Difference Between Backend and Frontend
front end and back end refer to the separation of concerns between the presentation layer (front end), and the data access layer (back end) of a piece of software
In software engineering, the terms front end and back end refer to the separation of concerns between the presentation layer (front end), and the data access layer (back end) of a piece of software, or the physical infrastructure or hardware. In the client–server model, the client is usually considered the front end and the server is usually considered the back end, even when some presentation work is actually done on the server itself.
Frontend and Backend are the two most popular terms used in the web industry, but the difference between the two is quite subtle. They are the two most fundamental parts of software engineering that play a significant role in web development. Frontend is what you see and interact with and backend is how all of it works. Frontend may refer to the graphical user interface whereas backend is that part of the website you cannot see or interact with. The two terms are very crucial to web development, but they are very different from each other. While they are certainly distinctive terms each with its own role, they are very much like two sides of the same coin. The functionality of a website depends on each as a single unit interacting with each other. This article explains the difference between the two.
What is Frontend?
This is the presentation layer or the layer that the end user will interact with most of the time, if not all the time. This layer is basically the user interface layer as it presents what elements of the software or system will be visible and how the end user will interact with the system.
As the front end needs to be visible to the end user, the front end developer would have to be proficient in web design and graphics editing software like photoshop. Normally, the code used at the front end stage includes HTML, CSS, and Javascript. This code helps the developer build the parts that will be visible to the end user. These parts include menu, folders, buttons and screen layouts. A common job that would relate to this front end layer would be a web designer.
The web designer may not know why some commands give the required answer but the web designer will be proficient in designing the look of the website. The web designer will work with the tools that are already there.
Frontend is the part of the website that you can see and interact with directly in order to receive the backend capabilities of the system. It involves everything that the user can see, touch and experience. The role of a web designer has changed dramatically over the years but the core functions of website development remains the same. Frontend is all about the bells and whistles you see on the website like the graphical user interface including the flashy buttons, colorful images, navigation menus, etc. Frontend is also referred to as “client-side” because the action takes place on the client side which in this case is the user. Typically, a client refers to the computer application such as the web browser that is viewing it.
Frontend is mostly the web browser and everything the user sees and interacts with on the website is all part of the frontend development. A better user experience in terms of design and ease of use can be attributed to the frontend development and it’s the job of the web designer to well, design websites. A web designer doesn’t deal with the code. In fact, he is responsible of covering all aspects of building and redesigning websites that will feature both visually appealing elements and a user-friendly design. The role of a frontend developer is to create an environment that the user can see and touch with the help of a combination of several tools including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
What is Backend?
This is the part of the layer that is not presented to the end user. Most times, this layer consists of the database(s) that controls the software and is not shown to the end user. Changes in this layer will affect the overall look and function of the software or system. This is the layer that supports actions like the end user clicking on a button, requesting data or information, or issuing a command for execution. This is the layer that responds to the action or command of the end user and submits the required information.
The codes used at the back end include PHP, Python, C++ and.Net. There will also be a need for a tool that will be able to communicate with the database. The aim of this is to help developers create applications that will be quick in searching and presenting data. The jobs available for back-end layer development are programmers.
Taking the creation of the website as an example, the back end job would be a web programmer or developer. The web developer would have to handle things like database security, content management, and website structure. What we have for websites most times are webmasters who act as both the web designer and web developer.
Backend, also referred to as the “server-side”, is the part of the website which you cannot see and interact with. Basically, everything that happens behind the scenes can be attributed to the backend web development. It is all about how the website works; it’s more like an indirect service provider for the frontend development. It’s the part of the system that doesn’t come in direct contact with the users. Unlike frontend, it runs on the server side but communicates with the frontend to ensure everything works fine. In every application, there’s also a significant portion of non-user interface code that deals with all the complex systems that happen in the background. The people who deal with backend are usually programmers and developers.
The backend developers handle everything that doesn’t involve producing a user-interface such as writing APIs, creating libraries, or adding utilities to everything the web designer creates. They facilitate communication between the presentation layer and the business layer. They play a crucial role in web development and their role is highly collaborative as opposed to the frontend web designers. In short, backend web development is the combination of development and maintenance of core functional logic of a software application. In simple terms, backend developers write code to make sure everything works fine at the frontend. They tend to spend more time figuring out logics and implementing algorithms than the web designers to ensure the website functions properly. It’s the brain of a website.
Front-end focused
Markup and web languages such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and ancillary libraries commonly used in those languages such as Sass or JQuery
Asynchronous request handling and AJAX
Single-page applications (with frameworks like React, AngularJS or Vue.js)
Web performance (first meaningful paint, time to interactive, 60 FPS animations and interactions, memory usage, etc)
Responsive web design
Cross-browser compatibility issues and workarounds
End-to-end testing with a headless browser
Build automation to transform and bundle JavaScript files, reduce images size... with tools like Webpack or Gulp.js
Search engine optimization
Accessibility concerns
Basic usage of image editing tools such as GIMP or Photoshop
User Interface
Back-end focused
Scripting languages like JavaScript, Node.js, PHP, Python, Ruby, or Perl or Compiled languages like C#, Java or Go
Automated testing frameworks for the language being used
Application Data Access
Application Business Logic
Database administration
Scalability
High availability
Security concerns, authentication and authorization
Software Architecture
Data transformation
Backup methods and software
Note that both positions, despite possibly working on one product, have a very distinct set of skills.
Sources:
http://www.differencebetween.net/technology/difference-between-frontend-and-backend/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Front_end_and_back_end
https://www.technotification.com/2018/06/types-of-developers.html