Tech Stacks Made Easy
Deciding on the right set of technologies is a process that must be done carefully. Every business has specific requirements and needs for developing software and implementing it. This, in turn, makes choosing technology stacks very important.
However, it’s about more than choosing one programming language because, for some businesses, a combination of tech stacks is a better option. Knowing what it is, what you can do with it, and how to make them work together is crucial to your business’ success. But let’s start with the basics. We will go through the following:
- What are technology stacks in software development
- A popular list of tech stacks for developing software
- What are the differences, and what kind of applications can you build with them
What are Technology Stacks in Software Development, and Why do We Need Them?
The technology stack, also known as the software or development stack, is a data ecosystem. That environment is built on programming languages, frameworks, tools, and libraries, all necessary for developing software that runs smoothly.
That begs the question: how does a tech stack work? For instance, when you start a mobile app, operating system, website, or web application, there is an army of data behind it that the user cannot see. A group of technologies is stacked together to allow developers to build easy-to-maintain and scalable software solutions. In other words, to create an application, a developer does not use a single “software,” which is why most applications are built by a team of software developers and engineers.
You might be wondering what that has to do with your business. In simple terms, the technology stacks decide the fate of your business software. It might influence your competitiveness in the market, and it certainly affects:
- the way your application works
- the capacity of your server system
- speed of your software project completion
- how it behaves in the future with changes
- can you add new features or scale it
- location of data and software storage
- cost of projects maintenance and support
So, the tech stack determines the nature of your software and its ability to evolve in the future. Software development standards and technology change more often than you would expect, so it’s essential to make a wise choice and use technology stacks that will support your software in the long run. There are many stacks to consider, and if you don’t feel comfortable making that decision on your own, it’s best to consult with a software company with years of experience.
Components of Technology Stacks
When you say technology stack, it consists of two elements: every software needs frontend (client or user side) and backend stack (server side) to work flawlessly. So let’s break that down and examine the technologies and models used for each element.
Frontend Stack
Application design, format, and navigation are essential nowadays and are part of frontend development. In layperson’s terms, the frontend is everything you click, swipe, or see on the screen. In other words, the frontend stack is the client side of any application providing a smooth and functional user interface.
Frontend stack consists of three elements:
HTML
HTML is an acronym for Hypertext Markup Language used for creating websites and web apps. It’s the vital part that helps communicate with web browsers and explains the structure of every page.
CSS
CSS is short for Cascading Style Sheets. It is responsible for the visual side of the application in terms of font size, color, and styling.
JavaScript
JavaScript is the entire ecosystem of frameworks and libraries. It is used to make the components of an application dynamic. For example, what happens with that specific block if you hover over the button with a mouse?
Backend Stack
The backend stack is the application’s server side, and it’s much more complicated than the frontend. It’s an intricate web of data that forms the structure or foundation of the application, which the user cannot see. In simple terms, it is like the driving force of an application, telling the client side of software what to do.
The backend stack consists of four elements:
Programming Languages
Programming languages are, in essence, commands that link applications with databases.
Frameworks
Frameworks support software development that uses a single programming language. It is there to ensure the application’s optimal performance and scalability.
Servers
Regardless of the type of application, each needs access to servers. They are used for applications infrastructure and managing requests from the client side. In addition, servers provide storage, security, and databases.
Databases
Databases are storage for information that manages search queries.
List of Popular Technology Stack Models Used for Developing Software
A tech stack is a combination of different tools and software that form the foundation of your application’s infrastructure. It usually includes programming languages, databases, frameworks, and other software. In addition, many core technologies have emerged in the past decade to become standards in software development.
By understanding which core technologies are used, you can better understand how the final product will work and what the technical needs are likely to be. So let’s go over the top tech stack models of all time.
Model 1: LAMP Stack
The LAMP stack is a group of seasoned open-source software technologies that work together to create the building blocks for a dynamic and powerful web application. The acronym LAMP represents:
- Linux (the operating system)
- Apache (the web server)
- MySQL (the database engine)
- PHP (the programming language)
All four components are prevalent because they are highly reliable and easy to manage. However, developers often swap certain technologies to fit your business needs. For example, instead of Linux as the operating system, they use Microsoft Windows to form a WAMP stack.
Model 2: ASP.NET
ASP.NET is a web application framework for building great websites and applications. It’s perfect for Web pages that need to be dynamic, interactive, transactional, secure, and scalable. ASP.NET is supported by Microsoft and its partners on multiple platforms, including Windows and Linux.
ASP.NET has been around since 2002, when it was first released as part of Microsoft’s .NET initiative that combined several new technologies into a single framework for building Windows applications using managed code.
It is a well-known stack among .NET developers. In recent years ASP.Net stack has grown in popularity as the applications built with this stack are incredibly lightweight and fast. The apps created with ASP.Net often use
- IIS (Microsoft Web Server)
- SQL Server (Microsoft’s Relational Database Management)
- Microsoft Azure (Cloud Computing Service)
Model 3: MEAN
MEAN, like LAMP, uses open-source technology for building efficient and interactive applications very quickly. It is an acronym for the technology it uses, here including:
- Mongo (Database)
- Express (Server-side (backend) Framework)
- Angular (Client-side (frontend) Framework)
- Node.js (JavaScript runtime)
MEAN is a JavaScript-based stack. The MEAN stack is not just any concept you can use for your next project; it’s a proven model with loads of documentation and examples available online. The MEAN stack is a full-stack JavaScript framework that allows you to build, deploy and scale an application quickly.
Model 4: MERN
MERN is similar to the MEAN stack. However, as the name suggests, instead of Angular, MEARN uses React. It is an efficient and effective web application development and interactive interface solution. MERN provides all the components needed to build a highly responsive web app with perfect user experience (UX). The different layers of the MERN stack are:
- Mongo (Database)
- Express (Server-side (backend) Framework)
- React (Client-side (frontend) Framework)
- Node.js (JavaScript runtime)
Model 5: MEVN
MEVN is a popular stack and an excellent choice for building web applications, especially fast prototypes. MEVN stands for:
- Mongo: Database
- Express: Server-side (backend) Framework
- Vue: Client-side (frontend) Framework
- Node.js: JavaScript runtime
Vue is an open-source framework designed for simplicity. That makes it perfect for building interactive applications with minimal effort. Software developers often say it’s a mixture of Angular and React. However, it gives excellent application performance with a clean design.
Model 6: Python
Python is a general-purpose programming language that developers can use for many projects. Python is object-oriented, high-level, and interpreted. As a result, it’s often used for backend development (e.g., web servers) and frontend development (e.g., user interfaces). Many frameworks are available for both applications, including Django, which is helpful for quickly creating new applications based on their functionality.
Python is also used in data analysis (such as for statistics), machine learning (for example, natural language processing), artificial intelligence (like neural networks), game development, scientific computing, and more.
Model 7: The Serverless Stack
Recently, many companies have opted for using serverless technology as it provides all the tools and simplicity of serverless computing platforms. Its popularity grew due to increased demand for storage, easy-to-use software, and speed.
Serverless is a style of building an application that runs on a cloud provider without the need to manage the underlying infrastructure. For instance, AWS Lambda and Google Cloud are the service providers.
Conclusion
The tech stack is a part of the development process that can take time to manage. When building an app, website, or product for your business, you must consider many different aspects. First, you must ensure you’re using the right tools and technologies. Then, by establishing your goals for the future and evaluating the projection of the future state, you can make a sound decision for building high-performing, engaging and scalable software. This list of tech stack models can give you an insight into technology that would best suit your business needs.
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