Full Stack Developer vs. Front End Developer vs. Back End Developer

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What is a Web Stack?

In terms of software development, a stack is a collection of related technologies, inclusive of programming languages, modules, libraries, and frameworks that complement each other to successfully create a software service, in this example, a web-based application or website. Furthermore, in reality, selecting a nice technology for Web development is not enough; you need to research distinct elements of your specific venture and pick out the most desirable combination of tools.

Front-End Development?

  • The aspect of web development that designs, codes, and creates a website’s UI elements or functions that end-users or clients can immediately see and access is called front-end development. Basically, front-end developers are responsible for everything that users can visually see and interact with, such as style, graphics, text, alignment, navigation, color, etc., and strive to improve the user experience as fluidly as possible.
  • Along with debugging, it also contributes to overall design and aesthetics.
  • The main design goals of the front-end are responsiveness and performance.

Front-End Developer’s Skills and Toolkit

Front-end developer skills include solid knowledge of scripting languages. It is essential to know the bare minimum. To become a front-end website developer, you need to master these three languages:

  • HTML
  • JavaScript
  • CSS3.

But by far the most important skill for a front-end developer is JavaScript. Plain JavaScript with ES6 notation that works with CSS and HTML is used in a variety of applications, including date and time and Add to Favorites buttons. It is the bread and butter of front-end developers.

Check out Front End Projects for Beginners if you want to explore or refresh your front-end skills.

Working as a front-end developer also requires skills in modern frameworks for rapid development, and familiarity with frameworks will boost your portfolio:

  • jQuery
  • AJAX
  • User Interface (UI)
  • User Experience (UX)
  • JavaScript Frameworks such as AngularJS/ ReactJS (growing trend)
  • CSS frameworks such as Bootstrap, Tailwind, and Bulma CSS

Check out our Front End Roadmap for a more in-depth view.

Back-End Development?

  • Web development that occurs behind the scenes of a program is properly referred to as backend development. Unlike front-end development, which focuses on services and programs, back-end development covers the logic and integration of server-side web applications as well as activities such as creating APIs, creating libraries, and working with system components.
  • Backend developers create code that allows databases and applications to communicate with each other. Backend developers are responsible for the backend of your website, including servers, databases, and applications. They control what you can not see.
  • The back-end constitutes the core of web applications such as the database, server, API, and routing and achieves various business goals.
  • The user interface of the website should be aesthetically pleasing. However, without the software running in the background, the website's user interface would not exist at all. Backend developers work on the server-side and provide the backbone for the application architecture.

Back-End Developer’s Skills and Toolkit

Backend developers typically need to know about programming languages such as PHP, Ruby, Python, and NET for building applications. You should also be proficient in database technologies such as Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, and MySQL. The developer community uses PHP extensively, so let's take this as an example. As a scripting language, PHP works with Structured Query Language (SQL). SQL is a database from which PHP retrieves the information to enter into an HTML file for display. Examples of this process can be found all over the place.

For example, when a user registers with a website, the SQL database stores the information provided. Each time they log in, the server-side language pulls information from the database and HTML renders it on the screen. The backend developer's job is to initiate this process.

So, to sum up:

  • Java, C++, C, and NET for desktop applications and backend web development.
  • Relational or Non-Relational Database Systems like MySQL, Oracle, Postgres or MongoDB
  • Scripting languages like PHP, Ruby or Python (Django or Flask)
  • Server management frameworks like Node.js, Express.js
  • Excellent knowledge of API calls, routing, security, and data structures and algorithms.

Check out our Back End Roadmap for a more in-depth view.

Full Stack Development?

A full-stack developer can best be described as a jack of all trades. They are well versed in front-end and back-end languages and can work with multiple frameworks. Web development mainly includes front-end development and back-end development, and when the two are put together, we get full-stack development. The skills and experience of a full-stack developer are relevant to all levels of the web development process, from project planning to database administration, user interface design, data structuring, and mission-critical tasks. As a result, full-stack developers need to understand every level of a website and how the web works.

But along with these two, Full Stack developers also have to manage middleware, i.e., how the back-end interacts and manipulates the front-end, which requires special skills and knowledge of various frameworks and technical stacks.

Full Stack Developer’s Skills and Toolkit

A full-stack web developer is a person who can develop both client and server software. The three core areas of knowledge should be:

  • Web Components (JavaScript, jQuery, Angular, or Vue)
  • Server Control (PHP, ASP, Python, or Node)
  • Database Management and Administration (SQL, SQLite, or MongoDB)

The stacks mentioned below are currently the most popular ones with high job demands.

  1. LAMP is Linux + Apache + MySQL + PHP.
  2. MEAN is MongoDB + Express + AngularJS + Node.js.
  3. Django is JS + Python + Django + MySQL.
  4. MERN is MongoDB + Express + React.js + Node.js.

Being a Full Stack developer demands that you can master all the techniques involved in a development project; make a prototype very rapidly, provide help to all the team members; reduce the cost of the project and the time used for team communication; switch between front and back-end development based on requirements, and fully understand all aspects of new and upcoming technologies.

Check out our Full Stack Guide for a more in-depth review.

A Definitive Comparison - Front-End vs Back-End vs Full Stack Development

How to Pick the Right Career Path

It all depends on your willingness to learn, the time you can invest, and the resources you can get. If you pursue both, you will have a better mindset and you will be able to choose new technologies very easily. Doing both will be beneficial as your needs in the technological world will be much sought after. Hiring managers want to know if you can master a language or sometimes even have the ability to learn a language or a framework and adapt to a tech stack quickly

Also, check out our video to get an in-depth understanding of Full Stack vs Back End Vs Front End:-

Start today and build a successful career in front-end development! If you're new to the field, get started with Board Infinity's Full Stack Development course and begin your journey with industry experts and 100% placement assurance!

We also offer a guided Front-End Development Course for people who would like to get started with Web Development as well as a Back-End Development Course where you will learn fundamental and advanced Java-driven development and stand out for an excellent career.