Full Stack development is one of the most sought-after coding jobs in the tech industry. Here you’ll understand the meaning of full stack development, frontend and backend web development, the languages and skills required, job responsibilities and so on.
Meaning of Full Stack Development
Full Stack Development refers to the development of the frontend and backend sections of a website or application. A Full Stack Developer deals with building and designing the user’s side (frontend) and the server side (backend) of a website or web application while guaranteeing its reliability and efficiency.
Full stack development consists of two different web development domains which are the Frontend and Backend web development. A full-stack developer should be well-versed in both categories.
What is Frontend Development?
Frontend development involves designing the layout of a website I.e. how information is presented in a website or web application whether on a browser, desktop or mobile device. The layout consists of everything visible on the website (e.g. written texts, pictures, fonts, buttons, etc) which is the section users can view and directly interact with.
A front-end developer is responsible for putting all these in place to facilitate a setting that provides and receives information for a favourable user experience.
What is Backend development?
Backend development pertains to the server side of the website or web application. It involves building algorithms to collect or edit data received from users on the front end of the website. It also regulates the database where the information received is stored with the help of data management systems.
Languages/skills needed for Full Stack Development
The skills and languages a full stack developer requires according to the area of development are as follows;
1. Frontend development:
- HTML: ‘HyperText Markup Language’ is responsible for the layout of texts or images on the website. It consists of tags that define the text documentation and the layout of the web page.
- CSS: ‘Cascading Style Sheets’ enable designing and editing various web components e.g. colour, characters, bold, etc. It is used to amplify the style of web pages and make them decorative.
- JavaScript: This is a scripting language which works to improve the user’s interaction with the website or application. It also offers various libraries and frameworks e.g. jQuery, Angular, React, etc.
Additional Skills (These are useful but aren’t usually a requirement for the job):
- Web Design: Using Software like Illustrator and Photoshop for designing graphics and themes.
- User experience and User Interface design: helps in analysing the best ways to present and receive information from the users.
2. Backend Development:
- PHP: ‘Hypertext Preprocessor’ is particularly built for server-side web development and is a scripting language.
- Python: This is a very popular and easy-to-use language which supports backend web development.
- Java: This is a widely used programming language. It runs and manages the server-side of a website or application
- C#: Useful in the Windows environment for backend programming.
- C++: This is used as a backend development language.
- Ruby
- SQL: ‘Structured Query Language’ is used to develop, maintain and gather relational databases. It is a common database language.
- MongoDB: This is a very popular NoSQL database (Non-relational database). It is an open-source document-oriented database which means it offers an entirely different means for the storage and retrieval of data instead of the table-like relational database mechanism.
Becoming a full-stack developer does not necessarily require a four-year degree certification although it might give you an upper hand in the industry. However, getting an accredited certification and experience in programs rendering full stack development courses online where you can learn all the required skills usually make one qualified for the job.
Job obligations of a Full Stack Developer
- Frontend web development – creating an interactive user interface.
- Developing the backend of the website or application to receive data from the servers.
- Developing reliable database and servers.
- Creating interactive web applications that meet the customer’s needs and keep them engaged.
- Creating and developing APIs which execute tasks like retrieving data from the servers on the backend.
- Building applications that can run efficiently on all platforms (like desktop and mobile devices) and operating systems (Linux, macOS and Windows).
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