Boot.dev Blog - Pg. 3

The Boot.dev Beat. September 2023

Aug 31, 2023 by Lane Wagner

The best part of working on Boot.dev is seeing you all make almost unbelievable strides in not only your understanding of fundamental concepts, but what you can now build from scratch. It’s not just that, I’ve been hearing a lot of stories about the confidence that’s being gained by our alumnis after shipping so much code. That’s a critical part of the journey.

Can I Use Python for Web Development?

Aug 14, 2023 by Natalie Schooner

I love giving a short answer to these: yes, 100%, Python is a great tool for web development.

The One Thing I'd Change About Go

Aug 12, 2023 by Lane Wagner

Go is built for grug brained programmers like me. grug brain developer not so smart, but grug brain developer program many long year and learn some things although mostly still confused

What is Backend Web Development?

Aug 07, 2023 by Natalie Schooner

The boring answer is that backend web development is the process of building the server-side of websites and web applications. It primarily focuses on handling the logic, data processing, and communication between the user’s web browser and the server.

The Boot.dev Beat. August 2023

Jul 28, 2023 by Lane Wagner

As I’m writing this on July 28th, we’ve had 118,984 lessons successfully completed by students on Boot.dev so far this July. This marks the first time we’ve had over 100k lessons completed in a month. While I’m ecstatic that we’ve been able to join you in so many of your learning journeys, I just want to emphasize that it’s your journey. We’re here to provide the best resources and experience that we can, but you deserve every ounce of credit for your hard work. Keep it up friends.

The Pros and Cons of Django for Backend Development

Jul 17, 2023 by Natalie Schooner

Django is a popular Python-based framework for building web applications. It provides pre-built components and conventions, which simplifies the web app development process and allows developers to focus on writing their application’s specific logic rather than dealing with repetitive tasks. Basically, it’s all about reusability.

I Mock Your Mocks

Jul 13, 2023 by Lane Wagner

Several years ago I started my first job as a “senior” Go developer. You see, after a modest 3 years in the industry, my arcane ability to use the Go standard library’s strings.Contains() function managed to leave a powerful impression on the hiring team.

The Best Backend for Vue: 6 Options

Jul 11, 2023 by Natalie Schooner

Part of being in the software development space means I’m near a lot of entrepreneurs. Code is a powerful building block, and that appeals to a lot of self-taught big thinkers.

Frontend? Gross. This is Why I've Always Preferred the Backend

Jul 09, 2023 by Lane Wagner

As a kid, I always wanted to be good at drawing. I practiced drawing my favorite anime characters, but frankly, my mom was the only one who thought they were good.

Build Your First Coding Project and Avoid Tutorial Hell

Jul 04, 2023 by Lane Wagner

While “real” hell may or may not exist (no need to get into religious beliefs here), tutorial hell is very real.

The Boot.dev Beat. July 2023

Jun 26, 2023 by Lane Wagner

June was hot. I got sunburned. What else happened… Oh yeah, I finished the new CI/CD course! It’s slated to launch on July 10th, so watch out for that. We also are in the process of hiring a new Boot.dev team member to help us build harder better faster and stronger.

What’s the Best Backend For React? 5 Options to Choose From

Jun 26, 2023 by Natalie Schooner

“I already know React,” mused my friend. “What popular backend language should I learn that will make me a useful hire to companies?”

Awww, do I Really Need to Learn X to Get a Job as a Developer?

Jun 24, 2023 by Lane Wagner

A developer’s life is a never-ending saga of learning new things. It’s like you’re playing Diablo where every new Jira ticket can feel like the next mini boss to slay. Exciting? Absolutely. Scary? Sure. Especially at first.

Boot.dev Team Handbook

Jun 12, 2023 by Lane Wagner

Our goal: To make the best place to learn to code. The most effective, the most fun, and the most thorough. Now, let’s talk about how to succeed with your work at Boot.dev.

Boots, a Wizard Bear that Codes

Jun 08, 2023 by Lane Wagner

Boots is the heart and soul of Boot.dev. Not only is he capable of helping you through any lesson on Boot.dev, but he’s a friendly wizard bear with a charming personality. Some things you should know about Boots:

The Boot.dev Beat. June 2023

May 31, 2023 by Lane Wagner

May was a historic month for Boot.dev. We added more students to the backend learning path than we ever have in a single month before, and we’re doing everything we can to build and release new, better courses at a faster clip. Thanks for hanging out and learning with us.

Work at Boot.dev

May 31, 2023 by Lane Wagner

We’re building the smartest way to master backend development by tackling the hardest problem with e-learning: boredom. We’re a small team of developers who love to make the process of learning as fun and hands-on as it can be.

Format on Save in Go with VS Code [2023]

May 26, 2023 by Lane Wagner

Go has hard opinions about how you should style and format your code. Setting up your VS Code environment to enforce the standard linting and formatting rules can save you a ton of time.

Programming types and (incorrect) mindsets

May 08, 2023 by Lane Wagner

DHH, the creator of Ruby on Rails, Hey, Basecamp, and a few other things, recently wrote an article titled “Programming types and mindsets”, and I just have to chime in on this one.

12 Codecademy Alternatives That Will Get You Where You Need to Go

May 04, 2023 by Natalie Schooner

Just last month, Codecademy was sold to Skillsoft for $525 million. Not too shabby, and entirely well-deserved if you ask me. I’ll be straight with you, I love Codecademy. Maybe you’re wondering why I’m opening with that in an article about its alternatives, but I want to start with the history so you can grasp what Codecademy alternatives are good for.

The Boot.dev Beat. May 2023

May 03, 2023 by Lane Wagner

We hit some amazing milestones in April. We now have over 40,000 registered students and over 500,000 lessons completed on the platform! I hope your learnings are going well, and that everything we’re building is helping you, even if it’s in a small way.

The 28 Best Places to Learn Python Online

Apr 28, 2023 by Natalie Schooner

For anyone who wants to learn Python online, it can be a bit overwhelming. When I Googled it, I came up with over 200 million hits.

C Sharp vs Python: Which Is the Best Programming Language?

Apr 27, 2023 by Natalie Schooner

“You’re comparing apples to oranges,” Susan, a developer at my company, said when I asked her which programming language she preferred, C # or Python. “It’s like asking me if I prefer wrenches or hammers. One language is a compiled, statically typed language, the other is a ducktyped scripting language. Each is excellent in its correct context.”

JavaScript? Python? Go? Which Tech Stack Should You Learn?

Apr 24, 2023 by Lane Wagner

Ah, the age-old question: which tech stack should I learn? Aspiring developers often get bogged down in this dilemma, and it’s not hard to see why. The tech industry is an ocean of opportunities, and the fear of diving into the wrong waters can be paralyzing.

Which is More Important: Hard or Soft Skills for Programmers?

Apr 22, 2023 by Lane Wagner

You’re waiting at the front-desk of Google’s campus in Boulder, Colorado, waiting for your coding interview to start. Across from you in the lobby sit two other candidates: