Why Learn Developer Tools?

Developer tools refer to the broad category of skills you can learn to supplement your programming abilities, such as tools like Git and Emmet or dedicated programming libraries like Node.js. These tools aren’t especially useful on their own, but when combined with computer programming knowledge, they are invaluable for improving your workflow and working on more complex projects. Have you ever explored all of the things developer tools can do? Development tools are incredibly versatile skills used in almost every industry and every digital development project. Learning these tools will pay long-term dividends if you are a professional computer programmer or a novice looking to improve your web presence. Here, you’ll learn more about the types of careers that benefit from developer tools and how it can enhance your professional life. Regardless of your goals, learning developer tools are a valuable and impressive skill to add to your resume. 

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.

Common Professional Uses for Developer Tools

Since developer tools like Git, Visual Code Studio, and Emmet are primarily efficiency tools, they are utilized in virtually every field that employs Developers. This includes fields employing Web Developers, Software Engineers, or dedicated JavaScript or Python Developers. Since virtually every field relies on internet and web connectivity to operate at maximum efficiency, skilled developers can find work in almost every field, including private and public-sector work. A few of the positions that will regularly take advantage of developer tools are:

Web Developer: Web Developers are responsible for building and maintaining webpages and other web applications. They will program the client-facing elements of a webpage using languages like HTML/CSS and JavaScript, and they will use tools like Emmet and VCS to optimize the development process. Web Developers may also be tasked with building and maintaining the back-end infrastructure that the webpage runs on using programming languages like Python or specialized JavaScript frameworks like Node.js and Express.js.

JavaScript Developer: Some developers specialize in specific programming languages such as JavaScript. These developers will not only learn how to use efficiency tools like Git and Emmet, but also want to learn specialized JavaScript frameworks like the MERN stack. This collection of libraries (MongoDB, Express.js, React, and Node.js) allow JavaScript Developers to build full-stack applications that handle the front end, back-end, and database aspects of web application using only JavaScript and its associated libraries.

Python Developer: Like JavaScript Developers, Python Developers are programmers who specialize in the Python programming language. Python is a back-end language that is used for organizing, querying, and filtering databases, and it is a vital component of modern data science practices. Not only will Python Developers want to learn how to use tools like Git and VSC, they will also want to learn how to use specialized programming libraries such as Django. The significant difference between Python Developers and JavaScript Developers is that Python is used primarily in data science and machine learning projects. At the same time, JavaScript Developers are more likely to work on web development projects.

Improve Your Skills and Workflow

An important reason to learn skills like Git, Emmet, or VSC is that learning them will give developers the tools they need to become more efficient programmers. It is incredibly important for programmers to learn how to streamline their work. Tools like Emmet, for example, will let users automate some aspects of coding in HTML/CSS, saving them valuable time and energy during the programming process. Likewise, learning skills like Git and Github will make documenting and archiving programs much more efficient, an invaluable feature for any teams collaborating on shared development projects.

Work on More Complex Projects

Another reason to learn developer tools is that learning advanced frameworks can expand the scope of development projects a developer can work on. For example, Learning Node.js will let developers design more elaborate web applications as the framework is vital for everything from streaming applications meant to run on smart TVs to digital assistants to onboard car computers. Similarly, learning frameworks like Django will let Python developers create database-driven webpages.

Streamline Your Personal Development Projects

As online presences become increasingly important across many career fields, more professionals are learning web development skills for personal or professional purposes. These students will greatly benefit from learning programming tools that automate routine tasks to both save their time and ensure that their programs are working properly. Emmet, for example, will handle routine HTML/CSS coding processes, letting developers focus on the more attention-intensive aspects of their web design work.

How to Start Learning Developer Tools

Anyone interested in learning web development tools will have several options available. These developer tool training courses will vary in their delivery modes, meaning that aspiring developers can pick and choose the right course from the options at hand. While every student will have different learning goals, the classes tend to have consistent pros and cons based on their delivery method, making it simpler to make more informed decisions about which course is right for them.

Some people prefer live instruction training options, which can be delivered in person at a dedicated training facility or online in a private digital classroom. These courses will put students in direct contact with an expert instructor who is there to guide them through their lessons and provide assistance and feedback in real-time. These courses ensure that students have a support structure in place to help them learn, and provide them with structured, hands-on lessons to keep them on track as they learn real-world applications for their new skills.

In-person training courses provide the benefits of a dedicated learning environment, as students can often take advantage of a service provider's technology labs. In addition, they make it possible to learn alongside a cohort of like-minded colleagues, which many find to be a boon to their learning. These courses are restricted geographically and will require students to budget the extra time and money to commute to a training center. Online courses let participants learn from the comfort of their workspace but can feel more distant, which some students find a drawback. Also, these classes don’t require a commute, but they generally require students to acquire and maintain their hardware and software.

People who need more flexibility in their training may wish to enroll in an on-demand web development course. These classes are asynchronous learning options that will allow students to learn development tools like Git and Emmet at their own pace, which can be important for those with work or family commitments that prevent them from attending a regular training course. These classes have a wide range of content delivery methods and costs, so students will want to be judicious in picking the right course. On the other hand, these courses are also the best way for students to target specific development skills, so a student wanting to learn just Github is likely to benefit from an on-demand course.

Others who aren’t sure they want to enroll in a professional web development course may wish to explore their options for free online training. These classes are designed to introduce people to the basic concepts of web development and the tools utilized to streamline the development process. Anyone interested in the options available for video training will want to visit Noble’s web development playlist for a complete collection of videos covering skills such as Visual Code Studio, GitHub, and JavaScript programming libraries. These training courses won’t replace professional development training, but they are an excellent place to start learning the basics of the programs and libraries that a student wants to master.

Read the full guide on how to learn developer tools.

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.

Key Insights

• Developer tools are the broad category of software applications and programming frameworks that complement computer programming skills and optimize programmers’ workflow.
• Almost any professional programmer will benefit from learning these skills since they will make their work more accessible and productive.
• Students looking to work on complex development projects will also benefit from learning programming frameworks like Node.js or Django.
• Even amateur programmers will want to learn these skills since they can automate simple programming tasks and let developers focus on more complex tasks.
• No matter why you want to learn developer tools and regardless of what tools you want to learn, Noble Desktop is available to help students find the comprehensive training course that is right for them. These classes are available to students in person and through live online training.