JavaScript Full-Stack Development

JavaScript has come a long way since being released back in 1995. We've seen several major versions of the ECMAScript specification and the rise of single-page applications (SPAs), all powered by client side JavaScript frameworks. Initially, all JavaScript development and innovation was done in the browser because that was the only context that supported the language. As time passed, web developers started to realize that many of JavaScript's most useful features (non-blocking, event-driven) could be leveraged in environments other than the browser. This kick-started a second round of innovation in the JavaScript community that resulted in JavaScript running on servers and on databases.

In full-stack development, the developer needs to develop for every single layer of a software. Thus a full-stack developer is a person who is comfortable working with all the technologies required to get an idea to a finished product.

An Ideal full-stack developer has the capability to developing web application and websites on the front-end and at the same time is skilled to work with databases and servers on the back-end. Thus a full-stack developer designs and implements for all the layers in a given full-fledged application.

But full-stack is not only about knowing how to code in front-end and back-end. It also includes:

•  Project management and team leading.
• Creating and using APIs.
• Knowing how to properly document a project.
• Having experience in the industry and knowing its ins and outs.
• Knowing and understanding hardware and what works with what.
• Writing optimized code, and knowing when to sacrifice optimization for the sake of comprehensibility.
• Creating, manipulating and querying databases.

Knowing JavaScript doesn't automatically box you as a "front-end developer." If you know the language well, you can build servers and databases, in addition to front-end user experiences. Now, for the first time, developers can build an entire web application using only JavaScript. This trend is often called "full-stack JavaScript." 

Combining four popular JavaScript technologies: MongoDB, Express, AngularJS, and Node.js to create production-grade applications has become so popular that it’s been dubbed the “MEAN stack.”