{"id":9090,"date":"2022-06-29T11:12:53","date_gmt":"2022-06-29T18:12:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/?p=9090"},"modified":"2023-12-09T01:20:16","modified_gmt":"2023-12-09T09:20:16","slug":"front-end-vs-back-end","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/software-engineering\/front-end-vs-back-end\/","title":{"rendered":"Front-End vs. Back-End Development: What\u2019s the Difference?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Have you ever noticed that some websites seamlessly translate to a mobile device, while others clearly don\u2019t? This isn\u2019t a matter of chance or happenstance. It\u2019s front-end and back-end development in action, and when the two work together, it\u2019s a real thing of beauty. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But while both front-end and back-end development are dependent upon each other, the two are actually distinct specialties. Each has its own skillset that\u2019s required, and depending on your own interests, you may be better suited for one rather than the other.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Want to learn more about the difference between front-end and back-end development? Then let\u2019s dive right in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s the Difference Between Front-End and Back-End Development?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"What\u2019s<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Front-end development is concerned with the visible elements of a website or application: What the users see, and what they interact with. Back-end development manages the inner workings, such as how the data the users\u2019 input is processed and stored, and how the website communicates with servers and other sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Front End vs. Back End Development<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Interested in a career in web development, but not sure what specialty matches your own skillset? Not to worry. Below, we’ll outline the differences between the two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Does Each Mean?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Before looking at the roles of the developers themselves, let’s first cover the fundamentals of front and back-end development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is Front-End Development?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Everything you see and interact with when you use a website is built by the front-end developer. From animations to buttons and drop-down menus to colors, every front-facing, visual aspect of a website is displayed and functioning as it should be through the use of front-end code and tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Front-end development teams work closely with UI designers to transform assets and designs for the user interface into working websites\u2014in other words, the UI designer creates a pretty picture of a button, and front-end development techniques are used to turn it into a working button. A UI designer chooses and determines the aesthetics of a product, but the front-end developer is the one who implements them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Front-End<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Front-end development includes making sure a website is displayed properly on multiple platforms like web, mobile, etc., so when you\u2019re reading a blog on mobile and half the text has disappeared off-screen\u2014that\u2019s a front-end development mishap! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Front-End<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Pictured above: Side-by-side comparison of a website that hasn\u2019t been adjusted to be responsive on mobile devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is Back-End Development?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

If front-end development takes care of everything you can see on a website, then back-end development takes care of everything you can\u2019t see. Whereas front-end developers have much in common with fields like graphic design, back-end developers<\/a> tend to work with servers, databases, and APIs. You may also hear a back-end developer referred to as a server-side developer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, a front-end developer builds the fields so you can input your card details on an online shop, but a back-end developer ensures that a safe place is created for those details to be stored and used properly. Back-end development involves building and integrating all these systems together.<\/p>\n\n\n

Get To Know Other\tSoftware Engineering Students<\/h4>
\"Elena<\/a>

Elena Nurullina<\/p>

Junior Web Developer at G\/O Media<\/p><\/div>

<\/div>

Read Story<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/div>

\"Pritisha<\/a>

Pritisha Kumar<\/p>

Software Engineer at Dialpad<\/p><\/div>

Read Story<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/div>

\"Kristy<\/a>

Kristy Chu<\/p>

Software Engineer at FloQast<\/p><\/div>

Read Story<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Goals of Front-End and Back-End Development<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Of course, both back-end and front-end development shares the ultimate goal of creating a smooth, functioning website that delivers on what the clients and users want. But to achieve this, each needs to focus on their own separate objectives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is the Goal of Front-End Development?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The main goal of front-end development is designing a website that efficiently covers everything the client needs, making sure everything displays correctly, and ensuring all interactable elements are functioning properly. This includes making sure the site is optimized for use on all platforms like PCs, smartphones, and tablets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is the Goal of Back-End Development?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The main goal of back-end development is to create a back-end system that ensures the ultimate purpose of the site is fulfilled and that all data received is processed and stored safely. For example, if the site is an online store, then its ultimate purpose is to deliver goods to the users in exchange for money. If the site is a learning platform, then its ultimate purpose is to provide users with educational content and record and store their progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Examples<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s take a look at what this all looks like in practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Are Some Well Known Examples of Front-End Development?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Front-end development covers a lot of ground, but here are a couple of examples that you\u2019ll definitely be familiar with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n