilot in a series of simulated dogfights thanks to “aggressive and precise manoeuvres the human pilot couldn’t outmatch”. Then, in 2022, Chinese military researchers said that an AI-powered drone had outwitted an aircraft flown remotely by a human operator on the ground. The AI aircraft got onto the tail of its rival and into a position where it could have shot it down.

The US Air Force’s X-62A VISTA aircraft has been used to test the ability of autonomous agents to carry out advanced aerial manoeuvres. Credit: U.S. Air Force photo/Kyle Brasier

A drone AI can make “very complex decisions around how it carries out particular manoeuvres, how close it flies to the adversary and the angle of attack”, says Zak Kallenborn, a security analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC.

Still, says Kallenborn, it’s not clear what significant strategic advantage AI weapons offer, especially if both sides have access to them. “A huge part of the issue is not the technology itself, it’s how militaries use that technology,” he says.

AI could also in theory be used in other aspects of warfare, including compiling lists of potential targets; media reports have raised concerns that Israel, for example, used AI to create a database of tens of thousands of names of suspected militants, although the Israeli Defence Forces said in a statement that it does not use an AI system that “identifies terrorist operatives”.

Line in the sand

One key criterion often used to assess the ethics of autonomous weapons is how reliable they are and the extent to which things might go wrong. In 2007, for example, the UK military hastily redesigned its autonomous Brimstone missile for use in Afghanistan when it was feared it might mistake a bus of schoolchildren for a truckload of insurgents.

AI weapons can fairly easily lock on to infrared or powerful radar signals, says Kallenborn, comparing them to a library of data to help decide what is what. “That works fairly well because a little kid walking down the street is not going to have a high-powered radar in his backpack,” says Kallenborn. That means that when an AI weapon detects the source of an incoming radar signal on the battlefield, it can shoot with little risk of harming civilians.

But visual image recognition is more problematic, he says. “Where it’s basically just a sensor like a camera, I think you’re much, much more prone to error,” says Kallenborn. Although AI is good at identifying images, it’s not foolproof. Research has shown that tiny alterations to pictures can change the way they are classified by neural networks, he says — such as causing them to confuse an aircraft with a dog 5 .

Another possible dividing line for ethicists is how a weapon would be used: to attack or defend, for example. Sophisticated autonomous radar-guided systems are already used to defend ships at sea from rapid incoming targets. Lucy Suchman, a sociologist at Lancaster University, UK, who studies the interactions between people and machines, says that ethicists are more comfortable with this type of autonomous weapon because it targets ordnance rather than people, and because the signals are hard to falsely attribute to anything else.

One commonly proposed principle among researchers and the military alike is that there should be a ‘human in the loop’ of autonomous weapons. But where and how people should or must be involved is still up for debate. Many, including Suchman, typically interpret the idea to mean that human agents must visually verify targets before authorizing strikes and must be able to call off a strike if battlefield conditions change (such as if civilians enter the combat zone). But it could also mean that humans simply program in the description of the target before letting the weapon loose — a function known as fire-and-forget.

Some systems allow users to toggle between fully autonomous and human-assisted modes depending on the circumstances. This, say Suchman and others, isn’t good enough. “Requiring a human to disable an autonomous function does not constitute meaningful control,” she says.

The idea of full autonomy also muddies the water about accountability. “We’re very concerned about the use of autonomous weapons systems falling in an accountability gap because, obviously, you can’t hold the weapon system itself accountable,” Docherty says. It would also be legally challenging and arguably unfair to hold the operator responsible for the actions of a system that was functioning autonomously, she adds.

Russell suggests that there be “no communication between the on-board computing and the firing circuit”. That means the firing has to be activated by a remote operator and cannot ever be activated by the AI.

There is at least one point in the LAWs discussions that (almost) everybody seems to agree on: even nations generally opposed to controls, including the United States and China, have indicated that autonomous agents, including those with AI, should play no part in the decision to launch nuclear weapons, says Russell.

However, Russia seems to be more circumspect on this issue. Moscow is widely thought to have resurrected a cold-war programme called Perimetr, which — in theory at least — could launch a first nuclear strike on the West with no human oversight 6 . The United States and China have raised this issue in various talks about autonomous weapons, which many say could put pressure on Russia to change its strategy.

Policing the system

Unfortunately, says Kallenborn, any ban on the use of LAWs would be hard to enforce through inspections and observations — the classic ‘trust but verify’ approach commonly used for other regulated weaponry.

With nuclear weapons, for example, there’s a well-established system for site inspections and audits of nuclear material. But with AI, things are easier to conceal or alter on the fly. “It could be as simple as just changing a couple lines of code to say, all right, now the machine gets to decide to go blow this up. Or, you know, remove the code, and then stick it back in when the arms-control inspectors are there,” says Kallenborn. “It requires us to rethink how we think about verification in weapons systems and arms control.”

Checks might have to switch from time-of-production to after-the-fact, Kallenborn says. “These things are going to get shot down. They’re going to be captured. Which means that you can then do inspections and look at the code,” he says.

All these issues will feed into the UN discussions, beginning at the General Assembly this September; a precursor conference has also been set up by Austria at the end of April to help to kick-start these conversations. If enough countries vote to act in September, then the UN will probably set up a working group to set out the issues, Docherty says.

A treaty might be possible in three years, adds Docherty, who had a key role in the negotiations of the UN’s 2017 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. “In my experience, once negotiations start, they move relatively quickly.”

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-01029-0

Russell, S. Nature 614 , 620–623 (2023).

Article   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Taddeo, M. & Blanchard, A. Sci. Eng. Ethics 28 , 37 (2022).

Bode, I. & Watts, T. Loitering Munitions and Unpredictability (2023).

David, S. Preprint at bioRxiv https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.09.03.556099 (2023).

Su, J., Vargas, D. V. & Sakurai, K. IEEE Trans. Evol. Comput. 23 , 828–841 (2019).

Article   Google Scholar  

Topychkanov, P. in The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Strategic Stability and Nuclear Risk: Volume I Euro-Atlantic Perspectives (ed. Boulanin, V.) Ch. 8 (SIPRI, 2019).

Google Scholar  

Download references

Reprints and permissions

Related Articles

• Machine learning

85 million cells — and counting — at your fingertips

Technology Feature 29 APR 24

NATO is boosting AI and climate research as scientific diplomacy remains on ice

News Explainer 25 APR 24

Are robots the solution to the crisis in older-person care?

Outlook 25 APR 24

‘ChatGPT for CRISPR’ creates new gene-editing tools

News 29 APR 24

Will AI accelerate or delay the race to net-zero emissions?

Comment 22 APR 24

AI’s keen diagnostic eye

Outlook 18 APR 24

Do insects have an inner life? Animal consciousness needs a rethink

News 19 APR 24

AI-fuelled election campaigns are here — where are the rules?

World View 09 APR 24

W2 Professorship with tenure track to W3 in Animal Husbandry (f/m/d)

The Faculty of Agricultural Sciences at the University of Göttingen invites applications for a temporary professorship with civil servant status (g...

Göttingen (Stadt), Niedersachsen (DE)

Georg-August-Universität Göttingen

W1 professorship for „Tissue Aspects of Immunity and Inflammation“

Kiel University (CAU) and the University of Lübeck (UzL) are striving to increase the proportion of qualified female scientists in research and tea...

University of Luebeck

W1 professorship for "Bioinformatics and artificial intelligence that preserve privacy"

Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein (DE)

Universität Kiel - Medizinische Fakultät

W1 professorship for "Central Metabolic Inflammation“

W1 professorship for "Congenital and adaptive lymphocyte regulation"

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Quick links

• Explore articles by subject
• Guide to authors
• Editorial policies

• présentation
• documentaires
• line producer
• How we built the Moscow metro

©.Mille et Une. Films, Arte France, Ethnogeographic Research Foundation

2014 • documentary • 52'

authors Anne Brunswic & Xavier Villetard • director Xavier Villetard • editing Marie-Pomme Carterert • directof of photoprahy  Christopher Morley-Pegge • sound Yolande Decarsin

In the 1930’s, the workers of the underground, headed by brigades of writers, are in charge to write in real time "the history of the Moscow Metro".

Based on their narratives, partially unpublished, the film recounts the first lines construction of the most beautifiul underground in the world, in the light of this "big literary Utopia", stoped by the purges of 1937-38

A coproduction .Mille et Une. Films, Arte France & Ethnogeographic Research Foundation. With the participation of the channels Histoire and SVT.

With the support from the CNC, the region Brittany, the Procirep - Société des Producteurs and the Angoa.

International sales : Arte Distribution .

english version available

• Drumming Bones
• The Tomorrows
• The salamander complex
• With my lil' bouquet
• Struggle isn’t for everybody…
• Mikhail Gorbachev, confidential
• Danton's death
• Fragments of a revolution
• The time of the borders
• The legacy of Tibhirine
• Seven days in the life of Father Christmas

Mille et Une Films 27 avenue Louis Barthou 35000 RENNES tel : 00 33 2 23 44 03 59 [email protected]

• mentions légales & crédits

Russia establishes special site to fabricate fuel for China’s CFR-600

!{Model.Description}

A special production site to fabricate fuel for China’s CFR-600 fast reactor under construction has been established at Russia’s Mashinostroitelny Zavod (MSZ - Machine-Building Plant) in Elektrostal (Moscow region), part of Rosatom’s TVEL Fuel Company. 

As part of the project, MSZ had upgraded existing facilities fo the production of fuel for fast reactors, TVEL said on 3 March. Unique equipment has been created and installed, and dummy CFR-600 fuel assemblies have already been manufactured for testing.

The new production site was set up to service an export contract between TVEL and the Chinese company CNLY (part of China National Nuclear Corporation - CNNC) for the supply of uranium fuel for CFR-600 reactors. Construction of the first CFR-600 unit started in Xiapu County, in China's Fujian province in late 2017 followed by the second unit in December 2020. The contract is for the start-up fuel load, as well as refuelling for the first seven years. The start of deliveries is scheduled for 2023.

“The Russian nuclear industry has a unique 40 years of experience in operating fast reactors, as well as in the production of fuel for such facilities,” said TVEL President Natalya Nikipelova. “The Fuel Division of Rosatom is fulfilling its obligations within the framework of Russian-Chinese cooperation in the development of fast reactor technologies. These are unique projects when foreign design fuel is produced in Russia. Since 2010, the first Chinese fast neutron reactor CEFR has been operating on fuel manufactured at the Machine-Building Plant, and for the supply of CFR-600 fuel, a team of specialists from MSZ and TVEL has successfully completed a complex high-tech project to modernise production,” she explained.

A special feature of the new section is its versatility: this equipment will be used to produce fuel intended for both the Chinese CFR-600 and CEFR reactors and the Russian BN-600 reactor of the Beloyarsk NPP. In the near future, the production of standard products for the BN-600 will begin.

The contract for the supply of fuel for the CFR-600 was signed in December 2018 as part of a governmental agreement between Russia and China on cooperation in the construction and operation of a demonstration fast neutron reactor in China. This is part of a wider comprehensive programme of cooperation in the nuclear energy sector over the coming decades. This includes serial construction of the latest Russian NPP power units with generation 3+ VVER-1200 reactors at two sites in China (Tianwan and Xudabao NPPs). A package of intergovernmental documents and framework contracts for these projects was signed in 2018 during a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

• Terms and conditions
• Privacy Policy
• Newsletter sign up
• Digital Edition
• Editorial Standards

Developing ash-free high-strength spherical carbon catalyst supports

• Domestic Catalysts
• Published: 28 June 2013
• Volume 5 , pages 156–163, ( 2013 )

Cite this article

• V. V. Gur’yanov 1 ,
• V. M. Mukhin 1 &
• A. A. Kurilkin 1  

49 Accesses

Explore all metrics

The possibility of using furfurol for the production of ash-free high-strength active carbons with spheroidal particles as adsorbents and catalyst supports is substantiated. A single-stage process that incorporates the resinification of furfurol, the molding of a spherical product, and its hardening while allowing the process cycle time and the cost of equipment to be reduced is developed. Derivatographic, X-ray diffraction, mercury porometric, and adsorption studies of the carbonization of the molded spherical product are performed to characterize the development of the primary and porous structures of carbon residues. Ash-free active carbons with spheroidal particles, a full volume of sorbing micro- and mesopores (up to 1.50 cm 3 /g), and a uniquely high mechanical strength (its abrasion rate is three orders of magnitude lower than that of industrial active carbons) are obtained via the vapor-gas activation of a carbonized product. The obtained active carbons are superior to all known foreign and domestic analogues and are promising for the production of catalysts that operate under severe regimes, i.e., in moving and fluidized beds.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price includes VAT (Russian Federation)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Rent this article via DeepDyve

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Optimization of the preparation conditions for cocoa shell-based activated carbon and its evaluation as salts adsorbent material

Carbon adsorbents for methane storage: genesis, synthesis, porosity, adsorption

Hierarchical nanostructured carbons as CO2 adsorbents

Burushkina, T.N., Zh. Ross. Khim. O-va im. D.I. Mendeleeva , 1995, vol. 39, no. 6, p. 122.

CAS   Google Scholar  

Kryazhev, Yu. G., Abstract of Papers, Materialy XII vserossiiskogo simpoziuma s uchastiem inostrannykh uchenykh “Aktual’nye problemy teorii adsorptsii, poristosti i adsorptsionnoi selektivnosti” (Proc. of XII th All-Russia Symposium with the Participation of Foreign Scientists “Urgent Problems of the Theory of Adsorption, Porosity, and Adsorption Selectivity”), Moscow, 2008, p. 69.

Google Scholar  

Kartel’, N.T., in Adsorbtsiya, adsorbenty i adsorbtsionnye protsessy v nanoporistykh materialakh (Adsorption, Adsorbents, and Adsorption Processes in Nanoporous Materials), Tsivadze, A.Yu., Ed., Moscow: Granitsa, 2011, p. 381.

RF Patent 2026813, 1993.

RF Patent 2257343, 2003.

RF Patent 2301701, 2006.

Dubinin, M.M., Zaverina, E.D., Ivanova, L.S., Kaverov, A.T., and Kasatochkin, V.I., Rus. Chem. Bull. , 1961, vol. 10, no. 1, p. 14.

Article   Google Scholar  

Usenbaev, K. and Zhumalieva, K., Rentgenograficheskoe issledovanie struktury i termicheskikh preobrazovanii amorfnykh uglerodov (X-ray Study of the Structure and Thermal Transformations of Amorphous Carbons), Frunze: Mektep, 1976.

Gur’yanova, L.N. and Gur’yanov, V.V., Zh. Fiz. Khim. , 1984, vol. 58, no. 6, p. 1459; 1989, vol. 63, no. 1, p. 161; 1989, vol. 63, no. 2, p. 426; 1989, vol. 63, no. 3, p. 683.

Guryanov, V.V., Petukhova, G.A., and Dubinina, L.A., Prot. Metal. Phys. Chem. Surf. , 2010, vol. 46, no. 2, p. 191.

Article   CAS   Google Scholar  

Guryanov, V.V., Dubinin, M.M., and Misin, M.S., Zh. Fiz. Khim. , 1975, vol. 49, no. 9, p. 2374.

Gur’yanov, V.V., Petukhova, G.A., and Polyakov, N.S., Rus. Chem. Bull. , 2001, vol. 50, no. 6, p. 974.

Dubinin, M.M., Carbon , 1989, vol. 27, no. 3, p. 457.

Belyaev, N.M., Soprotivlenie materialov (Strength of Materials), Moscow: Nauka, 1976.

Temkin, I.V., Proizvodstvo elektrougol’nykh izdelii (Production of Electrocarbon Articles), Moscow: Vysshaya shkola, 1980.

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

OAO Elektrostal’ Research and Production Association Neorganika, Elektrostal’, Moscow oblast, 144001, Russia

V. V. Gur’yanov, V. M. Mukhin & A. A. Kurilkin

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Additional information

Original Russian Text © V.V. Gur’yanov, V.M. Mukhin, A.A. Kurilkin, 2013, published in Kataliz v Promyshlennosti.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Gur’yanov, V.V., Mukhin, V.M. & Kurilkin, A.A. Developing ash-free high-strength spherical carbon catalyst supports. Catal. Ind. 5 , 156–163 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1134/S2070050413020062

Download citation

Received : 08 December 2011

Published : 28 June 2013

Issue Date : April 2013

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1134/S2070050413020062

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• carbon adsorbent
• porous structure
• polymerization
• Find a journal
• Publish with us
• Track your research

40 Facts About Elektrostal

Written by Lanette Mayes

Modified & Updated: 02 Mar 2024

Reviewed by Jessica Corbett

Elektrostal is a vibrant city located in the Moscow Oblast region of Russia. With a rich history, stunning architecture, and a thriving community, Elektrostal is a city that has much to offer. Whether you are a history buff, nature enthusiast, or simply curious about different cultures, Elektrostal is sure to captivate you.

This article will provide you with 40 fascinating facts about Elektrostal, giving you a better understanding of why this city is worth exploring. From its origins as an industrial hub to its modern-day charm, we will delve into the various aspects that make Elektrostal a unique and must-visit destination.

So, join us as we uncover the hidden treasures of Elektrostal and discover what makes this city a true gem in the heart of Russia.

Key Takeaways:

• Elektrostal, known as the “Motor City of Russia,” is a vibrant and growing city with a rich industrial history, offering diverse cultural experiences and a strong commitment to environmental sustainability.
• With its convenient location near Moscow, Elektrostal provides a picturesque landscape, vibrant nightlife, and a range of recreational activities, making it an ideal destination for residents and visitors alike.

Known as the “Motor City of Russia.”

Elektrostal, a city located in the Moscow Oblast region of Russia, earned the nickname “Motor City” due to its significant involvement in the automotive industry.

Home to the Elektrostal Metallurgical Plant.

Elektrostal is renowned for its metallurgical plant, which has been producing high-quality steel and alloys since its establishment in 1916.

Boasts a rich industrial heritage.

Elektrostal has a long history of industrial development, contributing to the growth and progress of the region.

Founded in 1916.

The city of Elektrostal was founded in 1916 as a result of the construction of the Elektrostal Metallurgical Plant.

Located approximately 50 kilometers east of Moscow.

Elektrostal is situated in close proximity to the Russian capital, making it easily accessible for both residents and visitors.

Known for its vibrant cultural scene.

Elektrostal is home to several cultural institutions, including museums, theaters, and art galleries that showcase the city’s rich artistic heritage.

A popular destination for nature lovers.

Surrounded by picturesque landscapes and forests, Elektrostal offers ample opportunities for outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, and birdwatching.

Hosts the annual Elektrostal City Day celebrations.

Every year, Elektrostal organizes festive events and activities to celebrate its founding, bringing together residents and visitors in a spirit of unity and joy.

Has a population of approximately 160,000 people.

Elektrostal is home to a diverse and vibrant community of around 160,000 residents, contributing to its dynamic atmosphere.

Boasts excellent education facilities.

The city is known for its well-established educational institutions, providing quality education to students of all ages.

A center for scientific research and innovation.

Elektrostal serves as an important hub for scientific research, particularly in the fields of metallurgy, materials science, and engineering.

Surrounded by picturesque lakes.

The city is blessed with numerous beautiful lakes, offering scenic views and recreational opportunities for locals and visitors alike.

Well-connected transportation system.

Elektrostal benefits from an efficient transportation network, including highways, railways, and public transportation options, ensuring convenient travel within and beyond the city.

Famous for its traditional Russian cuisine.

Food enthusiasts can indulge in authentic Russian dishes at numerous restaurants and cafes scattered throughout Elektrostal.

Home to notable architectural landmarks.

Elektrostal boasts impressive architecture, including the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord and the Elektrostal Palace of Culture.

Offers a wide range of recreational facilities.

Residents and visitors can enjoy various recreational activities, such as sports complexes, swimming pools, and fitness centers, enhancing the overall quality of life.

Provides a high standard of healthcare.

Elektrostal is equipped with modern medical facilities, ensuring residents have access to quality healthcare services.

Home to the Elektrostal History Museum.

The Elektrostal History Museum showcases the city’s fascinating past through exhibitions and displays.

A hub for sports enthusiasts.

Elektrostal is passionate about sports, with numerous stadiums, arenas, and sports clubs offering opportunities for athletes and spectators.

Celebrates diverse cultural festivals.

Throughout the year, Elektrostal hosts a variety of cultural festivals, celebrating different ethnicities, traditions, and art forms.

Electric power played a significant role in its early development.

Elektrostal owes its name and initial growth to the establishment of electric power stations and the utilization of electricity in the industrial sector.

Boasts a thriving economy.

The city’s strong industrial base, coupled with its strategic location near Moscow, has contributed to Elektrostal’s prosperous economic status.

Houses the Elektrostal Drama Theater.

The Elektrostal Drama Theater is a cultural centerpiece, attracting theater enthusiasts from far and wide.

Popular destination for winter sports.

Elektrostal’s proximity to ski resorts and winter sport facilities makes it a favorite destination for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter activities.

Promotes environmental sustainability.

Elektrostal prioritizes environmental protection and sustainability, implementing initiatives to reduce pollution and preserve natural resources.

Home to renowned educational institutions.

Elektrostal is known for its prestigious schools and universities, offering a wide range of academic programs to students.

Committed to cultural preservation.

The city values its cultural heritage and takes active steps to preserve and promote traditional customs, crafts, and arts.

Hosts an annual International Film Festival.

The Elektrostal International Film Festival attracts filmmakers and cinema enthusiasts from around the world, showcasing a diverse range of films.

Encourages entrepreneurship and innovation.

Elektrostal supports aspiring entrepreneurs and fosters a culture of innovation, providing opportunities for startups and business development.

Offers a range of housing options.

Elektrostal provides diverse housing options, including apartments, houses, and residential complexes, catering to different lifestyles and budgets.

Home to notable sports teams.

Elektrostal is proud of its sports legacy, with several successful sports teams competing at regional and national levels.

Boasts a vibrant nightlife scene.

Residents and visitors can enjoy a lively nightlife in Elektrostal, with numerous bars, clubs, and entertainment venues.

Promotes cultural exchange and international relations.

Elektrostal actively engages in international partnerships, cultural exchanges, and diplomatic collaborations to foster global connections.

Surrounded by beautiful nature reserves.

Nearby nature reserves, such as the Barybino Forest and Luchinskoye Lake, offer opportunities for nature enthusiasts to explore and appreciate the region’s biodiversity.

Commemorates historical events.

The city pays tribute to significant historical events through memorials, monuments, and exhibitions, ensuring the preservation of collective memory.

Promotes sports and youth development.

Elektrostal invests in sports infrastructure and programs to encourage youth participation, health, and physical fitness.

Hosts annual cultural and artistic festivals.

Throughout the year, Elektrostal celebrates its cultural diversity through festivals dedicated to music, dance, art, and theater.

Provides a picturesque landscape for photography enthusiasts.

The city’s scenic beauty, architectural landmarks, and natural surroundings make it a paradise for photographers.

Connects to Moscow via a direct train line.

The convenient train connection between Elektrostal and Moscow makes commuting between the two cities effortless.

A city with a bright future.

Elektrostal continues to grow and develop, aiming to become a model city in terms of infrastructure, sustainability, and quality of life for its residents.

In conclusion, Elektrostal is a fascinating city with a rich history and a vibrant present. From its origins as a center of steel production to its modern-day status as a hub for education and industry, Elektrostal has plenty to offer both residents and visitors. With its beautiful parks, cultural attractions, and proximity to Moscow, there is no shortage of things to see and do in this dynamic city. Whether you’re interested in exploring its historical landmarks, enjoying outdoor activities, or immersing yourself in the local culture, Elektrostal has something for everyone. So, next time you find yourself in the Moscow region, don’t miss the opportunity to discover the hidden gems of Elektrostal.

Q: What is the population of Elektrostal?

A: As of the latest data, the population of Elektrostal is approximately XXXX.

Q: How far is Elektrostal from Moscow?

A: Elektrostal is located approximately XX kilometers away from Moscow.

Q: Are there any famous landmarks in Elektrostal?

A: Yes, Elektrostal is home to several notable landmarks, including XXXX and XXXX.

Q: What industries are prominent in Elektrostal?

A: Elektrostal is known for its steel production industry and is also a center for engineering and manufacturing.

Q: Are there any universities or educational institutions in Elektrostal?

A: Yes, Elektrostal is home to XXXX University and several other educational institutions.

Q: What are some popular outdoor activities in Elektrostal?

A: Elektrostal offers several outdoor activities, such as hiking, cycling, and picnicking in its beautiful parks.

Q: Is Elektrostal well-connected in terms of transportation?

A: Yes, Elektrostal has good transportation links, including trains and buses, making it easily accessible from nearby cities.

Q: Are there any annual events or festivals in Elektrostal?

A: Yes, Elektrostal hosts various events and festivals throughout the year, including XXXX and XXXX.

Was this page helpful?

Our commitment to delivering trustworthy and engaging content is at the heart of what we do. Each fact on our site is contributed by real users like you, bringing a wealth of diverse insights and information. To ensure the highest standards of accuracy and reliability, our dedicated editors meticulously review each submission. This process guarantees that the facts we share are not only fascinating but also credible. Trust in our commitment to quality and authenticity as you explore and learn with us.

Share this Fact: