Software stack refers to a set of software products or components that work together to provide a particular function.
The software stack is a term used by engineers to describe the different layers that are used in software development. For example, an internet browser uses a web server to display websites and a computer's operating system to send and receive data.
Each layer of a software stack may interact with one or more layers below it, and one or more layers above it. The most common example is the one that's used to access the internet. You use a web browser to send data over the Internet Protocol (IP) network, which is in turn transported by the transmission control protocol (TCP). TCP sits atop the internet layer of the internet protocol suite, which sits atop the network access layer, which sits atop Ethernet.
Each layer must work perfectly to execute the function, which is to browse the internet via a web browser.
On the other hand, a software stack includes all software components that support an application. It includes programming languages, coding frameworks, web servers, client interface tools, runtime environment, database tools, and more.
The LAMP stack is one of the most common stacks used in web development today. LAMP stands for Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP/Perl/Python. This stack is used on more than 25 percent of all Internet websites and is one of the most popular choices among developers because it's free and open-source.
MAMP is a software stack for macOS or Windows that allows you to quickly and easily set up a web server. With the Apache Web Server, MySQL relational database management system, and PHP, you can run your own dynamic websites on your computer. MAMP is a great solution for anyone wanting to get started developing their own website from scratch, without having to install software on a remote server or rent/buy server space.
MEAN is a development stack that uses MongoDB, Express, AngularJS, and Node.js. The acronym stands for four open-source technologies that make up this full-stack software solution.
The type of stack an application architect uses depends on the specific needs and requirements of the project. Each software stack offers a unique set of upsides and downsides in development.
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