Non-developers and those whose jobs are not related to software development often get confused with the jargon of technology (as they should). Concepts like front-end and back-end web development, which is better? are part of the mix. These two keywords are fundamental to understanding how websites work.
To put it very simply, the front-end, also known as ‘client-side’ programming is what happens on the browser, that is, everything the user or visitor to a website sees and interacts with. Fonts, colours, drop-down menus and sliders are all features of front-end web development.
The back-end, on the other hand, also known as server-side programming is the machinery that works behind the scenes to power those features that users interact with on the client side. It seems already obvious that none is better than the other, doesn’t it?
Table of Contents
HTML a.k.a The Organizer
HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is a computer language used to create a website. It defines elements such as headlines and paragraphs and enables a user to embed an image, video or any other media. HTML works through a series of shortcodes called tags, which are normalized into a text file by a developer.
The text is stored as an HTML file and scanned by the browser, which then interprets the text into a visible form as the designer intended.
CSS a.k.a The Stylist
CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) is used to define how HTML elements are preserved in webpages in terms of design, layout and variations, taking into account the different devices and their varying screen sizes. So it matters the layout of plenty of different web pages at a time and adjusts the size of a web page to fit the screen of your browsing device.
As more people access the internet from their mobile devices than desktops, front-end developers must take quicker responsiveness into account. Responsive design means that the web layout, including the functionality and content, assists you with the screen size and hardware of the browsing device.
Accessibility and Inclusivity
Accessibility entails making a website available to as many users as possible. This includes people living with all kinds of disabilities such as visual, hearing, mobility and cognitive impairment. It also covers matters of law, compliance standards, and different types of network connections.
Back-end web development is much more varied than its counterpart. Some of the main components of the server-side are:
These are computer programmes that store, process and deliver web pages to users. The most popular one is Apache, which is an open-source web server currently used by about 50% of all websites. Another is NGINX, good for reverse proxying, caching, load balancing and media streaming.
Languages & Frameworks
A programming language is a superset of computer scripting languages used to write instructions you want the system to execute. Examples of such are Ruby, Python, Java, PHP, Perl, etc. Frameworks are libraries of pre-written codes with a pre-imposed structure that a back-end developer can use as required or needed. A variety of programming languages and frameworks are used in building the server-side.
Database Management Systems
- Understanding the goals of a website and coming up with effective solutions
- Storing data and making it accessible to users who need it.
- Managing APIs resources across devices.
- Building frameworks to make for better programming.
- Understanding and implementing algorithms, and solving system problems.
Both front-end and back-end web development play an important fundamental role in web development and design. They are like two sides of a coin and they complement each other. Without the front-end, users cannot see and interact with features on the website and this interaction is the purpose of building a website (to generate traffic).
On the other hand, without the back-end, there’s no website in the first instance because the data and systems requested by front-end applications would not be delivered.
Since back-end and front-end operations go hand in hand, and both are equally important, developers from both sides need to devise more ways of collaborating better in order to build more functional and efficient websites.
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