What is a LIT True Work-Ready Full Stack Software Engineer?

Objective

• This article is about the definition, the application, and the importance of Louisville Institute of Technology (LIT) one core program, True Work-Ready Full Stack Software Engineer. 

Key Terms:

Break down the “True Work-Ready Full Stack Software Engineer”

True Work-Ready

• LIT’s definition for work-ready means, the IT professional is equipped enough and capable of initiating the work on employment on day one – as soon as he/she starts on the job. 
  • The capability to build a map or execution plan, asking the right question and research, build team collaboration, figure out the work (requirements, expectation), confirming the finding with teams/leaders, clarifying the tasks, and start working immediately.

Full-Stack Software

Stack

• Indication of the existence of many elements, components, objects, or things that work in coordination to solve a business or technical challenge.

Software

• Programs, or collection of instruction/data that tells the computer how to work or perform tasks. 

Full-Stack Software

• Many or multi-level or combination of many programs; often INDEPENDENT program/software/applications that are built using one or many different computer programming languages – those are deployed and operated totally in its own machine/hardware/server/cloud section-container that are referred to TIER. 
  • Full-Stack software is often also referred to as multi-TIER applications/software solution
    • It’s important to also note that each TIER can have multiple copies/servers that hold the same program – for high availability purposes (meanings ensure the system is always on – if one server dies, there’s still backup). 
    • In most case, there will be 3 servers that have the same copy of the same program at the same time running for each TIER 
  • Stack List: each can be built in a totally different language, using totally different framework, and technology”
    1. Presentation Layer
       • Web Application
       • Window Application
       • Console Application 
       • Mobile Application
    2. Web Service / Web API / Web Business Layer / Web Data Service Layer
       • The ONLY layer/tier that should have any access to the database (DB) or database management system (DBMS)
    3. Data Processing 
       • Console Application / None Graphical User Interface (GUILess Application)
       • Extract Transform and Load (ETL)
       • Service Bus
       • Batch Job
       • Message Queue (MQ)
       • Message Hub
    4. Database 
    5. Testing / Deploying / Integrating System
       • Buzz word “DevOps” come in 
       • Code Testing – Unit Test
       • Web Service/Web API Test – Unit Test / Others
       • Web FrontEnd Test 
       • Window Front End Test
       • Integration Solution – such as Azure DevOps 
         • Integrate all testing and deployment together
         • ‘AUTOMATION’ in software development meanings 
           • Continuous Integration and Continous Deployment (CICD pipeline)
       • Source Code Control / Version Management 
         • Such as Git, Github, subversion, Team Foundation Server 
    6. Server/Hardware/Cloud Environment/ Container – Setup
       • This is where “DevOps” Buzzword came into place

Engineer

• A person who knows how to design, build, integrate and maintain a stack of software solutions. 

Reality

• Full-Stack refers to MANY PROGRAMS that are deployed on MANY MACHINE – that works together as ONE
• Most if not all software are built on full-stack software guideline/standard nowadays; for many reasons but ones of the few top reasons are: 
  • Separation of duty 
    • Ease the allocation of IT engineers to work on specific area/layer/tier/stack
    • Ease the debugging process
    • Ease the load on hardware
    • Ease the tracking on performance
    • Divide and conquer the big solution into chewable/doable/achievable on timeline goal
      • How to eat an elephant
      • How to trial/error
      • How to build/deploy/test and learn fast
  • Security
    • Isolation of data management 
    • Isolation in security management
    • Isolation in data movement
    • Isolation in data structure/contract
• NOT MANY engineers are full-stack software engineers BEFORE. 
  • A software engineer is often hired to do one stack in the entire stack of software, and he/she chooses to turn a specific stack to be specialized on and make a career out of that.
  • It is easier for the company to manage.
• NOT MANY if there’s any school that develop a graduate to this level 
• The false belief that engineer doesn’t need to be full-stack software engineer because they will only work on a single stack in the job is becoming widely and exceptionally falser. 
  • Full-Stack software development experience is critical to the big picture thinking, software designing, and eventually software architect and eventually enterprise-level software architect (highest level of being a software engineer)
    • There’s no replacement for experience and experience = “I HAVE DONE IT” even if it is only one time
      • Software engineers will understand the real pain, challenges, efficiency, effectiveness, design pattern, and the importance of collaboration in which communication is the key to success. 
        • Effective communication especially in IT relies on one word ‘SIMPLICITY’ or plain ENGLISH – no buzzword
          • Simplicity in diagrams
          • Simplicity in presentation
          • Simplicity in talking
        • The key to capability to SIMPLIFY in IT is the experience of FULL-STACK engineering and development
    • Cloud technology pushes hardware configuration, implementation, and management on the software engineer plate.
      • Before, the software engineer can say “that’s hardware engineer problem”
      • With the cloud, there is no separation between a software engineer and hardware engineer – it is simply a TECH engineer – that do both
      • Hardware is part of the Full-Stack now 
• Being an IT engineer requires more knowledge than ever now

Louisville Institute of Technology (LIT) – The core program and the ONLY PROGRAM you need – TRUE Full-Stack Software Engineer Apprenticeship

• LIT founder, Di Tran former fortune 54 company grew his career to be Principal Software Architect (one of first three, and soon later around 20 top software engineer out of 7000+ IT engineers company); he used 18 years experiences of 6+ hours day programming consistently to develop this highly tune down Full-Stack software engineer THREE MONTHS PROGRAM. 
  • LIT apprentice will practically spend full-time work schedule/hours for three months to develop all four stacks of software development.
  • LIT apprentice will build the TRUE and rare full-stack software development experience that would enable him/her to be able to build any software, using any language/technology in his/her later career
  • LIT apprentice will achieve the I HAVE DONE IT trademarked certificate of completion for graduation.
    • More importantly, he or she will be capable of SHOWING what his/her experience of Full-Stack through his/her application portfolio, instead of simply say “I KNOW”
      • At LIT, I KNOW doesn’t have meaning. I HAVE DONE IT hold the weight.

Definition from others

W3Schools.com Definition:

• Full Stack Web Developer who can develop both client and server software

SkillCrush.com

• Full Stack developer is a web developer or engineer who works with both the front and back ends of a website or application.

Careerfoundry.com

• Full-stack developers are experts in both front-end and back-end. They are proficient in both as well as server, network, and hosting environments. 

Guru99.com

• Full Stack developer is an engineer who works on both the client-side and server-side of the software application. 

Thinkfull.com

• “Full Stack” job posting refers to someone who has both “frontend” and “backend” development knowledge. 

Hubspot.com

• Full Stack developer is one who works on the front end (the interface) and back end (the inner working) of a website or web application. 

GeeksForGeeks.org

• Full Stack Development refers to the development of both the front end (client-side) and back end (server-side) portions of the web application. 
• Full Stack Web Developers have the ability to design complete web applications and websites. 

References

1. https://www.w3schools.com/whatis/whatis_fullstack.asp
2. https://skillcrush.com/blog/front-end-back-end-full-stack/
3. https://careerfoundry.com/en/blog/web-development/what-is-a-full-stack-web-developer/
4. https://www.guru99.com/full-stack-developer.html
5. https://www.thinkful.com/blog/what-is-a-full-stack-developer-2/
6. https://blog.hubspot.com/website/what-is-full-stack-developer
7. https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/what-is-full-stack-development/