How to become a Full Stack Web Developer?

Full Stack Web Development refers to the development of both front end and back end of a web application. The web development process comprises three layers, i.e., the business logic layer (back end of the application), presentation layer (front end of the application) and the database layer.

Hiring various experts who work on multiple stacks of web development can be complicated and expensive. It becomes difficult for companies to spend a lot of money on numerous resources.

Therefore, nowadays companies demand full stack developers who are proficient in various technologies and can work across multiple stacks.

We have created a complete guide for learners and innovators to understanding what is a full stack web developer, why they are in demand and what courses they should learn to become a full stack developer.

In this article, we shall cover the following topics:

Who is a Full Stack Web Developer?

A Full Stack Web Developer is a developer who can work on both ends of the web development process, i.e., front end and back end. They are capable of performing the following tasks:

  • Writing optimized front-end code in Java, HTML and JavaScript.
  • In-depth knowledge of system’s infrastructure such as hardware and OS.
  • Security and Networking.
  • Creating custom APIs and writing backend code in Python, Java and PHP.
  • Client Communication and Project Management Skills.
  • Creating and querying databases.

So, it can be said that a full stack web developer can build strategies for every part of the web development process. They can get in-depth knowledge of the various stacks through years of experience in the technical field and the zeal to learn new technologies in the market.

It is quite difficult to gather and possess these skills and that is the reason why full stack web developers are hugely in-demand in the industry.

Why are full stack web developers in high demand nowadays?

The demand for full stack developers is high as compared to the developers who are only specialized in one layer of the technology stack. One of the reasons that have led to the high demand of full stack web development professionals is the relentless pace of technologies. Also, technologies being used nowadays are entirely different as it was used to be ten years back.

Since a full stack developer comes with a wide range of skills, they can stay ahead of advancements in technology. They are familiar with every layer of the technology stack, so, the entire functional prototype can be created without any help.

The ability of full stack developers to work across multiple stacks can be valuable for companies that need to release a Minimum Viable Product as quickly as possible as per the client’s requirements.

As full stack developers can work on each layer of the application, they can build a product in minimal time. By working in a team and understanding each other’s skills, the work tends out to be more productive and agile.

The contribution of full stack web developers to different aspects of the development process has increased their demand in the market. If you are looking to become a full stack developer, there is a need to understand what all the skills you should have.

How to become a Full Stack Web Developer?

A well-qualified and experienced stack developer should have functional knowledge and capabilities for all aspects involved in building a software application.

1. Programming Languages

An individual needs to be expert in multiple programming languages like Java, C#, PHP, Python, and many more. Since most of the core business processes are written in these languages, a developer needs to be master in the syntax of languages and to be familiar with how to design, structure and test a project based on those programming languages.

Make sure you have a profile on GitHub where you can learn to manage and share the code with a community of developers.

2. Knowledge of development frameworks and third-party libraries

A full stack web developer should have a good understanding of various web development frameworks that support rapid application development. They should know which web development framework can be suitable for the type of application they want to build.

The programming languages mentioned above are accompanied by development frameworks and third-party libraries like Java Spring, Angular, Django, thinkphp and so on.

3. Front-end Technology

Front-end technologies play a crucial role in the development of a product. In addition to the user interface and product’s feature, the user experience is also one of the best criteria to test the product’s success.

Therefore, a full stack web developer should be proficient in some of the necessary front-end technologies like HTML5, JavaScript, CSS, and BootStrap.

4. Back-end Technology

Once you get a good grasp on front-end technologies like JavaScript, CSS, or HTML, you should move on to the back-end language to handle operations such as database management, application logic and user authentication.

You may come across a lot of backend technologies, but you will have to find one that meets the criteria of the project you are working on.

Node.js, Python, Java, PHP and Ruby are some of the common backend technologies which you can learn to implement across various applications.

5. Database Management

While becoming a full stack web developer, you would also have to save the data of the software application somewhere and access it at later stages.

As a full stack web developer, you also need to have an in-depth understanding of the technologies related to the storage and databases.

  • Make sure you understand the basics of relational data. For example, how to connect an application with SQL and how to run queries.
  • Also, learn about NoSQL databases, such as MongoDB.
  • Understand how to connect a database with the backend technology. For example, Java+SQL.
  • Learn about the benefits of in-memory data stores like Memcached and Redis.
  • Understand how to use web storage for storing sessions, cached data and cookies in the browser.
  • Know about scaling databases, ORM and ACID.

Make sure you have a better understanding of above database concepts to become an expert in full stack web development.

6. Web application architecture

After learning about front-end and back-end technologies and databases, a developer needs to understand the architecture of a web application.

If you have to create a complex and large web application, you should understand how to structure the code, how to keep files organized, how to structure the data in databases, where to host the media files and where to perform computational tasks.

To learn how to manage large and complicated applications, you should:

  • Study about the common platforms as a service, like AWS and Heroku. AWS provides dozens of services and products to help with video processing, storage and load balancing. On the other side, Heroku enables you to upload the code and application efficiently running with server maintenance.
  • Learn about the performance optimization for modern browsers and web apps.
  • Look at the codebases of popular projects on GitHub to learn how to manage the architecture of web applications.

7. HTTP and REST

HTTP is a stateless application protocol which enables client applications to interact with servers. A full stack developer should understand how HTTP requests are managed at the backend of the application.

Here are some of the topics you should learn to know more about HTML or REST

  • HTTP/2 and SPDY.
  • What is REST and how it is related to HTTP?
  • SSL Certificates.
  • How to use ChromeDevTools?
  • Web Sockets, Service Workers and Web Workers.

8. Basic Data Structures and Algorithms

Nowadays, many developers believe that learning algorithms like tree traversal, matrix manipulation, or sorting are not required in web development. However, large organizations hire full stack developers who have a strong computer science background.

To become a successful full stack web developer, you should have a good grasp of the following things:

  • What are Hash tables and how they are implemented in a real application?
  • How trees and graphs can be beneficial and implemented in real time?
  • Understand the difference between arrays and linked lists.
  • Learn the difference between stacks and queues.

9. Decentralized Technology

With the ability to bring trust, transparency and auditability in the core business processes, decentralized technology is gaining a lot of traction nowadays.

To stay ahead of the technology curve, you should also understand the concepts of decentralized, various types of blockchain technology platforms and how the blockchain based applications work at the backend.

Make sure you have a good understanding of the following concepts:

  • What is Distributed Ledger Technology?
  • What are different types of consensus algorithms?
  • What is a blockchain and how does it work?
  • How to build an application using different blockchain platforms?
  • Understand the difference between various blockchain platforms.

Becoming a full stack web developer is not an easy task, you need to learn multiple technology stacks.

You can learn various full stack web development courses available on the internet to understand multiple front-end and back-end technologies quickly.

Here are some of the courses you should learn to become a full stack web developer

1. Full-Stack Web Development Course with React on Coursera

A certificate course offered by the Hongkong University of Science and Technology enables the developers to become a master in front-end and hybrid development. Learning this course can help full stack web developers to implement a multi-platform solution.

It has been classified into four courses where you can learn how to use React, Bootstrap4, React Native and Server Side Development with development frameworks such as Express, Node JS and MongoDB.

You can try the free course for one week and need to pay for it once you feel it is beneficial for you.

Here are some of the critical points of the course

  1. The course is offered by the Hongkong Univerity which is ranked as the number one university in Asia and one of the top universities worldwide.
  2. You can learn web front-end, server-side development and hybrid mobile apps under one program.
  3. The program offers you the projects that you can test and implement to understand the technologies in real time.
  4. Peer-to-peer learning on Coursera offers you an invaluable learning experience.

2. Full Stack Web Development Course with HTML, CSS, React and Node on Udemy

The Full Stack Web Development Course offered by the Udemy allows developers to learn how to build websites with HTML and CSS, build backend servers and APIS with Node JS and Express, work on NoSQL databases and create mobile-friendly websites with CSS and Bootstrap4.

The course is offered by the trainer, Mark Price who has taught more than 250,000 students and built over 50 apps for iOS and Android. It is a 25hour+ course which will help you to become master in the following technologies:

  • HTML5
  • CSS3
  • Javascript
  • Bootstrap 4
  • DOM Manipulation
  • NPM
  • Node
  • MongoDB
  • REST
  • Express
  • ES6
  • React

Udemy offers a free chat community of around 50,000 students where you can learn by interacting with your peers as well.

3. Full-Stack Development Course on Lynda

Lynda offers a complete course to become a full stack web developer where you can become master in both front end and backend technologies. You can also build a solid foundation for working with host and server configurations, creating dynamic websites and performing database integrations.

The course is a 49-hour course which offers step-by-step learning of various technologies like databases, PHP, web security, Node.JS and Express.js.

To have a better understanding of fundamental technologies that are foundations of the web development, you can also take “Become a Web Developer” course on Lynda which offers training on HTML, CSS, Git and JavaScript.

Becoming a full stack web developer can help you grow and offer you ample job openings. If you are all set to learn the multiple technologies, this complete article will guide you what all you need to understand and learn to implement the different aspects of web development.

The team of certified and experienced full stack web developers at LeewayHertz is proficient in multiple front-end and back-end technologies, databases, web application architecture, network protocols and security protocols.

If you are looking out for a team of full stack web developers to build a web application, contact our technical experts and discuss your requirements today.

Author’s Bio

Akash Takyar
Akash Takyar
CEO LeewayHertz
Akash Takyar is the author of Blockchain Technology and Business book. He is the co-founder of LeewayHertz and is a consultant to fortune 500 companies including Siemens, 3M, Hershey’s and others. He has a Masters Degree in Computer Science. Akash’s experience of building over 100+ apps allows him to rapidly architect and design solutions. His ability to explain complex technologies in simple and practical ways has resulted in him becoming a popular speaker at colleges, universities, and conferences.

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