Django Prerequisites

You might worry that Django will be too hard to learn. This guide will help you understand the best methods for learning Django and what you should study first to make the learning process easier. This way, you’ll be successful however you choose to apply your new skills.

In the following sections, you will learn more about what Django is, how it can apply to your career, and the prerequisites needed to learn this web framework.

What is Django?

Django is a popular, open-source Python web framework used to rapidly, efficiently, and securely develop websites and web applications. Django began in 2003 as a way for developers Adrian Holovaty and Simon Willison to quickly build Lawrence Journal-World’s multiple news sites, constantly churning out new content for various communities. Since the public first gained access to Django in 2005, developers worldwide have made use of this free framework and contributed to its advancement. Today, Django improvements are managed by the nonprofit Django Software Foundation.

Django streamlines the web development process by emphasizing reusable components. These components eliminate the need for developers to manually enter the same code repeatedly. The time Django saves developers empowers web development teams to increase scalability, meet deadlines, and build multiple websites and web applications in quick succession.

Read more about what Django is and why you should learn it. 

What Can You Do with Django?

Wondering what you can do with Django? Django has numerous use cases for web development, data science, and more. Django can build all sorts of websites, including a Content Management System (CMS), news site, social media platform, and more. 

Python objects called models allow Django web applications to query and manage data. Django’s simple query API allows the associated database to be searched, enabling complex statements. 

Django’s template systems allow developers to define an output document’s structure. It delivers content in nearly any format, including RSS feeds, HTML, XML, and JSON. Django supports its native templating system, the Jinja2 Python library out of the box, and can also be modified to support other systems. 

Other things you can do with Django include: 

• Collecting user data with HTML forms
• Manage a user permission and authentication system
• Create an administration site
• Serialize data

Is Django Easy to Learn?

Learning Django on your own can prove frustrating and difficult. Gaining a firm grasp of Python programming fundamentals will ease the journey to mastering Django. Taking a Python training course led by an expert instructor also makes the journey more manageable. Your teacher can guide you through lessons and exercises, offer tips and best practices, and help you overcome obstacles.

Noble Desktop’s Python for Data Science Bootcamp provides students with a solid Python programming foundation. This bootcamp is designed for beginners looking to advance from learning fundamentals to analyzing datasets. This course covers Python fundamentals first. Students then learn how to structure programs, work with arrays and dataframes, analyze and visualize data, and develop machine learning models based on statistics.

What to Know Before Learning Django

As a free, open-source Python web framework in use for nearly twenty years, Django has an abundance of documentation and resources publicly available. However, having access to this information is not enough on its own to start learning Django. The sections below outline prerequisites to learning Django and other aspects to consider before diving n. 

HTML & CSS

Before learning Django, you must know the basics of Python coding. Gaining a thorough understanding of another coding language can make learning Python much easier. Two solid programming languages to start with are HTML and CSS. HTML provides the structure of a webpage. CSS determines the webpage's presentation, including the colors, fonts, and layout. If you wish to learn Django to become a web developer, mastering HTML and CSS is essential. 

Many in-person and live online classes teach these two coding languages together in one course. Noble Desktop’s Intro to HTML & CSS class teaches beginners how to format headings, paragraphs, and lists and how to add images, manage tags, and create links. This class is a great introduction to HTML and CSS for those new to programming. Those ready to take a deeper dive into web development can look into Noble’s Intro to Web Development with HTML & CSS course, in which students learn even more ways to build webpages with these two coding languages.

Python Fundamentals

After learning HTML and CSS, you can begin to learn Python. You can either start with a class covering just the Python fundamentals or learn Python fundamentals as part of a longer course with a more extensive curriculum. Noble Desktop’s Python Coding Bootcamp guides students from learning the Python basics to becoming advanced users. This course teaches Django, Django REST, Git, SQL, and more, all in one class so you can quickly add new skills to your development toolbox.

Career Goals

Before learning Django, it is beneficial to consider your career goals. Are you interested in web development, software development, data science, or something else? Web Developers, Software Engineers, and Data Scientists use Django differently. While a broad understanding of Django will benefit you in any of these roles, your chosen job will determine which elements of Django you specialize in. Knowing your area of focus can also help you choose the Python or Django training class best suited to that niche. For example, Noble Desktop’s Python Web Development with Django course caters to aspiring Web Developers, while other classes might focus more on the data science applications of the framework.

Learn Django with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Learning Django not only requires learning the principles and applications of this framework but applying those concepts to real-world, hands-on projects. In-person and live online Django classes provide the opportunity to put theory into practice. Courses led by an instructor also grant you direct access to an expert that can help you overcome obstacles, answer your questions, and provide mentorship as you develop your Django skills.

You can learn Django with Noble Desktop’s hands-on training options like the Software Engineering Bootcamp, Python Developer Certificate, the Python Django Development course, and other Python classes and bootcamps. 

The Software Engineering and Python Developer certificate programs teach Django as part of a broader curriculum. The Software Engineering Certificate prepares students to become Full Stack Developers or Software Engineers with sections dedicated to front end development, JavaScript development, and Python development with Django. The Python Developer Certificate teaches beginners to use Django, Django REST, Git, SQL, and more. 

Students already familiar with Python but wishing for a deeper dive into Django can enroll in the Python Django Development course. This class covers the fundamentals of Django and how to use Django REST, which is used to build web APIs.

Noble’s small class sizes ensure you receive personal feedback from your instructor. Courses include free retakes and offer flexible payment plans so you can finance your new career without paying the full tuition upfront. Certificate courses also include one-on-one mentorship and the creation of professional portfolios to help you find a job in your new field.

Key Insights

• Django is a difficult web framework to learn and requires certain prerequisites. 
• Learning HTML and CSS provides a foundation for understanding programming language principles. 
• HTML and CSS are easy introductory languages applicable to many professionals and are essential for web development. 
• HTML & CSS also serve as an introduction to web development which can help gauge your level of interest.
• Django is a Python web framework. As such, mastery of Python fundamentals is essential.
• Determining your career goals will help you choose classes focusing on the skills necessary for your new job.