Full-stack developer: who is and how to become one

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If you have never come across the concept of “Full-stack”, then most likely you are coding only in JavaScript. Well, of course we’re joking. Full-stack implies a comprehensive approach, especially when it comes to the world of web development. In fact, this is the competence of the master, who is able to implement both the client and server side of the application.

Of course, such a specialist is literally worth its weight in gold, and his work is very highly paid. This should be taken into account, because in modern realities, the division into FrontEnd and BackEnd is becoming less relevant. It is much more effective when the entire IT project is led by one specialist from start to finish. And here is how he does it, we will tell further.

Do Full-Stack Web Developers Really Exist?

The fact is that many developers and top-level specialists with extensive experience in the IT field fundamentally do not take such a position as a Full-stack programmer seriously. And here a reasonable question arises: why would it? After all, there were always masters who were able to cope with the tasks set both on the front and on the back. Then where do the doubts about this come from?

Full stack web developers

Full stack web developers

And yet, there is an opinion that there are no full-fledged Full-stack programmers. In practice, the picture is this: about half of web development specialists who call themselves Full-stack developers are BackEnd developers who have received a short training in FrontEnd and are more or less able to cope with Angular or React compilation.

That is, they know how to assemble and connect, and even reach the Junior level in layout, but more often such a Full-stack master will not demonstrate aerobatics. The buttons will be pressed, but that’s it.

Either the remaining half of the programmers consider themselves Full-stack developers, namely, those who specialize in FrontEnd, while only slightly understanding BackEnd and, for example, Node.js (most often), or it can be PHP- developers. All of them are able to correct something if necessary, but none of them will write you a full-fledged cool Full-stack application.

There is also an opinion that the concept of “Full-stack” was invented on purpose and serves as a kind of business ploy that allows employers to hire one employee who will himself perform the functions of two different specialists (not a new way to save money).

If you look at it, then at the heart of all the disagreements about the profession of Full-stack is skepticism. There are developers who do not believe that it is possible to master both FrontEnd and BackEnd at a good enough level. Here, in each case, you need to know a bunch of languages, technologies, be able to apply them. Therefore, it is impossible to be a great specialist in both front-end and back-end at the same time.

Full stack web developers

Full stack web developers

Full-stack programmers themselves assure that in the course of development you always have to dive into the opposite part of the process, get acquainted with the tools and technologies there, that is, fully accompany the project. And then it remains to learn everything properly, practice and take on projects entirely.

Of course, Full-stack specialists will not know all the necessary technologies and languages ​​so thoroughly (on a par with highly specialized colleagues). However, their knowledge is quite enough to complete a project in which both FrontEnd and BackEnd will work perfectly.

Types of Full-stack Web Developers

In Full-stack programming, there is also a division into specialties, and they are very different here: PHP Full-stack Developer, Node.js Full-stack Developer, Java Full-stack Developer and many others. By the first part of the names, it is clear which language or platform is involved in the development of the project backend.

As a rule, the same technology stack is used when implementing FrontEnd, only JavaScript tools can be different, namely Angular, React or Vue.js. As for the BackEnd, there are much more opportunities for execution.

So, once again: who is senior Full-stack Web Developer? This is the name of a specialist who is engaged in the creation of applications, and he is actively involved in the development of both the client (visualization, process logic) and server (database formation, server architecture and program logic) parts of the product.

Such a master uses a certain stack of technologies in his work. In particular, approximately the same set is most often used to prepare the client side (FrontEnd):

HTML and CSS (layout and style languages, respectively);

JavaScript and TypeScript are programming languages;

Bootstrap Tool

Angular/React/Vue.js

SASS and LESS (preprocessors);

jQuery (library);

DOM, AJAX, JSON

adaptive and cross-browser layout.

Next – about the BackEnd (server part) and its branches, involving the use of certain modern technologies and programming languages:

Types of Full-stack Web Developers

Types of Full-stack Web Developers

Node.js Full-stack Developer

In BackEnd, there are a variety of “fillings”, there are much more options here than in FrontEnd. In particular, the primary language of Node.js full-stack developers is JavaScript. And the stack looks like this:

Node.js (the platform itself);

Express.js is a working framework;

Npm, yarn – package managers;

web sockets;

REST API architecture;

a number of other special technologies.