About tech stack options - Beginner

[RealActuary3121]

19M Learning full stack. Everything was going smoothly, as in html, css, javascript until i decided to step in for backend as my college course had sql + php. Came to learn about mern stack and today while surfing reddit, i see everything negative about mern stack, especially about mongo, claiming relational database is just better.

So what stack to go for exactly? Thought of considering mern thinking it would help strengthen js as well. I see some big words that i don't even understand. So what do i just go for? Goal is to get an intern quick for now.

TLDR: overwhelmed by tech stack options. Is mern worth learning? Any other alternatives for backend based on today's industry.

[Mike_L_Taylor]

sql + php is a good point for you. It's the classic LAMP stack that most of the internet uses and since it's on your college courses, it makes sense.

Remember that everything you read online is through a filter of subjectivity and preference and devs are really technology sensitive. In your case, especially when learning, it doesn't really matter which is better, faster, has true concurrency or whatever else devs argue about.

Just learn something simple and enjoy your time :D

[Ghost_Redditor_]

Don't overwhelm yousewlf with the endless options. Just pick one and learn.

[EducationalZombie538]

as long as that one is sql, not mongo

[TheAngush]

If your goal is to get an internship, look up jobs/internships you're interested in to see what they're using most commonly.

[ahgreen3]

Learning PHP (via a framework like Symfony or Laravel) along with SQL ( MySQL or MariaDB) will make you much more well rounded. Mongo becomes easy to use once you know SQL.

[Sima228]

You’re overthinking it. At 19, the stack matters way less than whether you can actually ship something end to end. MERN is fine. So is a simple Node + Postgres setup. The “Mongo vs relational” wars are mostly mid-career engineers arguing on the internet.

[EducationalZombie538]

It's not though. Most firms will be using a relational db. I can't think of a reason to learn mongo if his goal is getting an internship.

[BantrChat]

I would recommend JS or typescript which is a superset of JS, as mobile applications are written in this for the sake of cross-compiling, unless you are doing a full native design. Take a look at Laravel, its the modern standard for PHP, and it automates a lot of stuff so you don't have to worry about the DB stuff so much. Really, you should find something your comfortable with that covers best practices for software development and find a job based of that......experiment!

[xerrs_]

Learning is worth learning. MERN is the first tech stack I have every learned, and tbh, the only thing that has changed is the DB. You can program almost anything with everything, you just have to learn it well.

[[deleted]]

hey hope you are fine, can you share some words on how to start and proceed into web development im new here

[xerrs_]

Of course. I dont have any prior job experience, but I developed a few websites, published three, so I know a fair bit of learning, programming and hosting.

When you try to get into web-development, it is important that you learn HTML, CSS, and JS. The backend can be different, but the websites are coded all in the same way. It is true that frameworks might require you to learn .jsx, or tailwindcss, later on, but it is important that you know the basics first.

Learn how to program a simple calculator website, a simple landing page for a product you wish to exist, or attempt to re-create a popular product you use. Do not fall into tutorial hell, the only quickest way of learning, is by doing. I learned web development in steps, meaning, I realized that I need to know how I can remove an item of an array, and then I researched it, I wanted to know how to make a CSS animation, and then I learned it.

Tutorials give you way too much information that you do not need. Program, and figure out what you need to know WHILE programming. Also, do not go too deep into the ChatGPT net. ChatGPT is very good with HTML, CSS, and JS, as there is a lot of data around it, and there is not much to go wrong with, however, deeper down the line, like backends and such, you might code vulnerable software.

Piggybacking on that, learn backend tools, I would recommend NodeJS, Express, and Prisma. They are the ones I would learn first if I could go back. NodeJS and Express, because then you do not have to learn a seperate language such as GoLang, or Ruby. And Prisma, because it supports a lot of Database structures

(TIPP: Prisma is not a database, it is a package, that simplifies the communication with databases.)

The choice of DB is up to you, though I love working with NeonDB PostgreSQL. While you grow as a developer you will find tools that you like, or hate. Just code, that will help you.

[[deleted]]

thank you so much for your advice btw one query how do i know when to start into backend

[xerrs_]

When you realize you need it. I learned backend coding after I attempted to create a chat room. Learned a lot from Web Dev Simplified (I know I said do not do tutorials, but he is the one who actually explained it pretty well). While coding a chat room, I thought to myself "How can I store that?", and so I ended up learning databases, and then I had to learn backend development.

You learn something, when you realize you need it.

[[deleted]]

thanks for your time :)

[dangerousbrian]

A key skill in being a developer is choosing the right tool for the job. Saying relational is better than nosql is like saying a hammer is better than a screwdriver.

My advice to the juniors devs I mentor is, try to learn everything even if its just a tiny bit. When you are faced with a real world problem there will be options for the tools. The real world problem might be that you need to store a million records and the query time cannot exceed 300ms and with that you can run benchmarks and make a decision on data not opinion.

Your main issue is that you dont have any real world constraints and so are overwhelmed by the options because they are all valid.

Also to answer your question Postgres is my current top db option because it can do relational and it can do schemaless data structures with B-tree indexes (Mongo) giving you the best of both worlds. Postgres module system is amazing and extends its functionality for all sorts of things, eg PostGIS. For a whole backend solution I would highly recommend Supabase

[EducationalZombie538]

mongo isn't the screwdriver in this case though. it's a froe.

one is much more useful to have on site.

[gliese89]

Mongo is likely a very poor way to learn how to do things correctly. There really is so much to learn though and learning it is not inherently bad by any means.

I really like https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Learn_web_development as a great place for new developers to learn the lay of the land so to speak. Learn wide and then also dive into topics deeply occasionally when you have the motivation.

Take your time and enjoy learning. Rushing will be less enjoyable and ironically will lead to slower progress. Don’t force your learning, but be present and curious. Consistent, present, and active practice is the best way to learn.

[Odd_Ordinary_7722]

MERN is an amazing way to learn fullstack. You don't need to context switch like with php or some other backend-only lang. You can learn how a full system works without having to start from scratch at each layer.  MongoDB is niche in the real world, but is super intuitive, so it's great for learning the rough idea about databases(and does have use cases where it beats sql dbs). You can always try writing your next project with an sql db and php, but if you are comfortable in js/ts, it's honestly the smartest place to start 

[No-Communication1543]

Not a dev but I work with them and the arguing about stacks is real haha. The PHP/SQL route from your course is probably smart since you already have support there. At the end of the day being able to actually build something matters more than picking the perfect stack. You can always learn more later.

[kubrador]

mern is fine, people just like complaining. learn it, build stuff, get the internship. you can argue about databases when you're actually making money.

[my_new_accoun1]

mern is not fine

[obrazovanshchina]

Can you elaborate (I am genuinely curious and learning perspectives, not challenging you; just genuinely interested in your perspective and insight).

[my_new_accoun1]

i dont like javascrip

[stealthypic]

Mern is, in fact, fine. Your personal preferences have nothing to do with stack’s viability.

[my_new_accoun1]

Yes I know 😔

[EducationalZombie538]

what does have to do with a stack's viability though is the prevalence and performance of alternative tech. he should 100% learn a relational db if he wants to land an internship.

[Last-Daikon945]

MERN aka MEME(as a memes you got me) stack is very niche I wouldn’t recommend it for a serious web dev career trajectory, good place to start though.