Goal: Setup an operating system and basic editor for writing HTML & CSS; install and explore web development browser extensions. Advanced learners have the opportunity to install tools to enhance their web development workflow.
Prerequisites: Introduction to Web Development
Required skills: Basic computer literacy (Windows or OS X)
Total time (core material): 30 minutes
Core Material
Setup your operating system and its associated built-in text editor:
Optional: read about code fonts and choose one to use in your text editor.
Setup one of the following browsers as your primary web development testing environment:
Optional, but strongly recommended: Learn Essential Browser Keyboard Shortcuts. Advanced learners may choose to setup one of the following as their editor:
- DreamWeaver
You will also need to set up an image editor; the most popular in the industry are part of the Adobe Suite:
Advanced learners may also want to choose tools to speed up their development process:
- Emmet
- LiveReload
Supplementary Material
Watch the fourth film in Jessica Hische and Russ Maschmeyer’s “Don’t Fear The Internet” series: Don’t Fear The Browser. (Total time: 4 minutes)
Watch Introduction to Text Editors at the Treehouse site (Total time: 6 minutes. Note that watching the full video will require a Treehouse membership).
Recommended Reading
Learning Web Design: A Beginner's Guide to HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Web Graphics (2012) - read the end of Part I, Chapter 1: What To I Need To Buy, Hardware, and Software. Optionally, take the quiz at the end of the chapter.
Read HTML and CSS: Design and Build Websites Creating a Web Page On A PC and Mac (pages 29 - 32).
When You're Done
Once you’re finished setting up your tools and have learnt a little bit about them, you’re ready to start writing HTML, which comes in the next section.