What is Frontend Development

The part of a website that the user interacts with directly is termed the front end. It is also referred to as the ‘client side’ of the application. It includes everything that users experience directly: text colors and styles, images, graphs and tables, buttons, colors, and a navigation menu. HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are the languages used for Front End development. The structure, design, behavior, and content of everything seen on browser screens when websites, web applications, or mobile apps are opened up, is implemented by Front End developers. Responsiveness and performance are two main objectives of the Front End. The developer must ensure that the site is responsive i.e. it appears correctly on devices of all sizes no part of the website should behave abnormally irrespective of the size of the screen. 

Features of Frontend

Along with its wide range of functionalities, the front end comes with a lot of features. 

Client Side Rendering:

It allows developers to render the entire website on the browser of the user locally with JavaScript. 

Server Side Rendering: 

It allows the rendering of sites directly on the users’ browser based on the changes requested by the user.

Optimization: 

Fine tuning of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript ensures fast loading of sites for the users. 

Features of Backend

Like the frontend, the backend also comes with multiple features that are beneficial to the developers. 

• Databases: 

It involves storing of necessary data of the users. 

• Website Architecture:

It involves understanding the goals that are needed to make the application.

Scripting: It involves the proper formatting of the framework. 

• API: 

Application User Interface or APIs are tools that help in communication between machines and deliver the necessary data. 

Technologies Involved in Web Development

Front End Development Languages

• HTML: 

HyperText Markup Language or famously known as HTML, is a markup language that is used in the construction of web pages. The language comes up with elements that provide the basic layout for a website. Along with giving structure to the websites, it also renders images or visuals. Its advantages include simple usage, multiple browser support, and a combination with other languages. Its disadvantages are the static nature, security, and huge pile of code. 

CSS: Cascading Style Sheets or CSS is like the interior designing of a website. CSS narrates the HTML part that gets rendered during the development. CSS is simple as language is more or less basic English. Its advantages include multiple browser support, easiness, and speed. Its disadvantages include cross-browser breakage and tediousness to beginners. 

• JavaScript: 

JavaScript is the most important and popular front end development language. It provides flexibility and responsiveness to the website. Advantages include simple nature, speed, and additional or extended functionality like creating dialog boxes, forms, pop-ups, etc. Disadvantages are difficulty in debugging and browser support. However, Javascript is also used in backend development. 

• Elm: 

Elm is a simple language that is used to make swift and seamless websites. 

SASS: Syntactically Awesome Style Sheets or SASS is another scripting language like CSS. SASS comes with unique features that give users a smooth experience. Advantages include reusability and clear codes. Disadvantages include troubleshooting and compilation. 

• Jquery: 

Jquery is a JavaScript library that enhances HTML traversing, event handling, and animations. It is very concise and helps in shortening the lines of code written.

Front End Frameworks

• vue.js: 

It is a framework built around JavaScript and is used in building compact web applications. 

• AngularJS: 

A web framework built around JavaScript. It provides appealing features to the HTML templates and increases the performance.

• React:

It is a popular JavaScript framework that enhances the User Interface components and provides a dynamic nature to web applications. 

What is Backend Development

The backend is the server-side of the website. It stores and arranges data, and also makes sure everything on the client-side of the website works fine. It is the part of the website that you cannot see and interact with. It is the portion of software that does not come in direct contact with the users. The parts and characteristics developed by backend designers are indirectly accessed by users through a front-end application. Activities, like writing APIs, creating libraries, and working with system components without user interfaces or even systems of scientific programming, are also included in the backend. 

Back End Development Languages

• Python: 

Python is a widely used back end developing language. Its preference is based on its advantages like a huge collection of libraries, easy code readability, integrations, versatility, etc. 

• PHP: 

It is another widely used language in back end development. Its features include security, cross-platform compatibility, object-oriented programming features, and integrations with databases. 

• Java: 

Java is popularly used in the building of android and desktop applications. Its other feature includes automatic memory allocation, portability, and a one-time compilation. 

• Ruby: 

Ruby is a general-purpose language that comes in with features such as a large standard library, flexibility, scalability, etc. 

Back End Frameworks

• Django: 

It is a high-level web framework that comes with built-in plugins. It is best for large-scale, data-driven interactive web applications. An additional benefit includes customizability. However, it is not recommended for small-scale projects as it fills it up with unnecessary characters. 

• Flask: 

Flask is a microframework based on the python language. It does not need any libraries or tools and is hence suitable for small projects. Nevertheless, integrations can be achieved to extend its work.

• Ruby on Rails: 

Ruby on Rails is a web application framework written in the Ruby language. It is used in the development of flawless data table formation and migration. Easier compilation and testing are an added advantage. 

• CakePHP: 

CakePHP is a popular web framework for PHP. It is used in the development of both small and big applications as it is easier to configure and provides complete security. 

What are some front-end jobs?

• Web designer: 

A web designer, you guessed it, designs websites. The job title of web designer is pretty broad, though. A web designer could just be someone who designs the sites in a program like Photoshop or Fireworks and will never touch the code. But in another location, a web designer could do all the design comps in Photoshop and then be responsible for creating all the HTML and CSS (and sometimes even JavaScript) to go along with it.

• User interface (UI) designer: 

This is basically a visual designer and is generally focused on design. They're not usually involved in the implementation of the design, but they might know light HTML and CSS so they can communicate their ideas more effectively to the front-end developers.

• User experience (UX) designers:

UX designers work in the frontend, studying and researching how people use the sites. Then, they make changes through a lot of testing.

• Front-end developer: 

Also called a front-end designer, they can create a site without any back-end development. The site they would create without a web developer, or using the backend, is a static site. A static site is something like a site for a restaurant or hair salon. It doesn't require any information to be stored in a database. The pages will almost always stay the same, unless it's time for a redesign. A front-end developer may be required to have a grasp on testing, as well as be well versed in HTML, CSS and JavaScript. This person may or may not have experience with creating the design in a design program. A different version of this title is front-end engineer. People who work with specific front-end languages like JavaScript developer are also considered front-end developers.

Fullstack Development

A full stack developer is a bit of a generalist. They are familiar with both front and back end development but may not have the same depth of knowledge as someone who specializes in either front end or back end. 

Summary

By now, the difference between the frontend and backend should be more evident, as well as the different activities carried by developers that work on both ends of the wire. In practical terms, the frontend means the browser and the backend, the server or, more recently, the cloud.

If you like user interfaces, are keen on sound design and like the visual aspects of creating apps, then perhaps you would be most interested in becoming a front end software developer. The frontend is exciting not only visually, but also from a programming standpoint; you will spend endless hours writing logic that will make your site look and behave the way the designers intended.

If you like to spend your time solving business problems, writing algorithms, working in the cloud, and creating services and APIs, then backend development is for you.

If you enjoy both and feel equally excited and comfortable with all aspects of web application creation, then a career as a full-stack developer is what you want.

Whatever path you choose, there has never been a better time to be a software developer.

Sources;

www.interviewbit.com/blog/difference-between-frontend-and-backend/

www.geeksforgeeks.org/frontend-vs-backend/amp/

https://www.pluralsight.com/blog/software-development/front-end-vs-back-end