About This Book

How to Get the Most Out of This Book

Chapter 1: Setup and Tooling

Chapter 2: What is a Web Page?

Chapter 3: Using CSS to add Style

Chapter 4: JavaScript

Chapter 5: Intro to Programming Languages

Chapter 6: Terminal

Chapter 7: Git and Version Control

Chapter 8: Frontend and Backend Web Development

Chapter 9: Field Guide

Changelog

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A Field Guide to Your New Career

How to Become a Web Developer: A Field Guide

There are a couple of key technologies that we will be using throughout this book.  In this chapter, I will introduce you to these technologies, talk briefly about what we'll be using them for, and do a quick setup and walkthrough.  The technologies are:

For each of these technologies, there are equal comparables.  To keep the Exercises consistent, however, I will only be using the technologies listed above.  For example, you won't see me changing from Chrome to Firefox.

It is true that these technologies are what I prefer.  However, don't mistake this for a statement about them being the 

 technologies.  By no means am I suggesting that Chrome is better than Firefox or heaven forbid I claim VSCode is the king of text editors.

In the end, what browser or text editor you decide to use should depend on what you like.  If you don't have a preference than try the ones I am using here merely because it will make it easier to follow along. 

I am a macOS user, and thus all the screenshots are done from a Mac.  However, the instructions for most all the Exercises will be the same for Windows and macOS.  Starting in 

, there are slight differences in the Exercise instructions between these two operating systems.  In those cases, if you are a Windows user, look for the Window Users side-instructions in the Exercises.  Both Windows and macOS users will be able to complete all Exercises.  

A good chunk of the Exercises in this book will require a web browser and developer tools.  

We will be using the Chrome web browser.  If you don't already have it installed, you can download it 

Every modern browser comes with web developer tools (also called DevTools).  These tools are used heavily by - you guessed it - Web Developers.  The DevTools aim to help developers test and debug their code.  For us, they provide a great place to explore the concepts we will talk about.

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code: https://gitlab.com/fullstackio/books/newline-course-apps/angel-garbarino-how-to-become-a-web-developer/-/tree/main/code/1-setup?ref_type=heads
---

# Chapter 1: Setup and Tooling

There are a couple of key technologies that we will be using throughout this book.  In this chapter, I will introduce you to these technologies, talk briefly about what we'll be using them for, and do a quick setup and walkthrough.  The technologies are:

-   **Web Browser**: Chrome and Chrome DevTools
-   **Text Editor**: Visual Studio Code (VSCode for short)
-   **Operating System**: macOS or Windows 10.

For each of these technologies, there are equal comparables.  To keep the Exercises consistent, however, I will only be using the technologies listed above.  For example, you won't see me changing from Chrome to Firefox.

It is true that these technologies are what I prefer.  However, don't mistake this for a statement about them being the _best_ technologies.  By no means am I suggesting that Chrome is better than Firefox or heaven forbid I claim VSCode is the king of text editors.

In the end, what browser or text editor you decide to use should depend on what you like.  If you don't have a preference than try the ones I am using here merely because it will make it easier to follow along. 

I am a macOS user, and thus all the screenshots are done from a Mac.  However, the instructions for most all the Exercises will be the same for Windows and macOS.  Starting in _Chapter 6: The Terminal_, there are slight differences in the Exercise instructions between these two operating systems.  In those cases, if you are a Windows user, look for the Window Users side-instructions in the Exercises.  Both Windows and macOS users will be able to complete all Exercises.  

## Setting up the Technologies

### Web Browser and Developer Tools

A good chunk of the Exercises in this book will require a web browser and developer tools.  

We will be using the Chrome web browser.  If you don't already have it installed, you can download it [here](https://www.google.com/chrome/browser/).  It's free to download.

### Developer Tools

Every modern browser comes with web developer tools (also called DevTools).  These tools are used heavily by - you guessed it - Web Developers.  The DevTools aim to help developers test and debug their code.  For us, they provide a great place to explore the concepts we will talk about.