Google Apps Script

One thing that was in scope for this course, but had to be dropped because of time constraints is Google Apps Script. Apps Script is an incredibly powerful enhancement to Google Docs, that allows you to use JavaScript to enhance what you’re able to do with Google Docs. It’s honestly a shame we weren’t able to get to it - you can control every aspect of document creation and manipulation programmatically and it is a great skill to have in your toolbelt. Review this quick “Getting Started” tutorial and consider trying this on your own.

WebDev 2.0

Well, you’re done! You’ve mastered the “Holy Trinity of Web Development” (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript). You’ve been exposed to all of the content, and now it’s just a matter of practice. Everything we’ve learned to date is a field of programming called front-end development. Back-end development is the creation of APIs, databases, and server-side applications that can accept, process, and display data. Most full-fledged web applications are a combination of front-end and back-end development.

You can get started with back-end development pretty easily. Unlike HTML, CSS, and JavaScript there are no set languages for back-end development. There is also no “correct” language to use, though most developers have a fair amount of zealotry over their choice.

• PHP is the most common and has been around the longest. It’s widely supported and used to drive many major websites - WordPress (which powers about 40% of all websites on the Internet), Moodle, Drupal, and many others - collectively accounting for about 79.2% of all of the sites on the Internet. While PHP is by far the most common language, it’s largely derided as a “bad language” by many up-and-coming developers who prefer newer languages with more features. And in fairness to them, while PHP has stood the test of time, it is lacking in some more technical areas. (Free Code Camp Getting Started w/ PHP)
• Python is actually a much older language than PHP, but until recently had been limited to more scientific and analytics uses before finding a home as a back-end platform for websites. Python is incredibly small, incredibly fast, and highly efficient. However, it has a syntax and programming structure different than most other languages, so the learning curve is considered to be significantly steeper for those who are already familiar with a programming language. (Free Code Camp Getting Started Course)
• NodeJS is a relative newcomer on the scene. Node allows you to write server-side apps using JavaScript. In addition to producing very small, very fast apps, Node allows programmers who are already familiar with JavaScript (and even jQuery) to create apps easily using tools they already know. (Free Code Camp Getting Started Course)

In addition to a programming language, you’ll also need a database to store the information from your site. MySQL and Postgres are the two most common. Additionally, while sites like GitHub can host front-end sites, back-end sites need more powerful hosting options like a GoDaddy site, Heroku, or in extreme cases, AWS or Azure cloud services.