What do I need to learn before I can start using Lift?

I know Scala. I've used mongoDB, r开发者_运维知识库edis, sbt, ... backend stuff.

I know basic HTML, CSS and JavaScript but have never done real web development.

I don't know what AJAX is. I don't really know any frontend stuff.

What should I learn before I start trying to tackle Lift?

If you know Scala, you are pretty much set on the programming side.

On the other hand, Lift requires HTML/CSS templates. In fact, it is completely separate from programming, so that a professional web designer can work on them, while the programmer works on the code. If you can revise your HTML/CSS stuff, it will help.

You don't need to know AJAX -- that part Lift takes care of for you.

So, it seems you are mostly set. I strongly recommend Timothy Perret's Lift in Action, from Manning. Though the book hasn't been released yet, you can get the Manning Early Access Program (MEAP) for it and, as it happens, the whole book has been written already.

If you already know Scala, learn some basics of web development and how Java handles it:

• HTTP protocol
• Servlets (also know what JSP is)
• AJAX