I would love to say that I always know exactly what I’m doing, but then I would be lying. Even though I’ve been building web sites for over a decade, I still need to look things up and I still face challenges that I need help to overcome. Over the years, I’ve found a few resources that I consistently turn to when I need clarification or I’m stuck.
W3Schools![w3schools]()
I know that there are some critics out there, but W3Schools was one of the first resources that I relied upon when I began learning HTML and CSS. It’s got a lot of decent tutorials for beginners, but the reason that I still rely upon it is the HTML and CSS references. W3Schools cultivates a list of all HTML elements and their available attributes as well as a list of all CSS properties and their possible values. It may not be the definitive source (that would be W3C), but those lists have proven to be very handy in a pinch.
Google![google]()
I know that this seems like a no-brainer, but, like most people, when I encounter an issue that I need help with, I usually turn to Google first. Most of the time, a quick Google search will unearth the solution I need and I’ve even developed some strategies to help dig up those gems. I usually start with the language and then follow it up with the topic that I’m trying to research, such as “CSS clear fix,” “HTML5 section tag,” or “JS print window.”
CSS-Tricks![csstricks]()
Often, when I’m searching for a CSS solution, I end up at CSS-Tricks, which I’ve come to highly revere over the last couple of years. Chris Coyier does a fantastic job providing solutions to common problems and outlining their pros and cons.
jQuery API![jqueryapi]()
I love jQuery’s API, because it’s incredibly robust and includes a ton of great examples. I can almost always find the answers I need just by reading the API entry for whatever function that I’m attempting to employ.
Stack Overflow![stackoverflow]()
Chances are pretty darn good that just about any coding question that I come up with has already been asked and answered on Stack Overflow. Sometimes, Stack Overflow is incredibly helpful and steers me in the right direction and sometimes it’s not ,depending on the quality of the responses, but I love it because it gives developers an easy way to discuss a topic with a global community of peers.
Some other fine suggestions
While I don’t personally rely on these sites very often, I’m aware that many of my peers do. If you aren’t familiar with them, they may be worth checking out.
What resources to constantly rely upon?
