If you have any interest in coding, you have probably heard the term Full Stack Development and you are probably curious as to what this term means. Well, we receive this question too often from readers like you. So, we’re going to discuss full stack development in this article, how you can become a full stack developer, and where you can buy full stack development services cheaply. Stay with us!
What does Full Stack Development mean?
Full Stack development can be referred to as the process of developing both the client-side and server-side development of software or an application simultaneously. It is also known as the front-end and back-end of the software or web application. As you may know, there are two components of software or web application development; frontend and backend. They are both developed separately. The backend is responsible for the logic and infrastructure while the frontend is responsible for the design and overall look of the software.
A restaurant is the easiest way to visualize the full-stack development process. The frontend is the beautifully designed area where guests enjoy their food in a restaurant. The backend is the pantry and kitchen, which are typically hidden from the customers. Users receive fully-prepared meals (information) served up by the chefs (developers), which have been permanently stored in a pantry (the database).
Who is a Full Stack Developer?
A full stack developer is someone who is capable of developing both the front end and back end of the application. A full stack developer knows each and everything that is required to develop a software project. The stack is, by definition, a large quantity. That is why traditionally, both the frontend and the backend tasks are handled by different teams, as they are considered to be different niches. Full-stack developers, however, are capable of working in both domains. In fact, they are capable of completing a software project on their own.
Well, we’ve talked a lot about the front end and back end. But, you probably are curious to know how the frontend development and how the backend development really works. Let’s talk about both of them one by one in detail.
Frontend Development:
Frontend Development also known as client-side development can simply be defined as the development of the visible part of a software or web application. It is responsible for all the visible components of the web application. The front end of the website is what users interact with when they visit the website. Therefore, the front end is focused on enhancing the user experience.
The front end is built by using programming languages and frameworks. There are three languages used in the front-end: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. While dozens of frameworks are available for client-end development. Some of these include Bootstrap, jQuery, React.js, and AngularJS. A front-end developer is considered to have an excellent command of the majority of these languages and frameworks. A front-end developer makes a decent amount of money per annum. Some companies hire front end developers on project bases while most of them hire them full-time.
Backend Development:
Backend development, also known as server-side development can simply be defined as the structural development of the website or web application. It is typically responsible for everything that is hidden from the user’s view. Back-end developers are responsible for managing the database and the APIs where the data is stored, and creating the logical structure of the website.
Just like the front end, the back end is also developed using programming languages and frameworks. The back-end languages include C++, PHP, Java, Python, NodeJS, Ruby, and many more. While the back-end frameworks include Django, Express.js, Flask, Laravel, and Rails. It is imperative to mention that the languages and frameworks used in backend development are more difficult to learn than those used in front-end development. This is the reason why backend developers are considered to earn a higher salary than frontend developers. Most companies hire back end developers full-time.
How to learn full stack development?
As discussed earlier, full stack development includes both the front end and the back end. To become a full-stack developer, you will need to learn both the front-end and back-end languages and frameworks. Yes, all the languages and frameworks mentioned above. That’s a lot of languages and frameworks, right?
But wait, we do not recommend you to learn all of the front end and all of the backend languages and frameworks all at once. You should start with front-end development as HTML, CSS, and Javascript are the basic and easiest programming languages. When you have a reasonable command of these languages, you should start with jQuery frameworks. It is a popular JavaScript library for interacting with web pages and generating simple dynamic effects.
Then you should learn back-end development starting with NodeJS. It is the best way to begin back-end development. It is because you don’t have to learn another language as NodeJS is also written in JavaScript. Once you have a good command of NodeJS, you should learn its framework, Express.js.
You can learn C++, Python, or Ruby and their frameworks after that but have become a full stack developer once you have a thorough command of NodeJS.
How long does it take to become a full-stack developer?
Well, the answer to this question depends on various factors. One of them is to follow the right strategy. If you follow the strategy given above, you can become a full-stack developer in less than three months. But it also depends on where you learn it. We recommend you enroll yourself in a full stack development course on Udemy. If you don’t want to spend money, you can learn any of these languages and frameworks on Youtube free of cost.
Conclusion:
In this article, we discussed full stack development in detail and how you can learn it in just 3 months. You can learn full stack development easily by following our easy strategy. Keep in mind that a full stack developer earns a higher salary than a frontend or backend developer. You can also work as a freelance full stack developer on projects once you have a strong command over both the backend and the front end.