How Difficult is it to Learn Developer Tools?

Are you curious about learning developer tools but worried that it might be too hard? Of course, the difficulty that comes with learning a new skill is somewhat subjective. The challenges of learning developer tools depend on factors likehow much prior programming experience a student has, what kind of tools a student is learning, and what kinds of projects a student hopes to work on.

No matter your current schedule or comfort level with developer tools, there are plenty of tools available to help make learning easier than you might think.

What are Developer Tools?

Becoming a professional computer programmer takes a lot of training and effort. You’ll need to learn a wide range of programming languages that each serve a niche function in the development process. However, those looking to parlay their development skills into a long-term career will also need to learn how to use standard tools and libraries associated with computer programming to optimize their workflow and ensure that their code is easy to read, edit, and compile. Whether you are learning to use Visual Code Studio to compile your code, Git to archive it, or specific programming libraries like React and Node.js to expand the scope of your projects, learning developer tools is vital to be an efficient and effective computer programmer.

“Developer tools” is a broad category of skills that covers efficiency tools like Git, Emmett, and Visual Code Studio along with programming libraries like React and Django. These categories of tools are designed to help make programming easier and more efficient. Developers are more or less required to know Git since it is a crucial archiving program that is useful for all stages of the development process. Libraries, such as the JavaScript framework Node.js, serve more specific functions (in the case of Node.js, letting applications read JavaScript code outside of a web browser). Students must decide which set of tools will provide the largest return on investment, but learning a collection of different developer tools will significantly improve your job opportunities and code quality.

Read more about what developer tools are and why you should learn them.

What Can You Do with Developer Tools?

Developer tools are primarily used to make the coding and programming process more efficient and optimized for specific tasks. As a result, most of the things you can do with developer tools are focused on improving the things you can do with programming languages like HTML/CSS and JavaScript. For example, Git won’t do much on its own, but when paired with other programming languages, it becomes a powerful tool for documentation and collaboration between multiple developers. Visual Code Studio will help developers compile and debug code far faster than they might otherwise have been able to, which will help them work on more complex projects thanks to automating the basic elements of the process.

On the other hand, learning to use advanced programming frameworks and libraries will vastly expand the things you can do as a programmer. For example, learning Node.js will allow you to develop software applications that read JavaScript code without accessing a web browser. This is a necessary technical skill for building things like streaming service software. It is a vital component of the internet of things technologies that make everything from digital assistants to smart cars possible. Similarly, learning the MERN stack will let users build full-stack frameworks for web applications using only their knowledge of JavaScript.

What Are the Most Challenging Parts of Learning Developer Tools?

Given that most developer tools are efficiency tools, the difficult part for most students will be learning the prerequisite skills and programming languages required to use these tools.

How Does Learning Developer Tools Compare to Learning to Code?

Since people who want to use developer tools will necessarily need to learn programming languages, the most common alternative path is to learn additional programming languages, such as JavaScript or Python. Learning programming languages will be more time-consuming than learning developer tools, but they allow you to work on significantly more expansive projects. Students who learn additional programming languages can also learn more specialized programming tools.

For starters, learning programming languages will be a hard requirement for learning any developer tools. However, for many tools, such as Git and Emmit, the language that you learn won’t really matter, so you may instead opt to expand on their programming knowledge before starting to pick up efficiency skills. Students who began by learning HTML/CSS may opt to learn JavaScript or Python. Students who started with Python may want to learn SQL or another database-driven language. Ultimately, it’s a good idea to learn the programming skills you want to use professionally before learning an efficiency tool, even if learning the programming language will be more time-consuming.

Some may also wish to consider learning tools that simplify the design process of building webpages, such as Figma or Adobe XD. These are tools for creating the visual design of a web application and learning to use them is a vital part of the design and development process. However, in professional settings, most projects employ separate designers and developers. These skills are invaluable for developers working on personal projects or who hope to handle all the elements of web development projects at a small firm, but less valuable for students who hope to specialize in the development side of the web design industry.

You can learn more about coding or web design with Noble’s learning resources.

Prior Programming Experience

The most significant hurdle for most students will be learning the fundamentals of computer programming since most of these tools don’t do anything without prior programming experience. Many training programs, particularly career-focused programs, combine this training by providing students with fundamental programming knowledge and hands-on training with the efficiency tools that make their jobs easier.

Specific Tools and Frameworks

It should be noted that some more advanced programming frameworks will have stricter prerequisites and will be more difficult to learn because their functions are more complex. Git is a straightforward program to learn, whereas Node.js is a complicated programming library that will require more knowledge and prior experience. This will vary from tool to tool, but students should be aware that some of the tools and frameworks will be significantly harder to learn than others.

Learn Developer Tools with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Those who want to optimize their web development skills may consider enrolling in a web development training program offered through Noble Desktop. These classes will teach students how to use these tools to become more efficient and productive programmers. Enrolling in a course through Noble Desktop means you receive expert instruction in real-time, regardless of whether you are taking a course online or in-person at Noble’s Manhattan campus. In either case, class sizes are kept small and students can interact directly with their instructors, making it easy to ensure that they don’t fall behind in their lessons. All students can retake their courses within one calendar year, giving them extra opportunities to train with these development tools. Plus, students who work in-person will be able to take advantage of Noble’s state-of-the-art computer lab.

For those looking to master the crucial tools that web developers use to streamline their work, Noble offers a Front End Tools and Portfolio course that covers all of the most common web development tools professionals utilize in their daily work. This includes Git and Github for documenting and sharing code, Emmet for programming efficiency and shortcutting, and Visual Code Studio for compiling and editing code. These tools will help significantly accelerate a student’s ability to bring projects to completion and are invaluable professional tools. This class assumes a knowledge of HTML/CSS, so you must find other means of training if you need to cover those skills.

If you want a more complete web development training regimen that includes many of these tools and frameworks, you may want to enroll in Noble’s Front End Web Development Certificate program or its Full Stack Web Development Certificate program. These career-focused courses provide training in every step of the development process, from basic coding skills with HTML/CSS to advanced JavaScript training. Along the way, you will learn the tools and techniques, as well as the specific programming libraries, that you will need to start a new career in professional web development. These courses are career-focused training options. In addition to receiving practical training in tools like Git and Visual Code Studio that make professional programmers more efficient,you will also receive professionalization training, such as one-on-one career mentorship and dedicated portfolio-building seminars. They are an ideal place to learn every element of web development and embark on a new career path in this ever-changing industry.