How to Become a Full Stack Developer: What Every Aspiring Coder Should Know

Web developers come in two main types: front end and back end. Generally speaking, front-end development focuses on website features and applications users interact with directly while back-end developers set up servers and create databases needed to make the website work.

And then there’s the third group: the coders who attend the best developer bootcamps in San Diego to master both back-end and front-end development. These programmers are called full-stack developers, and their versatile skill set gives them a special place in the web development ecosystem.

In the following article, we’ll talk about the many advantages of being a full stack developer and explain why getting a job as a full stack developer may be the best thing you can do for your professional future. Keep reading to learn more.
Table of Contents:

What does a full stack web developer do?

A typical full-stack developer possesses a working knowledge of both front-end and back-end coding. Over time, they tend to focus more on one or the other, which gives them unmatched versatility and allows them to be the “bridge” between back-end and front-end teams on any given project.

Correctly approaching a coding problem can often become needlessly difficult if the people involved aren’t able to examine the situation from both the back-end and front-end angle. Full-stack developers remove that issue by being well-versed in both sides of the equation.

Clearly, learning both sides of web development requires more time and effort. Because of this, there are fewer capable full-stack developers than developers who specialize in either back-end or front-end. As a result, full-stack developers are in higher demand.

What languages do I need to know to be a full stack web developer?

Every full-stack developer needs at least one back-end and one front-end language. Let’s say you want to make a website for the San Diego Central Library that enables users to look at the full catalog of available books, as well as check which books are currently rented out and which are available.

You can do this using JavaScript (front-end coding language) and Ruby on Rails (back-end language). First, you need to set up a server that contains the book database (Ruby), create a feature that marks which books have already been rented (Ruby), and connect this server with the website itself (Ruby).

Then you need to make an actual graphical website that looks inviting and intuitive to the user (JavaScript) and implement a search bar into which the users can type the name of the book they want (JavaScript). That’s a simplified example of how back-end and front-end languages can be used together to produce a modern website.

How to become a full stack web developer?

Because a full-stack developer must be able to work in both front-end and back-end elements of a project, they must be proficient in at least one back-end and one front-end coding language. Naturally, they must also understand the fundamental web development technologies.

To be a successful full-stack developer, you should:

  • Learn a top-notch front-end language such as JavaScript.
  • Learn a superb back-end language such as Ruby on Rails.
  • Learn HTML and CSS (the fundamental technologies of web development).
  • Learn how to use crucial developer tools such as Git and GitHub.

Who offers the absolute best developer bootcamps in San Diego?

LEARN academy is the leading coding school in California. Our intensive four-month bootcamps will teach you everything you need to know to start working as a full-stack developer, and also provide you with an internship at a successful San Diego company.

Enlist in one of our bootcamps today. We’ll turn you into a coding professional in no time!