Ask HN: How to become a front-end engineer in 2024?

6 points·ohmgod··7 comments

Is this question asking how to become employed as a front-end engineer, or how to learn front-end engineering?

If it's the latter I think it is important to start with foundational technologies: JavaScript, HTML, CSS and the DOM. Then pick a popular frontend framework.

I recommend first learning Elm for some excellent mental models that transfer to React, Vue, etc.

The Elm guide and examples are known for being great for beginners!

[1] https://guide.elm-lang.org

[2] https://elm-lang.org/examples

It seems...off...to tell someone to learn probably the least employable frontend framework, so they'll have "excellent mental models" for the most employable ones...

Lisp is not very employable, but it's the first language MIT taught their CS students for two decades.

I maintain that Elm is a great way to learn modern frontend development :)

> but it's the first language MIT taught their CS students

Right, which was fine because

1.) They're students at MIT. They'll be employable pretty much no matter what if they graduate

2.) They spent several years learning _other things_.

> I maintain that Elm is a great way to learn modern frontend development :)

If you then go on to learn modern frontend development after, yes. :)

This suggestion is general and applicable for all domains, Understand the basics, the foundational stuff, Don't limit your self to libraries and frameworks or even languages. They're all transferable knowledge.

Step 1: Be a front end engineer

Step 2: Wait three months

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