Full stack web developer vs software engineer

I'm so confused with these positions between software engineer, software developer and full stack developers. Can anyone expain it to me what exactly software developers and software engineers do.

level 1

Here's are my very simplistic definitions:

Software Developer

You know one, maybe two, programming languages well enough to implement a somebody else's design.

Software Engineer

You know how to learn any language, how to choose the right one for the problem you need to solve and can create new designs.

Full Stack Developer

You're a Software Developer that can work on both front-end and back-end software.

In my experience a lot of people who consider themselves software engineers lack the adaptability and competency to make good tool and design choices.

level 2

Well explained!!! I thought the way but but I was not sure. A software engineer has computer science background like big O ... Etc.

level 1

Typically developer and engineer are interchangeable, mostly in the eyes or HR and recruiting. What software engineering is though is the full lifecycle of software from requirements, planning, design, implementation and delivery which may be what a SE focuses on. Full stack means you work on the front end (think website, mobile app) and the backend (server, database, etc)

level 1

From a big company perspective, I would say: a developer is able to code, design, test, and everything within software, but when it comes to architecture, network / security, HA Setup, CI Setup, server requirements, and stuff like this, it would be an engineers job.

From a small company perspective, the titles would properly interchange (which is a Nice feature for developers in small/medium business’) :-).

level 1

I was entitled to a position of Junior Software Engineer due to having a degree in SE. But to my opinion, being software engineer is way harder than being master in a particular domain. When it comes to the point of Software Engineering, the disciplines come first. A software engineer might need to switch it's role from time to time and shouldn't be biased to particular framework or language. The roles include Web developer, Mobile app developer and anything that involves engineering process. When developers emphasize mostly on products and features, engineers see patterns, disciplines, architectures, process etc..

PS: All of the above text are my personal opinions. These might differ from persons to persons.

level 1

A Software Engineer is well versed in the entire software development lifecycle: requirements, design, code, test, maintenance. Software Developer = Programmer = Coder, all of which center on programming, but can widen out to encompass the other aspects of software engineering. A Full Stack Developer does front end web and back-end database server programming. A Half Stack Developer makes pancakes.

level 1

In theory there is a difference. At least in my country, a software engineer is an engineer that specializes in software. A software engineer is accredited with an engineer certificate. A software developer would be someone who is not an engineer that works in software development. In practice though, they are treated the same. You will see job listings for software engineers where all they ask for is a computer science degree (or a related degree such as engineering with a software major). Full stack developers is ambiguous regarding the engineer status, rather it refers to web development which includes both frontend and backend

level 1

Most engineers are have a state license allowing them to practice. Due to this, everyone likes to call themselves "engineers" because it sounds prestigious. It's recently been in the courts whether or not states can regulate use of the term "engineer", and the result has generally been that they cannot.

In terms of prestige, I would say that engineer > developer > programmer > coder > script kiddie. That's the only real difference between those terms.

Web developers and UI engineers are front-end developers. Everything non-UI is in the realm of a back-end developer. A full stack developer needs to be able to do both UI and non-UI work.

level 2

Lol, I might ask my boss if I can officially have the title of script-kiddie.

level 2

Aren’t coders the same as programmers*?

level 1

Engineers - Create

Developers - Consume & Modify

I think that is a good base of understanding, but as other comments mentioned, correct they are interchangeable in certain companies.

level 1

A developer would typically take technical direction from an engineer. An engineer would typically architect the overall solution to a problem.

Typically, an engineer will have a Bsc in computer science or a related discipline, but it's not a hard and fast rule. I personally would expect an engineer to be degree qualified though.

level 2

Most organizations I know of don't mix the terms engineer and developer to denote rank. They either use engineer or developer, then they prefix "senior" or suffix "manager" to that for rank. Architects can exist in both, but that's a specialized (and yes, senior) role.

level 1

In California, only civil engineers are licensed. I suspect most of the rest of the states are the same.

I have to disagree with the majority of comments that these terms are interchangeable. An engineering degree from an accredited program teaches, well, the engineering method. It is akin to the scientific method, but focuses more on application of existing know patterns and technologies, rather than discovery and establishment of fact. Most schools expose engineering students to all the disciplines, mechanical, electrical, chemical, etc. so that they can communicate better when cross functionality is necessary.

level 1

The differences are purely theoretical, recruiters use them interchangeably

level 1

thank you everyone for your responses :)

level 1

Would the term even matter if each and every one of them does not understand What Technical Debt Is?

Titles are irrelevant, but as this craft is a field of engineering anyone who want to be good at it must understand and embrace the basics and by heart the principles.

I would love to work with some one who defines themselves as an engineer regardless of their educational background but with a passion and grit to write clean code.

level 1

SOMETIMES not always, in larger companies, developers will be implementing what an engineer designs and will have to have their designs approved. While engineers have the final say on the design, and can implement with minimal supervision. Engineers also do a lot of documentation work and less implementation. But that's for larger companies and most of the time it's just a title and devs and engineers have similar if not the same responsibility.

level 1

Software Developer: focuses on software development using low level methods. A SD would typically create libraries.

Software Engineer: focuses on using prebuilt libraries to get an application (or part of an application) running.

Full Stack Software Developer: is more of a Software Engineer (not Software Developer) who has lost the right to complain about working on a part of an application of which he knows nothing about i.e. he will have to pitch in at every level of software/application starting from the backend all the way to the front.

Which is better full stack developer or software developer?

Is Full Stack web Developer a software engineer?

Is web developer or software engineer better?

Is full stack developer a engineer?