I’m often asked by clients and junior colleagues alike: "Zsolt, why is there so much stuff? Why isn't a single server and an HTML file enough anymore?"
The answer is simple: because expectations have changed. Today's user doesn't wait. Today's business cannot stop. And the competition never sleeps.
Over the past few years, while delivering dozens of projects at Stacklegend, I've seen technologies rise and fall. But there is a core, a toolkit, that are essential to compete in today’s market. In this article, I’ll walk you through the 37 technologies that power the digital world today—from the frontend to the cloud.
Frontend - Obsessed with Speed
In the past, we were happy if the page simply loaded. Today, we deliver "experiences." When we use technologies from Facebook or Netflix, we don't do it because it's trendy.
React.js and Next.js aren't complications; they are investments. Investments to ensure your user doesn't click over to a competitor while your page is stuck buffering. And if you need a lightning-fast development environment for modern projects, Vite.js is the new standard.
But the world is now "mobile-first." If you want native mobile apps for iOS and Android but want to leverage your web knowledge, React Native is the perfect bridge.
And let's not forget the basics: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are no longer extras but the entry level. If you want to ensure a perfect appearance on every device, Responsive Design is indispensable.
Is there room for the old? Absolutely. jQuery still reliably powers a huge number of legacy systems. And for those looking to the future, the JAMstack architecture offers a new level of security and speed.
Backend - The Invisible Powerhouse
The biggest revolution happened on the server side. Remember when you needed a separate server farm for everything?
Today, with Node.js, we write the backend in the same language as the frontend. This drastically reduces development time. Built on top of this is Express.js, which makes building web APIs child's play.
Of course, there are places where the power of the classics is needed: PHP is still the workhorse of the internet, and Python—especially with the Django framework—is the champion of security and versatility.
Modern systems, however, are no longer monoliths. With the Microservices approach, we break the application down into tiny, independent pieces, so if one feature goes down, the whole business doesn't collapse.
The New Oil - Data Storage
Storage is easy. Storing well is an art. Many get stuck on the "which database is better?" debate. The answer: it depends.
For a bank transaction, you need the strictness of PostgreSQL. For a web store, MySQL or MariaDB is the proven workhorse. But for a fast-moving startup app, the document-based flexibility of MongoDB can be a lifesaver.
How Systems Talk - Data Exchange
Modern apps aren't islands. They constantly communicate: with payment gateways, maps, social media.
This is where RESTful API comes in, which has become the common language of web communication. But if you want to query exactly the data you need (no more, no less), GraphQL API is the solution.
If you need real-time data—say for a chat or a stock market app—then WebSocket is the two-way channel. And if only the server needs to constantly send updates (e.g., a live news feed), SSE (Server-Sent Events) is the most efficient path.
The Intelligence Layer – Beyond Logic
We used to program logic; now we integrate reasoning. The most significant shift in the modern stack is undoubtedly Artificial Intelligence. It’s no longer just for data scientists; it’s a standard component of web applications.
But simply "adding AI" isn't enough. It starts with understanding how to talk to these models — Prompt Engineering has become a critical skill, effectively a new syntax for developers. To build these capabilities into our apps, we rely on powerful interfaces like the OpenAI API, which serves as the brain behind the operation.
However, a brain without memory is useless. Traditional databases struggle here, which is why we now use Vector Databases to search by meaning rather than just keywords. By combining this stored knowledge with AI models, we use a technique called Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) to ensure the AI gives accurate, business-specific answers instead of hallucinations.
And where is this all heading? Towards Autonomous Agents that don't just chat with the user but actively perform tasks and solve problems on their own.
The Culture Behind the Code
You can write brilliant code, but if project management is chaos, it won't matter.
The Full Stack Development mindset helps you see the big picture. But how do we manage change? The Agile methodology ensures we react quickly to business needs.
On the technical side, Git is the cornerstone of version control—without it, there is no teamwork. The DevOps culture and CI/CD processes guarantee that what we develop today is deployed to the live system automatically, securely, and fully tested.
Where It All Began (Nostalgia)
Finally, a little nod to our roots. Because even though we are in the cloud today, every developer's journey started somewhere. For me and many of us, BASIC and Turbo Pascal were the first steps. These taught us the logical thinking that we utilize today in the most modern languages.
Closing Thoughts
These 37 technologies are the Swiss Army knife of modern development. You don't need to use them all at once, but you need to know them to know which one to reach for and when.
If you're interested in exactly what each tool is for and how it can help your project, click the links above for my detailed analyses. And if you don't just want to read about them but want to entrust the implementation to an expert team, contact us at Stacklegend.
We don't just write code. We deliver solutions.
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