15 min ReadOver the last few years, full-stack development has become one of the most talked-about topics. It refers to the ability to develop end-to-end solutions from architecting user requirements to designing and building digital solutions.
That’s the simplest definition we have known since full-stack came into the web world. In 2020, full-stack skills have become more valuable than ever, thanks to the global upsurge in digital transformation and diverse technologies.
Put simply, a full-stack professional is a developer who has the competency to develop both – front-end parts and backend parts of the application. Here is the complete guide to full-stack development to answer your every question related to full-stack.
Starting with the most basic, let’s understand what full-stack development is:
What is Full-Stack Development?
Full-stack development refers to building end-to-end software solutions including front-end and back-end development.
Front-end refers to the front part of the application or UI which is seen by the end-user and used for end-user interaction. The backend part is related to server-side development, database, and API development.
It has been observed that web developers are relying on more than one technology to craft responsive, modern, and scalable web apps. With this growing trend, full-stack professionals are in demand as they are capable of working on multiple technologies and tools.
Who is a Full-Stack Developer?
A full-stack developer is a person who is proficient in several languages and frameworks for client-side and server-side programming. They don’t require learning all the technologies or tools available in the market. However, they must possess the knowledge of developing applications entirely from UI design to development and deployment.
Are Full-Stack Developers and Software Engineers Different?
The name ‘Software Engineer’ is a more generic one and refers to the programmers of any language. They are specialists in one language or work with more than one technology as per needs.
Full-stack is specifically referring to the qualification of developing both – frontend and backend.
With the enhancement in technologies, the roles and responsibilities of developers have changed. Both titles emphasize complete product development but there is one significant difference between both of them. Full-stack professionals are qualified to build the front, and back end of the app while product engineers must focus on complete product development from ideation to implementation. Product engineering also includes a continuous change cycle to improve performance, add/remove features, and fulfill customers’ expectations.
What are the Benefits of Hiring a Full-Stack Developer?
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They Are All-Rounder
Full-stack developers can work on front-end technologies like JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and backend technologies like PHP, Node, Java, Python, and so on. Also, they know database and server management, making them all-rounders in web and mobile app development.
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They Help Reduce Time And Cost
Full-stack developers help keep every part of the web application running smoothly. They can help team members solve any issue and greatly reduce infrastructure, personnel, and management costs. As they possess the know-how of numerous technologies/frameworks, they can fix issues quickly and deliver rapidly.
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They Help Deliver Faster
Hiring a full-stack developer reduces the number of persons required to develop an application. Hence, the communication time between team members will also decrease. In bigger teams, they know how to effectively communicate with frontend and backend developers, greatly saving time and cost. This will result in a faster time-to-market of an application.
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Suitable For Startups And Small Teams:
Full-stack developers for startups and small teams will be proven lucrative as startups require faster prototyping in less time and within a stipulated budget. Collaborative work, innovative thinking, and knowledge of various technologies and approaches make them agile, self-organized, efficient, and excellent assets to the company.
Disadvantages of Full-Stack Developer/Development?
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Jack of All, Master Of None
If there is a requirement to deep dive to solve any issue or need expert advice, full-stack developers might not deliver the best. Nonetheless, years of experience and constant learning can make them pros over time.
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Overload of Tasks
It depends on organizational structure and majorly on an individual’s capability to complete the tasks. While dependency on the full-stack developer is comparatively higher, sometimes it is difficult to manage and pay equal attention to the number of projects simultaneously.
What Are The Technology Stacks For Full-Stack Development?
With the increased usage of open-source software and agile approach to development, full-stack development is getting a makeover with new frameworks and tools.
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LAMP Stack
L for Linux Operating System, A for Apache server, M for MySQL database server, and P for PHP Language
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MEAN Stack
In the MEAN stack, M represents MongoDB( popular NoSQL Database), E stands for Express.js, A for Angular which is a frontend framework and N represents the cross-platform runtime environment
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MERN Stack
This is the same stack as MEAN, just Angular is replaced by React.
For any full-stack developer, knowledge of HTML, CSS, And JavaScript is a must and with that front-end knowledge, they must deal with server-side programming too.
Apart from this, developers can choose languages like Python, Java, and frameworks like .Net and RoR to develop full-stack applications.
Skills Required To Become Full-Stack Developers
Full-stack developers have to play more than one role in web development processes. From architecting user requirements to front-end, back-end, and database management, they need to obtain broader perspectives on the usability, accessibility, and quality of the system.
They must possess:
- Knowledge of essential front-end technologies like HTML, CSS, JavaScript
- At least one server-side programming language like Java, Python, PHP, Ruby, and so on
- Database management and caching mechanism
- Server and configuration management
- Version control systems
- Basic UI/UX design
- Project management skills
- Security awareness
- Agile development approach
Knowledge of DevOps, automated tests, and modern development architecture like microservices, containerization, and container orchestration can be the icing on the cake. Upcoming years will see a notable rise in full-stack development as they are known for their capability to build end-to-end systems.
Hiring Full-Stack Developers For Your Next Project: Save Cost & Time
Full-stack developers are considered skillful, self-reliant, and complete coders who are capable of delivering the best experience or optimizing the current web/mobile experience. The demand for full-stack developers continues to grow because of its wide-ranging benefits including reduced time and cost, knowledge of multiple technologies, and suitability for startups and small teams.
They are a great asset to the team and outstanding team members. Are you ready to hire a full-stack developer?
