8 Front-End Languages to Learn

Learning a front-end language may open the door to an in-demand career in creating websites and apps. You’ll use front-end languages to build everything users see and interact with. 

Even if you ultimately want to work behind the scenes as a back-end developer or work on both sides as a full-stack developer, learning these languages is a practical starting point that allows you to thoroughly understand how all elements work together, which will help you figure out ways to make sure everything runs smoothly. 

Start advancing your front-end skills today

Learn front-end development skills like HTML, JavaScript, and CSS along with AI-powered skills to streamline your workflow in Microsoft's Front-End Developer Professional Certificate.

What is front-end development?

Front-end development brings designs to life by creating interactive and visually appealing websites and applications. It's a field that combines creativity and technical skills, allowing you to turn ideas into reality. 

With rapid technological advancements, front-end development constantly evolves, providing opportunities for growth and continuous learning. If you're interested in design and have a passion for problem-solving, front-end development could be a career path worth pursuing.

Read more: What Does a Front-End Developer Do?

8 front-end development languages

Front-end languages empower developers as they create everything users touch, see, and experience on a website or app. If you're interested in working on the front end, here are some languages you might consider learning:

1. HyperText Markup Language (HTML)

HTML, the standard markup language for creating web pages, is essential for front-end development because it gives developers a way to define the content and structure of a website or application. HTML tags define headings, paragraphs, lists, links, images, and other elements that make up a web page. 

Despite the many advancements in web technologies, HTML remains a cornerstone of the web development industry. While newer technologies have emerged to enhance web development capabilities, HTML remains the foundation upon which they are built. 

2. Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)

CSS is a stylesheet language used for describing the look and layout of a document written in HTML. CSS is used to control the layout, colors, fonts, and other visual elements of a website or application. It allows developers to separate the content and structure defined in HTML from the visual presentation of the site, making it easier to maintain and update the appearance of a website. 

CSS has become increasingly crucial in front-end development as the web becomes more visually sophisticated. It is now possible to create complex and highly-stylized web pages and applications, thanks to CSS's ability to control many visual elements. 

3. JavaScript

JavaScript is a high-level programming language widely used for front-end development to add interactivity and dynamic behavior to web pages and applications, making them more engaging and user-friendly. JavaScript can create a wide range of effects, such as animation, form validation, and dynamic updates to a web page without requiring a page refresh. 

JavaScript has become an indispensable tool for front-end developers, and its importance is only growing as the web becomes more complex and dynamic. With the rise of single-page applications and other modern web development trends, JavaScript has become a must-have skill for front-end developers for its versatility, ease of use, and ubiquity.

Read more: Java vs. JavaScript: What's the Difference?

Learn front-end languages HTML, CSS, and Javascript in this focused course for web developers:

4. React

React is a popular JavaScript library for building user interfaces (UI). Meta developed it to allow developers to create modular UI components and manage the state of their applications more efficiently. The benefits of using React include its reusable modular architecture, which makes it easy to build and maintain large and complex applications, and its efficient rendering engine, which allows for smooth and fast updates to the user interface.

Learn the basics of this powerful JavaScript library to build user interfaces for web and mobile:

5. Vue

Vue is an open-source JavaScript framework for building user interfaces and single-page applications. Created by Evan You and maintained by a large community of developers, Vue is known for its simplicity, flexibility, and performance. Vue provides a reactive and composable approach to building user interfaces, allowing developers to build reusable and modular components. 

Thanks to its gentle learning curve, it's a popular choice for those just starting out in front-end development. Despite its relative youth compared to other front-end frameworks, Vue has gained a large following and a robust ecosystem and continues to grow in popularity.

6. Angular 

Developed by Google, Angular provides a comprehensive set of tools for building scalable and maintainable web applications. These include a powerful template language, a reactive data binding system, and a modular architecture. Its component-based architecture allows developers to build modular UI components and manage the state of their applications in an organized and maintainable manner. Angular also offers a rich set of features for testing and deploying web applications, making it a complete solution for front-end development. 

Despite some criticisms regarding its learning curve and performance, Angular remains a popular and widely used framework in the front-end development community.

Learn how to use Angular to write powerful applications efficiently and with less code:

7. Swift

Developed by Apple, Swift has become a popular choice for developing high-performance, secure, and user-friendly applications for Apple's platforms due to its modern syntax, safety features, and fast performance. Swift is designed to be easy to read and write, making it an excellent choice for experienced and beginner developers. Its use of optionals, automatic reference counting, and a simplified memory management model makes it a safe and secure language for developing applications.

Although it is primarily used for developing native applications for Apple's platforms, Swift is a versatile language with a growing community, and it may be used for other types of development in the future.

New to Swift? Learn the fundamental concepts of this programming language:

8. Django

Django is a high-level Python web framework for building dynamic and scalable web applications. It's known for its "batteries included" approach, providing developers with the tools they need to build a full-featured web application without reinventing the wheel. Its modular architecture and extensible API make it easy to add custom functionality when required. Django's security features, such as protection against SQL injection and cross-site scripting, make it a safe and secure choice for building web applications.

Django's popularity has only increased in recent years. Start learning the basics today:

More essential front-end development skills

There’s more to being a successful front-end developer than learning to code. Front-end developers focus on the user experience, using technology to create efficient, fast, and smooth websites, platforms, and apps. Your responsibilities range from bringing concepts to life to testing usability to producing and maintaining interfaces. As you study front-end development, you'll leverage various other skills and tools.

• APIs and RESTful services: Representational State Transfer or RESTful services and Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) are web services that let you know how to communicate with web services, enabling you to perform more effectively while enhancing web service performance for increased reliability.

• SEO: Learning search engine optimization (SEO) is considered by many to be the perfect accompanying skill for front-end developers.

• Creativity: Front-end developers can use their imagination and design skills to create visually appealing and interactive interfaces that grab the user's attention and provide a memorable experience.

• Excellent communication: By effectively communicating their ideas and requirements, front-end developers can ensure that everyone involved in a project is working towards a shared vision and delivering the best possible outcome.

• Problem-solving: From technical issues to design challenges, front-end developers must be able to analyze problems, identify potential solutions, and choose the best course of action to resolve them.

Read more: What Does a Front-End Developer Do?

Start advancing your skills in front-end languages

Build job-ready skills in front-end languages like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and React with the Meta Front-End Developer Professional Certificate or IBM Front-End Developer Professional Certificate on Coursera. Learn from industry experts as you prepare for a career as a front-end developer. Upon completion of either Professional Certificate, gain exclusive access to career resources like resume review, interview prep, and career support.