# Full Stack Web Development Resources

## Knowledge

### HTML & CSS (Foundations)
- [MDN Web Docs: Learn Web Development](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Learn)
  The authoritative reference for HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Use as the primary source of truth for syntax, APIs, and browser behavior. Every claim in lessons should be verified here.
- [Kevin Powell (YouTube)](https://www.youtube.com/@KevinJPowell)
  The industry standard for CSS mastery. Use for: Flexbox, Grid, responsive design, modern CSS patterns.
- [web.dev (Google)](https://web.dev/learn)
  Google's developer guides. Use for: performance, accessibility, and modern web platform features.

### JavaScript
- [JavaScript.info — The Modern JavaScript Tutorial](https://javascript.info/)
  Deep, well-structured free textbook covering ES6+ fundamentals through advanced topics. Use for: closures, async/await, prototypes, DOM API.
- [Web Dev Simplified (YouTube)](https://www.youtube.com/@WebDevSimplified)
  Clear, concise JavaScript concept explanations. Use for: understanding tricky JS concepts like `this`, event loop, closures.
- [Eloquent JavaScript (Free Online Book)](https://eloquentjavascript.net/)
  Classic free book. Use for: deeper conceptual understanding after basics are solid.

### Git & GitHub
- [Git Documentation (Official)](https://git-scm.com/doc)
  The canonical reference. Use for: command syntax, branching models.
- [GitHub Skills](https://skills.github.com/)
  Interactive, hands-on courses by GitHub. Use for: learning GitHub workflows (PRs, issues, Actions).

### React & Next.js
- [React Official Docs](https://react.dev/)
  The redesigned React docs. Excellent for: hooks, components, thinking in React, escape hatches.
- [Next.js Official Docs](https://nextjs.org/docs)
  The primary reference for App Router, Server Components, data fetching, and deployment.
- [The Net Ninja (YouTube)](https://www.youtube.com/@NetNinja)
  Step-by-step playlists for React and Next.js. Use for: structured tutorial walkthroughs when first encountering a framework.

### Node.js, Express & MongoDB
- [Node.js Official Docs](https://nodejs.org/en/docs)
  Reference for Node.js APIs, modules, and runtime behavior.
- [Express.js Guide](https://expressjs.com/en/guide/routing.html)
  The official Express documentation. Use for: routing, middleware, error handling patterns.
- [MongoDB University (Free Courses)](https://learn.mongodb.com/)
  Official MongoDB courses. Use for: CRUD operations, aggregation, schema design, indexing.

### API Design & Authentication
- [RESTful API Design — Best Practices (Microsoft)](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/best-practices/api-design)
  Enterprise-grade REST API design guide. Use for: naming conventions, HTTP methods, status codes, pagination.
- [Better Auth Documentation](https://www.better-auth.com/docs)
  The auth framework we'll use in projects. Use for: session management, OAuth, middleware patterns.

### Deployment
- [Vercel Documentation](https://vercel.com/docs)
  Deploy Next.js apps. Use for: environment variables, serverless functions, domains.
- [Render Documentation](https://docs.render.com/)
  Deploy Node/Express backends. Use for: free tier hosting, PostgreSQL/MongoDB setup.

### General (Full Stack)
- [roadmap.sh — Full Stack Developer Roadmap](https://roadmap.sh/full-stack)
  Community-curated visual roadmap. Use for: understanding the big picture and what comes next.
- [freeCodeCamp](https://www.freecodecamp.org/)
  Interactive coding challenges and certifications. Use for: structured practice and portfolio-worthy certificates.
- [The Odin Project](https://www.theodinproject.com/)
  Project-based, brutally practical curriculum. Use for: building real things on your local machine with professional tooling.

## Wisdom (Communities)

- [r/webdev](https://reddit.com/r/webdev)
  Large, active subreddit. Good for: career advice, portfolio reviews, industry trends.
- [r/learnprogramming](https://reddit.com/r/learnprogramming)
  Supportive community for beginners. Good for: asking "dumb" questions safely, debugging help.
- [Dev.to](https://dev.to/)
  Developer blogging platform. Good for: reading others' learning journeys, writing your own (builds portfolio credibility).
- [Stack Overflow](https://stackoverflow.com/)
  The Q&A standard. Good for: specific technical questions when stuck on a bug.
- [Discord: Theo's T3 Community](https://t3.gg/discord)
  Active modern web dev community (Next.js, TypeScript focused). Good for: real-time help and code review.

## Gaps

- No high-quality free resource specifically for "freelancing as a web developer" (client communication, pricing, contracts). Will search for this when the user reaches that phase.
- Need to find a good resource for TypeScript fundamentals — will be needed before React/Next.js phase.