What is the Role of a Software Developer?

by Amit Negi Digital Marketing Expert

Let me get this straight. People out there are still in confusion regarding the differences between a software developer and a software engineer. They often think that both refer to the same career. But it’s not. There is a sizeable difference between a software engineer and a software developer. A software engineer is a person who analyzes and builds software by analyzing and applying engineering techniques while a software developer just creates programs by interacting directly with the client and tweaking the programs to suit the client’s needs.

Role of a Software developer:

The role of a website developer may be similar to that of an engineer. A software developer may be working in a team with other developers and engineers, or may work alone under an organization or may work as a freelancer. The role of developers is quite simple. They develop applications and software, sometimes from the scratch or by modifying and updating existing software. They also help in maintaining and constantly updating the software in order to give a better user experience. There are some developers who work other jobs full time and do this as a passion.

Qualifications to become a software developer:

The path towards a software developer may be an organized formal education or a self-taught one. You can pursue a bachelor’s degree in computer science engineering or software engineering. On the other hand, you can take any other course, which you have picked due to compulsion or you realized that you can have a good career in software developing, and work from then on, to reach your goals. You can develop computing and programming skills either way. The only difference is the exposure and experience, where the computer science engineer has an advantage. However, as a freelancer, you can gain equal experience overtime and by completing projects for clients.

The software developer also needs to have good communicative skills in order to interact with the clients to get a clear picture of the result. They should possess a good understanding of calculus, matrix and vector algebra, as they play a clear role in analyzing and developing software. They should possess strong inter-personal skills as they should be able to mingle with the team whenever needed. They also need to possess critical thinking capabilities and creative thinking. As the summary, let me sum it all up.

· Well versed in programming language

· Good grasp of mathematical knowledge

· Strong inter-personal skills

· Good and fluent communicative skills

· Creativity and critical thinking

· Strong desire and passion for computer programs

Types of software developers:

Just as there are different types of software, there are different types of developers. They are;

· Web developers

· Game developers

· Application developers

· Algorithms/ science program developers

· Embedded system developers

· Operating system developers

· Language developers/ compiler developers

· Cloud developers

Web developers:

These are the people who are involved in the developments of websites. There are three types of web developers, namely front-end developers, back-end developers, and full-stack developers.

Game developers:

These are the people who pull out the Houdini out of the computer hardware. They develop and compile games for multiple consoles.

Application developers:

These are the people who develop the mobile applications that we use in our daily life. These people use a different language to develop mobile applications.

Algorithm developers:

These are the generally Ph.Ds as they are the ones that develop mathematical computer programs out of the conventional mathematics system.

Embedded system developers:

These are the people who write and develop a program that is almost present in every electronic object in and around us. The electronic objects such as fridge, oven, air conditioner, washing machine, and other similar objects use the processor level code that is required to operate.

Operating system developers:

These are the people who develop a multitude of operating systems such as linux, windows, android, and much more that are used in our day-to-day life.

Language developers:

These people compile and develop new and effective programming languages that are much more efficient. They tweak and update the existing languages in order to make it much more simple and effective.

Cloud developers:

This is a growing and interesting field where there are a lot of inventions every day. These people develop new techniques in which the cloud systems function.

Conclusion:

As software and technology are on the rise, the necessity of trained and skilled developers is also on the rise. So, if you are quite familiar with a programming language, you can always enroll as a software developer.