1. Download Firebug
I can’t highly recommend this one enough, this nifty Firefox add-on helped me and I would like to thanks a fellow website developer for point this one out to me when we started developing our first website back at tafe.
Firebug without doubt is the best plug-in you will ever use when creating websites. Not only does it provide incredible JavaScript debugging, but you’ll also learn how to pinpoint which elements are inheriting that extra padding that you were unaware of. download firebug
Firebug developers: Joe Hewitt, Rob Campbell, FirebugWorkingGroup
2. Use Firebug.
3. Keep Your Tag Names Lowercase.
Yes technically you can have your tag names in UPPERCASE, but with say that it’s serves no purpose plus it hurt my and other people eyes viewing your soure code.
4. Placing Javascript Files at the Bottom.
Remember the primary goal is to make sure the site loads quickly as possible for the user. When loading a script the browser waits until all of the entire script loaded. Thus making the user wait longer before noticing any progress.
5. Validate then repeat continuously.
I also can’t recommend this enough. You should aim for a 100% valid website each time you create one.
That said, it isn’t the end of the world if your website doesn’t validate, but it’s important to know the reasons why it doesn’t so that you can fix any nasty errors like those missing “alt” tags using those “&” instead of “&” for ampersands.
HTML Validation
CSS Validation
6. Download ySlow
Thanks to the Yahoo team they have been doing some great work for our field by releasing an extension for Firefox browser called ySlow. When activated it will analyse the given website and give you a “report card” of what sort of details that the site needs improvement. It can be harsh but i really recommend this.
7. Choose a text editor
Wether you a Mac user or a Window, there are plenty of awesome text editors out that will work wonderfully for you.
Mac
PC
8. All images require Alt attributes
It is easy to ignore the necessity for alt attributes within image tags. Nevertheless, it’s very important, for accessibility and validation reasons.
9. Don’t be afraid to ask questions
No matter on what people think, don’t be afraid to ask any questions even those really simple or dumb questions and yeah you will always get those people who says “not that question again” but their forgetting that we all was starting out down the bottom doing the same things by asking those exact questions.
