Understanding the Distinction for New Generation Web Developers
Are you curious about the differences between front-end and back-end development? In this article, we will explore these two essential aspects of web development that every aspiring developer should be familiar with.
Front-End Development:
Front-end development refers to the part of web development that focuses on the visible and interactive elements of a website. It involves creating the user interface and ensuring a seamless user experience. Most websites are built using a combination of JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. In fact, HTML is a fundamental building block for any website, as it provides the structure for web pages.
But why do we need specific languages for front-end development? The answer lies in the need for interpreters and engines. Just like any other programming or scripting language, JavaScript is generally interpreted by web browsers on the client-side. Additionally, web browsers act as engines that execute HTML and CSS code, making it understandable by our computers.
CSS, on the other hand, is responsible for styling the web pages. While early websites lacked CSS, it has now become an integral part of modern web design. Much like HTML and JavaScript, CSS is executed by our web browsers, ensuring that websites are visually appealing and well-presented to users.
JavaScript, in particular, can be used both on the client-side (in web browsers) and on the server-side (with Node.js). This flexibility allows developers to create dynamic and interactive websites.
Back-End Development:
Contrary to front-end development, back-end development primarily deals with data flow, logic, and security aspects of a website. While it is technically possible to perform back-end tasks in the front-end or vice versa, it's advisable to adhere to their designated purposes.
To illustrate this point, let's consider an example of an e-commerce website that consists of two components: one for clients and one for the employees managing the website, often referred to as the admin panel. In the admin panel, functionality such as adding new products or managing inventory is crucial. To store the data entered by employees, we require a database.
There are two common types of databases: SQL and NoSQL. SQL databases, such as MySQL and PostgreSQL, use structured query language to control and manage data. In contrast, NoSQL databases like MongoDB, OrientDB, and CouchDB offer more flexible and scalable options for storing and manipulating data.
Once we decide on a database, we need a suitable place in the internet to store it. One popular option is to use cloud services like Amazon Web Services (AWS), and let's say we opt for MongoDB as our database. In this scenario, we can either send the user's input to the back-end, where it will be processed and stored in MongoDB, or we can directly store the data in MongoDB from the front-end. However, it is crucial to note that when storing data in the front-end, it exposes the security of your database, making it vulnerable to potential attacks. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to handle such operations through the back-end.
Now, let's talk about creating a front-end in the back-end. Although some websites follow this approach, it is important to understand that back-end frameworks often do not prioritize front-end development. A key aspect of any website is its routing system, which is used to identify each API or endpoint. For example, consider the API path "https://ecommerce.com/cards." In a back-end scenario, we can generate HTML and CSS code in the back-end and send it to that API when a user visits it. This approach adds an extra layer of security to the website. However, as the project grows, the front-end within the back-end might perform slower compared to a dedicated front-end code. This is because the overall back-end infrastructure is not intended to handle extensive front-end tasks.
It is worth mentioning that there are numerous front-end technologies available, such as React and Angular. However, these technologies are not intended for back-end development. Therefore, it is important to differentiate between the two and utilize the appropriate tools based on the specific requirements of your project.
When deploying a project (for instance, a project built with React) to hosting providers, the hosting provider receives the React code, generates its own domain, and sends the code to users' browsers when they enter the domain (e.g., example.com). Each user receives a copy of the same code. For example, if there's a state variable called "count," each user will have their own separate version of the "count" state. Therefore, any changes made by one user to their "count" will not affect other users' "count" value.
In contrast, backend code deployed to hosting providers remains the same for every user. Let's say you have a variable called "count" in the backend, and you implement logic to increment it. Whenever a user sends a request to the corresponding API, the "count" variable will increment. Unlike in front-end development, the variable in the backend genuinely reflects the incremented value because it is stored on the server-side.
However, keep in mind that if there's an error in the backend that causes it to stop working, it will affect all users accessing the website. On the other hand, if an error occurs in the front-end, only the user experiencing the error will be impacted, while the website will continue to function smoothly for other users unaffected by the error.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, understanding the difference between front-end and back-end development is vital for web developers. Front-end development focuses on creating visually appealing and interactive user interfaces, while back-end development handles data flow, logic, and security aspects. Leveraging the appropriate technologies and separating the responsibilities of front-end and back-end development will result in robust and secure web applications.