In this digital and competitive world, you will find plenty of job opportunities as a career option. Digital technology and development have given birth to a growing number of positions to support them. And therefore, the world developer came into existence.
For the longest time, developers were expected to either work on the design (known as front-end) or coding (known as back-end) roles.
However, the advent of demand for technology and being restricted to excelling in merely one programming language did not impress the business community. Therefore, the companies started leveraging their services to reduce operational costs and efforts by allowing developers to work on both front-end and back-end technologies.
That’s the reason, I am writing this article to let you know about full-stack developers.
So, what’s so special about full-stack developers? How do businesses benefit from having them on board? And what type of skills do they possess?
To create intuitive applications and websites, companies leverage the expertise of the dedicated development center.
If you are planning to hire full-stack developers, you need to understand their skills. Prominent and efficient full stack developers are most likely to be in demand.
Here are some important things you should know before you hire them.
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Who is a Full Stack Developer?
A full-stack developer is proficient and has good expertise in programming languages for front-end and back-end technology.
They are the creator of an application which could create an impact on users with its look and feel.
Nowadays, many organizations prefer hiring full-stack developers for their projects, as it can help them save plenty of costs, and no need to hire any developer for separate technology.
The full-stack developer is capable of handling everything that happens behind the application. It’s the job of a full-stack developer that processes the data to fill requests made at the front end. This includes taking the user’s input, processing it, and storing it in a database. It also allows the system to retrieve stored data and supply it to the user interface to display.
A full-stack developer has knowledge about both the front end and back end. They know their way around servers, databases, APIs, MVC, hosting environments, and so on.
What is the Role of a Full Stack Developer?
A full-stack developer is capable of performing the below-mentioned tasks:
- Writes back end codes in Python, PHP, or Ruby
- Writes front end codes in JavaScript or HTML
- Analyzes, develops, and debugs database queries
- Creates test codes for app validation
- Keeps tabs on web apps and UI performance
- Tests and resolves web application bugs
What Skills to Look For in a Full Stack Developer?
An experienced and professional full-stack web developer will possess many technical and soft skills which will be able to manage time and work efficiently with others.
Let’s go through it now.
Soft skills they should have:
- Logic and problem-solving skills go hand in hand with application development and troubleshooting.
- They should have time management skills in order to meet the project deadlines without compromising quality.
- Communication skills are important for them to have clear communication with the front-end developers, clients, project managers, and others who are involved in the project.
- Have good observation skills to identify errors, which will save a great deal of time in the development process.
Technical Skills to consider:
A full-stack developer has to work on various technologies and tools to create an application. Henceforth, here are the technical skills they should have in order to create a robust app.
1) HTML/CSS:
HTML and CSS are used to style the content for an effective web presence. It’s one of the basic and essential requirements which can’t be missed by any developer. HTML5 and CSS3 will allow developers to style the content and give an attractive look and feel.
A full-stack developer must have a good understanding and knowledge of HTML and CSS to facilitate enhancing the quality of content.
Both HTML and CSS are used to create an engaging and intuitive front end.
2) JavaScript:
JavaScript is one of the most prominent languages used for web development. It has created a great impact on React Native Development Company. A full-stack developer must be able to use its libraries, tools, and frameworks during the website development services.
JavaScript can also be used at the server-side with NodeJS. Every web application runs smoothly with the help of JavaScript, therefore, it’s mandatory to have a deep understanding and knowledge of its frameworks – Angular and React.
Moreover, a full-stack developer must have good skills in JSON, DOM, coding structure, and modularization.
3) Git and GitHub:
If you are a developer, you must know how to work with Git and GitHub. With the help of Git repositories, you can make the application development more secure and efficient.
Each change in the coding can be evidently tracked by having knowledge of Git.
4) Back end:
Back-end languages like NodeJS, Python, Ruby, Flask, and other languages are also important along with front-end development. The strength of back-end architecture informs user experience and functionality.
5) Database Management:
You should know that full stack development also includes database management and data storage. A full-stack developer must be able to work directly with the database if any issue occurs on the website.
Therefore, a developer must have knowledge of relational database management and storage. They have the ability to understand, create, manipulate and query the database. Also, they must be able to differentiate between relational and non-relational databases alongside knowing the syntax of XML/JSON.
6) HTTP and REST API:
HTTP is a protocol that enables the communication between server and client. REST uses HTTP to generate operations over the data.
In nutshell, REST API empowers back-end technology to understand the front end. So, it becomes necessary for developers to know the relation between both.
7) Web Architecture:
If you think that the above six skills can make a full stack developer proficient, then you are mistaken, buddy!
A full-stack developer is a value for the knowledge of front and back end. Therefore, he/she must know how to reuse the code, structuring the code, safe storing the code, and performing computational tasks.
It’s necessary to have skills in front-end and back-end architecture along with code reusability.
A full-stack developer should understand:
- How to perform code structure
- Where to place the data
- How to separate files
- How to work on computational tasks
Required Skill Sets
1) Front end
- HTML, CSS and JavaScript
- VueJS, AngularJS, BackboneJS, BootStrap, etc frameworks.
- JQuery, AnyChart, etc libraries
2) Back end
- Programming languages – Ruby, Python, Php, etc.
- Frameworks – Laravel for PHP, Ruby on Rails for Ruby, Django for Python, Dot Net for C#, Express.js, etc.
- API design and development
- Know how to connect between the back end and database
3) Database
- Relational Database Management System, PostgreSQL, MySQL
- Oracle Database, Microsoft SQL Server
- Design the schema of the database
- Know how to store data efficiently
- Know the difference between rational and non-relational database
4) Servers
- Apache, Nginx, etc.
- Operating system deployment tools like Ubuntu, CentOS, FreeBSD, etc.
5) Others
- HTTP, Restful APIs, and caching
- Aware of Git, GitHub, and SourceTree
- Good experience in web application architecture
When Should You Hire Full Stack Developer?
The job of a full stack developer comes with many roles and requirements.
Here are some factors that will help you decide when to hire a full-stack developer.
Minimum Viable Product
If a company is planning to create an MVP, a full stack developer is the best option for that.
Hiring a full stack developer will help you develop an MVP and this can help you get feedback from users. Therefore, a developer should understand the idea and turn it into a fully functional prototype.
Single Page Application Development
Within a given time period, a developer can create a Single Page Application – SPA. It requires only client-side scripting to create an SAP. SPA pages render in the browser without sending request-response to the server. Therefore, the content on the website is dynamically updated without reloading the whole page.
Budget Constraint
It’s quite cost-consuming if you are hiring front and back end developers for your project. It is also challenging for each layer of the development process.
But a full-stack developer can be your savior.
Instead of hiring an individual developer for front-end and back-end development, hire a full stack developer. Well, this will be a cost-effective option.
Conclusion
The task and job of a full stack developer come with many responsibilities and management. Hence, you need to consider many aspects if you are planning to hire a full-stack developer.
Before you hire any developer, you must have a proper understanding of your project requirements. You should know what types of skills a full-stack developer should have. If you are clear with the requirements then it will be easy for you to hunt for a developer.
Moreover, you can also consult the website development company that has a vast and experienced team of full-stack developers. You will get the developers at your end who are familiar and have acquired the knowledge of all stacks.
Author’s Bio:
Kiran Beladiya is the co-founder of the mobile app development company named The One Technologies. He is managing everything from discussing project ideas with clients to its release. Due to the hectic schedule, he could not get enough time to nurture and sharpen his writing skills but he is an avid writer. You can connect with him on Twitter and LinkedIn.  |
