To be or not to be a full stack JavaScript developer, that’s the question. Being a full stack developer of any language means great opportunities but also great responsibilities. So here we will explore the pros and cons so that you can make the best decision.  

But then, what is JavaScript? It is one of the most popular programming languages and a dominant web development technology. JavaScript has been around for over 25 years now. In fact, according to GitHub’s State of the Octoverse 2020 survey, JavaScript maintained its # 1 position in the past year, despite stiff competition. 

As one of the foundational web development languages (along with HTML and CSS), JavaScript helps power a significant fraction of the websites on the Internet.  

What is full stack development?  

We can only understand what a full stack developer can do if we understand the term full stack. When you are about to develop your application, you need to identify the combination of the technology stack of programming languages and tools like web server, stack, database, etc.  

Each software has two sides, one for the user side and the second for the server-side. Therefore, the developer should have selected the two different software stacks and developed the software and should also hire developers for the frontend and the backend separately.   

But full-stack developers have the talent, skills, and knowledge to work on both sides of development. Hire a Full-Stack developer, and they will take care of your entire development process. 

What is a JavaScript full stack developer?  

When it comes to JavaScript full stack developers, it means that developers can build both backend and frontend applications. And they must have the expertise to develop the server, browser, and database.   

In addition to mastering HTML and CSS, a JavaScript full stack developer also knows how to:  

• Program a browser (like using JavaScript, jQuery, Angular, or Vue)  
• Program a server (like using Node.js)  
• Program a database (like using MongoDB or MySQL)  

The pros or advantages of full stack JavaScript development  

Full Stack JavaScript development is excellent for the following reasons.  

Use of common language within a team

When developers and programmers use JavaScript to code parts of their applications using JavaScript, this leads to better team efficiency and productivity. In this way, developers can better understand the source code that is produced within the team.   

Due to this synergy in the team, there is no gap between front end development engineers and backend development engineers. All team members can work together and cooperate with each other.  

Using JavaScript for full stack development reduces team size since you don’t need to maintain and create two separate teams, one for the front end and one for the back end. Therefore, the cost of hiring and employing talent is significantly reduced within the organization or company and facilitates the use of agile methodologies.  

Extensive code reuse  

When you use full stack JavaScript development, it’s easy to implement code reuse by promoting efficient code creation and the use of some techniques.   

For instance, JavaScript uses the DRY principle. DRY stand for “Don’t Repeat Yourself,” a fundamental principle of software development aimed at reducing the repetition of information. The DRY principle is stated as, “Every piece of knowledge or logic must have a single, unambiguous representation within a system.”  

That phrase means that there should only ever be one copy of any vital piece of information. The reason for this principle is that one copy is much easier to maintain than multiple copies; if the information needs to be changed, there is only one place to change it.  

Read what developers suggest about code reuse.   

High performance and speed  

When you use a combination of frontend and backend technologies, you promote high-speed development and create high-performance applications. These applications scale rapidly and meet the demands of users and customers regarding the performance of these applications and developed websites. For example, Node.js promotes and provides high-speed development and scalable applications that can meet the demands of users and customers.  

Large Talent Pool  

According to the Stack Overflow annual survey, JavaScript is the most popular programming language used by 67.7 per cent of the respondents. According to SlashData, JavaScript, which includes CoffeeScript and Microsoft’s TypeScript in the survey, is by far the most popular language, with 12.4 million developers using it worldwide. That means finding a skilled engineer should be relatively easy.  

Cons of full stack JavaScript development   

Limited quantity of real full stack developers  

We know you sure ask the question that, as for the advantages, we said you would easily get a full stack JavaScript developer, and now we are saying this, but a Js developer is not the same as a full stack Js developer. Full stack developers are always unicorns, and find a developer who is equally able to perform both side developments, is hard.  

The MEAN stack  

Working with JavaScript technology in an entire project involves using the MEAN stack (MongoDB, Express.js, Angular.js, Node.js). You will have to use the weak sides of the four elements. Most of them are minor technical limitations, which appear under certain circumstances. However, to use the stack, it is essential to realize the potential bottlenecks of each tool and adjust your development strategy accordingly.  

Should you use full stack JavaScript development?  

We hope we’ve explained enough to you to understand what it means to developers to be a full stack JavaScript. But here the question is, should I use it or not? The answer is hard to find, as full stack development can provide excellent development services for certain projects and may fail on others. We suggest that JavaScript development can deliver fantastic results for further development projects like these:  

• E-commerce platforms  
• Social Media App  
• P2P applications and services  
• Blog Site  
• Web-based business applications  
• Workout Tracker  
• Chat app 

Finally, if you have experience as a full stack developer, please let us know here. We can tell you about our benefits and careers that fit your profile!