The term Full Stack Engineer can be used to describe programmers of many technology stacks, but usually, there is a certain dependency – skills are grouped, namely, every Full Stack Engineer should know backend and frontend languages and technologies – and in this matter, you can list several groups of programming and coding languages, the marriages of which are most desired.
How is a Full Stack Dev different from a Full Stack Engineer?
Both terms function among recruiters of programmers looking for people who will be able to handle a wide range of activities. In theory, a Full Stack Engineer is a programmer who can not only freely navigate the frontend and backend but can also create strategies and manage projects related to the development of the frontend/backend in connection with server structures. However, for recruitment purposes, the terms Full Stack Dev and Full Stack Engineer often function interchangeably, so if you need an all-around programmer, it is best to search using both terms.
In the recruitment process, a Full Stack Engineer is often considered a person with at least 3-5 years of work experience. Of course, these are just numbers, and a person with so many years of work in the profession may never have jumped beyond the knowledge of the basic technology stack.
What should a Full Stack Engineer know?
Knowledge of languages needed for front-end coding, such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript. Skills in this area should be related to knowledge of external libraries, i.e., ready-to-use functions that perform specific tasks, for example, jQuery, ReactJS, Angular.
He should be well-versed in at least one back-end programming language, the most popular are Java, Python, .Net, or Ruby.
Database Management System technologies, in short DBMS, i.e., knowledge of databases such as MySQL, MongoDB, Oracle, SQLServer. This is where data is stored, which is then reflected on the front-end.
Server management, i.e., the ability to choose the right server for specific purposes and knowledge of technologies that allow server management, such as Apache, NGINX. Here also the ability to program CRON, for example, for creating backups, is useful.
Basic knowledge in the field of UX/UI, that is (most generally speaking) web design. This also includes prototyping skills.
Knowledge of popular CMSs like Joomla, Wordpress.
Data migration is useful not only during web application version updates but also when moving the entire database, for example, changing software.
Working with APIs, i.e., knowledge of protocols and patterns: SOAP, REST, will allow you to choose the appropriate data structure model for a given system.
Version control systems (VCS) e.g., Git, SVN, CVS. This knowledge is needed to track changes in the source code. It allows you to see what and when (by different people) has been changed in the code, make changes to the code without the risk of losing the older version and restore older data in case of a mistake.
Knowing the issues related to data security, backups, and storage.
What are the most popular technology stacks?
Every Full Stack Engineer should be able to navigate freely in the area of at least one technology stack. This specialization is related to technologies that cooperate with each other. A technology stack consists of: an operating system, server software, database, and programming language. From the names of these four data, stack acronyms were created:
LAMP stack: Linux, Apache, JavaScript, MySQL, PHP
LEMP stack: Linux, Nginx, MySQL, PHP
MEAN stack: MongoDB, Express, AngularJS, Node.js
MERN stack: MongoDB, Express, React, Node.js
There are also other stacks based on popular frameworks:
Django stack: Django, JavaScript, MySQL, Python
Ruby on Rails: Ruby,JavaScript, SQLite, Rail
Summary
Full Stack Engineer or Full Stack Dev are terms that are separated by a very narrow, constantly shifting border, as the number of specialists increases, and their skills are broader. The demand for employees who will be able to jump between tasks is enormous, therefore it is worth expanding your knowledge and not focusing on one technology. If you are looking for a person who will combine frontend and backend knowledge with server and project management, you definitely need a Full Stack Developer called Full Stack Engineer.
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