Here you will find a list of things you need to install on your machine, with instructions where relevant.
Base programs
- Google Chrome: This is the browser you are assumed to be using.
- Mozilla Firefox: Optional, good for CSS dev tools.
- VS Code: Your main IDE.
VS Code Extensions
- Prettier: Use Prettier on all your code.
- Live Server: So you can develop and have your browser automatically refresh on save.
- Colorize: Optional, makes coloring with CSS easier.
Chrome extensions
- [JSONView]Here is a bookmark for an incredibly useful site that you should want to visit many times per day while learning this stuff:
Documentation Site
MDN Web Docs - is the go-to reference source for JavaScript.
Accounts
These are some accounts you will need to sign up for if you haven't already:
- Github
- OpenWeather: sign up and request an API key
If there are any other APIs that seem interesting to you, or you have some ideas for projects that use certain data, start researching and requesting API keys, if necessary. A great resource and API platform to check out is Rapid API, where you have thousands of APIs that are easy to use with only one login account.
Try to rely on free APIs (no API key) for the projects unless you have already taken a back end course. If you have taken a back end course, you can make your own API and use that in your front end portfolio projects.
Summary: How to Set Up Your Machine
- Find a list of things you need to install before starting the course