Skip to content

Commit ba64505

Browse files
bryanchriswhitebryanchriswhite
committed
Add Part IV: Historical Context curriculum
Three modules covering the evolution of web development: - Module 16: The Server-Side Era (1990s-2005) CGI, PHP, LAMP stack, sessions, page refresh limitations - Module 17: The AJAX Revolution (2005-2013) XMLHttpRequest, jQuery, Web 2.0, JSON, callback patterns - Module 18: The Modern Frontend (2013-Present) React, build tools, TypeScript, SSR return, current landscape Completes the full DevFoundry curriculum (18 modules across 4 parts).
1 parent 485d21d commit ba64505

File tree

10 files changed

+1969
-4
lines changed

10 files changed

+1969
-4
lines changed

‎curriculum/README.md‎

Lines changed: 6 additions & 3 deletions
Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
@@ -44,10 +44,13 @@ A structured learning path for AI-assisted software development.
4444

4545
---
4646

47-
## Coming Soon
47+
## Part IV: Historical Context ✓
4848

49-
### Part IV: Historical Context
50-
- Evolution of the Web
49+
| Module | Topic |
50+
|--------|-------|
51+
| 16 | [The Server-Side Era](https://devfoundry.io/docs/curriculum/part-4-historical-context/server-side-era) |
52+
| 17 | [The AJAX Revolution](https://devfoundry.io/docs/curriculum/part-4-historical-context/ajax-revolution) |
53+
| 18 | [The Modern Frontend](https://devfoundry.io/docs/curriculum/part-4-historical-context/modern-frontend) |
5154

5255
---
5356

‎curriculum/part-4-historical-context/16-server-side-era.md‎

Lines changed: 28 additions & 0 deletions
Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
1+
# Module 16: The Server-Side Era
2+
3+
How the web began — static pages, CGI scripts, and the rise of PHP.
4+
5+
**Full module**: [devfoundry.io/docs/curriculum/part-4-historical-context/server-side-era](https://devfoundry.io/docs/curriculum/part-4-historical-context/server-side-era)
6+
7+
## Key Concepts
8+
9+
- The original web: static HTML documents
10+
- CGI: the first dynamic web pages
11+
- PHP and server-side templating
12+
- The request-response model
13+
- Why "page refresh" was the only option
14+
15+
## Timeline
16+
17+
- 1991: World Wide Web invented
18+
- 1993: CGI specification
19+
- 1995: PHP and JavaScript created
20+
- 1996-2005: Server-side dominance
21+
22+
## Exercises
23+
24+
Understanding legacy patterns by building a simple server-rendered page.
25+
26+
---
27+
28+
*See the full module for detailed history and code examples.*

‎curriculum/part-4-historical-context/17-ajax-revolution.md‎

Lines changed: 29 additions & 0 deletions
Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
1+
# Module 17: The AJAX Revolution
2+
3+
How XMLHttpRequest and jQuery transformed the web into an application platform.
4+
5+
**Full module**: [devfoundry.io/docs/curriculum/part-4-historical-context/ajax-revolution](https://devfoundry.io/docs/curriculum/part-4-historical-context/ajax-revolution)
6+
7+
## Key Concepts
8+
9+
- XMLHttpRequest: talking to servers without page refresh
10+
- "Web 2.0" and rich internet applications
11+
- jQuery's rise and DOM manipulation
12+
- The browser compatibility nightmare
13+
- JSON replacing XML
14+
- Why this era was both liberating and chaotic
15+
16+
## Timeline
17+
18+
- 2004: Gmail demonstrates AJAX potential
19+
- 2005: "AJAX" term coined, Google Maps launches
20+
- 2006: jQuery released
21+
- 2008-2010: Peak jQuery era
22+
23+
## Exercises
24+
25+
Building an AJAX-powered feature to understand the pre-framework patterns.
26+
27+
---
28+
29+
*See the full module for detailed history and code examples.*

‎curriculum/part-4-historical-context/18-modern-frontend.md‎

Lines changed: 32 additions & 0 deletions
Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
1+
# Module 18: The Modern Frontend
2+
3+
React's paradigm shift, build tools, and the current state of web development.
4+
5+
**Full module**: [devfoundry.io/docs/curriculum/part-4-historical-context/modern-frontend](https://devfoundry.io/docs/curriculum/part-4-historical-context/modern-frontend)
6+
7+
## Key Concepts
8+
9+
- React and the component model
10+
- Virtual DOM and declarative UI
11+
- npm and the package ecosystem
12+
- Webpack, Vite, and build tools
13+
- TypeScript's rise
14+
- SSR, SSG, and the pendulum swing
15+
- WebAssembly and the future
16+
17+
## Timeline
18+
19+
- 2013: React released
20+
- 2014: Webpack gains traction
21+
- 2015: ES6, React Native
22+
- 2016: TypeScript, Angular 2
23+
- 2020: Vite, Next.js SSR
24+
- 2024: Server Components, edge computing
25+
26+
## Exercises
27+
28+
Reflecting on the evolution and evaluating emerging technologies.
29+
30+
---
31+
32+
*See the full module for the complete story of modern frontend development.*

‎curriculum/part-4-historical-context/README.md‎

Lines changed: 58 additions & 0 deletions
Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
1+
# Part IV: Historical Context
2+
3+
Understanding why modern web architecture exists — the problems, solutions, and evolution.
4+
5+
**Full curriculum**: [devfoundry.io/docs/curriculum/part-4-historical-context](https://devfoundry.io/docs/curriculum/part-4-historical-context)
6+
7+
---
8+
9+
## Modules ✓
10+
11+
| Module | Topic | Era |
12+
|--------|-------|-----|
13+
| 16 | [The Server-Side Era](./16-server-side-era.md) | 1990s–2005 |
14+
| 17 | [The AJAX Revolution](./17-ajax-revolution.md) | 2005–2013 |
15+
| 18 | [The Modern Frontend](./18-modern-frontend.md) | 2013–Present |
16+
17+
---
18+
19+
## Why History Matters
20+
21+
Modern web development can feel arbitrary:
22+
- Why do we need build tools?
23+
- Why are there so many frameworks?
24+
- Why is JavaScript everywhere?
25+
26+
**History provides the "why."**
27+
28+
Each technology you use today exists because something before it had limitations. Understanding this progression helps you:
29+
- Make better architectural decisions
30+
- Evaluate new technologies critically
31+
- Appreciate what frameworks actually solve
32+
- Predict where things might go next
33+
34+
---
35+
36+
## The Timeline
37+
38+
```
39+
1991 1995 2005 2010 2015 2020 Future
40+
│ │ │ │ │ │ │
41+
▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼
42+
WWW JavaScript AJAX Node.js React WASM ???
43+
HTML PHP/CGI jQuery Angular Webpack Edge
44+
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────►
45+
Server-Side Era │ AJAX Era │ Modern Frontend Era
46+
│ │
47+
"Web 2.0" "SPA Era"
48+
```
49+
50+
---
51+
52+
## Prerequisites
53+
54+
This part is **optional but enriching**. Complete Parts I-III first to get the most value from the historical context.
55+
56+
---
57+
58+
*See the [full documentation](https://devfoundry.io/docs/curriculum) for complete module content.*

‎website/docs/curriculum/part-3-building-applications/deployed-app.md‎

Lines changed: 1 addition & 1 deletion
Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
@@ -590,7 +590,7 @@ You've built:
590590
**From here, you can:**
591591
- Add features to your deployed app
592592
- Build your own project using these patterns
593-
- Explore Part IV: Historical Context
593+
- **[Explore Part IV: Historical Context](../part-4-historical-context/server-side-era)** — Understand why everything exists
594594
- Join the DevFoundry community and build in public
595595

596596
---

‎website/docs/curriculum/part-4-historical-context/_category_.json‎

Lines changed: 8 additions & 0 deletions
Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
1+
{
2+
"label": "Part IV: Historical Context",
3+
"position": 4,
4+
"link": {
5+
"type": "generated-index",
6+
"description": "Understanding why modern web architecture exists — the problems, solutions, and evolution."
7+
}
8+
}

0 commit comments

Comments
 (0)