Backend Development with Python: backend basics, intro to Python, Django and first applications
Basic79h 6minLast updated 08/2025
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SkillsThis skill path will teach you everything you need to get started with back-end development using Pythin as your main programming language. We start teaching you the basic concepts of back-end development and we then move into more details about Python, Django, and even a bit of front-end development to make sure you can complete the tutorials and exercises inside the path.
This path is curated by Chris Koch who is a senior and professional back-end developer with several years of knowledge programming on Python. Chris has a YouTube channel where he teaches coding and Python with more than 200,000 subscribers. Chris is also active on several other platforms like Udemy and Shareable where his courses are watched by more than half a million people every month.
Content (51)
Introduction to Backend Developpment
In this first chapter you will learn what it means to develop software for the backend. We cover initial basic steps like backend concepts and fundamentals and we then introduce you to Python, SQL and Front-end Development, to give you a full overview.
Back-End Development
Back-End Development Tools
Django
Python
SQL
Short video on the basics of back end development. It covers the basics concepts like servers, programming languages and databases and shows how the various parts connect.
This connects to the previous part and goes a bit more into detail to introduce what a server is and how that gets to a website functioning in the browser.
A more detailed guide on the major concepts within back-end development along with more explanations.
This is a super brief overview of Python and what it is used for. Python is the most common programming language used for back-end development.
Another resource on Python, this one gives you a few more examples and resources that you can explore
on your own. Just have a look on the site and click on the links to see the examples. Beyond that, you can also look around on Youtube or google to see what people are doing with Python. Besides things like websites and games the language can also be used to control robots or automate your computer.
An overview of the Django framework that will be used to create the actual backend. The video also does a good job reiterating the basic concepts and links them back to the overview.
Useful information to get the other side of website development: How the actual website is designed and how that links back to the back end stuff.
Learn the Python programming language
This is a long chapter that will teach you the basics of the Python programming language. We have structured this chapter to be used by beginners that never used Python. Toward the end you will also build a simple application in Python and get introduce to Git and Github.
Python
An introduction to the basics of programming, this covers just theory, implementing things will come next!
How much Python do you need to know?
A list of resources that can help when you get stuck. These are usually forums where people are eager to answer questions.
A complete intro to Python in a single video. If you want to follow one course this should give you a good structure.
A short video covering how to install Python and a code editor.
A really brief introduction to Python that covers variables, functions and the general logic. While this is very basic it conveys a lot of fundamental knowledge.
Controlling the flow of code in Python (if, else, while).
Learn Python functions.
Python list comprehension.
Understand decorators.
To finish up the basics of Python you should be aware of some broad style patterns.
How to understand and fix the most common errors.
Making games in Python.
Make apps in Python.
How to store your work and make sure you don't accidentally delete or change something.
A detailed tutorial on how to use GitHub and Git.
Learn the basic of Front-end to build and operate your applications
Let's take a break from back-end development: in this chapter I want to teach you enough about front-end development to let you build applications on the back-end side that you can still use and expose to your users.
Front-End Development
Front-End Development Tools
HTML
JavaScript
ReactJS
To be a good back-end developer you should know the basics of front-end development. You shouldn't spend too much time on this though so here is a list with the main concepts you should know.
A basic overview of HTML5 to help you understand how websites are built.
HTML (and css) is the default language to create websites and it is a very easy one to learn; it hardly even qualifies as a programming language: It is mostly just a way to place various elements on a browser page; there is basically no interactivity or complex logic. For your journey as a back-end developer though, you should know the basic skeleton that creates a website.
A JavaScript crash course, this is the language that makes websites interactive and will be used to send data. It's a very famous language in the front-end world and something you will constantly use, sometimes even in your back-end development.
An overview of Javascript frameworks for more interactive websites. Most developers don't actually use pure Javascript to make interactive websites. Instead, they use a framework that automates the complex work; really famous examples are react and angular. Both make it much easier to develop pretty and interactive websites; but that is basically it. For a back-end you don't need to know too many details but keep in mind that they exist.
An introduction to ReactJS, the most popular front-end framework. While this is not something you should learn as part of this skill path, you might want to learn more about it. Anthropos has a dedicated skill path if you want to learn React.
Django: building wen applications with Python
This chapter is completely dedicated to Django and it will teach you everything to adopt it to build your first application. Django is a popular framework supported by thousands of people using it.
Django
Introduction and overview of Django.
With the basics out of the way we can start properly with Django and start on the major concepts.
Alternatives to Django along with their strengths and weaknesses.
A basic intro to Django.
Free Django course.
A brief overview of SQL.
Linking Django to SQL.
An introduction to Django ORM.
Django practice projects.
Security is a really important part of any project, as a back-end developer you will be in trouble if your website gets hacked!
Hidden Forces: This is how they tell me the world ends is a really good book on hacking, it will give you a good understanding of how widespread hacking is.
Soft skills and other skills to consider as back-end developer
Becoming great at building back-end applications doesn't require just hard skills like Python or Django. In this chapter you will learn how mastering soft skills, team collaboration and project management can really help you succeed and move faster.
Communication
Problem Solving
Teamwork and Collaboration
Soft skills that would make your life much easier as a programmer. Programming is more than just writing lines of code. You will almost certainly work with other people: You will have coworkers, clients, managers, other teams or maybe even government officials.
Let's learn a few soft skills that will completely change the way you work.
Working in a team can be difficult and but being able to get this right is crucial. You should really invest time and constantly improve in this area: it will make you incredibly more successful, trusted by colleagues and able to quickly get things done.
It is fine to ask for help!
Learn strategies to communicate your ideas. Things like know the knowledge level of your audience or how to focus your ideas for presentations.
You can approach any problem from the bottom up or the top down; depending on the approach you might want to think differently.
Being able to plan your projects with the proper requirements and achievable deadlines is incredibly helpful.
Introduction
Chris KochYouTuber and Coder at Clear Code channel
Chris Koch is the owner of Clear Code, a famous YouTube channel dedicated to learning to code with 200,000+ members. Chris' videos are watched by nearly half a million viewers per month and his courses are some of the highest-rated ones on several of the platforms. I love building video games and prog...
Skill objectives