In recent years we have seen a stratospheric growth in the number of professionals in the software sector. Similarly, the range of training courses related to new technologies and the development of technological training has exploded in response to the increased demand for these jobs by companies. This is not surprising, as software development and programming offer very competitive working conditions and reasonable career progression.
Among the development jobs that have proliferated in the popular corporate imagery, three stand out in particular: front-end, back-end and full-stack developer. In this article we will tell you what the differences are between these three profiles and what exactly a full-stack developer does. Are they a “unicorn” job profile? Here we will discuss this controversial issue in the world of software development.
Differences between front-end and back-end
To put it simply, front-end developers are in charge of the more visual part of a website, program or application. Back-end developers, on the other hand, are responsible for the underlying architecture of the website, the storage of information in databases and maintaining an efficient connection to servers.
Let's delve a little deeper into what it means to be a front-end or back-end focused developer:
Front-end developer
A front-end developer is responsible for creating the user interface (UI) of a web application. As we have said, it is in charge of the most visual part, that is, the part with which the user interacts directly. It uses mark-up languages such as HTML, CSS and programming languages as JavaScript to develop the visual structure and ensure a good user experience. His main goal as an employee is to make the interface attractive, easy to use and functional on various devices and browsers.
Back-end developer
A back-end developer interacts with the databases to store and retrieve information at convenience, it establishes authentication methods of users, guarantees a secure connection in the requests between the interface and the server, among other tasks related to the more functional and logical aspects of the website or app. Depending on the project, back-end developers master different technologies, including Python, Java, PHP and Ruby.
So what is a full-stack developer?
A full-stack developer is nothing more than a developer who offers the complete package: is able to work on both front-end and back-end. That is to say, it handles several programming languages and can build an interface UX-friendly and, at the same time, work with APIs and databases. So a full-stack works like a multi-purpose knife: it can create a new functionality on a website or app entirely autonomously, design a new web element with HTML and CSS and migrate data from one database to another.
A full-stack developer could therefore be expected to is an all-in-one, This would be a developer with sufficient expertise and experience to be successful on both the front-end and back-end. But is this really the case? In this respect, many developers insist that the notion of a full stack is, if not a pipe dream, then nonsense.
Some of the functions of a full-stack developer include:
- Creating the user interface of web applications
- Connect and use external services via APIs
- Performing database queries
- Fix bugs and perform software updates
- Using development and deployment tools such as Git
- Collaborate closely with designers, QA testers and other developers
Hard skills and soft skills of a full-stack developer
Below we list the technical and soft skills expected of a full-stack developer according to a selection of job offers in today's technology market:
Hard skills:
- Programming languages: You must have experience in at least one programming language on the client-side (Front-end) and one on the server-side (Back-end). Examples include JavaScript (for Front-end and Node.js for Back-end), Python, Ruby, Java, PHP, among others.
- Front-end development: Advanced knowledge of HTML, CSS and JavaScript. Experience with Front-end frameworks such as React, Angular or Vue.js.
- Back-end development: Familiarity with a back-end framework, e.g. Express (Node.js), Django (Python), Ruby on Rails (Ruby), Spring (Java), Laravel (PHP).
- Databases: Experience with SQL (e.g. MySQL, PostgreSQL) and non-SQL (e.g. MongoDB) databases. Knowledge of how to design efficient database schemas and optimise queries.
- Development tools: Familiarity with development tools and integrated development environments (IDEs).
- Good cybersecurity practices.
Soft skills:
- Problem solving: Ability to analyse problems and find efficient solutions.
- Continuous learning: Proactive attitude towards learning and adopting new technologies.
- Collaboration: Ability to work in a team, collaborate with other developers and communicate ideas effectively.
- Creativity: Creative thinking to find innovative solutions to complex problems.
- Time management: Ability to manage time efficiently and prioritise tasks.
- Communication: Clear and effective communication skills, both verbal and written.
- Focus on the user: Understand the importance of user experience through design.
The full-stack developers controversy
Although this terminology has become standardised and established in the technology job market, we could find several drawbacks. If there are full-stack developers, what is the point of specialising in back-end or front-end? If there are full-stack developers, then we could argue that other developers are not as good as full-stack developers. developers suffer from a partial or incomplete stack.
Let's be realistic: in most cases, when we talk about a full-stack developer we mean an expert developer., just like that. Any self-respecting person must be able to work with both front-end and back-end. However, both areas are so oceanic and require such a level of specialisation separately that developers decide to specialise. And this is when a developer becomes more of a back-end or front-end developer.
There are quite a few HR departments in some companies that are looking for a full-stack developer without really being aware of what they are looking for. Possessing the same skills in all front-end and back-end functions is complex to say the least.
We are not saying that there is no experienced job profile that can acquire an excellent command of both development and programming, but it is a matter of RARE WATCHES whose presence in many workplaces is also unjustified.
If we are talking about large companies with sufficient budget, a balanced team of front-end and back-end developers will beat any team made up of so-called full-stack developers. specialising in everything and nothing at the same time.
How to become a full-stack developer?
If after reading what we have explained above you are willing to train in depth in both front-end and back-end to fit in this demanding profile, at Euroinnova we welcome you to the beginning of this journey. You will probably feel very lost when you start, because the amount of knowledge to assimilate is colossal.
If you are starting from scratch, we recommend that you make it a point to spend a good deal of time diligently training yourself to learn to think like a programmer. First of all, you must learning the basics of programming starting with a language such as JavaScript, essential in both back-end and front-end. As a basis, all developers usually have some mastery of markup languages such as HTML and CSS to understand how web pages are constructed.
Ultimately, it is essential that you become thoroughly familiar with the front-end development (responsive design, handling of frameworks such as React or Angular) as well as with the back-end (server architecture, database management and server-oriented programming languages).
At the same time, it is essential that you have practical experience in order to be able to make a portfolio that impresses recruiters when applying for job offers. Training as a full-stack developer requires great autonomy and problem-solving skills, as well as a large dose of self-discipline and perseverance.
At Euroinnova we can recommend that you take a look at our courses and master's degrees in programming and software development. We offer an eminently practical training by professionals with experience in both back-end and front-end development. Take a look and become a full-fledged developer with us!
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