Introduction
The IT field deals with many areas of software development. Many times people confuse web development, software development, and full stack development as one and the same thing. It is not. All of these designations have different specializations and expertise required. Today we will talk about what full stack development is and the full stack developer roadmap one should follow to make a career.
Becoming a Full stack developer can seem to be a challenging task, especially for people new to coding. Full stack development deals with both the front end and the back end of the software, applications, and websites. Looking at the full stack developer roadmap, beginners might feel they have to learn a lot of skills in a limited time. Well, the languages, libraries, and frameworks required will surely stress you up, but having a clear roadmap with step by step approach will help you kick start your journey.
This blog will guide you with the complete full stack developer roadmap 2023. If you are a beginner, you can use the blog to plan out your development journey. If you already have some knowledge, you can skip to the useful sections. Let’s get started.
What is Full Stack Developer?
A Full stack developer is an expert who can build both the client side and the server side of an application, software, or website. The client-side deals with the interface that the users touch, feel, and interact with. Social media posts, dialog boxes, comment sections, etc are examples of the front end.
The server side comprises backend processes and tools such as APIs, Databases, and servers that make the front end function, take and share responses and save the user data.
Full Stack Developer Roadmap 2023:
A full stack developer is an expert in a variety of technologies, programming languages, and frameworks. A Full Stack developer can work on either web-based development or software application-based development. We will talk about both of them in detail later. A few steps that are essential to be a full stack developer are listed here. Let’s look at each one of them in detail.
- Learn essential full-stack programming languages and related frameworks
- Choose a tech stack and become an expert in it.
- Learn Front End development(languages and frameworks)
- Learn Backend development(languages and frameworks)
- Learn Database and server technologies.
Keep on learning and updating your skills with the latest technologies in the aforementioned fields. Being a full stack developer is a journey and with the forever evolving tech industry, staying on your foot is the only way to success.
Full-Stack Developer Roadmap: Programming Languages
The first step of the Full stack developer roadmap is that you need to be proficient in multiple programming languages. Most of the core business logic, mainstream apps, and market-friendly products are written in multiple languages. You cannot master each of them in a short time but here are some important languages you need to start learning and pick the ones you feel most suitable with.
- JavaScript– JavaScript is one of the core technologies in HTML, CSS, and the world wide web. It is a lightweight just-in-time compiled programming language. It is the language of the web and helps in adding dynamic features to websites. Used for both the front end and back end, JavaScript is easy to learn. NodeJS, Angular, Vue, etc are some of its full-stack frameworks.
- TypeScript– It is a superset of JavaScript that is strongly typed and has better tools. It is developed by Microsoft and is an open-source language. It is designed for large applications and gives a better development experience than JavaScript. It works with the Angular.JS framework.
- Python– Python is a versatile, high-level, general-purpose programming language mostly used for backend functions. It is one of the most popular languages due to its uses in almost every web, software, and embedded platform. Learning Python is essential if you want to explore the world of IoT, AI/ML, and data science. It is also one of the easiest languages to learn.
- Ruby– Ruby is a dynamic, versatile, and open-source language. It is easy to learn and write. It has a wide range of libraries and gems which help in writing codes fast and allow development in almost every field from data entry to cybersecurity. It has a simple and concise syntax, allows rapid development, and provides data security. Ruby on Rails is its framework.
Full Stack Developer Roadmap: Tech Stack
A Tech Stack is a complete technology package that covers every area of full-stack development. All pieces of technologies in a tech stack are usually based on a particular language so they can easily integrate all the components of the project. There are many popular tech stacks related to a particular technology. Developers can choose any tech stack to work with and learn from them.
- JavaScript-Based Stack: The stack consists of JavaScript-based frameworks. MERN Stack, MEAN Stack, and MEVN Stack are popular JavaScript Tech Stacks.
- Java-Based Tech Stack: Java-based stack consists of Spring framework for backend processes, Angular/React for frontend, and Node.JS for servers.
- Python-Based Tech Stack: Uses Flask for the front end, Django framework for the backend, the Apache server, and MySQL for database management.
| Tech Stack | Front End | Back end | Database/Server | Runtime Environment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MERN | React | Express | MongoDB | Node |
| MEAN | Angular | Express | MongoDB | Node |
| MEVN | Vue | Express | MongoDB | Node |
| Java | Angular/React | Springboot | MySQL | Node |
| Python | Flask | Django | MySQL | Apache Spark |
What tech stack best suits your needs will only be decided by your personal preferences or project requirement. If you are a beginner then choosing a particular tech stack is an essential decision in your Full stack developer roadmap.
Front-end Developer Roadmap
Now let’s talk about one of the most important skills in your Full stack developer roadmap- The front end.
Also known as the client side, the front end deals with everything a user interacts with. As a developer, it is your responsibility to make the application or website seamless, interactive, fast, and feature-rich.
Below are the Important Front-end Languages and Frameworks you need to learn:
Basic Languages
HTML– HyperText Markup Language is the basic language of the web. It lets you build static web pages and provides the structure of a page and its content.
CSS– Cascade Style Sheets are used to style websites by adding fonts, colors, and layouts.
SQL– Structured Query Language is one of the important languages for database management. SQL has many database management systems such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, and many more.
JavaScript– It is the language of the web. It makes the static web pages dynamic, adds interactivity, and adds multimedia. Just everything that you see and interact with on a page, is done by JavaScript.
Essential Frameworks
Most of the frameworks we work with are JavaScript-based frameworks. Learning about them is another step in your Full stack developer roadmap.
AngularJS– It is an open-source web-based JavaScript framework, maintained by Google. Angular provides the structure for dynamic web pages. It mostly addresses issues related to a single-page application(SPA). Features such as data binding reduce excess coding requirements. It also works with HTML as a template language.
ReactJS– React is a JavaScript library best for fetching and recording dynamic and rapidly changing data. It is maintained by Facebook. It is commonly used to build user interfaces for SPAs and create reusable UI components.
VueJS– Like React, it is also a JavaScript framework for creating UIs for single-page applications. It has a small size but provides high-end performance. It is one of the best frameworks to work with as a beginner due to its compact size and the features it has borrowed from other JavaScript frameworks. Being the most approachable framework, it will help you tremendously on the learning curve.
To become a front-end developer, you need to be proficient in the aforementioned languages and frameworks along with the techniques and principles behind the front-end. The front-end developer roadmap I mentioned will help you learn the essentials if you decide to make a career in it.
Back-end Developer Roadmap
Developers need a back-end framework so that an application can be created. It is the script-side of a dynamic application. A lot of options are available for back-end frameworks.
Express– Express.js is a framework used as a web application for Node.js. It is a module of NodeJS. It can be used for apps that are based on servers that will listen for connection requests from clients. It can be used for single-page, multi-page, and hybrid web applications. It is fast, easy to use and assertive.
NodeJS– NodeJS is an open-source, cross-platform in nature that runs across various platforms. it is a JavaScript runtime environment that executes JavaScript outside a browser.
Django– Django is a high-level Python web framework that follows model-template-view architecture. It is used to simplify the creation of complex, database-driven websites. It is fast and promotes a clean design.
Ruby on Rails– Ruby on Rails is a server-side web application framework based on the Ruby language. It provides default structures for databases, web services and web pages. It uses model-view-controller architecture. This is comparatively hard to learn as you have to learn multiple and independent concepts.
If you’re interested in becoming a backend developer, here are some steps you can take to achieve your goal:
- Start by gaining a strong understanding of the basics of computer science and programming. This will help you develop a solid foundation in the fundamentals of software development, which you can build on as you progress in your career.
- Choose a programming language to focus on. Many backend developers use languages like Python, JavaScript, Java, or C++. Whichever language you choose, make sure to learn it well and practice using it to build applications.
- Learn about server-side programming, including how to build and maintain web servers, and how to work with databases. This is an essential skill for any backend developer.
- Familiarize yourself with common backend frameworks and libraries, such as Django or Flask for Python, Spring for Java, or Express.js for JavaScript. These tools can help you quickly and efficiently build backend applications.
- Consider getting certified in your chosen language or framework. This can demonstrate to employers that you have a certain level of expertise and can help you stand out in the job market.
- Look for internships or entry-level positions at companies that are looking for backend developers. This can provide valuable real-world experience and help you make connections in the industry.
- As you gain experience and develop your skills, consider specializing in a particular area of backend development, such as working with a specific type of database or developing APIs.
- Keep learning and staying up-to-date with the latest technologies and best practices in backend development. This will help you advance in your career and remain competitive in the job.
Database Developer Roadmap
In today’s scenario, there are tons of databases. Each company develops its own databases according to their requirements.
The objective of this roadmap is to learn and become a database administrator.
MySQL, SQLite, Postgres– These are Relational Database management systems, and the data is stored in table-like schemes. This is good for storing business data. These use SQL
MongoDB, Cassandra, Apache storm, Sphinx– These are the NoSQL databases. Their only commonality is that they do not use a relational database scheme. This type of database covers a wide range of technologies and can be used to find key-value DB, graph DBs, streaming DBs etc.,
VoltDB and MemSQL– These are a new kind of database, the NewSQL. They follow the relational scheme but instead of disks, they use memory. the advantage is that they outperform the traditional RDBMS but the limited amount of memory available is definitely a downside to this type of database.
Full Stack Developer Roadmap: Additional Skills
Git– The most popular distributed version control system, Git is fast and efficient. It has the capacity to handle small to very large projects. It is used to coordinate between programmers as well as track any changes made to any code stored in its repository. Check out the git basics before getting started. GitHub is the most widely used code repository, and therefore a must learn for an aspiring coder. A Full Stack developer roadmap GitHub is a crucial part in the full-stack learning course.
Machine Learning– A subset of AI, machine learning is now being incorporated into various industries. It has entered the web development field in addition to being part of big data. This provides the ability to learn and improve without being explicitly programmed. ML is a good-to-learn skill for a full stack web developer.
SSH– Secure shell protocol is used to operate network services securely over an unsecured network. SSH provides a secured remote login from one computer to another. It ensures the privacy and integrity of data.
HTTP/HTTPS-HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is the protocol used by the world wide web. it defines how messages are transmitted, and how actions are taken by web servers and browsers when responding to commands. HTTPS is the secured version of HTTP. Here, the communication protocol is encrypted using Transport Layer Security. It ensures protection against man-in-the-middle attacks and eavesdropping.
Linux command-line basic-Although it is not mandatory that you possess this skill, it is good to know about Linux. It is not necessarily easy or hard to learn. Linux makes the job easier and saves a lot of time by organizing items on the back-end
Data structures and algorithms-Data structures are different ways of storing data, while an algorithm is a generic approach methodology to solve a problem or requirement. Every programmer needs to be familiar with these concepts. These are not core skills, but the more intuitive you are about these, the easier it is to solve issues or add requirements. The impacts are felt in efficiency, scalability and performance of an application. As a full stack developer, these courses will help you immensely.
.Net and asp.net framework– .Net framework is used for building both web and server based applications. .Net roadmap is vital for industry standards. Asp.net is a subset of .net and is used primarily for simplifying dynamic pages on a website. Its roadmap is equally important in the front-end and back-end development.
Character encoding– Character encoding is a must learn if you are planning on developing global applications. If there is no proper character encoding, you might end up with unreadable text on display, and the data will not be properly processed and your content may not be found by search engines.
Conclusion
Full-stack software development has seen a surge in almost every large and small organization in recent years. This full stack developer roadmap lets you know all the basic and intermediate skills required to become a successful full-stack developer. The more skills you gain, the more your profile gets noticed.
Optymize offers top 3% of the best full-stack developers around the world. We also provide full stack development services and offer 24/7 support. For business related queries and consultations, contact us.
