Front end & Back end development – What is the difference?
Overview
Frontend and backend development are two widely used terms in web development. If you have just started out in web development, you must brace yourself to hear frontend and backend all the time. But what exactly does it mean? If you are just starting out in this field, it can be difficult to know their differences.
Although frontend and backend development are two different aspects of web development, they are just like twins or two variable sides of a single coin. Just like a human body, frontend and backend development are two different organs or components of web development. Although their functions are diverse, they rely on each other’s communication and operation to effectively work as one unit. They both play an equally important role in website’s effectiveness and functionality. So working on both of them is crucial to a website’s success.
So following is a brief and basic difference between Frontend and backend development. We hope to clear your concepts and help you understand how frontend and backend work together.
Frontend Development
Brief Introduction
As the name suggests, frontend of any website is what you interact with. It is actually the display you get on your browser. It is also known as “client-side”, as it directly deals with users as a face of a website. It comprises mainly of user experience, and you have a range of text, navigational menus, images and buttons to use.
For an instance, you want to start traveling business and you are based in the UK. The frontend of that business will consist of a homepage, text on it, a navigational menu, photos, search bar, compare flights UK and any other option necessary. You will need a frontend developer or technology if you are becoming one, to build your website.
Languages
When becoming a frontend developer, you need to learn a few web development languages. Some important web development languages are mentioned below.
HTML: HTML is an essential coding language that generates and establishes website’s content, so it can be used in display on a particular browser. There are subtypes of HTML, if you want to draft a career in it, we recommend you learn them too.
JavaScript: JavaScript is a development and programming language used in the user interactive ‘UI’ prospects, such as modal windows, contact forms, drop-down menus and much more.
CSS: CSS is a frontend language that is important to learn alongside HTML. It outlines the style and design of a website’s data and content, such as text font, colors, symbols and much more.
Altogether, these important languages produce everything that is most visual on a website. You can run any business, from an apparel and clothing store, sports good online store, travel agency, aggregator or any other online platform. You need to learn front-end development or higher an expert to proceed with it.
In addition to these frontend languages, you also need to learn different structures like Bootstrap, Angular, along with JavaScript libraries such as jQuery. You also need to master CSS extensions like SASS and LESS.
Although there is a never-ending list of resources which support these languages, the main function is to assist in forming a code by managing and organizing it with the help of templates and tools. Tools are also selectively used by looking at their compatibility.
Backend Development
Brief Introduction
With Frontend development, you will make a static website. The content won’t shift much and all the important details that determine what is on the pages is done with frontend code itself. It is great for showcasing business such as a portfolio of business, restaurants, professional resumes and etc. But for a touch in user interaction, you will require something that can take you to the depth of a website, and where you are able to interrelate more than any static website.
Backend development is also known as ‘server-side’ development and it is a portion of a website user is not able to see. But it plays a crucial role in interacting with it. It is also responsible for the storage of any data, sorting it out and making sure that everything is working properly on the frontend. It connects with frontend by receiving and sending data, which is then displayed on the webpage.
Whenever you click any option of a website, fill a form, make a transaction or place an order, you actually send an application or request to the server-side. The information is then processed and then sent back to the frontend where it is interpreted by a browser and shown to the user. There must be multiple backend components on your website if it is to be a dynamic web application. A website that is dynamic, they need a database to run and store information.
Databases
When working on backend development, you will need databases to organize all the products and customer’s private and confidential data. The database works by storing the data associated with a website and assists in organizing, editing, retrieving and saving it. It is run on a remote protected computer known as the server. Some of the renowned databases are SQL, MySQL, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, and Oracle.
Languages:
Ruby: Ruby is a dynamic open source programming language used to write simple and productive code. It has a decent syntax which is easy to read and write.
PHP: PHP is a general-purpose scripting language. It is an important language for backend web development.
Java: It is a general purpose computer language, which is synchronized, based on a class, object-oriented and purposely designed to have very little application dependencies.
.Net: .Net is a unique, object-oriented and modern programming language. It belongs to the C language family and developers familiar with C#, C, C++, Java, and JavaScript are able to easily work on it.
Python: Python is a high-level programming language designed for a general-purpose coding. It focuses on code readability, most significantly using whitespace.
In a nutshell
When we differentiate backend from frontend development, it is highly imperative to understand that they both are like opposite sides of a coin. If there is an issue with the frontend, the backend will create problems; and if there is any problem in the backend, the frontend will not be able to respond that easily.
About Author: Author of this content is a great blogger Yousuf A. Raza who loves guest blogging and content marketing. Currently, He is working as a digital marketing expert at Dream World Travel, Ltd.
