Nowadays, web development never stops growing. It's not only about creating or improving websites, apps, and programs. Also, they serve to show a business' strengths to current and potential clients. Having an excellent website requires more than a domain and hyperlinks. The terms front end and back end are relevant from the beginning of the process. These may have different applications, but they are two interesting concepts. Together, they reassure the healthy functioning of a site. In this article, we'll discuss why these are so important for every site and every business.
Web Development, as its name refers, is the development of websites. It has a vast amount of concepts attached to it. It goes from developing single static pages to complex web applications. Furthermore, it even encompasses social network services. This term names the main non-design aspects of website building. It includes writing markup, coding, and Content Management Systems (CMS). Further, it has three main categories: front-end, back-end, and full-stack. While the front handles interfaces, the back organizes data.
Despite what some may think, these are not two opposite concepts. Instead, Front End (FE) and Back End (BE) are two cohesive web or app development parts. These areas work in tandem to create proper-functioning systems. Neither is more important than the other. What’s more, they complement and need each other to perform.
Webs and apps must be appealing and user-friendly. Yet, they also must operate with efficiency and solve problems. Users enter commands in the interface and start a series of processes. This starts with the software verifying the info and communicating with the server. Then, it pulls the necessary data from the database and sends it back to the user. Let's get deeper into the differences between front-end and back-end development!
Front-End Development also receives the name "client-side development." Its role is to design the front face of a site or app. This range goes from its colors to its animations and effects. The design element is where the user interacts with the site. Behind this, coding is executed in users' browsers, allowing them to interact. A Front-End Developer focuses on web design. But this does not mean they don't get in touch with coding. Within the FE area, devs use specific languages all the time:
HyperText Markup Language is the center of a website. It's responsible for providing the design and functionality. It uses tags to create structures and organize content.
Cascading Style Sheets bring style and form. Its structure allows developers to create appealing and interactive website designs.
JavaScript is a programming language. Being fast and safe, it complements the previous ones and gives dynamism to websites. While HTML and CSS are for structure markup and styling, JS is a programming language. With them as a foundation, several frameworks and libraries have arisen. Since then, the capability to create any user interface has increased daily. Some of them include React, Redux, Angular, Bootstrap, Foundation, Stylus, and PostCSS.
While Front-End is the users' side of a website, Back End Development applies to the server side. Back-End devs are responsible for building, optimizing, and maintaining data stores. As a result, all elements on the client's side can adequately work. This applies even in areas with no direct user contact. BE create and process the database of a software or application.
Furthermore, BE works through frameworks, providing customized components or solutions. As a consequence, these speed up and structure the development process. PHP, C++, Java, JavaScript, and Python are some of the most used languages.
Since these are two separate structures, they can be worked in different instances. If one needs more resources, arrangements or changes won't affect the other.
Considering the complexity of each of them, teams can work together or separately. While some tasks need joint work, others allow an area to focus on their field.
Having a platform with divided FE and BE can be pretty valuable. Imagine you have a website and want to create a mobile app version. In this scenario, the development process will be more straightforward. This outcome is due to its API being already developed. You'd only need a few changes, and the front end will remain the same.
With an already developed back-end, it's more frequent that the front-end gets modifications. These changes can be for aesthetic or UX/UI reasons. Modifying the FE becomes more manageable if a functional BE server is working. You can apply visual changes relying on the continuous operation of the server side.
Full-Stack Development is the name of the group of tools used to develop a platform. In other words, it unites all the technologies used in Front and Back End Development. Generally, Full Stack Development is not handled by a single person. But, custom software companies can have proficient developers on both sides. These get the name of Full-Stack developers. As a result, they can both design the client and the data side of a website or app. That means they can create valuable interfaces and handle hidden infrastructures.
As we've seen, Front-End and Back-End are separate parts of creating a website or app. Yet, they work together to develop an easy and efficient platform. They build client and data fields through different languages, frameworks, and libraries. We hope this information was helpful to you!
