How To Become A Sitecore Developer?

By Author: Lokes Kumar
Total Articles: 5
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What language does Sitecore use?
Found in the year 2001 with a motto of providing a website according to customer needs and satisfaction, Sitecore is a Denmark based organization that has an emphasis on web content development. Since its inception, it has come a long way just from the company offering web content management. It has truly evolved from a web content management company to the one-stop solution for all the needs for the digital platform marketing and branding.

Being built on a .Net framework has made development easier for the people who are already familiar with the ASP. Net development. * The easy integration of its product with other Microsoft technologies has created an environment of familiarity for the user as well as for the learner undergoing formal Sitecore training or opting for any other Sitecore tutorial.
It also helped in using Sitecore with the existing IT infrastructure of the companies and integrating it with other components for better results. These features are the building blocks for the success of the Sitecore.
Sitecore training is favored to become a Sitecore developer ...
... and build a 360 degree understanding of the concepts of the Sitecore. A Sitecore certification also helps in increasing the credibility of the learning. As one can learn Sitecore CMS from any reputed institution, Sitecore development is in high demand, and various institutions have initiated offering Sitecore training and online Sitecore tutorial for Sitecore enthusiasts.
The journey to becoming a Sitecore developer starts with a fundamental perception of software development. A beginner who has no idea of the.NET framework and the scripting language like HTML and CSS should first sharpen their skill in these technologies. After the prerequisite of studying the above-mentioned technologies, the next step of learning Sitecore starts. Valid Sitecore training will give you a complete description of the development and deployment of the Sitecore solution. As it begins with the essential concepts of Sitecore like Items, Template, Fields, Layout, and Databases, etc. it is necessary to be familiar with these concepts.

Sitecore has a tree-like hierarchy for managing its content, and every node in the tree hierarchy is called Item.
Just as a class has properties that define its features, every piece of content in Sitecore has a data template to elaborate on the functionality it contains.
The Template in the Sitecore is an idea that consists of fields and are not for the presentation but a way of defining data. They usually store a unit of data like publication dates, article titles, descriptions, etc.
A layout is the topmost level object of presentation in the Sitecore presentation hierarchy and can be seen as analogous to the ASP.NET master page. It is an important concept for Sitecore and defines the presentation elements that persist across all requests for a particular device. In a typical website, a layout includes a site header and footer, and the rest of the elements are dynamically created.
Rendering and sub layout are used to present contents in the Sitecore. Usually, the developer takes a call on selecting one of the technologies between the two. Renderings allow rapid prototyping and easy caching, but sub layouts are for those who are familiar with ASP.NET with little knowledge of XSL.
Databases are created for the internal functionality of CMS on the installation of Sitecore. The three frequently used important databases are Core, Master, and Web, each with specific functionality. Apart from these, there are other databases for user sessions and website analytics.
Is Sitecore an Open Source?
After learning the basic terminologies you can install Sitecore on your computer. However, Sitecore installation after the set-up requires a license file and executable file to run. The various setup and permission levels, depending on the user, needs to be configured. Here, it is worth mentioning that

Sitecore is not an open-source platform and hence, without license purchase, one can’t do any development or installation of Sitecore.
A developer license and executable file can be obtained from any registered certified developer or any organization which is a partner of the Sitecore.
Sitecore has a very active and helpful developer community. It personally makes sure to interact with the community regularly and keep them informed about the various advances in their technologies or their plan. Therefore, you can take full advantage of the Sitecore developer community and can seek help in case of any difficulty. Sitecore training makes sure to provide you with these files and relevant materials. A Sitecore tutorial will help in a step by step learning right from installing and running Sitecore under IIS, to breaking down a website page into a data template, layout, and components, and preview and publish of a page, and understand how everything comes together to create a web page. In this way, a basic understanding of the working of the Sitecore would be created and then an advanced concept in Sitecore CMS development of the solution. A Sitecore certification is a cherry on the cake. Any professional development can be done when you are a certified developer.

How much Sitecore Certification cost?
Sitecore Certification is usually recommended for professionals. If you are new into Sitecore and learning Sitecore just to increase knowledge base then you might not require to be certified.

The official certification of the Sitecore is usually done through the exam conducted by the Sitecore.
Moreover, many reputed organizations also provide a Sitecore certification on completing the Sitecore training and appearing for the examination. Organizations have also collaborated with Sitecore to impart training to their employee and then grant certification after the exams. So, the cost of the certification of the Sitecore depends on the mode and the kind of certification you are opting for. You can always check the official Sitecore website for the current charges. It may vary from institution to institution.

An official Certification will cost you around 300 American dollars.
What is Sitecore used for?
The next thing, which comes to mind, is that is Sitecore worth the time and money spent to learn it. So the answer lies in the versatile usage and ability to serve the diverse requirement of the client by the Sitecore. The features of the Sitecore as CMS before opting for the Sitecore training should be known beforehand.

An automated marketing campaign can be set easily with the Sitecore CMS easy drag and drop interface.
You can do personalization of the customer interaction any time beyond any channel with the help of Sitecore Marketing automation. The personalization feature enables the user to control all the content that a visitor comes across in real-time. Sitecore Experience database collects all the data, which can be used to personalize online as well as offline messaging facilities.
With the Sitecore experience database, which centrally stores all the data, you simply have to connect CRM or the ERP to collect enormous data. This is not easy to get collected through a single platform. Sitecore saves time as well as effort.
Moreover, it provides a multilingual feature, by which people from diverse languages can easily use it.
You can do real-time analysis of queries as well as the formation of total data collected report can be viewed using this.
Sitecore Analytics can be used to identify which campaigns are working and the pattern of the site navigation by the visitor. It also helps you to create, or if required, edit the content accordingly.
In this way, Sitecore makes an ecosystem in which a customized way to interact with the customer and a centrally controlled and managed content management, is completed.

With the tremendous benefits of the Sitecore, and the way it has revolutionized Web content management, more and more companies have turned towards Sitecore and have integrated it into their system.
As a result of this, Sitecore developers are in high demand for developing a customized solution. With all the information above mentioned, you will easily sail through as a Sitecore developer. It is always recommended to use the sandbox version first for the initial practice, where you can explore, break the existing module and then reintegrate them and get the grasp of the functioning of the Sitecore. Learning Sitecore CMS will help you in understanding the nuances of the Sitecore's other functionality too. A Sitecore tutorial will give you a breakthrough in the development process, and then you can build upon the knowledge acquired. Sitecore is a future-oriented technology, and it will surely be a feather in your cap, a strong point in the resume which will catch attention. You can go for the tutor guided Sitecore training or the self-paced training according to your pocket and ease. It will surely be a rewarding experience for the developer and the editors whoever goes for the Sitecore training. Various organizations have transformed their business, P&G being one of them, with the help of Sitecore. Sitecore learning seems intimidating initially, but if you follow the right suggestion and right material, it will surely be a joyride. So, to keep pace with the changing world and boosting your career, you should start learning Sitecore and gain from the benefits Sitecore offers.

You can get more information on Sitecore 9 training