So, our project is a full-stack web tool, which, if I understand full stack correctly, means we’re doing everything from top to bottom, start to finish, you get the point. This means that we need a website that people can see and click on things in. We’re also storing user information, resumes, cover letters, etc., so we need a database to store all that in. Then there are a lot of things that our tool does, and those things function through input from users on the website. These “things” need a dedicated section of our overall system to handle all that – a backend.
My educational experience in Computer Science so far has been very broad. Between taking courses at three different schools, as well as not seeing a need to focus on a aspect of CS, I know a little about a lot. But this is by far the most complicated and intricate project I’ve been involved with. This is all to say that ALL of the technology we’re using is…taking some getting used to in terms of purpose, functionality, synergy, etc.
On the upside, I’m getting exposure to everything, and by the end of the project, I think I’ll feel pretty comfortable with how web applications are/can be made. The downside is that it’s a LOT of information, but especially it’s a lot of choices. In the timeline of technology, I think we’re still in the era where software development is more difficult than it is easy. That said, it’s still very far along, which means there’s (much) more than one way to skin a cat. So, the most difficult part of this project so far is not the technology itself, but the fact that we have so many options AND that there’s rarely a “correct” option. When I try to look for the best way to do X, I read that there are multiple ways of doing it and that they all have pros and cons. When we do that for 10 different things, the time and brain space adds up, and it becomes…a lot. If/when I become a proficient developer, I’m sure I’ll appreciate all the nuance I can add to my repertoire of skills. But it sure would save us a lot of time if we had a bit less choice.
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