What is the Difference Between Front-end and Back-end Development?

People who just started learning web development must have heard about Front-end and Back-end development quite a lot. But what is the difference between Front-end and Back-end development? If you are one of the people who are new to the field, it can be hard to figure out which covers what. The primary distinction between front-end and back-end web development is that the former supports the client-side (what we see on the front end, i.e. a screen), while the latter supports the server-side (what goes on behind the scenes of a website). 

These two forms of programming are different, yet they’re also two sides of the same coin. The operation of a website is dependent on each side interacting with one another and operating as a single entity. One of them is not important than the other. In web development, they both play crucial roles. Let’s break down what each field does.

1. What is Front-end development?

2. Front-end development languages

3. The difference between Front-end development and web design?

4. What is back-end development?

 1. What is Front-end Development?

The front-end part of a website is what you view and interact with on the browser. It comprises everything the user interacts with immediately, from text and colors to buttons, images, and navigation menus. It’s also known as “client-side.”

If you want to start a business, you will need a professional website for promotion and online recognition. You will need to include images and some information on your website. These are all on the front-end side of the web development process.

2. Front-end Development Technologies

  • HTML

The core of a website is Hypertext Markup Language, which provides the overall design and functionality.

HTML5.2 is the latest version, which was released in late 2017.

More tools focused on web application development have been added to the new version.

  • CSS

Cascading style sheets allow developers to create attractive, interactive website designs in a flexible and precise way.

  • JavaScript

This event-based programming language can be used to add dynamic elements to static HTML web pages.

It enables developers to interact with elements outside of the main HTML page and respond to server-side events.

Popular front-end frameworks include Angular, Ember, Backbone, and React.

These frameworks are earning their place by allowing developers to keep up with the increasing demand for enterprise software without sacrificing quality.

The quick pace of change in the tools, methodologies, and technologies used to create the user experience for applications and websites is one of the main challenges of front-end development, often known as “client-side development.”

Due to the differences in mobile device and computer screen resolutions and sizes, the seemingly simple aim of developing a clear, easy-to-follow user interface is challenging.

When the Internet of Things (IoT) is factored in, things become much more complicated.

3. The Difference Between Front-end Development and Web Design

Although front-end development deals with the visual and interactive aspects of a website, it is not the same as web design.

These front-facing components of a website are designed by a web designer, or more specifically, a UI designer, not by front-end developers. Using the front-end programming languages we discussed earlier, the front-end developer turns this design into something functional.

As a result, web designers are concerned with design: the website’s appearance and feel, its layout, and the buttons and touchpoints that the user encounters.

4. What is Back-end Development?

So far, we have discussed the process of building a static website, meaning the content doesn’t vary much. For static sites, the front-end code contains all of the necessary information for determining what appears on the web page. Businesses, restaurants, portfolios, and professional profiles can all benefit from static websites. However, if you want to make your website into something that users can engage with, you’ll need to learn more about what’s going on behind the scenes.

The back-end (also known as “server-side”) is the part of the website that you don’t see. It’s in charge of storing and organizing data, as well as ensuring that everything on the client-side functions properly. The back-end interacts with the front-end, sending and receiving data that is presented as a web page. Your browser sends a request to the server-side whenever you fill out a contact form, type in a web address, or make a purchase (any user interaction on the client-side), and the server-side responds with information in the form of front-end code that the browser can read and display.

To make your new site a dynamic web application, you will need to add more back-end components. A dynamic web application is a website of which content changes based on what’s in its database and may be adjusted by user input. A static website, on the other hand, does not require a database because its content is relatively the same.

Server-Side Setup

To manage all of the client and product information on your website, you will need a database. A database organizes online content in a way that it becomes easy to retrieve, organize, edit, and save data. It is operated on a server, which is a distant computer. MySQL, SQL Server, PostgresSQL, and Oracle are just a few examples of commonly used databases.

Your app will still have front-end code, but it will also need to be written in a database-friendly language. Ruby, PHP, Java,.Net, and Python are some of the most popular back-end languages. These computer languages are frequently used in conjunction with frameworks that make web development easier. Rails, for example, is a Ruby-based framework. The hence-named Ruby on Rails is a popular platform for creating dynamic web apps that speed up the process.

Conclusion

To make your website look beautiful and easy to navigate, you use front-end languages. Behind the scenes, the back-end connects all of the front-end components and allows you to record purchase history and product details, as well as create secure editable user profiles. As you can see, you use Front-end development and back-end development for different parts of the development process. However, it is the combination of the two that defines user experience and allows a website to function.