Evolution of the Front-End Developer: Going Full-Stack
There are over a billion websites online today. Each of those websites may have any number of pages. And each of those pages
Traditionally, the front-end developer is the person responsible for what viewers actually see and experience – the visuals, the fonts, the colors, the
So, why should a front-end developer consider taking on the learning process (PHP, Ruby, Java, Python, .Net, SQL, Oracle, etc.) for back-end development? Isn’t that a bit like a fiction novelist deciding to write a custom research paper? Doesn’t it seem a bit counter-intuitive for the creative developer to move into the technical side? Actually, this is not as large a transition as one might think. There have been overlaps already, especially in the use of Python. Front-end and back-end developers do not work in vacuums – they communicate and have at least a cursory understanding of what each other does.
But most important, the full stack developer is far more attractive to enterprises with less than generous budgets who may not wish to employ two separate developers. As well, developers who want to become
Front-end developers have some work to do, but it is not like they are entering an entirely new career field. Coding is not exactly a foreign language. Learning server-side languages can be accomplished gradually. The goal is to be able to work on the server-side of programming along with the already mastered front-end languages that control the looks on the user-face side. You will become a jack-of-all-trades and that makes you quite attractive.
Full stack developers will need to be knowledgeable at every level – writing server-side API’s, configuring Linux servers, working in client-side JavaScript, and, of course, utilizing CSS. Good ones will be able to serve their clients well and develop solid solutions, understanding the pros and cons of each one.There are a number of free and low-cost online courses for back-end development. Here are a few great resources:
· - General
· - Lynda - 10-day free trial but then fee-based.
· - Stack Social - This site actually offers a back-end development bundle of Python,
· - Khan Academy - jQuery and SQL courses
· - Udemy - Many courses are $15
- Udactiy – full coursework offerings in front-end and back-end development