A lot of beginners ask this question. Do developers memorize everything? Do they memorize the whole programming language and the documentation? Do I need to remember everything to be considered as a professional developer?
The answer to all of these is a big NO
There is absolutely no memorization required as a Software Developer. Period.
We live in an era where you can look up nearly any piece of information right from your computer or smartphone.
Never memorize what you can look up in a book – Einstein
This quotation from Albert Einstein is even more relevant today than it was before.
In his time, there were books but nowadays, we have the internet. You can literally find any information on the internet easily.
You really shouldn’t waste time committing details to memory when you really should be remembering the bigger picture and understanding the important concepts.
The most important concepts will stick in your mind because you use them over and over, and the more enigmatic ones will remain forever stored on the internet, do a quick google search anytime you need them.
The #1 most used resource of a developer is.... Google.com
Yes, it's normal for developers to google information in the midst of coding their apps. Its as normal is drinking coffee.
Having said that, to pass the interview, you must practice what you learn. Practice it enough that you are able to articulate your knowledge to prove your competence. It's not about memorization, it's about how well you know something.
Below is the guide on what you should memorize the main concepts of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript:
HTML🔧
For HTML, you should be familiar with 25 to 30 elements.
Here’s a great starting point to get you familiar with the most common HTML & CSS elements.
In HTML, learn the key elements to build a web page; start small and implement your learning. Know how the form element works, once you know all of the ins and outs of the HTML form elements, repeat the process with other tags.
You should know the basic tags you’ll be using on a daily basis like; body, div, head, p, ul, li, h1 - h6, span, strong, em, table, etc. These elements are the fundamentals you should really know.
You should know how to write the HTML5 doctype. Also how to write a script tag for inline JavaScript and including a script file.
CSS 🎨
You should know how to change font size, color, margin, padding, and width. You should know clearly how to float an element using float left or right, and how to clear afloat.
You should know the difference between; em, px, rem, and %. You should also know how to write a basic media query if you want your website or application to be responsive across multiple platforms.
It’s totally okay if you don’t know the half-a-dozen different elements of HTML and properties of CSS. If you need any help, there’s always Google
JavaScript 💻
You should know how to query the DOM without relying on any library.
You should know the basic console commands
- console.log
- console.error
- console.dir(object)
- copy(string)
- console.groupEnd
- console.timeEnd(label)
- console.groupCollapsed
- console.time(label)
- console.group(title)
You should know the important concepts such as loops, if-else statements, objects, functions, arrays.
Here’s an in-depth JavaScript Course you can go through and master the fundamentals.
Continuous Learning
When it comes to programming, there’s never going to be a point at which you can say “I have learned and mastered everything” in a programming language.
But there will be a point at which you will feel comfortable. You will no longer panic. If something new shows up, you will feel comfortable looking it up and figuring it out.
All you have to do is to continue to learn and practice.
P.S. If you are just starting out, you can Become a Full-Stack JavaScript Developer by following the exact techniques and roadmap that Aziz Ali, founder of ILoveCoding, used to become an expert in the field.
I hope you enjoyed reading this blog. If you have any questions, leave your comments below.
Author: Ameer Abbas
Web Developer - Learnaholic - Reader -- I'm passionate about Marketing, Growth Hacking, Business, and Web Technology. When I’m not working, I love reading books, learning new skills, and indulging my love for seeing new places. I love running, reading books, and business blogs.
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