Hello, in this article I will write my opinion about the “Dilemma of Becoming an Odoo Developer”. Please remember, that this article is a personal opinion based on my experience for more than 4 years as an Odoo developer, you don’t have to agree with my opinion. This article also does not intend to speak ill of anyone, if this article seems to speak ill of certain individuals or institutions, I apologize in advance.

Before becoming an Odoo developer, I joined a company that developed an ERP sofware with Angular + PHP, then changed it to React + Node JS in the latest version. In this company, I am required to be a Fullstack Developer. So writing some Javascript codes has become my daily routine.

When I quit the job and joined one of the software consultants as an Odoo developer, of course, my habits and experiences from my previous company were carried over. I’m curious about the choice of technology used by Odoo, especially the framework/library on the frontend side. Are they using Angular ? React ? Ember ? Or JQuery ?

Unfortunately, during the training period, I learned that we can create a web-based CRUD application without having to write any Javascript code. That’s why I said to my colleagues that “Odoo is like magic”.

Being able to create a web-based CRUD application without writing any Javascript code is certainly a good thing. Because it can speed up the software development itself. I feel very productive in solving problems and client needs when working with Odoo compared to when using other technologies. In a short time, I can create many forms with many functionalities.

But this also causes some negative effects. The first is, we will forget that Odoo is a web-based application. Where there is a backend side and a frontend side. On the frontend side, a web-based application must be written with Javascript. But in my case, maybe almost 2 years after I became an Odoo developer, I still don’t know what Javascript framework/library that Odoo uses 🙂 and almost believe that we can solve any problem without a Javascript code.

Because during that time I never wrote a Javascript code, and there was no need for it.

When faced with a problem or client’s needs, we often have an expectation that they can be solved with Python or XML. But obviously, it’s not true. Obviously, some problems have to be solved with Javascript code. Unfortunately this brings us to the second negative effect.

In Odoo forums if there is a question/problem that needs to be solved with Javascript usually the answerer rarely posts Javascript code snippets, so we can’t immediately know and apply the solution to our code. This is very different if the solution is with Python or XML code. The answerer will mostly post a code snippet that can solve the problem. I don’t know why they discriminate Javascript 🙁

The third negative effect is, because Javascript is rarely used when creating an Odoo module, there are very few tutorials available online. So, the media that we can use for learning is minimal. Plus, the Javascript code changes in the latest Odoo version are sometimes very extreme. The big changes that I know are from Odoo v12 to Odoo v13 and from Odoo v14 to Odoo v15. And the best part is, they change the Odoo version each year. Good job Odoo to make me tired.

Then, does every Odoo developer have to be a fullstack developer? So, every prospective Odoo developer should be taught how the Javascript runs in Odoo? In my opinion, ideally, it’s yes. But it’s also become a dilemma, because not everyone can become a fullstack developer, and even if they are taught, because they are rarely used, there is no guarantee that they will remember when needed. Or the material presented is still relevant when the Odoo latest version comes.

But if you want to be a freelancer, I think you MUST know how the Javascript runs in Odoo. Because based on my experience, many jobs as a freelancer that I receive involve Javascript code. It’s not funny when we have received a contract as a freelancer, it turns out that the problem can’t be solved with Python or XML, then we just give up. If we work as a team at the software house, it’s still ok if we can’t, just tell the manager, then it’s up to the manager to transfer the job to other team members. With the hope that in the team there is someone who knows Javascript. If not? It’s a big problem.

As a freelancer, we have to solve all problems ourselves.

Many freelance jobs that I received came from Odoo developers who had difficulty writing the Javascript code. This proves my opinion that the ease of making a web-based CRUD application in Odoo that “likes magic” makes many programmers forget the Javascript part. I don’t know if this is a disaster in the Odoo developer world in general or not. But, for me, this can be an opportunity to get more freelance jobs and earn more money 🙂

My advice is, to familiarize with the Javascript in Odoo, make sure you have experience with JQuery, then please read the code in the web module, especially the code in the static directory, because this module is where most of the Odoo’s Javascript code was written.

That’s the end of my opinion, if you have your opinions please write in the comments.