Your choice of tech stack can affect how frictionless your project development process will be. If your tech stack integrates well, finishing up your projects will feel more manageable.
In this article, we’ll cover some of the primary considerations you should have for your tech stack. That way, you can start working on your future (and current) projects with tools best suited for the job and your preferred way of working.
What is a Tech Stack?
When you’re trying to accomplish a particular task, you usually have a set of tools and equipment that you use to achieve that. This principle applies to any business process or task from HR onboarding to purchase orders. This concept is what a tech stack is.
A tech stack is the set of technologies, tools, programming languages, frameworks, etc you use to develop an application. Some other industries have co-opted this term, but at the start, tech stack describes the tools you use together to create an app or some other sort of software.
Auditing your tech stack is crucial to be as efficient as you develop an app or software. It will help you figure out whether the tools in your toolset are working for you or if you need to replace them. It’s also a great chance to check for any lapses or blanks in your toolset that you must address.
Now that you know what a tech stack is, let’s cover some of the different kinds of tech stacks.
Front-end Development Technology Stack
The tech stack that a front-end developer will use will be different from that of a back-end developer.
If you don’t know what a front-end developer does, they’re the people who develop the parts of a program that the end users see. It will be the interface that your end users interact with the most. They are most responsible for developing and creating the user interfaces or UI. It involves the layouts and graphics and ensuring your interface is intuitive.
Since these tasks are what you’re primarily going to work on as a front-end developer, you should make sure that your tech stack does the same. It should help with navigation, format, and app interface design.
There are three main front-end programming languages that you would use for most of the projects you’re involved in. These would be Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), and JavaScript. You would usually need these programming languages in some way for front-end development projects.
Now that you know more about a front-end development tech stack, let’s be more specific. Let’s cover the other contents of your tech stack based on whether you’re doing web or mobile development.
For Web
When planning to create a robust tech stack for your web development projects, here are some technologies you should consider adding.
Aside from CSS, HTML, and JavaScript, React JS is one of the most popular front-end development frameworks out there right now. React JS, more commonly known as React, was developed by Facebook while optimizing their platform. It’s become one of the most popular ways to build front‐end interfaces for single‐page/multi‐page apps.
Angular is another framework that you can use for web development. Using Angular requires you to know TypeScript, an improved version of JavaScript. This framework has been the most popular choice for many developers creating web apps for an enterprise-level application.
One of the frameworks that’s become more popular is VueJS. The reason for this framework’s popularity is its ease of use. That’s because it already has all the fundamentals involved in websites and apps so that you can build web interfaces faster. Although it’s not mass-adopted just yet, it’s on its way there and has the potential to grow even further.
For Mobile
There are different front‐end mobile development frameworks; here are some worthy frameworks to try.
To start, React Native isn’t just good for web development. It’s helpful for mobile app development for both iOS and Android platforms. You need a knowledge of JavaScript to work with React Native. It’s a great choice since it has an active community of developers and is a high-performing framework.
Another front‐end framework for mobile app development is Flutter, which Google developed. You will use the Dart programming language for this. One of the main features of Flutter that made it famous was its hot‐reloading functionality, making it easier to see how your code changes in real time.
SwiftUI is an excellent choice for people developing UI for iOS apps. It makes developing UI for Apple interfaces easier because it lets you do so using a single set of tools. Due to how it simplifies the development process, it reduces the volume of code, which can also lower the possibility of errors.
Back-end Development Technology Stack
Now that you know what a front‐end development technology stack entails and what it is, let’s discuss what back‐end development is first.
Back‐end development involves all the parts of the program that the end users don’t see and don’t interact with. That means the back‐end developers deal with database management, servers, and other internal program infrastructure.
Regarding the tech stack for back‐end development purposes, there are different technologies to choose from.
Node.js, for example, is one of the most popular choices for allowing JavaScript to run on your servers natively. It’s popular because of the numerous resources and active community for developers. However, this isn’t the best choice for some complicated processes.
Java is the best choice if you’re interested in developing enterprise-level programs. It can help run simple programs, but it’s also scalable. Sometimes, it can become complex and challenging to work with if you’re not an expert, leading to more complicated code and a slower load time.
The Importance of Selecting the Right Tech Stack
When you correctly choose the tech stack that suits you, it will be easier for you to complete your projects. At the same time, it’s about integrating different technologies in the smoothest way possible.
According to Sytian Productions web developer Philippines, choosing technologies that work together smoothly can reduce program errors due to integration and compatibility issues. At the same time, it won’t be less painful for you to develop your programs since you already know that these technologies work smoothly together.
If you plan on creating a tech stack for your future projects, here are some tips on developing the right tech stack.
1. Project size, type, and complexity
The bigger your project is, the more complex your tech stack may need to be.
That doesn’t necessarily mean you must use tons of different frameworks. It can simply be that some technologies are better suited for more extensive projects than others.
For example, if you’re developing a standard web application with the usual fundamentals and nothing too customized, then you don’t need a complex tool to go with it. You can use entry‐level tools with ready‐made solutions while still achieving your goals.
However, if you are developing custom, enterprise‐level software, you’ll need more robust technologies to get your required customizability.
2. Scalability and flexibility requirements
As your business grows, or even as you succeed as a developer, you might find that your tech stack doesn’t fit your other projects. Sometimes, your tech stack might work for one specific project, but it can’t accommodate other project types that you’re taking on.
That’s why it’s a good idea to either be proficient in a few different technologies or start with a tech stack that is flexible and scalable enough for various big and small projects.
You can also consider scaling down your tech stack if you’re not taking on a super complex project.
3. Cost of tech stack
In an ideal world, start with a tech stack that grows with you as your projects and skills grow. But not every part of your tech stack comes free.
In that case, there’s no shame in opting for a tech stack with the features and abilities you need that isn’t too weighty on your budget. You might even have to opt for a tech stack that doesn’t cover everything you require, but your abilities and effort can help cover these lapses instead.
4. Time-to-market
Time‐to‐market (TTM) is a business concept that discusses how long your program or product takes to release to the public.
If you need a shorter TTM, you will require a tech stack to help you make that possible. For example, if you’re developing an app, you might want a tech stack that enables you to create a cross‐platform application to launch an app that works with iOS and Android immediately.
5. Community support and documentation
There are tons of tech stacks out there that have become a go‐to for many developers for a reason. The longer they’ve been in the industry, the more it shows that the tech stack can adapt to the needs and wants of developers.
Also, that will give it more community support and documentation, so it’s easier for you to customize your projects as you need to with the help of these resources.
Although community support and documentation are helpful, newer technologies shouldn’t be something you call off altogether. VueJS, for example, might not have as much community support, but it’s slowly proving to be a helpful tech stack for many developers and companies.
6. Security measures
Don’t forget to consider the security measures in place for your project. The last thing you want is for your in-progress projects to get leaked to the public before they’re ready to be launched. Worst of all, you don’t want hackers to ruin your hard work and either delete all of your data or become the victim of cyber attacks.
General cybersecurity practices are helpful, like enabling two‐factor authentication and limiting permissions and access. You can even have a separate security stack to address the security measures you want your project to have.
7. Ease of maintenance
Your project usually doesn’t end after you launch your website, web app, software, etc. You must also consider maintaining the product and providing a positive user experience (UX). That’s why your tech stack should also keep in mind ease of maintenance.
Look for a tech stack that lets you upgrade or change your program architecture without any limits. Any future developers who may join your team should also have an easy time maintaining your product using the current tech stack.
Conclusion
These considerations are all crucial for getting a tech stack accommodating different project types and complexities. By considering these factors, you should also be able to find a tech stack that is more comfortable for you to use so that developing your projects will be as painless as can be.
