Front End vs Back End Programming Languages

Front End vs Back End Programming Languages

Do you want to be a front end developer or a back end developer?

This is typically the first question people ask when they are starting out to learn how to program and figure out which path is more suitable for them.

Before digging to the topic, make sure you understand the foundation of coding.

So what is the difference?

Front End vs Back End Programming Languages FEF Foundation

Front end is commonly referred to as the client-side development and that focuses on everything that you see and experience and touch and interact with on a website or an application.

On the other hand, back end is commonly referred to as server-side development where it focuses on functionality on data on algorithms and allows the website to communicate with the database.

Front end web development

Front end programming languages

To build a website, the 3 core languages are HTML, CSS, and Javascript. This includes content that you are reading, the format layouts, dropdowns, menus, images, and buttons.

HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language which is a tech way to describe content and information. 

CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets and it creates styles that will cascade over the website or application such as choosing an appealing color for the menu bar and different sizes of heading and body paragraphs. 

Javascript is the interactive language that makes things move such as contact forms and animations.

When to use?

The primary purpose of front end programming language is to present an intuitive layout and offer a friendly user experience.

Back end web development

Back end programming languages

Conversely, back end programming language is defined as the computational logic of a website or software from storing and organizing data, creating algorithms and complex logic sequences that make things work on the front end seamlessly.

Essentially, any website that has an extensive database requires back end programming language such as users’ login information and credit card details. The most popular languages for this are Ruby, Python, Java and PHP. Unlike front end languages where there are 3 core languages, each website normally just picks just one back end language so that it is standardized.

When to use?

For example, when you shop online at a website, the home page, and products that you see and click on are created with front end programming languages. When you are done shopping and go to check out, the website will ask you to input your account information. This is where the back end programming languages come in to verify your account password, name, shipping address, and contact information by fetching the data from the server. However, if the server detects that there is no such user, you will be re-directed to create a new account.

Conclusion: How about becoming a full stack developer?

A full stack developer is a bit of a generalist. They are familiar with both front and back end. However, they will be less expert than someone who specialises in either front end or back end.

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