10: Next Steps

1. JavaScript is entirely self-contained and doesn't reference the HTML lessons, so you can start it even as a total beginner.
2. Start with either HTML or JavaScript, depending on what you're interested in.
3. Mix in some of the other modules while you study. That means, if you started with JavaScript, then mix in some HTML study.
4. You do need to do HTML then CSS, as you need to know HTML to understand CSS.
5. Other than that, mix it up and try to occasionally attempt to write a simple tool. Doesn't matter what it is, just try to make something small.

A Final Warning About IDEs

You've hopefully installed all the software you need and are ready to start the course but I have one final warning for you before you begin:

Do not use an IDE to avoid the command line.

You will learn to use the command line because the tools you need are there. IDEs try to hide these tools from you and they limit your potential. IDEs are also slower because they're almost impossible to automate. The entire purpose of this course is learning how to run your own show, and the only way to do that is to learn to automate everything you do.

The beginning of automation is learning the command line, and if you keep hitting "RUN" in your IDE you won't learn that. After you learn the command line tools then feel free to use an IDE if it makes you more confident and faster. In particular, do not use the "terminal" that comes with Visual Studio Code. It's convenient, but it's more frequently broken and fails to work for various reasons. It's also not really buying you much since you can do the exact same commands in a real Terminal or PowerShell window and have no issues at all. Simply stop using the broken shell in VSCode by running Terminal or PowerShell.

If the reason you don't want to use Terminal or PowerShell is because it's "difficult" to switch to it, then you might need to learn the keyboard control your OS supports. You can press ALT-TAB and cycle through windows. On Windows you can press WIN-TAB to see all open windows and select the one you want, as well as which desktop to use. On Windows you can also use WIN-(arrow) with (arrow) meaning the left, right, up, down arrow keys and position windows evenly on different sides of the screen, or take up the whole screen. On OSX you can get Rectangle and have a similar feature. Taking the time to learn to control your computer with your keyboard will save you time and also save your wrists.