The creation of a website requires the services of designers and developers. While many feel that both are one and the same, for a better understanding, we give you a fair comparison between the two - front-end development vs. back-end development.
Fact
Full-stack developers handle both, the front-end presentation of the application as well as the back-end code for the database.
Website development is the process of creating a website that provides the end-user with an experience which makes him revisit the website. While so many are not in tune with the nuances of website making, the process is divided into two parts - front-end and back-end development. Front-end and back-end are processes that separate the presentation from the code.
For example, imagine a restaurant conducting business. The decor of the place, the furnishings, as well as the music provided is the front-end, while the back-end comprises the waiters, chefs, and managers who make sure the machinations of the restaurant run smoothly.
What is front-end development?
Front-end development deals with the design and interface of the website. The engineers responsible for this part of the website are called front-end developers. These professionals are also known as web designers.
What is back-end development?
Back-end development involves an application that provides support to the front-end. In a website, the back-end would be responsible for verifying users' details from a database, and allowing them entry as well as taking any suggestions that can be helpful in improving the website.
The engineers responsible for the maintenance of the website are called back-end developers. They play a big role in maintaining dynamic websites, like blogs that need constant updation on a regular basis.
In the following sections, we shall tell you the difference between front-end development and back-end development.
Front-end Vs. Back-end Development
Languages
▣ The languages that a front-end developer should be familiar with are HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
▣ Back-end languages are Ruby on Rails, MySQL, MongoDB, PostgreSQL, Ruby, Python, and .NET.
Team
▣ Front-end developers employ the UX (user experience) team to design the look of the website, by studying user habits and changing the design through testing.
▣ Back-end developers consist of the architecture team, that design an application that supports the front-end as well as provides support, security, and content management.
Stand-alone Service
▣ Front-end development cannot be provided independently, except the design can be sold in the form of templates.
▣ Back-end development can be provided as an independent service in the form of BaaS (Back-end as a service).
Goal
▣ The goal of the front-end team consists of making sure that the website is accessible to all users, as well as continuous testing to make sure it's responsive in all views - mobile and desktop.
▣ The back-end team exists to create an application around the front-end and support it. In addition, they make sure that the website opens up and functions properly.
The back-end runs on the server side, while the front-end runs on the client side. A framework makes it easy on both the teams, as it reduces the coding and speeds up the process indefinitely. In short, front-end and back-end development are both needed to create a full-functioning website.