Front-End vs. Back-End Web Development: What’s the Difference?

You may have heard these terms thrown around before, or you’ve seen them in passing while reading the latest tech article. Maybe you haven’t had the time to find out what these terms mean, and now that they’ve become more prevalent in your day-to-day, you’re wondering what they’re all about. That’s where we come in. Below, we’ll help sort out the confusion and walk you through the differences between “front-end” and “back-end” web development.

Front-End Web Development In a Nutshell

According to Course Report, the definition of front-end development is managing everything that appears in a user’s browser application. So, front-end developers are responsible for creating everything the user sees on their screen while viewing a page on their browser. Try and think of this role as someone who makes the website or application aesthetically pleasing.

You might hear front-end development referred to as “client-side” development. This simply is a reference to what the client or end-user actually interacts with. If the front end of the website isn’t user-friendly, the user may leave the website altogether. This is why front-end development is crucial to the overall design of the web experience. You want to make sure every user can view, browse, and operate the site as intended.

Front-End Web Development: Languages Used

If you’re a front-end web developer, these are the three most popular languages you’re likely to work with: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. There are several more front-end programming languages, however, these are the most frequently used in the industry. As we all know, technology is constantly changing, so these could vary in the future.

Other things to be familiar with as a client-side developer are things like font types, types of responsive design (like parallax), layouts, grid systems, and color theories. To be a successful front-end developer, you don’t necessarily need back-end development skills—but it doesn’t hurt.

Back-End Web Development In a Nutshell

Back-end web development is often described as “server-side” development. A back-end developer is in charge of anything involved in the communication between the database and the browser and making sure everything is done with precision. Basically, this is how the site works and becomes functional. Being able to make updates and create new information for how the page works will be the back-end developer’s job.

There are three parts to back-end development, generally speaking: the server, the application, and the database. A back-end developer will be responsible for these three main areas of focus, making sure all parts communicate and function as expected.

Back-End Web Development: Languages Used

A lot of back-end web development consists of popular languages like Java, PHP, Ruby on Rails, and Python to accomplish the tasks on the server-side. Developers focusing on the back end are trying to perfect the site’s functionality, responsiveness, and speed. These are important factors that not only affect the site as a whole but also have an impact on the overall user experience.

Discover how CWRU Coding Boot Camp can teach you the skills for both front-end and back-end web development in just 24 weeks.