# Preface

# What is "Web Development?"

In the world of programming, web development straddles several borders. Typically though, when people refer to “web development” or “front-end development”, they are referring to a task or skillset that is mostly encompassed by these three languages:

HTML and CSS are known as markup languages: their purpose is only to structure, display, and describe content. The whole is never greater than the sum of the parts, as it were — they’re really just another set of design tools.

JavaScript, on the other hand, is an object-oriented programming language. Those are fancy words for “it makes stuff go”. A simple example of this difference is that, in JavaScript, to add 1 and 1, you would simply write:

1 + 1;

Doesn't get much simpler than that.

Whereas with HTML and CSS… you wouldn’t. You could, but you might as well try summoning the devil. It would be difficult, painful, and pointless, you'd probably fail, and your friends, family, and co-workers would worry for your mental health. In any case, that’s not what they’re for.

We’re going to start with and focus mostly on HTML and CSS, and ease into some basic JavaScript as we go. Of the three, HTML and CSS are the foundation of a website's appearance.

# Before You Begin

Learning to code in any capacity is not a finite process. As with any discipline, there's always more to know and discover. Once you get the basics, you'll realize how much there is left to learn. But don't feel overwhelmed. By sharing knowledge and working together, we make ourselves and our code better. So remember: always ask questions, and don't be bashful about what you don't know, or not knowing what you don't know. Everyone has been there before, and everyone is still learning.