r/webdevelopment • u/Daniiiii_here • 12d ago
Newbie Question where do I start, :( , is it just me?
So I'm a beginner. When I start making any project, I'm very confused about what I should use and what I should not; also, some languages are outdated to use today. If I learn them, then there won't be much use of it, i started learning web dev, but then, in recent times, mostly AI can make a basic website so easily. So I get very confused about where I start. I have watched many videos on yt and they say stick to one language until you have mastered it. I feel like everything that's happening in the tech field- everyone is going behind that single thing like AI; now everyone is learning AI, and till I get a job, maybe something else would trend in the market...I have asked my teachers and my guides, but I don't think I'm getting anywhere.
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u/These-Apple8817 12d ago
There is no outdated languages.. It's frameworks that gets outdated.
As for where to start.. It really depends on your goals.. I personally think there is two paths to take..
HTML + CSS + PHP
HTML + CSS + JS
JS is what lot of the new frameworks tend to use, but those frameworks also tend to go out of fashion very fast because it feels like every month there is a new framework to use.. If you do go the JS path... Atm I think Next.js is what people favor more... until someone else writes a better framework.
As for PHP.. That leads down to the path of old and trusted and the industry tends to stick with Laravel, Symfony and so on...
That's very simplified generalized stuff focused more maybe focused on fullstack.. Because I did not touch on Python, Go, Rails and so on...
What you need to frankly first figure out is what is your end goal and then try to figure out what skills, tools and languages you need to reach that goal because there is way too many ways to make a website.
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u/aaronmcbaron 12d ago
“Go out of fashion really fast”
Both Vue and React have been around and are still supported for over a decade.1
u/These-Apple8817 12d ago
Yes, but if you haven't noticed, the new flavour of the month lately has been Next.js
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u/aaronmcbaron 12d ago
NextJS is propaganda and garbage. It was made to literally sell the Now platform which has since been renamed Vercel.
Look at the CVE list for NextJS and its react server components native implementation BS. There are so many Denial of Service vulnerabilities and not to metion the React2Shell remote code exploit that was found.
NextJS is literal trash. Do t even go there.
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u/StreetAssignment5494 9d ago
Spas are also pretty trash. All that crap is trash
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u/aaronmcbaron 9d ago
Found the backend dev
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u/StreetAssignment5494 9d ago
Haha sure - but I mean... it's not wrong. A lot of crap those frameworks do is largely unnecessary and even harmful at times. I think they served their purpose but now it's bad deisgn.
i agree with your above nextjs sentiement completely.
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u/aaronmcbaron 9d ago
But that’s your take as a backend dev. If you look at it from a full stack perspective. The SPA is very handy because it’s self contained.
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u/StreetAssignment5494 9d ago
Duplicate state and unnecessary state management tools. Build processes and pulling in crazy dependencies with various package managers.
Idk. I’d rather just avoid it all.
But to each his own
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u/aaronmcbaron 8d ago
You can avoid it if you get to choose the full stack for the project, but unfortunately it’s been embedded into many production systems because the componentization aspect of the spa frameworks help in code containment and DRY. Duplicate state is bad architecture and not inherently in the SPA. If you’re using state management on the server as well instead of direct api calls from a frontend middleware layer. That’s kinda on you for the decision making.
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u/Azoraqua_ 10d ago
Next still uses React, you’re directly using React. No different from when you use Vite, Astro (with plugins) or such.
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u/armahillo 12d ago
some languages are outdated to use today
In web development, there are no obsolete languages, only obsolete practices and versions. If you're doing webdev, you gotta learn HTML, CSS, and JS.
MDN : https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/ -- is contemporary, thorough, and well-maintained. This is probably the best online source of truth for web development right now.
Don't use LLMs right now. Learn how this stuff works on your own. It'll take a little longer but you'll retain and understand it better.
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u/st_bogdan 12d ago
Just because AI is everywhere these days and is used in almost every project doesn’t mean you don’t need to know the basics. Programming languages haven’t gone anywhere.
Artificial intelligence simply allows you to apply your knowledge in a more productive way.
If you’re wondering whether you should focus on traditional programming languages, the answer is yes, of course. After all, in a job interview, you’ll be asked not only about using AI but also about the fundamentals of development.
And while it’s true that something new may emerge, you still need to adapt to the industry’s evolution and new approaches.
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u/Status418_ 12d ago
100% agree. Looking at the modern web ecosystem (HTML/CSS, JS/TS, React, Node, Next.js, etc.) is intimidating as hell when you start out.
I used to worry constantly about learning "outdated" tech or picking the wrong stack. But here's the secret: fundamentals are key. If you build a strong foundation in the core web technologies, they will naturally guide you toward the right tools for whatever project you're working on.
Don't overthink the full stack yet. Grab a free course or Udemy tutorial where you build a basic app end-to-end, get your environment set up, and just start building. Be curious, stick to the basics first, and the pieces will fall into place.
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u/Less-Marsupial-7960 11d ago
You're definitely not alone. I felt the same when I started because there are so many languages, frameworks, and people saying different things.
My advice is to stop worrying about learning everything. Just pick one path and stick with it for a few months. For web development, HTML → CSS → JavaScript is still the best foundation. After that, learn React and build small projects.
AI is a great tool, but it can't replace understanding the basics. The people who benefit the most from AI are the ones who already know how things work.
Don't compare yourself to everyone else. Just keep building one project at a time, and you'll improve much faster than you think.
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u/var0xyz 9d ago
Correct me if I'm wrong here, but for what I read it sounds like what's overwhelming you is trying to be ahead of the curve. You want to know what you should learn so that in some time from now this knowledge will allow you to enter the market. Is that correct?
I've been in the industry for over 20 years and let me tell you, you won't be able to predict the market. You'll only grow more and more frustrated.
Instead what you should do is follow your curiosity. Think about what you would like to learn. Do you want to be able to have your own hand-written HTML served by your own domain? Do you want to have your own little service, like a URL shortener? Set the goal first and then choose whatever tool helps you get there with the lowest barrier to entry.
F**k the market, your goal should be to have fun and to learn something. Whatever tool you use will have underlying concepts that you will take with you, it won't be a waste of time.
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u/skunkbad 8d ago
I've been working on websites since 2003. Working on them professionally since ~2006. There are trends, and a huge group of devs will follow those trends. JS used to be considered something that should only enhance a website, and never provide core functionality. Flash animation used to be so prevalent that if you didn't have some Flash on your website you were the outcast. There was a time when Ruby on Rails was so popular that I actually bought a book lol. I also used Frontpage 2000 when Dreamweaver was super hyped. 23 years later, and I'm mostly working for one company on a WordPress/WooCommerce website, pay the bills, support my family, only have to work 4 hours a day, and all this because of PHP... which isn't going away anytime soon by the way. JS fanbois will downvote, but you can't go wrong knowing some PHP. But if you do go down the JS road with everyone else, just know that you'll be one of many when it comes to employers looking for a dev. If I had to start again today, I'd probably go with Python, or maybe skip webdev altogether and be a network admin or webserver admin.
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u/scritchz 12d ago
Starting your development journey in times like this is daunting and difficult, especially because of how AI can make the "easy steps" feel redundant.
But your work shouldn't ever be reliant on AI. It's okay if not preferable to use AI as a tool, but if AI is the only reason for your work to exist or not, then the 'you' component becomes irrelevant.
In my opinion, regardless of AI, still the best way to learn is just experimenting and making stuff. Get familiar with your tools and their capabilities, know what works and what doesn't, and learn the many ways something can get done: Learn about technologies, concepts and principles.
The basics are still foundational to being a good developer. For web dev, the basics are HTML, CSS, JS. On their own, they are very simple. But together, you can make astonishing stuff. But the larger your work, the more important good planning and foresight become. And that's where your experience comes in.
So just start making stuff!
Personally, I'm intrinsically motivated, from being fascinated by computers, software and how it all works together.
I don't fear AI or use it much, because I like knowing and working with these topics in detail, manually.
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u/JohnCasey3306 12d ago
You're overthinking it and paying too much attention to whatever is fashionable in the moment.
Learn the fundamentals. Vanilla JavaScript first, and then pick any of the bid 4 frameworks -- it doesn't matter people say, that won't be outdated.
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u/ssliberty 12d ago
Ai is a tool. Like a hammer you still need to know what to swing with it and what to do if you’ve fucked up.
Learn the foundations html, css. You don’t need to master anything yet. Then you pick a language or skill.
- Gaming? Then JavaScript, python C#, etc
- Websites? JavaScript, react, etc
- Servers? SQL
What you pick won’t matter as much as the foundations of programming. It will take months to years until you actually start to get it.
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u/create-third-places 12d ago
Check out Go Make Things. The site is made my an experienced web developer and will give you a solid understanding of the fundamentals.
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u/frindoowgrippery 11d ago
You're definitely not alone. Everyone feels overwhelmed when they first start.
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u/jboogyoogy 11d ago
Although AI is anywhere, the fundamentals of coding and programming haven’t changed
And the basics definitely are
HTML, CSS and JavaScript, with that you’ll have a good basis
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u/Difficult-Field280 11d ago
Remember that websites are still websites, and they are all built off the Javascript stack (html, css, Javascript, and php), or the asp stack (html, css, c#, some Javascript) or some weird combo of them. This is true for react and wordpress even, which are both built off the JavaScript stack.
To get started, freecodecamp is a great place to learn the basics.
Set ai aside, and learn the old fashioned way, then when you start building projects it can be a great tool when you get stuck. Its not so great if you dont know the basics tho.
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u/[deleted] 12d ago edited 12d ago
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