Should you use full-stack JavaScript development?

‘JavaScript is like Oxygen, it is all around us’. The impact of this programming language is such that along with the front-end, it has now been integrated to server-side development as well. Although, the usability of JavaScript has sparked off a crucial debate: should you use full-stack JavaScript development?

See, in the modern-day business world, you need technologies that grant rapid app development. Because speed with accuracy is the prerequisite to sustain in today’s cut-throat competitive scenario. Be it being robust, enhancing efficiency, or constant iteration, full-stack JavaScript ticks all the boxes.

In this blog, we will find out the answers to some of the more intriguing questions:

• Is it better to use full-stack JavaScript Development?
• Is it beneficial to hire a full-stack developer for a web development project?

We understand that answers to these questions are important to clear the air regarding the usage of JavaScript development.

So, without further ado, let us set the ball rolling!

What is full-stack JavaScript development?

As the name itself suggests, full-stack JavaScript development encompasses everything related to different layers of the web application. Be it business logic for the front-end or the technology or the database, full-stack has everything.

A perk of having a full-stack JavaScript developer is that they are able to code for both the frontend and backend. The full-stack JavaScript developers hold a strong hand in CSS and HTML. Moreover, they have profound knowledge in programming a browser, server, and database. This is one of the prime reasons why hiring full-stack JavaScript developers are very popular among companies.

The basic concept behind full-stack JavaScript was to write all web apps software in JavaScript. Thus, there are some important programs a developer should know from the frontend and backend:

Client software (Front-end)

• W3.CSS
• HTML
• CSS
• JavaScript
• JSON
• ES5
• jQuery
• HTML DOM
• XML
• React
• Nextjs
• Backbone.js
• Gatsby
• Angular
• React
• Storybook
• Ember.js
• Redux
• GraphQL
• Gulp
• Less
• Sass
• Meteor.js
• Grunt

Server Software (Backend)

• REST
• Node.js
• Koa.js
• Sails
• Express.js
• Deno
• AWS
• MongoDB
• Google Cloud Platform
• Parse
• Heroku
• Firebase.com
• PaaS- Azure and Heroku

Also Read: Firebase Vs MongoDB: Battle Of The Best Databases For 2021

The rise of Full Stack JavaScript development

If we say that Full-stack JavaScript development has become the talk of the town, it will not be an overstatement. Moreover, the evolution of web server technologies in recent years has been immense. We have seen some new technologies emerge such as .NET, PHP, Python, Ruby, JSP, etc.

Moreover, with time, the developers have come to the conclusion that having two languages will complicate things at the server-side. Thus, full-stack JavaScript development emerged as a profitable option and became the first choice of many development companies.

Leading companies hiring full-stack development services

There is no doubt about the fact that full-stack JavaScript development is very popular currently. The list of a leading business organization leveraging the benefits of full-stack JavaScript development services are:

• Netflix
• Airbnb
• Facebook
• Apple
• Pinterest
• Amazon (AWS)
• JP Morgan Chase Bank
• Geomotiv

This list also addresses the fact that the use of full-stack JavaScript development is not industry-specific. Therefore, irrespective of their genre, business companies can use full-stack development services for their benefit.

Who is a full-stack developer?

In a nutshell, a software engineer that can develop both frontend and backend applications is known as a full-stack developer. The full-stack developers have a very popular stack to do which is known as the MEAN stack.

Now, the MEAN stack comprises of four different things, they are:

MongoDB: It is a NoSQL database program

Express: It is considered as the basic standard server framework for the Node.js

AngularJS: It is basically a frontend website framework

Node.js: It is a JavaScript runtime environment that is used for server-side scripting

JavaScript developers like MEAN stack as it supports tackling the entire web project layer with the same language. Moreover, the popularity of the MEAN stack doesn’t mean that there is no alternative technology for each of those components. Technologies such as Vue.js, MySQL, Koa, React, rectify, etc. are doing wonders in their genre.

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Skills that a full stack developer must have

Since full-stack developers work both on the client and server side, they must know each layer of the tech stack. Moreover, they must also understand the operation of each layer more significantly. In addition, they should also know to modify the entire back-end components.

Besides the above-mentioned requirements, there are some crucial skills a developer must possess for effective full-stack JavaScript development. They are:

Git and GitHub

The full-stack developers must be familiar with fundamental Git commands and their related examples. Because of the developers are familiar with Git, they can communicate with their fellow developers easily. Thus, with streamlined communication, the entire app development process will be synchronized.

Design skills

The full-stack developers must also know the basic design skills and principles. Understanding prototypes, UI/UX design, scalability, etc. will assist in making the overall app development process more profound.

REST and HTTP

It is a clear-cut fact that both HTTP and REST are mighty essential for the full-stack JavaScript development process. Thus, a full-stack developer must be a master at both.

HTML/CSS

Full-stack developers are expected to work with HTML in order to use the markup to define web page structure. Moreover, in order to display the HTML components effectively, the developers must be CSS experts as well. Knowledge of both will help in designing an engaging and intuitive front-end for the applications.

Since HTML and CSS programming languages will determine the quality of the app, developers must have strong experience in them.

Node.js

It is essential for full-stack developers to understand the complexity of website architecture. This understanding will help them in developing high-end web apps easily. Moreover, they must know to organize and arrange files and codes and keep data in databases.

The major responsibility of the full-stack developers is to develop a complex application from scratch. Thus, it is necessary for them to execute the necessary computational activities as well.

Also Read: Benefits Of Node.js And Why Startups Are Switching To It?

JavaScript

And since it is full-stack JavaScript development, it is a no-brainer that the developer must be well-versed in JavaScript. In addition, they must also understand the functionalities and ideas such as Angular and React.

Now, the USPs of JavaScript are that it has a myriad of useful functions such as high-order event delegation and closure. In addition, it has features such as prototypes, functions, etc. that help in developing flexible web pages.

Communication skills

Along with all the technical prowess, the full-stack developers must have emphatic soft skills as well. They should be good at time management skills and must have an eye for detail. In addition, they should have patience and creative vision, and curiosity for learning as well.

Now full stack development has its share of pros and cons. It is important for the business organization to understand them as it will impact the future of their product.

Advantages of full-stack JavaScript development

The benefits of full-stack JavaScript development are huge. Because of this, leading business organizations are whole-heartedly implementing full-stack development services. Some of the top advantages of full-stack JavaScript development are:

High performance

Because of the presence of Node.js, the full stack developers create fully asynchronous applications. They can do so by taking full advantage of the non-blocking programming. Thus, because of this, the resulting apps can run into independent processes simultaneously.

Because of the resulting apps running independently, it has a positive impact on the performance of the web applications. In addition, as the web apps are entirely written in JavaScript, it increases the user experience and quality.

Better development efficiency

In full-stack JavaScript development, people working on the backend as well as frontend use the same language. Thus, the developers are always aware of the things happening in the project all the time. This also leads to an efficient development experience as only one team is required to handle the entire application.

The full-stack developers can also use the chunk of codes as both backend and frontend use JavaScript. This makes the coding process simpler and also reduces the number of codes the full stack developers have to write.  Therefore, the full-stack JavaScript development process is an efficient way of application development. Not only that, but it also makes it easier for the developers to update and maintain their products.

No dearth of Resources

Along with having a wide range of tools and frameworks, JavaScript has the most thriving communities in the development realm. This means that JavaScript has plenty of readily available libraries for the developers. This also means that the full-stack JavaScript developers have access to many resources to help them in the development process. Be it ebooks, documentation, or coding for dedicated communities to forums, JavaScript has all bases covered.

Open source tools

Largely, the entire MEAN stack is open source. Thus, in most cases, the developers will have access to vetted tools for free.  Being open-source, the tools get updated on a regular basis with respect to their communities. Thus, this brings a lot of benefits to the users and plays a huge role in enhancing their user experience.

A large talent pool

Since JavaScript has a thriving community in the app development realm, the talent pool of full-stack development is immense. Moreover, studies say that a whopping 69.7%  of the developers use it in some or another way.

Thus, the programming language has no shortage of regular developers. For a business organization, this is a win-win situation. Not only will they get a chance to hire from a large pool of talent, but they will also get the talent at affordable rates as well. The developer will boost their full-stack project and take their business to newer heights.

Cost-effective

Full-stack JavaScript development is a cost-effective process. It is a wide misconception that high-quality services are always costly. But full-stack JavaScript development demolishes this myth to the ground. As businesses don’t need to hire front-end and back-end developers separately, this process automatically becomes economical.

Moreover, a smaller team of developers will have a high chance of maintaining improved teamwork as well. In addition, the chances of miscommunication are minimal when the developers are well-versed in both frontend and backend development.

Disadvantages of full-stack JavaScript development

Like it is the case with everything, full-stack JavaScript development has its share of perils as well. Let us have a look at the disadvantages of full-stack JavaScript development.

Young technology

JavaScript has been around in the tech realm for more than 20 years. But, the list of technologies that are built keeping JavaScript as their base are still immature. Thus, it will take a sizable amount of time for the developers to leverage full-stack JavaScript development to its optimum.

Not enough database

Another demerit of being a young technology is that full-stack development doesn’t have a good enough database. Although, this situation is changing rapidly as bigger and bigger companies are implementing full-stack development.

With the small database, the developers won’t have relative information to fall back upon during the development process.

Delays

There might be delays as full-stack JavaScript development involves very heavy data processing. Due to this, there are high chances that the application might slow down.

But, now with its increased usage, times are changing and there are plenty of remedies to resolve the delays. The remedies include creating child processes, bifurcating the entire computational process into different stages, etc.

Not suited for heavy computing

We all know that JavaScript frameworks are highly used in developing advanced apps. But, the framework is not the best choice for complex computing apps as the incoming requests may get blocked.

On the other hand, if you are not going to develop apps that include complex computing, the JavaScript framework is amazing.

More things to learn

When it comes to full-stack JavaScript development, the developers have to master more technologies. There is no hidden fact that new and emerging technologies are absurdly high. Thus, the developers might find it difficult to keep a track of all and evolve with them rapidly.

Due to the exhaustiveness of the new emerging technologies, the developers have to be a jack of all trades. They will not have time to master a single thing that exists in the full-stack JavaScript tech domain.

Factors to consider while implementing full-stack development

The important factors to consider before implementing full-stack development are:

User experience and user interface

It is important to have an understanding of what the end-user will see and feel through the app. Thus, knowledge of both UI and UX is essential. Thus, do in-depth market research according to the genre of the website to get amazing results.

Security awareness

Security awareness is important as it will play a huge role in determining the success of the app. Make sure to have device authentication and authorization as each layer has its own set of vulnerabilities. High-class security will increase the credibility of the app in the market.

Cloud operations and development

The market scenario is constantly evolving. In this situation, the app has to be more resilient otherwise it will fail to face outages in the market. Thus, while implementing full-stack JavaScript development, an understanding of cloud operations and development is necessary.

Knowledge of relational and non-relational database

The new-age devices that are linked in the IoT system communicate data with one another. Thus, to perform data analysis, knowledge of non-relational and relational databases is a must.

What is Full-stack JavaScript development best suited for?

The full-stack JavaScript development is best suited for projects such as:

• Ecommerce platforms
• P2P services and apps
• IoT products
• Web-based enterprise apps
• Fintech applications

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Conclusion

For businesses looking to boost their revenue and meet user requirements, full-stack JavaScript development is the best technology.  Moreover, experienced full-stack developers will leave no stone unturned in reducing the time to market of the app, enhancing scalability, etc. Moreover, full-stack development is highly cost-effective and flexible as well. But, due to its disadvantages, business organizations must understand their requirements before implementing the technology.

Krunal Shah

Krunal Shah is the CTO and Co-founder at Third Rock Techkno. With extensive experience gained over a decade, Krunal helps his clients build software solutions that stand out in the industry and are lighter on the pocket.

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