full-stack
/ˈfʊl stæk/adjective
Full-stack describes software development that covers both the frontend and backend of an application. It can refer to a developer, team or technical tool.
As a full-stack developer, Noor builds both the order screen and the API that processes the order.
In a web application, the Glossary · In brieffrontendThe frontend is the part of a website or application that users see and operate, such as pages, buttons, forms and interactive screens.Read more is the part the user interacts with. The Glossary · In briefbackendThe backend is the part of an application that processes data, applies business rules and communicates with other systems on the server. Users usually access it through a frontend or API.Read more handles requests, applies business rules and stores data. Full-stack means the work or technology covers both sides.
The term often appears in the job title full-stack developer. Such a developer might build a browser form, change the corresponding Glossary · In briefAPIAn API is a defined way for software to exchange data or call functions in other software without needing to know how that software works internally.Read more and retrieve information from a Glossary · In briefdatabaseA database is a structured collection of data that software can store, retrieve and modify. A database management system controls access to that data.Read more. The languages, frameworks and tools involved differ between applications.
What does a full-stack developer do?
A full-stack developer can make a change across several application layers. For a new login feature, this might include the screen, server processing and storage of user details. Testing and investigating errors across those layers can also be part of the work.
Full-stack does not mean knowing every technology or doing all the work alone. Developers can work across several areas while having a speciality, such as usability, databases or Glossary · In briefsoftware architectureSoftware architecture is the main structure of a software system: its components, their relationships and the principles guiding technical choices and changes.Read more.
Full-stack software
Full-stack can also describe a Glossary · In briefframeworkA framework is a coherent foundation for software development, providing reusable code, a defined structure and conventions for building an application.Read more or development environment. Such a tool supports both frontend and backend work. Ruby on Rails is described as a full-stack web framework because it includes support for web pages, server logic, routing and database processing, among other things.
The details therefore depend on context. The common feature is that several application layers are covered, including at least the frontend and backend.