Magento is among the leading eCommerce platforms in the world with nearly 235,000 stores in its fold. It invites developers and merchants from all around the globe, offering them with 2 different eCommerce solutions, Community edition and Enterprise edition. With nearly a decade of impeccable service, Magento has earned a loyal clientele through its user friendly interface, responsive design, fast loading speed, straightforward display of the website on search map and impervious website security, unparalleled to other shopping cart solutions. For professionals, it is a great source to build online stores according to the needs and preferences of the client. For young developers, it provides abundant opportunities to master their PHP skills and earn a competitive position in the eCommerce industry.
But before any developer can actually search for jobs, he or she must become well versed in the code and enough experienced to tell the interviewer how its done. Different skill sets are tested to make sure the resource is not a faux candidate which might become a liability to the company. To make sure you have all it takes to meet that mark, we have compiled 7 essential resources which you can integrate in your journey to become an expert web developer.
1. Its an Open Source Code
First off, developers can easily access, use and edit Magento since its open source and developed in PHP languages. Most computer science graduates are taught these languages but never told to experiment with them. This helps them to observe the various areas and different modules of something written as big as Magento. Exploring it shows them how each text and special character is connected to build a function and how each code pattern produces its functionality outputs. This facilitates young developers to practically study written codes and exhibit their knowledge and skills.
2. Look Up to Magento for Developers
Magento for Developers is listed among the most useful resources for developers to sharpen their dull edges. It is a learning portal for web masters who have little experience in coding and intent to expand their knowledge and skills to the next level. Magento for Developers is a simple guide that consists of 8 chapters divided into a step by step guide. Its starts with the primary introduction followed by examples of different layouts, templates and blocks. Every chapter is based on a learning outcome that helps developers in learning skills to sync various applications and using the recommended Magento coding practices.
3. Using Magento Documentation
From site owners to developers, the technical resources section of Magento is an official toolkit for beginners to learn the basics of coding. This resource contains easy to understand tutorials with the official documentation teaching each component of Magento with its designated functionality. Its contains all the details and material required by a developer to excel in the field of Magento. You can explore different components of Community and Enterprise edition and dig deeper into their coding procedures. For developers seeking official insights on Magento platform, this documentation resource is one of the best solutions they can get.
4. Spend Time in the Community
Magento community is the learning ground to one of the biggest group of online developers and merchants. It is a vast network filled with rookies to seasons professionals, who can interact with each other and get some serious learning for free. This helps beginners get positive feedback on their questions and learn out of the box tricks in coding which are never taught in textbooks. Many eCommerce platforms such as PrestaShop and WooCommerce do not have diverse technical support hubs ready to respond and contribute like the Magento community. This makes Magento unique on a whole new level.
5. Read Blogs and News Articles Regularly
Blogs and news updates on Magento are contributions of expert developers who keep the community informed about Magento gossip, how to’s, solutions to notorious problems, personal opinions and other forms of help. These blogs and articles are excellent source of exhibiting knowledge and expertise through content and showing them for others to study. The content may include coding tutorials, guides, case studies, open source code for applications and themes that are developed by experts. Aside from the ‘How To’s’ and instructional blogs, developers can follow field experts to get news updates on Magento through social media networks. Practical eCommerce, Inchoo, DLTR and Understandinge are among the top rated blogs for Magento. You can sign up for their subscription to receive notifications through email each time a fresh post had been made.
6. Visit Discussion Forums for Professional Help
These goldmines of knowledge can be of tremendous help if used properly. Professional discussion forums are not like ordinary question and answer portals. These platforms are focused on providing solutions through in-depth answers with certified procedures. You can also connect with social networking websites such as Facebook, Twitter, G+ and LinkedIn to get discussion content from these forums. Popular discussion forums include Stack exchange, Quora, and Reddit etc. where users can ask questions without any hesitation.
7. Open Prospects Through Internships and Training Programs
Training and Internships are the best option if you want to learn and practice Magento coding for real! It not only helps you absorb the knowledge, but also makes sure it stays there. Getting enrolled in sponsored courses and applying for internships is a proven practice for solidifying your concepts and putting them into practical use. It helps fresh graduates get exposure to real time projects and exercise their skills with client based tasks. If they manage to prove their mantle, they can explore growth opportunities in the company or move onto another. Either way, internships and training programs help developers in getting that extra mile required to land big time projects in Magento.
Conclusion
With its recent launch of Magenot 2.0, the demand curve of Magento has increased exponentially. Magento is now equipped with the latest applications, speed, security and design standards to set a global benchmark. By using these 7 essential resources to improve your skills, you will remain updated with the latest trends and techniques to stay atop of competition in the eCommerce and become part of Magento’s rising tide.
Author Bio:
Simon walker is a well versed eCommerce consultant with 7 years’ experience in online development on several projects. He is currently a part of leading Magento eCommerce development firm FME Extensions where he has developed several Magento extensions, themes and custom eCommerce websites.
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