full-stack developer

So, you want to become a full stack developer? That is a great choice!  In this digital era, a full stack developer is highly sought after by many companies. Your skills as a front end developer and back end developer make you a versatile jack-of-all-trades. Basically, that makes you consistently in demand regardless of the industry you are in.  So, how does one start to become a successful full-stack web developer? In this article, we will share an easy step-by-step developers’ guide and a couple more tips and advice to help you along the way. What Is A Full Stack Developer? But before we share our developers’ guide, let us clear up one thing first: What exactly is a full stack developer? A full stack developer is a developer that has both the knowledge and skills to be two things: a front end developer and back end developer.  Basically, they can design, create, and optimise all visible and interactive components. Furthermore, they can also build, maintain, and improve software, databases, and servers. Full stack developers have what it takes to build websites, web pages, and web apps. Step By Step Guide To Becoming A Full Stack Developer Next up, how to become a full stack developer. This is a developers’ guide that you can use as a road map:  Step 1. Understand Your Experience Level Take a pause for a minute, before you start learning everything you need to know. First, you need to take a list of your capabilities. What do you know right now? Imagine there is a pop quiz on stuff about front end developers or back end developers. What score will you get? In any case, it is crucial to determine at what level you are right now. That way, it would be easier to identify what you will need later. Choose which one are you: Beginner — You have no idea at all. Or, you might know just a smidge. Amateur — You know enough. You are familiar with coding languages and know how to use the right tools. Expert — You already have experience either as a front end developer or back end developer. Now, you are looking to complete the package and improve yourself. Step 2. Decide Your Goal Or Path First Next, the road you will take to get to your destination.  If you think about money, that is already a given. Developers are in high demand. You already have plenty of options later.  Think of your goals. What do you hope to achieve? What kind of life are you aiming to have with your career as a full stack developer? Once you identify these, staying inspired and motivated throughout your journey will be easier. Step 3. Know Tools & Skills You Need To Learn For Full Stack Developer Much like when you were still in school, you will need the right equipment and a syllabus.  Basically, you will need these:  Good computer Text editor or an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) Preferred web browser Terminal Design tools (Optional, but a good skill to have in your pocket) Now that you are properly equipped, here is an outline of what you will be learning:  1. Basics of web programming.  Start with HTML and CSS and understand the fundamentals of web programming. Once you get this, you should be familiar with the following:  Responsive web layouts to adapt to desktop and mobile view Custom Reusable CSS Components CSS Frameworks User Interface Design JavaScript 2. Learn the essential programming tools Since you are learning to be a full stack developer, you will need to learn what front end developers and back end developers use. For front end development:  Bootstrap Angular.js Foundation Python JavaScript Elixir HTML and CSS For back end development:  Django Ember.js Lodash React D3.js Package Managers Databases 3. Basic front end deployment You need to learn the ins and outs of front end development and how to launch a website. Here is a list you need to know: Enrol the domain name Website Hosting Email Hosting SSL certifications Tools to adapt the website to smaller apps 4. Front end framework and management There are plenty of frameworks to choose from, so it is best to focus on the most used and popular. These are the go-tos right now: React Vue Angular Svelte For front end management, it is good to also learn public administration as well. 5. Study TypeScript It is a specialised version of JavaScript that ensures your programs are reliable and easy to perform. Businesses use it a lot, so it would be helpful for you to learn this. 6. Server-side coding language It helps to be familiar with all coding languages. But, in reality, you might not have time for that. So you just need to learn what is popular and most used right now:  NodeJs Python Java PHP Ruby C# Kotlin 6. Server-side framework Once you have settled on your chosen coding language, you can pair it with these frameworks: NodeJs Python Java PHP Ruby C# Go 7. Database Anything online, especially programs, has data. Data needs to be stored. For back end developers, managing this data storage is a must. Here are a couple of platforms that you can choose from to focus on: RDBMS (Relational Database Management System) PostgreSQL MySQL MS SQL MongoDB CouchDB Elasticsearch Firebase Microsoft Could DB AWS Redis SQLite 8. Testing This is a skill that will save you time and effort and simplify your job as a full stack developer. You can use any testing framework to execute the following tests: End-to-End Tests Unit Tests Integration Tests 9. Content Administration Whether you are a freelancer or work for a company, you will be asked to deal with and manage the content management systems (CMS) of the business.  10. Deployment and DevOps Similarly to that, even if you are not part of a tech firm or team, it is good to have knowledge of DevOps. But it is completely up to you if