Since its inception, the software development field has become a rewarding and in-demand career to join—and this is not about to change any time soon. Recently, software development was categorized as the leading career field in the US, according to salary expectations, career reviews, and job demand. According to The Bureau of Labor Statistics, there’s a projected 30% employment growth in the software development industry by 2026.
Now, as the demand for software developers continues to soar, so does the diversity of the type of work software developers are expected to do. Besides, software developers with more advanced skillsets have better opportunities to work in the different software development fields. With that said, let’s look at the different types of software development.
Front-end development
Front-end software development involves building a website or web application with user interface components, including buttons, checkboxes, forms, and dialog boxes. It is often associated with JavaScript and HTML5—otherwise called client-side development. This type of software development requires a high understanding of coding languages. While you’re always behind the scenes developing user interfaces for your clients’ apps, you need to know how the whole system works so it doesn’t break when put together with other systems.
Back-end software development
The software developers in Missouri say that back-end developers are responsible for creating server-side scripting codes that provide necessary functions to projects like file saving, database management, authentication tools, and other complex operations that require back-end support. You also need to be capable of integrating applications and creating APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) for customized client requests. Programming languages that you’ll work within this field include PHP, Java, and Ruby on Rails.
DevOps
DevOps is a software development practice that focuses on collaboration between the development and operations teams so the entire organization can benefit from faster application deployment, automated testing, infrastructure integration, and performance management, among other processes. A good example of what DevOps developers do includes creating cloud-based virtual machines for web app development, pushing these new systems into production after tests run smoothly, and then writing relevant documentation for future reference and troubleshooting.
Full-stack development
This type of software development involves creating and improving both back and front-end web apps and websites. Full-stack developers need to handle programming languages like JavaScript, HTML5, CSS3, and other different frameworks that support the utilization of these tools.
Game development
Game developers create all kinds of phone apps for Android or iPhone users—everything from puzzle games to online casino apps so users can access missions or play games without leaving their devices. Most game developers start as software programmers who build video games with a C++ programming language, but there are no specific educational requirements to become a game developer. However, you’ll need experience building games and working with 3D animation and visual effects (VFX) if you want to have a career in this field.
Machine learning software development
Machine learning development is the process of writing computer programs that automatically improve their performance with experience—without being explicitly programmed by a human programmer. These software developers often work on artificial intelligence (AI) for robot apps, virtual assistants, self-driving cars, and other intelligent applications where machine learning algorithms are used. This type of development falls under data science, making waves as one of today’s leading careers—while earning high salaries.
Mobile app programming
According to the experts from Active Logic, Kansas City software development company, this type of software development focuses on creating mobile phone apps that users can download over the web and install on their devices like Android phones or iPhones. You’ll need tools like Xcode on Mac to develop iPhone apps, while Android developers use tools like Eclipse.
Open-source software development
Open-source software is anything that users can modify, change and distribute freely (as long as they give credits), including free programming codes for many applications we use today—including web browsers, audio players, word processors, and video games. It is usually based on the Linux operating system, which allows open-source software development through different languages, including HTML5, Python, and C++.
Database development
This type of software development involves creating databases for web applications that store information to be easily organized and analyzed. A good example of what database developers do is create business data models, design databases, develop websites to allow users to input information into the system, and monitor this information to ensure everything runs smoothly.
Security software development
This type of software development involves writing code that can help protect a company from potential cyber-attacks. Developers who engage in this type of work typically have experience coding languages like C++ and Java, among others, to create security systems, test new applications for their vulnerabilities, and handle other related tasks.
Cloud computing software development
Cloud computing is a system where users can access files or software without downloading these items on their computers. This makes the process more efficient—and faster than traditional methods of storing information since all you need is an Internet connection instead of downloading content onto individual devices. Cloud computing developers can write programming codes that support cloud services like Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services, and Google Cloud Computing.
