You may have heard the terms front end and back end development used before and wondered what they are, well here we explain exactly what they are and their differences.
You may need a one-off job on your website or are looking to hire a developer full-time, understanding both these functions can help you hire the right kind of developer for the task you need to complete.
What is Front End Development?
Front-end development is performed by front-end developers. It is the parts you see on a website or application. If you want to change a colour, move a button, change the look and feel of a website, or alter your CSS sheets or page templates, front-end developers perform all these tasks.
A front-end developer is not to be confused with a website designer. A website designer may mock up how a page should look and the website developer will lay the page out based on the designs, but often people use the terms interchangeably.
So, front-end development is all about what you see on a website or app. It’s the “front” part that users interact with. Front-end developers use a variety of tools and languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to create layouts, design elements, and other interactive features.
Front-end developers make sure everything looks good and works well on different devices and browsers. Some websites may have issues loading on mobile devices, or appear different on Android devices such as Samsung phones compared to iOS phones such as the iPhone.
Here we call upon front-end developers to fix issues and ensure the interface people interact with is optimised and user friendly.
What is Back End Development?
Back-end development is like the engine under the hood of a car. It’s the part you don’t see but makes everything work.
Back-end developers focus on the server side of things and developing functionality. They manage databases, server logic, and application functionality concerned with your website or app. They use languages like Python, Ruby, PHP, and Node.js to build and maintain the technology that powers the front end.
If you need a piece of functionality on your website, a back-end developer will code the logic behind it and make sure it performs its desired function, and then a front-end developer will apply it to the front end and make sure users can access it.
If you have a platform like Magento and want to integrate your orders into suppliers ordering systems, a back-end developer will create this link for you. If you wish to install some new search functionality or integrate software such as Algloia, the back-end developer will handle the integration.
Back-end developers are not only concerned with the website, but also all the connections and modern e-commerce businesses put in place to make business operations run more effectively such as courier and supplier integrations.
We also have what we call a “full stack” developer. This is a person who can work both on front-end and back-end development. These developers often start by learning either front-end or back-end development before branching off to acquire the skills to work on both ends.
Key Differences Between Front End and Back End Development
To recap, both front-end and back-end developers work together to make your website look great, with the back-end developer ensuring your website works from a technical standpoint beyond what you can see with your eye.
Front-End Development Areas of Focus
User Interface (UI)
- Focuses on the visual aspects of a website or application.
- Deals with the part of a website that users interact with directly
Responsibilities
- Designing and implementing the layout, navigation, buttons, forms, and other interactive elements.
- Ensuring a responsive and adaptive design for various devices and screen sizes.
- Improving user experience (UX) by making the interface intuitive and easy to use.
Tools
- Code editors like Visual Studio Code, Sublime Text.
- Design tools like Adobe XD, Figma, Sketch.
- Browser developer tools for testing and debugging.
Technologies
HTML: Structures the content on the web.
CSS: Styles the content to make it visually appealing.
JavaScript: Adds interactivity and dynamic behavior to the web pages.
Frameworks/Libraries: React, Angular, Vue.js, SASS, Bootstrap.
Back-End Development
Server-Side Logic
- Focuses on the server, databases, and application logic.
- Manages the data flow between the server and the front-end.
Key Responsibilities
- Writing APIs and server-side code to handle business logic.
- Managing database operations, ensuring data integrity and security.
- Implementing authentication and authorisation.
- Optimising server performance and ensuring scalability.
Tools Used
- Database management systems like MySQL Workbench, pgAdmin.
- Server management tools like Docker, Kubernetes.
- Version control systems like Git.
Technologies Used
Languages: JavaScript (Node.js), Python, Ruby, Java, PHP, C#.
Frameworks: Express.js, Django, Ruby on Rails, Spring, Laravel.
Databases: SQL (MySQL, PostgreSQL), NoSQL (MongoDB, Cassandra).
Collaboration Between Front-End and Back-End
So we know both from-end and back-end development are different things, but they work together. Just like the engine in a car powers the wheels, they are separate parts but work in tandem.
Front-end developers are responsible for the visual aspects of the application, including the layout, design, and interactivity that users engage with directly. Back-end developers, on the other hand, manage the server-side logic, databases, and application workflows that power the front-end.
Both teams must ensure that the visual and functional components of a website work together. This often involves joint planning sessions, regular check-ins, and collaborative problem-solving to address any issues that arise.
For instance, if a new feature is being developed, both teams must coordinate on how the data will flow from the server to the client, and how it will be presented to the user.
Additionally, joint testing is crucial to ensure the application performs well end-to-end. Front-end and back-end teams must work together to test the entire application, identifying and fixing bugs that could affect the user experience or system functionality.
Contact Maxweb
If you need to hire a developer for your website or app, here at Maxweb we have teams of front-end, back-end and full-stack developers to work on your project.
This can include working on one-off jobs or managing your website on a contractual basis. For more information reach out to us today to discuss how we can help your business through our development team.
Posted on Thursday, July 18th, 2024 in Web Development.
