Ryan’s Book Review : “HTML & CSS: Design and Build Websites” by Steve Duckett

[Former Member]

If you are a developer just getting started with SAP Fiori, SAPUI5, HANA as well as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, you’re likely often facing a whirlwind of excitement and frustration as you begin to develop your very first apps.

Whether you’re seasoned ABAP veteran or someone entirely new to software development, it’s easy to “miss the boat” with regards to really understanding best practice in HTML and CSS. It’s so easy to get ourselves caught up in web services, oData, JavaScript/jQuery, data visualization, HANA, AWS and so many other things that you may not be entirely sure if you are starting your learning and development in the right place. Take my advice, if you don’t have HTML and CSS knowledge or if it is pretty rusty, work on that before anything else before taking on developing your first SAPUI5/Fiori/HANA app.

There are numerous online courses and tutorials available on learning HTML and CSS, including some very good free ones. But let’s admit something, when you’re taking a course online, there’s the whole rest of the internet there to distract you. Sometimes, it is good to take a break from our web browsers, code editors, and everything else we’re multitasking on and focus on studying the essentials of what we need to know. That’s where this book comes in handy.

Duckett has put together a book on HTML & CSS that truly is in a class of its own. Many books on technology topics like this are filled with countless lines of lifeless text. In contrast, Duckett’s “HTML & CSS” is distinctly colorful, visually engaging, and succinct in describing how HTML and CSS works to structure texts, buttons, shapes and everything else that makes up the user interface of a web page. And if nothing else, this is a beautiful book worthy of your coffee table at home or in the office. The presentation is artfully crafted to show you the beauty and simplicity of using HTML and CSS’s  features. Nothing more, nothing less.

Speaking from my own experience developing web applications integrated with SAP, there is a certain “zen” you get from your work once you really understand HTML and CSS well. Creating state-of-the art user experiences no longer seems so arduous and monolithic of a task to accomplish. And as a developer working with cutting edge technology, you have plenty of monolithic tasks to accomplish! This book is an incredible resource to everyone looking to improve their skills working with HTML and CSS. Steve Duckett’s “HTML & CSS” earns my highest recommendation. 5/5 stars.

Non-affiliate link to the book on Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/HTML-CSS-Design-Build-Websites/dp/1118008189/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=14...