Top Skills to Become a Professional Full Stack Developer in 2023
Are you curious about "How to Become a Full Stack Developer"? Then this article is for you.
A full-stack developer is the most versatile profession in software development companies as they know both front-end and back-end. Front-end is all about the users who will use your website, while the back end is all about the admins who manage the website or software.
The other name for front-end and back-end is client-side and server-side. The client-side is about the layout, presentation, and user interaction with the site. The back-end is about the API configuration, data collection, and version-controlling system.
Full Stack Developers transmit user requirements into the architecture and design new systems that is highly chosen by the mobile app development company.
Table of Content
- Who is a Full Stack Developer?
- What is Front-End Development?
- What is Back-End Development?
- Where to Start?
- Things to learn as a Full Stack Developer
- Full Stack Developer Skills You Need to Know
- Fundamentals of Designs
- Soft Skills
- Final Note on becoming a Full-Stack Developer
- Frequently Asked Questions
Who is a Full Stack Developer?
Every website and mobile app has two parts - the front end and the back end. Generally, we need front-end and back-end developers to develop a website or a mobile app. The developer who knows both front-end and back-end development is a full-stack developer.
A Full stack developer knows all the tasks related to the front-end and back-end. He can think both from the user's and the admin's point of view.
A full-stack developer is much in demand as it resolves the conflict between the front-end and back-end developer.
What is Front-End Development?
Front-end development is an element that shows one's website or graphic application functionality. It is also popular as client-side development, which is used as an element of the website that a user can interact with.
For front-end development, developers need to choose selection criteria, client info, your location, contact details, and more for the app development. So, development makes these functions appear to the user on the application.
What is Back-End Development?
A server-side development that is also known as back-end, used as an element which is not visible to users. Back-end core functionality relies on creating the application interaction seamless for users. Back-end development is responsible for supporting and organizing databases and the behind-the-scenes functionality of the front-end.
To develop a dynamic and functional website; you need back-end development.
Where to Start?
Full Stack Development is not effortless as it seems; many developers find it imposing. But, if a fresher or experienced developer starts specializing in either Front-end or Backend and then comprehending the other one is the easy way to begin with, full-stack development.
If you want to make your career as a developer, the best thing to start is understanding a relevant programming language, learning ideas profoundly and being a master of it.
Things to learn as a Full Stack Developer
When starting anything from scratch, it is important to follow the roadmap of what you should learn. Making the list of core ideas and languages helps you avoid wasting time learning front-end and back-end development.
Some of the essential things that full-stack developers must know:
- Choosing a Tech Stack
- Backend
- Front-end
- Version Control
- Database
Full Stack Developer Skills You Need to Know
Full-Stack Developer Skills
To radiate in the role of full-stack developer, one requires extensive knowledge of various skills. Diversity is key if you want to make a career in the technology field. For a successful full-stack developer, you have to be well-versed in languages and frameworks.
Here are the full-stack developer skills that will enable you to outshine in your role.
HTML & CSS
HTML and CSS are the most popular set of languages in web development. HTML that is Hypertext Markup Language and CSS is short form of Cascading Style Sheets, and both are equally important for full-stack developer skills. Full Stack Developer uses HTML to add web content and CSS to design and style web pages.
Using HTML, Full Stack Developers define the structure of web pages. Also, they must be proficient in CSS to present the HTML elements effectively.
Full Stack Developers must have good knowledge of both languages to create an interactive, unique, and intuitive front-end application.
JavaScript
JavaScript plays a vital role in web and software development services. Therefore, it has become an essential skill for a Full Stack Developer.
Full Stack Developers must be aware of JavaScript language and its concepts and features like React and Angular. The best thing about JavaScript is that it offers many valuable elements: functions event delegation, functions, prototypes, and closure, which help build responsive web applications.
For full-stack developers, it is compulsory to understand JavaScript and the latest frameworks, libraries, and other related tools. Besides, they must know how to use DOM and JSON.
Git and GitHub
Everyone from the web development industry must have heard of Git. It's an open-source "distributed version control system" that can handle all your development needs.
- It enhances developers' development speed and efficiency for both small and large-scale projects.
- Using Git, developers can easily manage all the changes made to applications, codes, websites, documents, and other data.
- A professional developer usually has a GitHub account for software development.
Using Git, Full Stack Developers track every minor modification done to the application codebase. They must know all the basic commands and examples of Git.
Besides, Git allows full-stack developers to benefit from unique features for security, productivity, and management. Additionally, it will enable Full Stack Developers to collaborate with their teammates under the same project.
Back End Languages
While we have defined the two most important front-end languages - HTML & CSS, the other essential part of an application is the back end. There are many programming languages to choose from the back-end languages.
- PHP
PHP is an open-source and cross-platform programming language. However, PHP development services are the most popular services among developers for back-end development.
- Python
Python is one of the most chosen development languages globally and a favourite of developers. Its smooth learning curve and a vast assortment of libraries and frameworks make it the top choice for developers.
- Ruby
Ruby is a robust programming language. It has an active community of developers. Also, ruby helps to enhance better documentation and dependencies, creating it the ideal choice for back-end development.
- Java
Java is a multipurpose programming language. It's used to develop web, desktop and mobile applications. Moreover, Java offers a wide range of frameworks that simplifies the back-end development process.
Web Architecture
Full Stack Developers are the main players in custom software development services. They have a good knowledge of both front-end and back-end development.
Full Stack Developers must be aware of the web architecture. Their priority is to develop complex applications from scratch. Therefore, they must know how to structure the code, categorize the files, structure the database, and perform the necessary computational tasks.
Fundamentals of Designs
A full-stack developer is someone who has diversified work as a part of the development team and the design team. Developers must have the basic design knowledge to make the front-end development more attractive and interactive.
Design fundamentals will help you get the user psychology in software development for the client-side of the application.
REST and SOAP
A full-stack developer fills the gap between the two most essential elements of web application development; Developers are the communicator between REST and SOAP.
So, a full-stack developer must have knowledge and experience in working with web application program interfaces (APIs). With the help of dedicated developers, the software development services provider will enable you to share data between two systems, which helps to form efficient and productive operations.
Technology Stacks
A developer must keep them updated when working in a high-end technology-driven firm. In a software development company, a well-versed full-stack developer is dedicated to developing and updating themselves with all the technologies.
Different business comes with their requirements, and for the same, developers must possess the latest updates on technology and framework for reliable software development services.
Some of the best technology stacks are Django stack, LAMP stack, and more to develop different applications.
HTTP and REST
Both HTTP and REST have their unique purposes. HTTP is the protocol that is operated to do client communication. In contrast, REST is an interface between systems using the HTTP protocol to gather data or perform different tasks on the data. So, REST works like a translator between the front end and the back end.
Since HTTP and REST are essential, Full Stack Developers must be aware of both.
Database Storage
Every web application needs a database where it can store the data. This ensures that the developers can access the data later. To implement this, full-Stack Developers must know about relational databases and database storage inside-out. Additionally, they must be aware of XML and JSON.
Following are the factors that a Full Stack Developer must consider for database storage and management:
- Characteristics of relational/non-relational data.
- Aware of NoSQL databases.
- Knowledge of web storage.
NPM
NPM is the package manager designed for NodeJS. It helps in the execution of different packages. Also, it has relevant solutions for various dependencies.
Using NPM, developers can optimally place modules to help the node find them and manage the dependency conflicts accordingly. It's highly configurable. Therefore, many apps leverage this, including the development, publishing, discovery, and installation of node programs.
Soft Skills
A developer have to deal with many roles parallelly where soft skills are the priority. Besides hard skills, full-stack developers must be experienced in soft skills that help them get work done efficiently.
Full Stack Developer Soft Skills are:
- Communication
- Inquisitive
- Team Player
- Multi-Tasking
- Manages Time
- Creative Mindset
- Attentive to Detail
- Patient
Final Note on becoming a Full-Stack Developer
In recent years, full-stack software development has seen an up wave in nearly all small to huge software development companies. So, the additional skills you gain, the more your CV shapes and gets noticed. Engineering graduates can opt for such courses, who are looking for better career growth and a good salary.
Full Stack Development is an evolving field in IT outsourcing companies. Therefore, Full Stack Developers are in high demand amongst small enterprises, financial groups, and even high-ranking businesses. So, before becoming a professional Full Stack Developer, you must get an idea of what the field is about.
Frequently Asked Questions
The frequently asked questions from Full Stack Developer are:
Can I become a Full Stack Developer without experience?
Yes, it is achievable to evolve as a full-stack developer without any experience. Yet, to increase your opportunities to stand out from others, you must have a number of skills such as CSS, HTML, Python, Database Management System fundamentals, Ruby, Laravel, PHP, and more.
What do you need to know to become a full-stack developer?
To evolve as a full-stack developer and make your career in development, you need to know back-end, front-end, and databases in detail.
- Knowledge of CSS, HTML, JavaScript and more are a must, along with primary design skills for front-end development.
- For Back-end development, you need to have an understanding of languages like PHP, Ruby, Python, and more. Besides, web protocols like HTTP, SOAP, etc., are required with architectural style REST.
- Developers must have proficient knowledge of Databases storage system servers such as MySQL, Oracle, and more.
Which Full Stack is best?
Developers generally utilize MERN(MongoDB, Express, React, Node) Stack, and businesses choose MERN. Yet, as a full-stack developer, one must have knowledge of all stacks such as Django Stack and LAMP(Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP.) Stack and more such technology. In general, software outsourcing company offers different solutions based on the requirements.
How long does it take to become a full-stack developer?
It depends on knowledge and from where you start. In general, it takes a minimum of 3-6 months to gain a basic understanding of full-stack development.
The learning period is never fixed, and an individual can take more time depending on your learning curiosity to upskilling.
Is a full-stack developer in demand?
Yes, every business chooses to develop a scalable and robust app, and full-stack development is the first choice. Based on the demand for the diversified role, full-stack developers are in demand.
What is the full-stack developer's salary?
The pay of a full-stack developer is based on multiple factors, including location, expertise, experience, employer, and skillset. Therefore the salary can range from ₹1400k/year to 300K/year.