What is a Tech Stack?
A tech stack is the set of technologies used to develop an application, including programming languages, frameworks, databases, front-end and back-end tools, and APIs. A tech stack typically consists of several layers, each serving a specific purpose within the development process.
Components of a tech stack
Different layers that constitute a tech stack are as follows
- Operating System: The foundational layer of the stack, which includes the underlying software that manages hardware resources and provides a platform for higher-level applications.
- Programming Languages: The languages used to write the code of your application. Different languages are chosen based on the project’s requirements and the team’s expertise.
- Frameworks and Libraries: These are pre-built sets of code and tools that make development faster and more efficient. They provide structures and functionalities that developers can use without starting from scratch.
- Databases: The technology used to store and manage data for your application. There are various types of databases, including relational databases (SQL), NoSQL databases, and in-memory databases.
- Web Servers or Runtime Environments: These handle the execution of web applications and the communication between the user’s browser and the backend.
- Frontend Development: The technologies used to create the user interface and user experience of the application that users interact with directly. This includes HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, as well as frontend frameworks like React, Angular, and Vue.
- Backend Development: The server-side technologies responsible for processing requests from the frontend, handling data, and performing other backend operations. Common backend languages include Python, Java, Ruby, PHP, and JavaScript (Node.js).
- APIs (Application Programming Interfaces): APIs allow different software components to communicate and interact with each other. They enable third-party services and applications to integrate with your application.
- Version Control Systems: These tools, such as Git, help manage and track changes in the codebase and enable collaboration among developers.
- Deployment and Hosting: Tools and services used to deploy your application to servers or cloud platforms, making it accessible to users over the internet.
Different types of Tech stack
1.Front-End Tech Stack
A front-end tech stack includes the technologies that developers would use to build user interfaces.
Front-end development, often called client-side development, ultimately determines the visual elements of the app.
Example:HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, React, Angular, Vue. js, Bootstrap, Sass, Webpack.
2.Back-End Tech Stack
Back-end development, also called server-side development, calls for a back-end tech stack.
On the server-side, back-end developers typically manage APIs, data storage, and all the other internal operations of a given app.
Example:programming languages like PHP, Python, Ruby, and Java, along with backend frameworks like Laravel, Django, and Ruby on Rails.
What are the top end tech stacks in 2024?
1.LAMP stack
The LAMP stack is a popular tech stack for software development. It consists of four main components: Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP.
2. ASP.NET stack
ASP.NET is a popular technology stack for software development that is widely used for building dynamic and robust web applications. It is a server-side web application framework designed to work with the Microsoft .NET platform.
3. MEAN stack
MEAN stack is another popular technology stack for software development. It is a free and open-source tech stack, and its components include MongoDB, Express.js, AngularJS, and Node.js
4. MERN stack
Imaginary Cloud logoLearn more about what is MERN stack and how it works here
The MERN stack is a well-known and powerful software development stack for creating dynamic web applications. It comprises four technologies: MongoDB, Express.js, React, and Node.js.
5. MEVN stack
The MEVN stack is a well-known technology stack made up of four powerful technologies: MongoDB, Express.js, Vue.js, and Node.js
6. Ruby on Rails stack
Ruby on Rails (RoR) is a popular open-source web application framework that uses the Ruby programming language
7.Python is a general-purpose, high-level programming language widely used in software development. Python is frequently used for web development, scientific computing, data analysis, AI, and machine learning
8. Java stack
Imaginary Cloud logoLearn more about the differences between Python vs Java
Java is another widely used language for enterprise-level applications that have been around for decades. It has a large developer community and a plethora of libraries, tools, and frameworks that help to simplify the development process.
9. Serverless stack
The latest trend in software development is serverless architecture, which eliminates the need for developers to worry about infrastructure and server management.
10.Flutter for Web
Google's Flutter is an open-source mobile application development framework. However, it has advanced recently, and now you can use it for web development.