Do I need to know JavaScript to learn Django?

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JavaScript is one of the most used programming languages for the web. JavaScript delivers its promised features as a backend or frontend web development technology.

However, you may have taken the route of web development with Python Django and wondered whether you need to know JavaScript to use Django.

Well,

You do not need to know JavaScript to use Django to develop web applications. JavaScript and Django are two different technologies you may use independently to develop web applications.

When you may not need to know JavaScript to use Django

You may use JavaScript on its own and maybe couple it with HTML and CSS to develop fully functional websites accessible to your users.

If I can develop fully functional websites with Django alone, will I need to learn JavaScript and use it purposely for web development?

You should focus on developing your web applications using Django only OR use JavaScript for other purposes in your Django web application, such as adding interactivity.

To develop your web application’s backend or business-logic functionality, you do not need to abandon Python Django and learn JavaScript.

You will need to use the Python Django web framework to develop the backend processes of your Django application.

On the frontend part of your web application, you will use HTML and CSS to design the web pages created with Django.

This article illustrates how to integrate Django with HTML and CSS technologies to develop better-looking Django web pages.

Thus, JavaScript may not be entirely needed in a web development environment that uses Django, HTML, and CSS.

You do not need JavaScript as a requirement when developing web applications with Django.

Another scenario where you will not need to know JavaScript is when you specialize in Python Django backend web development.

When using Python Django as a backend framework, you rarely interact with the frontend technologies used to develop web pages.

As a backend Django developer, learning JavaScript, HTML, or CSS is not a requirement because you will rarely interact with them.

If you aspire to become a full-stack web developer using Django, here is a recommended course that took me from a complete beginner to a total Django neeeerd! Be sure to check it out on Udemy.

It will help you a lot if your focus is to use Django for web development.

When you may need to know JavaScript to use Django

However, suppose you want to develop interactive Django web applications. In that case, you may need to know vanilla JavaScript or any other JavaScript frontend framework such as React or animation frameworks such as Velocity.js, Move.js, GSAP, e.t.c.

If you’re going to use these JavaScript frontend frameworks, you will need to know JavaScript to use Django to develop interactive and animated web pages.

Django web application web pages should not be static and lack a little bit of interactivity or animations.

Otherwise, when you lack interactivity in a web application, you will rarely maintain users of your web application because that would be a bad user experience.

Besides, you may use JavaScript and Django together to achieve client and server processing.

It is a good practice to separate a Django web application’s frontend and backend functionality.

Separating the backend and frontend processing in a Django web application makes your website faster and able to handle many users simultaneously.

The reason is that some functionalities such as HTML generating tasks are redirected to the frontend technology, relieving the web server from overloading.

Less processing load makes your website fast to access and supports smooth concurrent performance.

It doesn’t hurt to know JavaScript, especially when you are a freelance or full-stack Django web developer.

Most Django web development jobs require JavaScript, HTML, and CSS to meet the project objectives.

Thus, for you to exploit the Python Django web development marketplace, you will need to know JavaScript so that you may develop interactive web application prototypes.

Besides, you may want to integrate Django and React to produce a fast, organized, and aesthetically appealing web application.

Your web applications do not have to be boring.

So, to use JavaScript with Django is entirely your choice.

If you are or are going to become a pure Python Django backend developer, you do not need to know JavaScript.

However, if you are or aspire to be a Python Django full-stack web developer, you will need to know JavaScript to use Django to develop fully functional websites.

Moreover, you need to know HTML and CSS to develop web pages for your Django applications.

As a full-stack Django developer, you will use JavaScript to:

1. Produce interactive web pages for your Django web applications
2. Create animated Django web pages
3. Frontend form validation

So Django does use or need JavaScript to achieve interactivity, frontend form validation, and the creation of interesting web pages.

But, using JavaScript is a choice.

Suppose you will develop fully functional websites with backed and frontend functionalities. In that case, you will need to use JavaScript for frontend web development and Django for backend web development.

Don’t go looking for courses that will probably waste your time. Here is a course that I will always recommend to my friends if you want to learn Django web development while using JavaScript frameworks such as React.

On the other hand, if you will produce pure backend Django code, you may not need to use JavaScript with Django.

You get it.

That is it for this article.

Happy Djangoo-ing!