smartsite by Popular Demand
Web Application Fundamentals Made Simple
Hey everyone. Welcome to a guide to Web Development.
The purpose of smartsite is to provide interested individuals with
a launch point for building a personal web application.
Before beginning, the individual must be able to:
- Download and install programs
- Browse the internet
- Use the command-line interface
Using the command-line interface is likely the least familiar of the skills. Luckily, commands that are necessary for building the application will be given by the walkthrough. Still, because the command-line will be one of the primary development tools, beginner level proficiency is recommended.
The guides will present a path of Node.js web development that it known to work. Differences in operating system and setup may require modifications to the instructions.
The Process
There is One Step:
- Follow the Walkthrough
How to Read the Walkthrough
The Walkthrough is presented in three sections:
- Setup
- Basics
- Features
Setup
The Setup section ensures the developer has the required libraries and programs installed. Anyone who has been developing web applications for any amount of time may already have libraries like Node.js and PostgreSQL installed. Regardless, go through the setup steps to ensure parity with the example application.
The Basics
The Basics covers the key building blocks for creating a web application.
- Deliver static HTML pages
- Deliver dynamically rendered content
- Provide interactive front-end content
- Connect to a database
- Save user information in the database
After completing the Basics, the developer will have completed building a full-fledged Web 2.0 application. With curiosity and initiative, any type of web application can be built from the skills and tools outlined in the Basics.
Features
The third section, Features, is an exploration of the range of applications can be built from the tooling of the Basics. Features contains walkthroughs for extending the functionality of smartsite.
The Features are standalone front-end or full-stack modules that can be completed in any order.
How to Begin
Begin with the Setup instructions -- install the libraries and run the Node installation commands.
As you continue through the tutorial, what began as a directory with not much more than a walkthrough blossoms into a featured and interactive web application. This application can serve as your personal site, small-business database system, or become a product prototype.
What Next
After you've comepleted building out smartsite, you will have the tools of web development in hand. With the skills, you can:
- Provide value on the internet with your app ideas
- Continue learning web development in pursuit of a career in software
- Prototype the next Big Idea (you'll know as much as Zuckerberg)
If you find yourself building out cool new features in your smartsite, aid future learners by contributing a walkthrough to the smartsite parent repository. It will be added to the Features section as an optional smartsite add-on. Thanks in advance!
Cheers and Happy Building. Alexa Anderson @popdemtech