Full-stack Web Skills Tree
The following list should be a complete outline of every skill our students should be able to exit V School with. In accordance with a previous discussion, each student should achieve a minimum of a level 4 out of 5 in each branch of the tree in order to graduate from V School.
Skills Tree
- Static Websites
- Level 1
- HTML: Create an HTML document, double click it to show up in a browser, bare bones skeleton
- CSS: selectors, colors, fonts, linking external stylesheets
- Level 2
- HTML: inline/block-level, lists, div/span, headers, paragraph, writing semantic HTML (HTML5 new tags, avoid
div-itis) - CSS: box model (margin, padding, border, width/height), Bootstrap
- HTML: inline/block-level, lists, div/span, headers, paragraph, writing semantic HTML (HTML5 new tags, avoid
- Level 3
- General: Understand how browser works
- HTML: Tables, Forms, Events (which trigger JS Event Listeners)
- CSS: layout, positioning, sizing, responsive design, media queries
- JavaScript: DOM manipulation, Event Listeners
- Level 4
- General: Create site from PSD, writing performant/optimized HTML (where to put js files, css files, etc.)
- CSS: Transitions/Animations
- JavaScript: AJAX, jQuery
- Level 5
- General: Create own design from scratch
- CSS: Preprocessors
- JavaScript: integration with popular JS libraries (other than jQuery)
- Level 1
- Web applications
- Level 1
- Learn difference between web app and website
- Build very basic web apps (like a to-do list, e.g.)
- Understand JSON
- Level 2
- Making HTTP calls
- Accessing external APIs
- Single-page Applications (SPA)
- Reusable web components and services
- Saving a user’s data (no db, no auth)
- Level 3
- Writing a server (Node.js/Express)
- Modular JavaScript
- Database CRUD
- Unit Testing
- Level 4
- User authentication/restricting routes
- JWTs/token authentication
- Saving multiple users' data (with db, with auth)
- Password Hashing
- Integration Testing
- Level 5
- Server-side rendering
- Social authentication/OAuth, useful integrations (Stripe, Google Analytics)
- Level 1
- Programming Principles
- Level 1
- Variables, data types, code style (consistent indentation, naming, etc.)
- Navigating/working in the terminal
- Level 2
- Functions
- Loops
- Conditionals
- Level 3
- Objects
- Classes & Constructors
- Callback functions, functional programming concepts
- Level 4
- Promises, promise chaining
- Level 5
- Design patterns, MVC, ECMAScript 6
- Level 1
- Version Control (Git)
- Level 1
- Understand the need for version control
- Create new local and remote repos
- Level 2
- Stage files for commit
- Create a new commit/practicing good commit messages
- Level 3
- Push changes to remote repo
- Pull from remote repo
- Clone repo
- Level 4
- Unstaging files
- Reverting back to a past commit
- Creating, reviewing, accepting PRs
- Using Git within a team
- Level 5
- Contributing to the open source community
- Level 1
- Database
- Level 1
- Understand what a database is, why it’s useful
- Set up database for the first time
- Level 2
- Understand relational vs. non-relational databases
- Working in the shell (CRUD)
- Level 3
- Connect to a database in code
- Perform CRUD operations in code
- Level 4
- Set up Mongoose Schemas for data validation
- Level 5
- Normalization in NoSQL (when to embed, when to reference)
- Level 1
- HTTP/APIs
- Level 1
- What HTTP stands for
- What an API is
- Level 2
- Understand the basics of the Request/Response cycle
- Access data from an API (Postman)
- GET, PUT, POST, DELETE, and how they map to CRUD
- Level 3
- Access an external API in code
- URL Params & Query Strings
- Understand RESTful architecture
- Level 4
- Create own RESTful API
- Level 5
- CORS, JSONP
- Level 1
- Troubleshooting/Debugging
- Level 1
- Understand what debugging is
- Elements tab
- Altering CSS
- Using Google
- Level 2
- Debug syntax errors
- Gaining insight from errors
- Write code in dev console
- Watch expressions
- Semantic comments in code
- Reading documentations
- Level 3
- Debug semantic errors
- Looking up answers to errors
- Gaining insights from stack overflow
- Network calls
- Breakpoints
- Self-documenting code w/ semantic comments
- Level 4
- Debug runtime/logic errors
- Posting to stack overflow
- Thinking like a computer
- Level 5
- Refactor code to be more maintainable and safe after fixing bugs
- Level 1
- Project Management
- Level 1
- Knowledge of available tools (task management, communication, documentation)
- Knowledge of common team roles
- Level 2
- Requirements gathering
- Agile Scrum methodology
- Efficient standups
- Level 3
- Dividing requirements into tasks
- Dealing with Scope Creep
- "Time, Quality, Cost" triangle of project management
- Level 4
- Points/time estimates
- Time management for increased productivity
- Delivering messages to different audiences
- Level 5
- Being in a leadership role/Scrum mastering
- Level 1
- Deployment
- Level 1
- Opening static HTML files in browser
- Level 2
- Running local server
- Understanding IP Addresses
- Level 3
- Spin up Digital Ocean droplet, redirect own site to new server
- Level 4
- Working on the server, checking error logs, setting up sites-available, using forever
- Nameservers
- DNS Records
- Level 5
- Hosting static/media content on Amazon S3
- QA/Staging/Production environments
- Vagrant/Docker & VM
- Load balancing
- Level 1
- Problem Solving
- Level 1
- Able to apply learned method/algorithm to new scenario
- Level 2
- Able to combine methods/algorithms to solve problems
- Level 3
- Ability to solve problems by using known methods and learning finding new methods through breaking down a problem into smaller pieces
- Ability to recognize their involvement in the problem solving process
- Level 4
- Ability to solve complex contrived problems
- Level 5
- Ability to solve complex real-world problems
- Level 1
- Career Prep
- Level 1
- Resume, cover letters
- Level 2
- Social Media, networking
- Level 3
- Mock interviews
- Asking questions to interviewers
- Level 4
- The hunt, knowing tools & resources available
- Level 5
- Negotiating salary
- Level 1