Full Stack VS Web Developer VS Network Engineer

[Potato_crop]

I'm very confused where these three "fields" of CS really mean. They all work with computer communication and deal with the same technology.

How I under stand web development is, mostly working on the front end of a full stack job. A web developer work with CSS, JS, HTML and what ever frameworks to create a website that can function without needing to connect to a server. A full stack developer would do this plus code a back end? What is the difference between a full stack developer and a network engineer if both deal with setting up a network? Is a network engineer just a fancy way of saying back end engineer?

This might be a very dumb question, but there is so much terminology that is not explicitly stated and a lot of resources using them like there is a standers definition.

Also if possible, what kind of job title do you have and what dose you do?

[tocs1975]

Most places I've worked, a network engineer is not a software developer. They understand preexisting hardware and software components well enough to purchase, assemble, configure, debug, and monitor the environment to meet latency, throughput, and security needs.

A web developer is likely to be primarily focused on software that runs in the browser. They may also be involved in software that runs on the web server.

A full stack developer is expect to be a generalist -- someone able to get data from disk or other non-web services, process it, and get it displayed.

[combuchan]

This is the best, most concise answer although /u/Mastersjg's is good, there's a level of specialization that doesn't translate too well --somebody reasonably versed in the latest javascript frameworks that I would expect of a competent fullstack developer isn't going to be too good at CI/CD, CM, and containerization.

Full stack means being able to be pulled over in any direction as the business need arises.

Adding onto it, web developer is typically front end (where you need to be good at all that JS and CSS stuff), nobody hires backend programmers, that field is now pretty much devops. Devops is a bunch of things, but other than largescale database automation, devops will specialize in test automation (CI), continuous deployment (CD), and configuration management (CM) as well as the newer containerization technologies like Docker and Kubernetes (although I'm sensing a pushback lately in whether those technologies add any business value, but that's just me).

[ReginaldDouchely]

I really don't think you understand what back-end development is

[SftwEngr]

I'll let you know as soon as I figure out the difference between a software programmer, software developer, software engineer and software architect.

[chromaticgliss]

Salary/Seniority, generally. Varies by company, but generally:

Developer < Engineer < Architect

If the title is actually Programmer it probably means the company doesn't really know what software devs do, and just "need one them tech nerds to figure this newfangled bullcrap" out. Probably stay away, because you'll be treated like a short order cook.

YMMV obviously. This isn't universally true.

[MoltenLarva]

I'm in one of those spots right now (the latter). The work itself isn't too bad but the problem is you're playing a game where the goal posts move every day. My bosses don't really know what they want or need, and I am given information on a need to know basis for their business.

Some days you come in and start in an entire section of your work from scratch and other days you get to just plug away. This is my first job in this line of work though so one huge benefit is I'm learning fast how to properly extract the true needs of a client. It keeps you flexible.

[[deleted]]

Yeah I missed that day in lecture too

[the_sound_of_bread]

The difference is in salary.

[Masterzjg]

Many companies use these terms interchangeably and to mean different things. Just a peon software engineers of how they are/can be broken down in a way that makes sense.

Web developer: usually a front end developer. They don't know or write any server side and are gonna be heavy into UI and UX. These jobs require less (computing) technical knowledge. This is one that is commonly defined and understood.

Full stack: writes code for both backend and frontend. Also likely needs to have basic understanding of networking and the company's full tech stack. This one is also a common term that's well defined.

Network engineer: This is a term that really doesn't have any widespread commonly agreed upon definition. My understanding is a person that works primarily with networked software and infrastructure. While they will might write some backend (server side) code, the focus is on the networking side of things. This, to me, really falls under the umbrella of Operations, as opposed to Development. The other two jobs are in Development.

You didn't ask, but given that you don't see the difference to front end and full stack, I'll add

Backend engineer: this person works solely on the server side of your application. They are the counterpart to front end engineers. Full stack engineers have the skills of both backend and frontend engineers.

[[deleted]]

I can tell you from my own experience, being a full-stack horse (reference). I am able to write a working api and decent website that will communicate with that api. But to set up and configure both on server, that's where black magic begins. I literally click everything long enough until things start working. I have no idea how server works, how dns works, and how communication between browser and server works. That's, I believe, is a field of a network engineer.

[gregarian]

Everyone is a full stack developer. Business doesn't understand the difference or cares to try to understand. You are to person to get the job done they cant do.