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Front End vs Back End Development: What Is the Difference?
Technology

Front End vs Back End Development: What Is the Difference?

One of the most popular parts of the IT industry is the web space. There are many professions that allow you to realize yourself in this industry. Those who decide to associate themselves with the development of web software will have to choose one of the directions – frontend or backend.

Frontend or Backend: Definitions

The main tasks of specialists:

·        frontend developer is engaged in the client part of the web, developing the interface of a digital product, that is, the part visible to the user;

·        a backend specialist is engaged in the creation of the software and hardware part of the product, that is, its “stuffing”, hidden from the user.

When loading an application or page in a browser, the first thing the user sees is the interface. These are buttons, blocks, images and more. General appearance and neatness are important accents that a front-end developer is concerned with. In fact, the specialist solves the stylistic issues of the web space. The functionality of a web project, a simple and understandable “foundation” is what a backend developer does.

As you’ll see, there are quite a lot of things to learn for both professions. Usually, the university doesn’t prepare you fully for what’s to come in your real job by including too many irrelevant classes in the curriculum. So, if you ever feel like classes don’t give you anything useful, consider getting programming assignment help and dedicate more time to learning real, applicable skills.

Frontend Skills

What does a developer do:

·        the cross-browser and adaptive layout of sites, and applications;

·        improvement of existing sites, improvement of their quality and convenience;

·        creating scripts;

·        development of reactive elements;

·        work with the existing architecture based on widgets;

·        programming modules for running applications;

·        optimization and improvement of the code;

·        working with ES5 projects.

In addition, the duties of a frontend specialist may include creating autotests and fixing bugs. If the developer is involved in the banking sector, then his tasks will include the development of the client part of the software for online banking. Also, a frontend specialist can work with services that perform face recognition and video processing.

Responsibilities of a Backend Specialist

Main tasks of backend developers:

·        creation of code architecture;

·        configuring automatic updates;

·        database creation, organization and management;

·        API development;

·        optimization of the functionality and operation of the web resource to minimize loading time;

·        creation from scratch and refinement of the semantic core

·        backup setup;

·        controlling the functionality of a web application or site, debugging its individual elements;

·        optimization of algorithms;

·        server control.

Regardless of which direction you choose – frontend or backend development – in order to succeed, you need to be systematic and clear. The work is predominantly remote, so the specialist must be able to plan his work tasks and meet deadlines. You should not have difficulty finding and applying the information you need. Of course, you need to be able to listen to the recommendations and argue your position.

Features of Interaction Between Frontend and Backend

Learn more about what frontend and backend interaction looks like:

·        the frontend passes user data to the backend;

·        information is processed on the server;

·        the data is returned in a user-friendly form.

The following tools can be used for interaction:

HTTP request. Its transfer is carried out immediately to the server, where information is searched and the found data is embedded into the template. The request is returned back as an HTML page. The markup determines what exactly needs to be shown to the user, and with the help of CSS, the system specifies the display features. JavaScript is used for some interactions.

·        AJAX. A special tool used for interaction. The request is sent using JS loaded in the browser. The user’s device receives the response in the form of XML or JSON.

·        Single Page Applications. No page refresh is required to load the information. Interaction can take place using AJAX or the Ember framework.

·        React or Ember. The Ember library allows you to use a digital product both on a client device and on a server. Frontend and backend interact using AJAX and HTML code processed on the server.

Pure JavaScript has hardly been used by website developers lately.

Benefits of being a Frontend Developer

The front-end sphere is characterized by the following advantages:

·        High salaries. Even a beginner can receive impressive pay. The level of salaries of qualified specialists with experience and skills is higher.

·        Demand. The demand for professionals has been and remains at a high level.

·        Development prospects. Frontend development is an interesting industry, so it definitely won’t be boring. Programmers face interesting challenges. The direction as a whole is developing dynamically, so there is always something to study.

·        Wide scope. In the front-end, you can deal with both websites and the development of mobile software, and web applications.

·        Frontend cannot be compared to layout, as layout skills are usually limited to HTML and CSS. The amount of knowledge of a layout specialist is incomparable to what a developer needs to know. The work of a programmer is more exciting and varied.

Benefits of Being a Backend Developer

Main advantages of backend development:

·        Global demand for the profession. A specialist with skills who speaks English will have no problems finding employment, even in international companies.

·        Mobility. The developer can perform his functional duties from anywhere in the world. Most companies provide remote work formats.

·        Serious and interesting tasks. You can create global products for millions of users.

To learn frontend or backend, it is not necessary to spend years of your life studying at a university. There are other, easier ways to learn a profession.

Which Is More Difficult – Frontend or Backend?

It is impossible to answer unequivocally which is more difficult – frontend or backend development – because everything depends on your preferences and predisposition to certain tasks.

Basic skills of a backend specialist:

·        API understanding;

·        Proficiency in one or more server programming languages – PHP, Java, Python, Go, C#;

·        use of Git control systems;

·        Understanding how servers work

·        knowledge of frameworks;

·        development of various documentation, including user manuals, software reviews, reference books for working with codes, algorithms, etc.;

·        carrying out load, integration and unit tests;

·        understanding the principles of building a network security system;

·        database design;

·        administration of UNIX systems;

·        understanding of the principles of object-oriented programming.

Of course, excellent knowledge of English, if you’re not a US-national, will be a huge advantage. This will allow you to study development recommendations from Google and other companies, watch lectures from foreign colleagues and read literature on design and usability.

Basic skills of a frontend specialist:

·        setting up CMS templates;

·        work with JS frameworks;

·        cross-browser and adaptive layout;

·        debugging JavaScript code;

·        understanding of JS, CSS3, HTML5;

·        building projects using Gulp, WebPack;

·        working with GIT;

·        website page loading optimization.

If a specialist wants to find a highly paid job, he needs to understand MySQL, PHP, and JQuery. Skills in working with SASS, precompilers, and asynchronous modular loaders will not be superfluous.

What programming languages do you need to know?

The fundamental difference between frontend and backend is in skills and programming languages. For example, any front-end specialist should know:

HTML. This is a markup language and the main tool for developing the appearance of site pages. HTML is used to create blocks, tables, images, and various design components. It is unlikely that you will find sites written in pure HTML, but knowledge of the markup language is an essential skill for any front-end developer.

CSS. It is a set of templates for creating page styles. Using CSS, you can implement a common design scenario on the page, and make it unique and beautiful without duplicating code.

JS. JavaScript, unlike CSS and HTML, is a complete programming language. Its possibilities are huge – with the help of JS, you can not only work on the interface of the application or site pages but also develop various “server” features.

To work with JS, it is useful to know the React.js framework. Tools such as Angular, and Vue.js will not be superfluous.

A back-end developer needs to know one of the following languages:

PHP. It is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. Ideal for working with the server side. PHP allows you to automate a web resource.

Python. Considered the easiest language to learn. Python can be used to develop an application engine. This is the best option due to its convenience and framework. Python has a simple syntax that makes it suitable for mobile development as well.

Ruby. A server-side language that has become popular due to its convenient and functional framework.

SQL. Designed to work with databases. It is impossible to imagine the sphere of backend development without SQL. Not a single online store or social network can do without linking to databases.

Go. Language. designed for high-load services and developed by Google. Almost all corporate services are characterized by a high load, so the Go language was quickly adopted by programmers.

Java. The most popular option for creating web applications, software, various services and programs. Java is ideal for test automation. This programming language is less relevant for working with desktop applications and is not suitable for the front-end. One of the best frameworks for working with Java is Spring. Its peculiarity is the ability to connect many modules designed to perform any tasks related to web development.

Conclusion

Yep, the difference is quite big between the two professions. So, choose wisely and start learning!

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