Book excerpt: Structure templates and content within Sitecore, work with integrated tools, and leverage its extensive automation capabilities. Sitecore was recently recognized as one of the most reputable and reliable, enterprise-class web content management solutions (WCMS) available in the marketplace. Thousands of companies are using Sitecore to manage their digital experiences online. Because Sitecore is such a large, complex platform, developers often have a hard time coming up to speed, even after completing a Sitecore training course for developers. However, leveraging the design patterns and other practices laid out in this book will make that transition much easier. Professional Sitecore 8 Development provides a soup-to-nuts approach for a Sitecore rookie to come up to speed quickly, as well as provide more advanced techniques for seasoned veterans that they may not be exposed to otherwise. Key coverage areas include: Getting started with Sitecore development Front-end development techniques Incorporating design patterns into your Sitecore solutions Unit testing Sitecore applications Programming Sitecore’s marketing capabilities Sitecore automation with PowerShell Advanced development techniques What you’ll learn Develop solutions on the Sitecore platform Come up to speed on Sitecore without going through a training class Build front-end (HTML, CSS, Angular, etc.) solutions as well as back-end (C#) solutions on Sitecore Incorporate design patterns into your Sitecore solutions Make use of advanced Sitecore development techniques Who This Book Is For The book is a developer’s companion, both front end and back end developers. The target audience is both developers who have zero Sitecore experience, as well as seasoned veterans looking for advanced best practices. A secondary audience would be Sitecore administrators who would benefit from discussions around performance tuning and security.