Front End vs Back End Development: A Comprehensive Comparison

Last updated by Nitin Grover on May 21, 2024 at 10:42 AM | Reading time: 8 minutes

Website development is the process of creating the features of a web application. Functionality of a web application relies on how its front end (the user interface) and back end (the server side logic) work.

In this article, we compare every aspect of these two parts of web application development, the front end vs. the back end.

By understanding the differences between these two sides of development, aspiring software developers can gain valuable insights on the career path to choose.

To prepare for exhaustive interviews in top-tier companies, aspiring candidates can also enroll in the front end engineering masterclass. Topics like JavaScript language and libraries, front end system design, document object model (DOM), and dynamic programming are covered in detail in this course.

Likewise candidates willing to embark on back end development career can consider enrolling in the back end engineering masterclass. The course provides in depth knowledge of topics ranging from data structures and algorithms, system design, object modeling and database design.

As part of career coaching for front end and back end engineering roles, the candidates are given comprehensive support with mock interviews, behavioral coaching, salary negotiation strategies, and resume preparation guidance.

In this video, mock interview for a front end software engineering lead is presented:

Front End vs Back End: What is Front End Development?

Front end development is development of every aspect of a web application’s user interface. Things like layouts colors, fonts, menus, forms are all driven by the front end.

At the front end, all the fundamental requests like selection of an appropriate date from a dropdown or validating the format of an email can be handled. More complex requests are processed at the backend.

Front end Development Languages and Frameworks:
Languages that are used to create everything that is visually presented to users when they access the web application are front end development languages. They are:

HTML: A fundamental coding language that creates and organizes web content so that it can be displayed in the browser.‍
CSS: Used to style the HTML elements of your web page. CSS is used to define layouts, colors and fonts.‍
Javascript: Used for more interactive elements such as drop-down menus, modal windows and contact forms. Javascript executes in the browser.‍
Typescript: Is an extended version of Javascript that speeds up a developer’s coding experience by highlighting mistakes.

Some noted front end development frameworks are:

React JS: A javascript library to quickly create intuitive UIs.
Ember.js: A javascript framework that follows Model-View-ViewModel (MVVM) pattern to develop single page, feature rich and enterprise applications.
SasS: Syntactically Awesome Style Sheets, used to style HTML elements.
jQuery: Is a fast, small and feature-rich library used to simplify complex Javascript CSS interactions.
Flutter: Used to develop cross-platform applications for Android, Windows, iOS, and Linux to name a few.

Most of these frameworks are easily deployable, open-source front end tools.

Also read: How to Crack front end coding Interview | Interviewkickstart

Front End vs Back End: What is Back End Development?‍

Back end development of a web application is the data and the infrastructure which ensures that everything on the interface end runs smoothly by securely processing data and effective communication with the front end. It is sometimes also called server side development.

Back end Development Languages:
Back end development relies on back end languages. These back end languages handle behind-the scenes tasks such as database management, server operations, and processing user requests. Some of the most popular back end languages are;

Ruby: Is an open source back end programming language especially used to rapidly build high traffic websites. It has features like garbage collection, just-in-time compilation and support for multiple programming approaches.
Python: Is a simple to use and extremely versatile programming language. Its extensive libraries and frameworks like Django and Flask help extensively to streamline the back end development process.‍
Java: Is a widely used back end development application to create enterprise-level web applications that are scalable, secure and concurrent. ‍
PHP: Another widely used web application development language that also works in the back end of content management systems like Wordpress and Drupal to name a few.‍
Node JS: Is a runtime environment that allows Javascript to run outside the browser and as a back end programming language. With Node JS, developers can use Javascript both in the front end and the back end. ‍
SQL: Is a language used to communicate with the database for performing selection, updation, deletion and insertion operations.

Also read: Top 30 Java Multithreading Interview Questions

Front End vs Back End: Front End Development Skills

So far we have understood the languages and frameworks used by front end development. Now we look at the skills required to become a front end software engineer.

Expertise in front end development languages and at least a few of the frameworks listed above
Knowledge of methods involved to optimize web page loading speed, reduce HTTP requests, and shrink resource sizes
Ability to debug and address cross browser compatibility issues
Expertise in testing and debugging issues with the functionality and usability of front end development frameworks
Thorough understanding of Integration of APIs to retrieve and display data from external sources
Basic understanding of UI/UX principles
Knowledge of photo editing tools like Photoshop and Sketch
Knowledge of code editing tools such as Notepad++ and Visual Studio Code
Strong communication, interpersonal and problem solving skills

Front End vs Back End: Back End Development Skills

To build efficient web applications that can handle data processing, server-side logic, and database management one must need sound back end development skills:

Expertise in at least one back end programming language like Java, Python, Ruby or PHP.
Thorough knowledge of at least one structured query language like SQL PostgreSQL or NoSQL.
Proficiency in writing API codes
Knowledge of middleware to create and monitor connections between the front end and the back end
Strong communication interpersonal and problem solving skills

Also read: 7 Backend Developer Skills You Must Have to Crack Tech Interviews

Front End vs Back End: Key Differences

Both front end and back end development operate on separate layers of a web application to collectively ensure that it works efficiently. Here are the pointers that differentiate between these two aspects of web development.

Development Type	Front End	Back End
Functionality	Client side interface and user experience	Server-side logic, database management and application performance
Languages	HTML, CSS, Javascript	Java, Python, PHP, Ruby, Node.JS
Data handling	Displays and updates information with the use of APIs	Manages server-side processing including storage, retrieval and updates
Security	Secures client-side data with measures to protect against common vulnerabilities like XSS and CSRF	Implements security-based measures like two-factor authentication, role-based access control, password policies, etc.
Performance optimization	Improves load times and responsiveness with techniques like code splitting, lazy loading, image optimization, and minification	Optimizes performance with techniques like caching, load balancing, and asynchronous processing
User interaction	Involves direction user interaction with responsive user interface	Enhances user trust with efficient data processing
Design & aesthetics	Enhances user experience with visually appealing design	Focuses on functionality, logic and efficiency
Debugging	Debugging of cross-browser functionality, responsive design and	Tests server-side logic, database interactions, and API endpoints

To Sum it Up:

Front end and back end development are essential components of software development with both performing unique functions on separate layers of a web application. The main objective of these application development domains are seamless user experience.

FAQs: Front End vs Back End

Why is back end development better than front end?
Back end development gives developers the opportunity to work on more challenging problems than the front end developers. Back end developers also get better pay packages than front end developers.

What are the responsibilities of front end vs back end developer?
The front end developers work very closely with the clients to ensure that the UI of the web application fulfills their expectations. On the other hand, the back end developers work very closely with the front end developers to ensure that the functionality and the logic of the web application goes hand in hand with the UI.

Can a developer be both front end and back end?
A developer who has expertise in at least one front end and one back end language as well as one database is called a Full Stack Developer. Any developer can enhance his skills to become a full stack developer.

When two developers work together?
When two developers work together, it's called pair programming. One developer types the code and the other reviews it.

Should one learn the front end and back end at the same time?
One should first analyze which domain is ideal based on his preferences. If time is not a constraint, then take separate career paths to learn both front end and back end properly.

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AUTHOR

Nitin Grover

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Nitin Grover

Attend our Free Webinar on How to Nail Your Next Technical Interview

How to Nail your next Technical Interview

Worried About Failing Tech Interviews?

Tools to Enhance Full Stack Development with AI

The Future of Data Science: Emerging Trends and Opportunities

Data-Driven Decision Making: Your Roadmap to Business Success

The Business Impact of Machine Learning: Real-world Case Studies

What is OpenAI? Everything You Need to Know

Mock Interviews for Generative AI: Essential Practice to Land Top AI Roles

Top Python Scripting Interview Questions and Answers You Should Practice

Complex SQL Interview Questions for Interview Preparation

Zoox Software Engineer Interview Questions to Crack Your Tech Interview

Rubrik Interview Questions for Software Engineers

Top Advanced SQL Interview Questions and Answers

Twilio Interview Questions

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