What is the difference between frontend and backend development?

The process of creating websites is called web development. It is multi-stage, sequential work. Any web resource consists of 2 parts — the client side and the server side.

When a user sees a panel and buttons on a page and can explore the content — that is the result of a frontend developer's work, while a backend developer is responsible for the page working and functioning correctly. Let's look at the differences between these processes.

Features of frontend development

Frontend refers to the public part of a website. It includes everything the user sees when opening a page:

• functional tasks;

• user interface;

• user interaction.

What is frontend development?

Frontend development is the process of creating the public part of a site designed for user contact. The developer ensures that buttons are active and that text, icons, and images are located in specific places.

The main task of frontend — to create an in-demand and convenient product. The specialist writes code that displays everything the client sees — from font size and color palette to content and graphics.

Components of frontend development

Frontend developers use several special tools in their work. The main ones are:

1. HTML. This code is used to structure and display information on a web resource. It helps create the page structure, headings, paragraphs, lists, etc.

2. CSS.  It tells the browser how elements should be displayed. This applies to font size, shades, and block placement. In short, it is the code that describes the appearance of a web resource.

3. JavaScript. A programming language responsible for «bringing the resource to life». It makes buttons on the page active, processes clicks, sends requests to the server, etc.

4. Frontend frameworks. This is a kind of skeleton made of various libraries that make it easier to develop a product or site. There are many frontend frameworks. Here are a few of them as examples — Bootstrap, React.js, Angular, Vue.js.

What are the quality indicators of frontend development?

To develop high-quality software, most developers conduct testing and use the following criteria for an objective assessment:

• performance;

• markup validity;

• security;

• offline use;

• usability;

• accessibility.

Features of backend development

The operation of all web resource components and its performance depend on the backend. It is the invisible part of the site, and a very important one.

What is backend development?

Backend — a set of special tools through which the logic of a web resource is implemented. This process is invisible to the user and happens outside the browser and PC.

As soon as a client enters a search query, the visual part (frontend) finishes, and the backend starts working. A backend developer uses several tools available on the server, including:

• database management systems;

• programming languages (PHP, Python, Ruby, Java);

• CMS or frameworks.

What are the risks of underestimating backend development?

The speed and capabilities of a resource depend on the backend. Backend developers:

• think through the website architecture;

• configure databases where information is stored;

• write the code responsible for page generation;

• optimize page functioning to ensure it works quickly and stably;

• monitor resource security.

If you underestimate backend development, the site will work incorrectly or stop working altogether, and there is also a risk of attackers breaking in and stealing users' personal data.

Which is better — backend or frontend? Or are they two sides of the same coin?

Frontend and backend are closely related, and their interaction is cyclical:

• a user request arrives at the frontend and is sent to the backend;

• information processing occurs;

• the response returns to the frontend.

Both of them — technical work and a creative process at the same time. Many users believe that only the visible part matters. 

In reality, the backend determines how convenient administration is and how quickly standard tasks get done. That makes backend and frontend what they are — two sides of the same coin. 

Imagine you have purchased a new car. It has an incredibly beautiful exterior and a comfortable interior. You turn the ignition key and nothing happens, because there is no engine or other parts under the hood. 

The same applies to a web resource. First, information is sent from the user, then it is processed, and the response arrives in a convenient form. 

Which specialists can help with development?

The following specialists are involved in website creation:

• designers;

• layout designers or frontend developers;

• backend developers;

• fullstack developers;

• team leads;

• software testers;

• systems analysts;

• database developers.

If you need frontend and backend services, contact Marketing MIX. Our team consists of highly qualified IT specialists who will complete any complex, non-standard task and find a comprehensive solution.

Conclusions

Web development — an in-demand area of IT. Specialists who develop web resources have excellent knowledge of the necessary languages and can use various tools in practice.

If you want to create a high-quality resource, contact the specialists at MMIX.ua. Our team — specialists from various IT fields. We choose a comprehensive approach to solving any task and will help you achieve your goal.