And when you go to look at a website, you see the beautiful designs and catchy content and workable functionality. But what is really going on behind the scenes? Why does the site feel so polished? This is where back end website development takes the stage.
In this article, we’ll go down to the “back” streets of back end development and simplify it all for you so that you even if a tech newbie or an experienced enthusiast can have a clear understanding of it all.
Back End Website Development Explained What Is Back End Website Development?
Think of back end website development as everything you can’t see: It’s the behind-the-scenes coding that makes a website work. It’s the engine of a car you might not see it, but it powers everything. The back end is where the data, the server and the database live to keep your site up and running.
The back end, unlike the front end which is what users interact with when they visit a website – is everything that occurs server-side, receiving requests from the front end and handling them by storing data and ensuring everything works correctly.
Back End Development-The Essentials
There is a bunch of stuff going on when you’re working with back end development. Here are the prominent ones:
Server: This is the place where your website resides. It’s like your website lives in a hotel. It processes input from users, such as when they type a URL and it fetches up the site. Depending on the hosting company you chose, a server can either be physical or virtual.
Database: Data forms the core of all websites. It’s where all of your site’s information is stored user profiles, blog posts, images, and so on. Some well-known databases are MySQL, MongoDB and PostgreSQL.
Application: Application is the code that enables server and database to communicate with each other. It handles user requests, processes their request and serves them the right data from the database. Frameworks like Node. js, Ruby on Rails and Django for application development.
APIs (Application Programming Interfaces): APIs are a way for different software programs to communicate with each other. When you sign into a website using Google, for instance, an API will make a call to Google to check your credentials.
How does back end development work?
Let’s walk through the fundamental process by which back end development operates.
User Interaction: The process begins when a user takes action on the web page they click on something such as button or link.
Request to Server: The user makes a request (like a blog post) and it is sent to the server.
Server Processes Request: The server receives the request, and queries for information it needs from the database (like blog post data).
Data is Sent Back: The server then sends the data back to the front end for users to see.
It’s a snap to do, but there’s quite a bit of behind-the-scenes work taking place to make sure it goes off without a hitch.
Technologies in The Back End Concept
Several technologies are employed to create a robust and functional back end. Here are some of the most popular ones:
Programming Languages
Developers in the back end write their code in a variety of programming languages. Some of the currently popular ones are:
Python: Python is considered to be very easy, and it’s used in web development (particularly for applications with frameworks like Django and Flask). Learn more about Python.
JavaScript (Node. js): Even though JavaScript is clearly used for front-end development, Node. js can be used on the back end. This works really well for full-stack development.
Ruby: Ruby is all about being easy to understand. It’s primarily for use with the Ruby on Rails framework, which accelerates development.
PHP: Another server-side scripting language that is widely used. The foundation of many popular platforms, such as WordPress and Facebook was constructed with PHP.
Java: A reliable language for enterprise-level applications, Java’s scalability and security are its strongest points.
Frameworks
Frameworks are blueprints that enable us to code faster and more efficiently. Some popular frameworks include:
Django – A high-level Python Web framework that encourages rapid development and clean, pragmatic design.
Ruby on Rails: Another open source framework which is actually written in Ruby, the creator of this framework seems to believe more in “convention over configuration,” resulting in faster development.
Laravel: A PHP framework used to create powerful modern web applications.
Databases
As stated also, on a go forward database is very used for back end development. They store and organize the data your website needs to function. Common databases include:
MySQL: One of the most widely-used relational database in web applications.
MongoDB: NoSQL Database which stores data in the form of JSON, so it is flexible and scalable.
PostgreSQL: A powerhouse open-source relational database, fantastic for big data.
APIs
Back end devs usually deal with APIs to integrate the systems. Your website would be able to securely process credit card payments, for example, through a payment API.
The Significance of Back End Development
Backend programming is the backend behind websites, and without it there wouldn’t be a way for websites to process user data and information. It’s as if you could go to a website, and t couldn’t log in, save any preferences, or otherwise interact with the content. That’s where back end developers step in, they make sure everything is running behind the scenes… so we don’t have to worry (too much) about what goes on inside of my computer!
Real-Life Example: How Back End Development Works on Your Favorite Websites
Let’s take an example. Consider your favorite website for shopping. When you look up a product, it’s pulled from a database. That is, when you buy something, the server has to process your order, update a database and call an external API in order to securely charge your credit card.
And behind all of that there’s a back end developer ensuring everything looks like it should. Your internet shopping wouldn’t be the same without them.
We’ve also covered Getting Started with Back End development
If you’re considering becoming a back end developer, here’s a straightforward guide for getting started:
Learn a Programming Language: Consider learning Python or JavaScript. These are all beginner friendly and there’s plenty of resources to find online. Learn Python.
Choose a Framework: When you become proficient with a language, learn a framework to speed up development. Django (for Python) or Node. js (for JavaScript) are both solid places to start.
Databases Knowledge: Study in how to communicate with databases via SQL or NoSQL. Practice defining information and its modification and retrieval.
Play around with APIs: Understand the beauty of how APIs work by adding third-party APIs to your projects! This could range from showing the weather to enabling users to log in with their Google account.
You Can Build Real Projects: The only way to learn is to do! Build simple systems first, like a blog or a to-do list app, then incrementally progress to compound systems.
Conclusion
Back end website development might not be as sexy as front-end design, but it’s definitely the backbone of any great website. Running data to maintaining seamless communications between server and client, back end developers have become an indispensable asset in the tech world.
If you’re interested in getting into back end development, there are hundreds of resources for learning it online that can help. Whether you’re dreaming of building sprawling networks, or just creating the new killer app, learning back end development basics is the first step to realizing that next great idea for all things online.
More Info:
Front End Website Development: All You Need to Know
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