Do we need to learn HTML and CSS?

ByWalter Wimberly

Do we need to learn HTML and CSS? This is a question I see posted all of the time on various different forums and discussion groups I am on. Of course, it’s not usually formatted just like this. It’s often asked in a manner similar to:

  • Given tools like Wix….
  • With blogging software like WordPress…
  • Since we can create an eCommerce Store with Shopify…
  • etc, etc, etc…

And I will be honest, it is a valid question for all of those reasons, and many more. In fact, I’ve used more than one content management systems (CMS) in my many years of developing websites. So why would I encourage a class like this, which teaches HTML and CSS?

The Need to Customize a System

Well, it’s for a very important reason. That is, all of those tools are great… until they aren’t. When you are starting out, being able to use a simple tool is nice. However, you will reach a point where you want to modify the way something looks and/or works. WordPress, Shopify, and many other tools, will allow you to create custom templates/themes and/or plugins to expand their system.

This is great because it adds extra functionality. However, it also requires that you know how to use HTML and CSS, along with their API, to build those modules. You may not need it on every website, but when you do, understanding the basics of how something works is immensely important, if you want to be truly successful.

As a freelance developer, I can charge more than people who use a free template, because I can make it just want the person needs. This allows me to get jobs other people cannot, because I can do what they cannot, and like I said, I can charge more.

When You Can’t Use an Off the Shelf System

Additionally, you will find there are times where you cannot use an off the shelf system for various reasons. Maybe you are needing to report the status of a device. Because HTTP and HTTPS are so simple to implement, you provide a web interface for people to check their smart home/security camera/whatever. This means you won’t be using any of those ready made tools, and will need to build something from scratch.

I manage my wireless switch, cable modem, etc all through a web interface, and it cannot be a WordPress site.

Likewise, if you want to build a data driven site, you may not be able to use an off the shelf software, or you will need to build a plugin to make it work. This could be because you need a way to present a large amount of data, or load data from external sources such as from an API.

With something like that, you’ll need to build an app using Angular, Vue, React, or a similar library and/or framework. And while this can make building a website easier, it is still something that you will have to do knowing the HTML and CSS specifications. (And knowing a little back end code and/or JavaScript is a great help too usually.)

So yes, in many cases, especially as someone who is more technical, you will need to have experience building websites with HTML and CSS.

Do we need to learn HTML and CSS? was originally found on Access 2 Learn

Assistant Professor

Walter Wimberly is an Assistant Professor at a regional college in Tennessee, teaching Computer Science in the Software Engineering track. He works as a student advisor, oversees curriculum changes, develops new courses, and manages the advisory panel.
Walter taught full time for about 7 years, before going back into “industry” as a full stack Software Developer for a dozen years. There he focused on web based projects coding in JavaScript/jQuery and utilizing the Bootstrap CSS Framework on the front-end, and coding in PHP, ASP/ASP.Net, SQL on the back-end.

Since he loves teaching, he taught as an adjunct web and digital media classes for eight (8) years, while working in industry, and has since returned to teaching full time.

He has been married for over 25 years, and is father to several special needs boys. As such, he is working on some projects to help others who have special needs to be self-sufficient, and support the care givers of those with special needs. Check out his Autism blog for more info.

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