The need for more efficient software developers continuously grows in the community, but how many boasts of knowing at least 60% about what software developers do? We continue to benefit from the work of software developers daily for business, relaxation, connecting with friends, etc. This article will take you on a spin on everything there is to know about software developers, you better have your seat belt on as this a journey on the edge of the cliff.
Who is a Software Developer?
You must have a lot of mobile apps and desktop applications on your gadgets, right? That is the product of the work of a software developer. A software developer is a person who is vast in the act and skill of building software applications, easy, right? However, the process of building a software application might actually be a little bit more complicated than my definition. What does software development entail? Software development involves the creation of apps using programming languages by a developer or a programmer. The process involved in the creation can be better simplified into stages formulating, defining, designing, programming, documenting, testing, and error fixing. Have you ever thought of the reason behind the creation of a search engine like Google, it must have been to solve a particular problem at that time, right? This is what software development entails.
Also Read, Top 10 Software Development Mistakes
The stages are explained better using this illustration, a person thinks of an idea (not necessarily a software developer). This idea involves the creation of an app to solve a specific problem, sometimes to increase mobility, security, or even provide advancement of previous technology. To execute this new idea, a developer identifies the type of language to use in the development process and what the development process might comprise of. After determining what the development procedures are, you need the help of a graphics designer to build the interface for what the app should look like when you are done. It is after this stage that a developer can actually start writing the base code of the new application and documenting the code after they are done for future use by them or other programmers. Before the launch of a new app, it has to be tested by a selected few who will provide feedback on the overall performance of the app.
Based on their feedback, the software developers work on the errors commonly referred to as bugs and fix them.
Read Also, How to Choose a Right Software Development Company?
What is a Programming Language?
A programming language is the base code on which a software application runs. Programming language determines the actions, responses, and functionality of the application. It is like training your dog to perform a particular action every morning when it wakes, the dog soon becomes so inclined to do that same thing every morning. How does a child learn to talk? There is a section of the human brain designed to read and understand the language the child often hears as they grow. The child starts with just one word, and he/she moves on to strings of sentences that were previously heard.
Python was the first programming language released, it was released in 1991. Other languages like Java, JavaScript, and PHP followed after in the year 1995, and C# in 2000. The world of software development is regularly evolving, and a software developer must stay updated and develop, to stay relevant and employable.
What is the difference between a Software Developer, Programmer, Software Coder, and Software Engineer?
I have explained who a software developer is and what they do, so what are these other terms? These four terms work hand in hand, and most times, the usage depends on the situation. Now, what are the similarities and differences between these four terms?
- Software developer: A software developer is a person that develops software applications through the use of programming languages
- Programmer: A programmer is an ancient name for a software developer. The name software developer came with the modern age, in traditional times, they were commonly referred to as Programmers.
- Software coder: A software coder is a person that helps writes and builds software applications through the use of software coding languages. This is pretty much the same thing as a software developer, right? But in the real world, software only deals with the working code of the software application alone while a software developer can do the designing of the software application interface.
- Software Engineer: According to Wikipedia, “A software engineer is a person who applies the principles of software engineering to the design, development, maintenance, testing, and evaluation of computer software.” This right here is also what a software developer does.
These four terms are mostly used interchangeably, but they hint at the same thing. Some, however, more advanced than the other due to age or specialization.
What Are the Types of Software Developer?
Like I said earlier, there are different stages of software development, and also programmers can decide to specialize in an area of development rather than all. There are five types of software developers, and they perform different duties in software development. The types are:
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Back-end developers
Source: https://www.thebalancecareers.com/the-skills-you-need-to-be-a-backend-developer-2071184
Back-end developers are the developers that write the code that gives a response to every action in a software application. There is a user interface for an app that is always visible to the users, but the reaction of the application to every action you make is the back-end. This part of development isn’t visible to the users, but they are the part that determines how the software application functions. For instance, on your Facebook page, when you click on Profile, the software application responds by displaying your Facebook profile. The response was caused by the back-end codes, if the back-end codes have been wrong, friend request or an error might have popped up when you clicked.
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Front-end developers
Source: https://www.freelancermap.com/freelancer-tips/12034-o-que-faz-um-desenvolvedor-front-end-
The visible part of an application which the users can interact with is called the front-end. The front-end developers deal with more of the user-interface and user experience design of the application. A front-end developer doesn’t need a deep understanding of programming as there work mainly deals with making the front-end part of an application appealing and satisfactory to the users. Still using Facebook, as an illustration, if you were to open your Facebook application and all you were to see were mumbled jam-packed texts, then I doubt if anyone will use the social media platform.
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Full-Stack developers
Source: https://www.multidots.com/full-stack-development-need-know/
This type of developer can deal with both front-end coding and back-end coding, as they an understanding of both developments. Full-stack developers can easily handle small-sized and medium-sized software development jobs on their own. But for large-scale software development jobs, specialization is very essential to ensure maximum concentration and a quality outcome.
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Mobile developers
Source: http://blog.bookmebus.com/2018/05/02/mobile-developer-at-bookmebus/
A mobile developer mainly deals with the development of applications for mobile devices and tablets. The need for this type of developer is on the rise, due to the increased rate of mobile phone users. Almost every business owner works with a mobile application for their business as it improves accessibility for customers. Take Shopify stores, for instance, you can easily add items to your cart on your mobile device and order them within minutes. Mobile developers mainly work with java, JavaScript, and C++ for the software application.
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Desktop developers
Source: https://www.indiamart.com/proddetail/desktop-application-development-services-19589881688.html
These developers are similar to mobile developers, although the development of desktop applications can be more complicated. Desktop developers deal with the development of software applications for desktops of all operating systems (Windows, Linux, macOS). The demand for this market has decreased lately due to availability and mobility, mobile phones provide.
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Web developers
Source : https://www.thebalancecareers.com/web-developer-job-description-salary-and-skills-2061841
Web developers are the type of developers that specialize strictly in the development of websites. Web developers make use of mainly HTML and CSS for web development, but the knowledge of user experience design, JavaScript, and search engine optimization is also essential. Advancement in this field is rapid; therefore, web developers must stay up-to-date with the latest updates.
The advancement age has brought more attention to software development. During leisure time, software engineers can engage in:
- Web developers engage in testing of codes to determine the responsiveness of the code.
- Documenting their codes for future use by them or other developers. Documentation of codes is significant, as this is the record-keeping part of software development. Advancement on documented code can also be made in the future
- Software developers read other people’s code as a means of learning from them. No one is an island of knowledge, and everyone is prone to mistakes, so software developers need to stay updated at all times.