In terms of web development certificate courses, there are numerous subjects and skill sets that students may study in varying degrees. Certificate programs are generally not as advanced as degree programs, so students may or may not explore all of the coding elements, database configurations, or server programs as they would if they pursued a degree. However, most certificate programs give students a basic understanding of the most common subjects and skills. In short, the programs, languages, software, and coding elements students study can be divided into two distinct groups: client-side coding or server-side coding.

Web development certificate programs should feature instruction in both client-side and server-side coding languages. Client-side coding involves the scripts, databases, and other technologies that control what users (or clients) see when they load a particular web page or site. Some examples of client-side coding languages include:

·    Flash by Adobe, which controls animated elements, image transitions, and presentations. Flash enables images to function much like a movie.
·    JavaScript, which is most commonly used for online games and for accepting user input to return predetermined pages based on that input.
·    HTML, CSS3, and other site design coding languages tell the user's web browser how to display content, including colors, images, text size, fonts, and other instructions.
·    Ajax is used in conjunction with JavaScript for a more enhanced user experience.

Server-side coding controls how servers process information, how they recall site elements, command responses for input from the website or the user, as well as how collected data is stored and processed. Cookies that retain your user ID and password information are examples of server-side coding. Web development certificate courses may focus more heavily on server-side coding languages, depending on the program. Some examples of server-side coding languages include:

·    .NET by Microsoft
·    ColdFusion by Adobe
·    Ruby on Rails
·    Java (as opposed to JavaScript)
·    Perl and CGI
·    Mozilla Rhino and other server-side JavaScript coding languages

It is possible to find web development certificate offerings and programs that focus on only one coding language, as is often the case with courses offered by software developers. For example, Adobe and Microsoft both offer (or allow third party vendors to offer) certificate programs for web developers that teach only one specific coding language. Naturally, providing certification programs that help web developers prove marketable skills encourages wider use of these manufacturer's products, thus increasing their yearly revenues with passive income streams.

Some may argue that web development certificate offerings should be neutral and unrelated to a particular manufacturer's product. However, given the expansive research and development divisions of these companies, it is hard to argue that they are anything but cutting edge. As such, they may be the best option for staying abreast of the hottest industry trends and developments. Likewise, who better to teach you how to use such technology than those who developed it in the first place? However, there is something to be said to a program that bears no affiliation and therefore no bias towards any single program or language.