Have you ever dreamt of becoming a full stack developer? If yes, then you are at the right place and at the right time. 

Did you know? 

According to a report by LinkedIn, the number of jobs for full stack developers is expected to exceed 8,53,000 with a notable increase in demand by 2024, which indicates a 35% annual growth in demand. 

Becoming a full stack developer requires dedication and the willingness to adapt to new technologies. If you are new to coding, then your journey to becoming a full stack developer is going to be an exciting one. 

This blog caters to all of your doubts about full stack developers, like the importance of full stack development, the full stack development job outlook, the technologies to be learned to become a full stack developer, the role of frontend and backend development in becoming a full stack developer, and the most important: how to secure a job as a full stack developer. 

What is Full Stack Development? 

Before understanding full stack development, it is crucial to understand what frontend and backend are. 

Frontend refers to everything that a user can intricate within a website or application, and on the other hand, backend refers to the engine under the hood. It manages the server side, logic, and interaction with the database. 

Now it is easy to understand what full stack development actually is. 

Full stack development is the process of creating both the frontend and backend of a web application. A full stack developer possesses the skill of building web applications from scratch to fully functional. 

Full stack developers have the versatility to handle various tasks at the same time. them a valuable asset for the team and the organization.  

For beginners, delving into the journey of becoming a full stack developer can be rewarding, offering a blend of technical skills and problem-solving abilities. 

Who is a Full Stack Developer?

A full stack developer is an individual who is responsible for handling both the frontend and backend of a web application. He/she possesses in-depth knowledge of various programming languages, frameworks, and database management systems. 

Frontend Development:

As explained above, the frontend is what users interact with on a web application, including  the design, layout, and functionality of the UI. Frontend developers use HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), CSS (Cascade Style Sheet), and JavaScript to build web applications and enhance the user experience. 

 Backend Development:

The backend is the behind-the-scenes phenomenon, which is not visible to the user. It involves server-side logic, databases, and web applications’s internal workings. Backend developers use languages like Java, Python, Ruby, or PHP to handle data and manage servers. 

 Let’s understand it with an example: 

Suppose, as a full stack developer, you have to build a blog page. At the frontend, HTML lays out the text and images, CSS styles it to look attractive, and Javascript adds various forms and a comment section where users can interact. 

Now, at the backend, your blog needs to store and retrieve the blog posts. Let’s assume Node.js is your backend language and MongoDB is your database. The user will write posts, and the backend will store them. 

So a full stack developer is a professional who can do both the frontend and backend of a respective blog page. 

That’s how it works!

 Now let's have a look at the key responsibilities of a full stack developer.  

• Collaborating with UI/UX designers to build a website or web application
• Testing and fixing web application bugs
• Creating databases and servers for the backend
• Using advanced technologies to make web applications better 
• Talking to clients for feedback

 Tech-Stack for Full Stack Developers

Frontend Development: 

• HTML
• CSS
• JavaScript
• Frameworks: React.js, Angular, Bootstrap, Next.js and Vue.js

 Backend Development: 

• Server side programming languages: Node.js, Python (Django/Flask), PHP, Ruby on Rails, Spring Boot, Express.js, ASP.NET, and Laravel
• Database Management System (DBMS): MySQL, MongoDB, Oracle, and PostgreSQL
• API Development

Become a Full Stack Developer - A Step-by-Step Guide 

Full stack development will not just provide traditional employment, it will also open doors for freelancing. Due to the high demand for full stack developers, you have ample opportunities to boost your career and have great earning opportunities. 

This comprehensive guide will guide you through all the aspects of becoming a full stack developer in the best way possible. 

1. Choose a Technology

It is important to choose the right technology for you because it will act as the deciding factor for your interest and success rate in your full stack development journey. Here are some popular stacks to consider; 

• MERN: MongoDB, Express.js, React, Node.js
• MEAN: MongoDB, Express.js, Angular, Node.js
• LAMP: Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP

There are other stacks as well. Before proceeding, it is crucial to do research and evaluate if it is the right fit for you. While researching, consider factors like job opportunities and community support.  

2. Frontend Development 

Learning frontend is the first step towards becoming a full stack developer. 

We have already discussed frontend development above. Now, let’s understand how to learn it. According to your learning abilities and prior experience, it usually takes 2-4 months to have hands-on learning experience in frontend development. 

 2.1 HTML

HTML is the foundation of every website, and every full stack developer’s journey begins with learning the fundamentals of HTML. While learning HTML, you will have a solid foundation of: 

• HTML Elements and Structures: HTML elements like headings, paragraphs, images, and forms are the building blocks that will help you craft a web page’s overall structure. 
• Semantic Markup: the word semantic is equivalent to “meaning”. After completing HTML elements and structures, you have become the master of  using semantic components that communicate the meaning to browsers and search engines, improving your website’s SEO. 
• Practice: put whatever you have learned into practice by building your first webpage. 

This will give you the basic idea and knowledge needed to build a website structure. 

2.2 CSS

Once you are done with HTML, it’s time to enhance the appearance of your website. CSS stands for Cascade Style Sheet; it is the language that controls the look and feel of the webpage or website. 

After completing your HTML learnings, you have to focus on gaining knowledge of CSS.

• Understand CSS Selectors and Properties: Learn what CSS selectors are and gain insight into the capabilities of CSS selectors that allow you to target web page elements. From font styles to animations, you can manage the look and feel of your website. 
• Using preprocessors for CSS: You can extend the functionality of CSS by using Sass or Less, providing features like variables, nesting for cleaner code, and mixins. Furthermore, they can improve your workflow, even though they are not for beginners. 
• Applying principles for Responsive Design: Responsiveness refers to the design approach, ensuring the adaptability of a website's content to the user's device and preferences. It is imperative to make sure your website is responsive across various devices. You have to be fluent with the fundamentals of responsive design to create layouts that automatically adapt to the best user experience on computers, tablets, and smartphones. 

2.3 JavaScript

After mastering HTML and CSS, the next step towards becoming a full stack developer is to learn JavaScript. This language will provide functionality for your website, making it dynamic and interactive. It usually takes 3 to 5 weeks for hands-on learning of JavaScript. 

• Fundamentals of JavaScript: Establish a strong foundation by understanding concepts such as functions, variables, and DOM manipulation. Discover how to design reusable code blocks, save and modify data, and work with the Document Object Model (DOM), which is the fundamental building block of your webpage.
• Modern JavaScript: Use the power of the latest JavaScript capabilities, to make your development process run smoothly. 
• Event Handling: Learn how to handle events to make your webpages really interactive. Recognize how to react to user input such as mouseovers, clicks, and form submissions so that users can meaningfully interact with your program.

2.4 Enhancing UI/UX

Completely understanding HTML, CSS, and JavaScript will conclude 30–40% of your full stack developer journey. Now, it’s time to take it a step further with UI/UX. To make sure that, in addition to functionality, your web application is user-friendly and visually appealing. 

You have to learn UI/UX principles by understanding user personas, user flows, information architecture, usability, and accessibility. After this, you have to work on responsive designs for easy adaptability across various devices. 

Frontend Frameworks

Frontend frameworks can be understood as a set of tools and pre-written code that ease out the work of developers to build user interfaces. These frameworks include pre-built components, data binding, and routing functions, facilitating an organized approach to creating user interfaces. 

Some examples of frontend frameworks are:

• React 
• Angular
• Vue.js

Similarly, JavaScript has libraries like jQuery, Google Polymer, etc. that are pre-written code to enhance the workflow of developers. You have to learn these frameworks in order to thrive on your full stack development journey. 

3. Backend Development 

As mentioned above, the backend deals with database management, server side logic and the web application’s internal workings. It usually takes 4-5 months to complete backend development. Learning backend development includes the following steps: 

• Choosing Backend Language 
• Learning Databases
• API Building and Integration 
• Learning Backend Frameworks
• Learning Essential Backend Tools

Now, let’s discuss each step in detail. 

• Choosing Backend Language

Backend development encompasses various programming languages, each with its own pros and cons. Have a look at 2 of the most popular languages to help you out on your journey of becoming a full stack developer. 

1. Python: It is the most popular programming language of all. It is well known for its clear and concise syntax, making it an ideal fit for beginners. It is commonly used in web development and data science, making it a powerful and versatile contender. 

2. Java: Java as a programming language is well known for its robust nature. It is widely used by large organizations for building enterprise-level applications. It is considered the fastest, most reliable, and most secure language of all. 

There are other languages available; it is your decision that will land you the perfect job and a secure career as a full stack developer. There are some factors that you should consider while choosing the backend programming language: 

• Interest
• Learning abilities
• Job Market 

After considering all three above mentioned factors, you have to choose the right one for you. 

• Learning Databases

After choosing the right programming language and learning all the fundamentals of it, now it's time to learn databases in order to store, manage, and manipulate data. To give you an idea of database technologies, let’s look into two of them: 

Checkout the best online full stack developer course.  

1. SQL Databases

SQL (Structured Query Language) is used to  manage and manipulate data in databases. These types of databases are used to store structured data in an organized form, allowing easy retrieval of information and complex query resolution. These types of databases are commonly used in product cataloging and eCommerce transactions. 

Examples: MySQL and PostgreSQL

2. NoSQL Databases

Diverse or unstructured data is usually stored in these types of databases. This type of database is ideal for managing large amounts of data like social media posts and users’s profiles. 

Examples: MongoDB

• API Building and Integration 

After gaining knowledge of databases, the next step in your full stack development journey is learning how to build and integrate APIs. 

API stands for Application Programming Interfaces it acts as a liaison between two or more computer systems. 

Software systems that already exist can be integrated with new applications using APIs. As a result, development can go more quickly because no feature needs to be created from scratch. APIs allow you to take advantage of pre-written code.

• Backend Frameworks

As a full stack developer, you have to be productive. To boost your performance, you have to have hands-on experience with backend frameworks. Some of the backend frameworks are listed below: 

1. Django (Python)
2. Spring (Java)
3. Express.js (Node.js)

 Essential Backend Development Tools

Having the knowledge of the right tools can elevate your journey of becoming a full stack developer in the best way possible. Some of the examples are listed below:

1. Database Management Tools: 

• phpmyAdmin
• pgAdmin 
• MongoDB Compass 

2. API Testing Tools: 

• Postman

At this time, you are equipped with all the basic knowledge of becoming a full stack developer. Now is the time to hone your development skills, practice them, and build a great full stack developer portfolio to land a high-paying job.  

3. Building a Portfolio 

At this moment, you should be showcasing your newly acquired full stack development skills. Take 2 to 3 weeks of time to create a standout portfolio. Here are some examples to lead you: 

• Personal Portfolio Website
• Social Media Clone 
• E-commerce website
• To-do List 
• Content Management System (CMS)
• Blog Website and Application 

4. Soft Skills for Success

Apart from writing clean and well-organized code, you have to equip yourself with various interpersonal skills that will surely help you in attaining your dream job and making you an outstanding full stack developer. 

Skills like effective communication, problem solving, time management, team work, etc. are the go-getters when it comes to cracking interviews and working in an organization or handling clients. 

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Your search for the best full stack development course ends here. Learning Saint provides an online full stack development course guaranteeing a 60% salary hike and top-notch extensive learning experience.  

Conclusion

After consideration of recent IT market trends and current scenarios, we’ve created this step-by-step full stack developer guide for you. If you want to become a full stack developer, you have to equip yourself with relevant skills and kickstart your career. This guide tries to resolve every doubt of yours on how to become a full stack developer and also provides a learning source to help you out. All the best and thrive on your journey of becoming a full stack developer!

 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Who is a full stack developer? 

(Full Stack Development = Frontend Development + Backend Development)

A full stack developer is a professional who possesses the knowledge of frontend development and backend development. 

2. What is the difference between frontend and backend development? 

Frontend development refers to the development of web applications’s user interfaces that users can interact with. On the other hand, backend development deals with database management, server administration, and work that is not visible to users. If you want to learn more about it, then scroll up!

3. How much time will it take to learn backend development? 

Learning backend development depends on your learning abilities and your prior experience. If you are new to coding, it may take up to 6-7 months to be a pro at backend development. 

4. What is the roadmap for full stack web developers?

In very simple terms, if you want to become a full stack developer, you need to learn frontend development and backend development. To know more about it, read the blog. We have mentioned every nitty gritty of becoming a full stack developer, with the learning resources to help you out. 

5. What is the salary of a full stack developer?

The salary of a full stack developer depends on the region and experience of an individual. Generally, in India, a fresher full stack developer earns up to INR 5-6 LPA, and an experienced full stack developer earns up to INR 15-20 LPA. 

6. From where can I learn full stack development? 

There are various platforms like MDN webdocs, W3 School, etc. It is better to learn frontend and backend development with theoretical and practical knowledge. 

7. Which is the best online full stack development program? 

If you are interested in learning full stack development, then you have to checkout Learning Saint. Learning Saint is providing extensive learning via an online full stack development course.