Beginner’s Guide to Become a Web3 Developer
Becoming a web3 developer involves learning a variety of tools, technologies, and frameworks that are unique to the decentralized web. Here’s a beginner’s guide to becoming a web3 developer:
Blockchain Fundamentals
If you want to embark on the journey of becoming a web3 developer, understanding the blockchain is the first step. This knowledge will enable you to architect and optimize smart contracts effectively. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at what the blockchain is and how it works.
A blockchain is a decentralized, immutable, and public database that is collectively owned by its users. The information is stored in the form of blocks, and each block contains its data, hash, and the previous block’s hash, hence the name “Blockchain.”
The hash is a unique string calculated from the data. Any modifications made to one of the blocks will change the hash, resulting in a broken chain, and the following blocks will become invalid. To fix the chain, the person must recalculate all blocks in the chain, a process that can take a considerable amount of time, typically ten minutes per block.
Nodes, which are computers located worldwide, store copies of the blockchain. Access to a majority of these computers is necessary to make any changes, which is highly unlikely, making the blockchain highly secure.
To delve deeper into the fundamentals of the blockchain, you can take a short Udemy course at https://www.udemy.com/course/blockchain-and-bitcoin-fundamentals/.
Frontend Web Development Basics
If you’re interested in becoming a web3 developer, you’ll need to learn several essential skills. While blockchain technology powers the backend of decentralized applications (DApps), the frontend is built using JavaScript. In this post, we’ll outline the crucial skills you’ll need to acquire to become a proficient web3 developer.
Frontend Development Skills
HTML: Understanding the common HTML tags for structuring the content of your DApp’s frontend is crucial.
CSS: You’ll need to learn basic properties, Flex, and Grid, and CSS Frameworks like Bootstrap, Semantic UI, and Tailwind, which are optional.
JavaScript: It’s essential to learn variables, functions, classes, and ES6.
JavaScript Frameworks: Learning a JavaScript framework like React, Vue, or Angular will enhance your skills.
Backend Development Skills
NodeJS Fundamentals: Understanding the fundamentals of NodeJS, including the event loop and I/O, is essential.
API Framework: You’ll need to learn an API framework like Express to develop APIs for your DApp.
Databases: Learning about different types of databases like MongoDB, SQL, and PostgreSQL will help you store and manage data in your DApp.
It’s also recommended that you learn web2 backend as a fallback option if web3 doesn’t work out. Developing skills in web2 backend development will help you develop scalable, robust web applications.
To further enhance your knowledge of web development, you can take an excellent course on Udemy by Colt Steele at https://www.udemy.com/course/the-web-developer-bootcamp/.
Acquiring these skills will prepare you to take on the challenges of web3 development and build innovative DApps.
Learn Solidity
Solidity is a programming language used to write smart contracts on the Ethereum blockchain. It’s the most popular language for writing smart contracts, so it’s essential for web3 developers to learn Solidity. You can find plenty of resources online to learn Solidity, including tutorials, documentation, and courses.
web3.js
Web3.js is a JavaScript library used to interact with the Ethereum blockchain. It’s essential for web3 developers to learn how to use web3.js to write applications that can communicate with the Ethereum network.
Ethereum Fundamentals
Ethereum is a blockchain that processes smart contracts. Ethereum is by far the most popular blockchain for creating smart contracts in 2022. Solidity is the language used to develop smart contracts with it. The official documentation is a great place to start learning more about Ethereum
Decentralized storage
Decentralized storage is an essential component of the decentralized web. As a web3 developer, you need to learn how to use decentralized storage systems like IPFS and Swarm to store data in a decentralized manner.
Learn how to write decentralized applications (dApps): A decentralized application is a software application that runs on a blockchain. As a web3 developer, you need to learn how to write dApps using web3.js and Solidity.
Join the web3 developer community
Joining the web3 developer community can help you stay up-to-date with the latest trends and technologies in the decentralized web. You can join online forums, participate in hackathons, attend conferences, and contribute to open-source projects.
Practice, practice, practice: Becoming a web3 developer requires a lot of practice. Start by building small projects and gradually work your way up to more complex projects. By practicing regularly, you’ll gain the skills and knowledge you need to become a successful web3 developer.
In summary, becoming a web3 developer requires a good understanding of blockchain technology, Solidity, web3.js, decentralized storage, dApps, and active participation in the web3 developer community. With practice and dedication, you can become a successful web3 developer.
A primer on backend and the frontend web3 development
Backend and frontend web3 development refer to the two main parts of building decentralized applications (dApps) that interact with blockchain technology.
Backend Development: The backend of a dApp typically includes the smart contracts that govern the rules and logic of the application, as well as the database that stores the data on the blockchain. Backend web3 developers typically use programming languages like Solidity or Vyper to write smart contracts and deploy them to the blockchain using tools like Remix or Truffle. They also use tools like Ganache to simulate the blockchain environment for testing and debugging.
Frontend Development: The frontend of a dApp is the part that users interact with. This includes the user interface (UI), which displays information from the blockchain and allows users to interact with the smart contracts. Frontend web3 developers typically use web development languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to create the UI, and they use libraries like Web3.js or Ethers.js to interact with the blockchain.
Overall, backend and frontend web3 development are closely intertwined, as the frontend needs to be designed to work with the rules and logic defined in the smart contracts. In addition, both backend and frontend developers need to have a solid understanding of blockchain technology and the specific blockchain platform they are building on, whether it’s Ethereum, Polkadot, or another platform.
Blockchain Fundamentals
- Decentralization: Blockchain technology is decentralized, meaning there is no central authority controlling the system. Instead, the system is distributed among a network of computers, or nodes, that work together to validate and record transactions.
- Distributed Ledger: A blockchain is essentially a distributed ledger, which means that every node on the network has a copy of the entire ledger. Each block in the blockchain contains a collection of transactions, and once a block is added to the chain, it cannot be altered.
- Consensus Mechanism: To ensure the validity and security of the blockchain, a consensus mechanism is used to reach agreement among the nodes on the network. Examples of consensus mechanisms include proof-of-work (PoW), proof-of-stake (PoS), and delegated proof-of-stake (DPoS).
- Cryptography: Blockchain uses advanced cryptographic techniques to secure the data on the network. This includes the use of cryptographic hash functions, public-key cryptography, and digital signatures.
- Smart Contracts: Smart contracts are self-executing contracts that automatically enforce the terms of an agreement when certain conditions are met. They are an integral part of many blockchain platforms, such as Ethereum.
- Tokens: Tokens are digital assets that are created and managed on a blockchain. They can represent anything from currency to digital assets like music or artwork.
Overall, blockchain technology is a complex and constantly evolving field, but these fundamental concepts are important to understand in order to grasp the basics of how blockchain works.
