Full stack developers are professionals with wide variety of skills. They can do it all – front-end, back-end, writing algorithms and so on. Full-stack devs usually start as front-end or back-end developers, and gradually improve to gain necessary set of skills to do the job. These professionals are highly valued for their combination of skills. In this article, we’ll discuss essential skills for full-stack developers.
In case you don’t know, let’s quickly recap: a full-stack developer is someone who can handle both the front-end (HTML, CSS, JS) as well as the back-end (Node, Python, Ruby, PHP, etc). Front-end development involves building user interfaces. This includes all the dynamic web app functionality. Back-end means doing calculations on the server. Writing algorithms that process data to analyze the data and return the right answer.
For example, when user submits their input through a form, working on the front-end means designing the form and implementing form validation. Once it is submitted, data is sent to the server to be stored and processed.
As we already discussed, a full-stack developer needs both front-end and back-end skills.
Front-end developer skills
Let’s start with simpler side of the coin. Front-end development.
CSS and HTML
These two are integral skills for building any user interface. HTML elements are building blocks for designing the page. CSS is the main language for styling these building blocks. We also use CSS to specify position of HTML elements, as well as responsivity features.
CSS is essential for giving your web app a unique look. You use it to specify colors of the text, font, and specify other aspects of HTML element.
Some libraries like React go even further and allow you to conditionally apply styles and classes to elements.
JavaScript
CSS and HTML are important, but they are only static. You can use these two skills to define the structure and appearance of static pages. JavaScript, on the other hand, allow you to add dynamic features.
JS is supported by all browsers.
Front-end developers rarely use the JavaScript itself, but one of many front-end frameworks and libraries for building interfaces. React is the most popular library now. You can use it to build web apps with great UX. For example, automatically scroll to bottom in React.
Back-end developer skills
Next, let’s discuss more difficult skills necessary for a full-stack developer.
Once again, JavaScript
JavaScript has evolved. Once it was only for the web, but with the development of Node.js, you can also use it for back-end.
Python
Next most popular back-end programming language is Python. Its simple syntax and set of essential features make Python an essential skill for working with back-end. Two frameworks for Python – Django and Flask, make back-end development much easier.
PHP
PHP is a very useful programming language, especially for working with legacy systems like WordPress. Millions of websites online are built with WordPress. For this reason, back-end developers with PHP skills are in high demand.
Ruby
This is another programming language known for its simplicity. It is commonly used with Rails framework. Many back-end developers use a combination of these two skills to a great effect.
