Django Application Development with SQL and Databases

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/developing-applications-with-sql-databases-and-django

Introduction

**Course Review: Django Application Development with SQL and Databases on Coursera** In today’s tech-driven world, mastering database management is crucial for back-end developers, full-stack experts, and DevOps professionals. The "Django Application Development with SQL and Databases" course on Coursera offers an in-depth introduction to relational databases while skillfully integrating them with Django, one of the most popular web development frameworks in Python. This review aims to outline the course content, its benefits, and why aspiring developers should consider enrolling. ### Course Overview The course is designed to impart foundational knowledge of both SQL and relational databases, essential skills that enable developers to access, process, and present data efficiently. Participants will explore the modern application development environment by leveraging the power of databases, both locally and in the cloud. ### Syllabus Breakdown The course is divided into well-structured modules, each serving a distinct purpose: 1. **Getting Started with SQL & Relational Databases** - This introductory module lays the groundwork for understanding data and relational databases. It covers fundamental SQL statements and relational database concepts like entity-relationship modeling, common data types, and cloud database fundamentals. By the end of this module, participants will have hands-on experience creating a database instance in the cloud, setting the stage for practical application. 2. **ORM: Bridging the Gap Between the Real World and Relational Model** - Moving forward, this module introduces Object-Relational Mapping (ORM) that helps bridge the gap between SQL and object-oriented programming (OOP). The course teaches how to utilize Django ORM, allowing developers to manipulate databases with Python code seamlessly. This integration makes database interactions more intuitive and less prone to errors. 3. **Full-stack Django Development** - As participants advance, they will create a full-fledged Django web application, mastering the Model-View-Template architecture. This hands-on approach fosters a solid understanding of how Django’s components work in harmony to deliver dynamic web pages. Building an admin site serves as an excellent opportunity to practice managing site content efficiently. 4. **Consolidate and Deploy Your Django App** - The subsequent module focuses on enhancing skills by constructing class-based views, implementing authentication, and utilizing Bootstrap for UI enhancement. The course also explores deployment strategies using Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS) options, notably showcasing how to deploy Django apps on IBM Cloud. 5. **Final Project: Enhance Online Course App with New Features** - The capstone of the course involves a practical project where learners apply their acquired knowledge to enhance an online course application. This peer-reviewed project not only solidifies learning but also equips participants with a portfolio piece to showcase to potential employers. ### Key Benefits The "Django Application Development with SQL and Databases" course is not just educational; it's transformational for those looking to deepen their understanding and practical skills in database management and web development. 1. **Hands-on Experience**: From creating cloud databases to deploying applications, learners engage in practical tasks that directly prepare them for real-world development scenarios. 2. **Reputable Instructors**: Coursera partners with expert instructors and institutions, ensuring that the content is not only accurate but also relevant to current industry standards. 3. **Proven Framework**: Django's popularity in the industry ensures that skills learned will be applicable in many job opportunities, making this course a valuable investment for career growth. 4. **Flexibility**: The course can be completed at your own pace, making it suitable for both learners who prefer a structured schedule and those who wish to work through content at their convenience. ### Recommendation Whether you are a novice looking to break into the tech field or an experienced coder aiming to enhance your web development toolkit, I highly recommend the "Django Application Development with SQL and Databases" course on Coursera. The well-organized syllabus, practical approach, and robust community support make it an excellent choice for anyone serious about mastering Django and database management. Completing this course will not only boost your technical skills but also instill the confidence needed to tackle complex projects in the ever-evolving landscape of web development.

Syllabus

Getting Started with SQL & Relational Databases

What is data? As you start this course, you will be introduced to concepts fundamental to understanding data, databases, and database management systems. You will learn some basic SQL statements. Explore the structure, use cases, and limitations of relational databases. Learn key relational database concepts, including entities, attributes, entity-relationship data modeling, common data types, and primary key. You will learn about cloud database fundamentals and get hands-on experience creating a database instance on the cloud. At the end of the module, an optional lesson with more advanced SQL techniques will help you get the most out of your data.

You’re aware that SQL is a powerful tool for working with databases. But in the modern application development environment, object-oriented programming is the most popular paradigm, and it is quite different from SQL. Is there a way to use Object-oriented programming to work with databases? Discover how Object-Relational Mapping (ORM) bridges the gap between object-oriented programming (OOP) and SQL and allows application developers to use OOP languages to work with databases without writing SQL code. Gain skills in using Django ORM, a popular ORM library for Python, to define models and fields so they can be mapped to database tables. Learn the steps for using Django ORM to convert your entity-relationship diagrams into Django models. Gain knowledge about using Django Model APIs to manipulate objects in databases without writing SQL queries. Explore the many useful methods Django Model provides to handle related objects.

It’s time to build your skills by creating a Django web app. In this module, you’ll explore the Django Model- View- Template design pattern and learn how Django models, views, and templates work together to present data on a website. You’ll look at a typical Django development process, starting with building a Django project and creating and adding an app. Gain knowledge about the Django web app structure. Learn the steps to create Django models and views, add an HTML template, map the request URLs to your views, and design and build the UI. Next, use Django’s powerful admin site functionality to manage your site content. You’ll build an admin site and create an admin user. You’ll specify the model fields on the admin site and add UI features such as Search and Filter. Create a Django view to receive an HTTP request and send an HTTP response. Discover how to combine Django views and templates to present your data as dynamic web pages.

Add to your Django skills by building a class-based view. Then, learn how to speed up development using Django’s generic-based views. Next, you’ll learn about authentication and authorization in Django. Create a User model to handle authentication and work with other models to handle authorization. Create web login, log out, and registration forms. Assign permissions to models and user groups. You’ll then move on to Bootstrap, a free and open-source web front-end framework. Learn how to quickly add Bootstrap to your Django template to build stylized and interactive web pages. Next, explore how to add static files to your apps. Learn how Django manages static files in development and deployment environments. Learn about the webserver interfaces supported by Django. And discover how Infrastructure as a Service and Platform as a Service offerings can streamline app deployment. Explore the benefits of deploying Django apps on IBM Cloud.

Welcome to the culmination of your learning journey in this Django course. In this module, you will apply your new skills and knowledge to improve applications in a practice project and a peer-reviewed final project.