CS50's Web Programming With Python and Javascript
Introduction
CS50's Web Programming with Python and JavaScript is a comprehensive course designed to deepen understanding of web development taught by Brian Yu. (Follow to 𝕏)
Table of Contents
Briefly about CS50's Web Programming With Python and Javascript
CS50's Web Programming with Python and JavaScript is a comprehensive course offered by Harvard that dives into web development. It covers frameworks like Django for the back end and JavaScript for creating engaging user experiences in the front end side. The course is all about getting your hands dirty with practical projects that will teach you how to build full-stack applications. You'll also pick up HTML, CSS, APIs, and SQL along the way.
Prerequisites
Beginner
The official course page says you should take CS50x before tackling this course. Because projects get more challenging as you go along gradually. Main CS50 gives you a solid foundation in computer science principles and briefly touches the web development.
Experienced
If you've got some experience in other programming languages or a strong computer science background, you might still find certain aspects and topics challenging. But with dedication and taking some time it will be possible to complete.
Course structure
How to take it?
To take this course you must register through edx and enroll there (important). There will be a verified certificate upgrade option, but you can ignore it. The course is 100% free, after submitting the final project you will be notified to take your free certificate. Instructions and additional information are here.
Lectures
The course consists of nine lectures, each averaging about 1.5 hours in length. You can break these into shorter sessions, but it's important to maintain full focus while watching it. When Brian is writing code, pay close attention and repeat his code in your code editor (His typing speed is crazy, I suggest you put the video on 0,5). Additionally, re-watching each lecture 2-3 times while working on the necessary projects can be useful, as the information is highly compressed and you might miss important details on the first pass.
Projects
There are five projects in total, and the difficulty level increases quite rapidly as you progress. You might find yourself stuck on some projects, so it's important to take your time with each one. Make sure you dedicate sufficient effort and attention to fully understand and complete every project, as they are designed to challenge and build upon your skills incrementally.
Final project
The final project (aka the capstone project) in this course is quite challenging. It took me two months to complete, which made it the hardest final project I've done in any of the CS50 courses. In this project, you'll put all the skills you've learned so far to the test. You can even make it more challenging by combining different tools, like React for the front end and a robust REST API with Django Rest Framework (DRF). You can also use Docker, which was briefly covered in the lectures. These upgrades will help you get up to industry-standard frameworks and languages more quickly.
Additionally, I suggest you think about your final project 1 to 2 lecture before.
Is CS50W worth it?
If you're looking to learn web development, I highly recommend this course even in 2024 (It lasts until December, so take it quickly. Estimated time to finish is 2 to 3 months depending on your pace and commitment). It covers all the essential tools and concepts you need to build a strong foundation in web development. By taking this course, you'll gain hands-on experience with front-end and back-end technologies, including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Python, Django framework. Plus, the projects and assignments are designed to challenge and reinforce your learning, so you can apply what you've learned in real-world scenarios.
Conclusion
CS50's Web Programming with Python and JavaScript is an amazing course for anyone interested in web development. It's got a great curriculum and hands-on projects, and it focuses on the essential tools and best practices, so it's a great fit for beginners who came from CS50X. By the end of the course, you'll be ready to take on real-world web development challenges and keep building your skills in the industry. Thanks for reading and good luck with the course!