The Forge · engineering, computing & technology
Web, App & Software Development
From a blank index.html to software strangers rely on — craft, tooling, and taste.
Markup, styles, and layout — a real page online by the end, no frameworks needed.
Syllabus · 4 units · ~16 hours
Unit I — The Document
What a browser does with HTML · Elements, tags, and attributes · Headings, lists, links, and images · Semantic structure
Unit II — The Style
Selectors and the cascade · The box model · Color and typography on screen
Unit III — The Layout
Flexbox · Grid · Responsive design and media queries
Unit IV — Going Live
Files, folders, and paths · Putting a site on the internet · An accessibility check before you ship
The DOM, events, and fetch — making the page respond to the person in front of it.
Syllabus · 3 units · ~28 hours
Unit I — The Language
Values and types · Functions as first-class values · Arrays and objects
Unit II — The Page as Data
The DOM tree · Selecting and changing elements · Events and listeners
Unit III — Talking to Servers
fetch and promises · JSON · Rendering data into the page · Handling failure gracefully
Routes, databases, and authentication — the half of the app nobody sees but everybody trusts.
Syllabus · 4 units · ~36 hours
Unit I — The Request
HTTP verbs and status codes · Routing · Middleware
Unit II — State
Relational databases and SQL · Schema design · Migrations
Unit III — Identity
Sessions and tokens · Password storage done right · Authorization vs. authentication
Unit IV — The Contract
REST conventions · Versioning and documentation · Rate limits and pagination
Git, tests, and code review — the working habits that turn a script into software.
Syllabus · 3 units · ~20 hours
Unit I — History You Can Trust
Git: commits, branches, merges · Writing a useful commit message · Pull requests and review
Unit II — Proof It Works
Unit tests · Test-driven development, honestly appraised · Continuous integration
Unit III — Code Others Can Read
Naming and structure · Refactoring in small steps · Documentation that survives contact with reality
Screens, state, and store review — taking an app from simulator to someone's pocket.
Syllabus · 4 units · ~32 hours
Unit I — The Platform
How mobile apps differ from web pages · Native, hybrid, and cross-platform tradeoffs · Setting up the toolchain
Unit II — Screens and State
Views and layout on small screens · Navigation stacks and tabs · Managing state across screens
Unit III — The Device
Touch, gestures, and haptics · Camera, location, and permissions · Offline behavior
Unit IV — Shipping
Signing and provisioning · Store listings and review · Crash reports and updates