Frontend vs Backend: All the Differences Explained

Frontend and backend have been a discussion for years. It is a debate among many people. But those who understand it can help better in defining their roles in web and app development.

I know that I'm not alone in this confusion of Frontend and Backend. They are thrown around all the time, but not everyone knows what they mean (raise your hand if you also do not understand their differences).

With this article, we will help you define these two tech terms. We will also help you understand these two terms with some examples and case studies. 

Here, you'll learn about:

• What is Frontend?
• Top Frontend Technologies 
• What is Backend?
• Top Backend Technologies
• How do Frontend and Backend Work Together?
• Significant Difference Between Frontend and Backend
  

So, let's get started in the discussion about Frontend vs Backend!

What is Frontend?

Frontend refers to the front side of a website or an app. It's what users interact with and see. We can say it is the presentation layer and also known as client-side because it is handled by the client browser (user).

It is the only side that the user sees in an app. The primary purpose of a frontend is to make communication between the user and the app possible.

For example, buttons on your app to click, images of Facebook posts, toolbar menus in Google docs, etc. A frontend is what you always see while using any web application. It's the part where the user gets direct feedback (results) after clicking or typing something inside an app or website.

Frontend Web Development includes 

• Languages: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, JQuery
• Frameworks: Bootstrap, jQuery Mobile, Angular
• Tools: Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator
• Plugins/Extensions: Add to Feedly, TinyMCE Plug-in

Now, let's get into more details.  

Top Frontend Development Technologies

Technically speaking, Frontend is a blend of many technologies. The top frontend technologies listed below are the top frontend technologies that we all should know:

1. HTML: It acts like a glue that connects the website to a web server. The server processes submitted user requests, which HTML and other related frontend technologies then accept.
2. CSS: It is a language for adding style to web page content. It refers to the look and feel of a webpage. CSS is the only language interpreted by web browsers without any pre-processing.
3. JavaScript: It is a programming language that runs on the front end of an app. It controls most of the user interface (UI) elements in it. These include buttons, fields, checkboxes, menus, etc. With this code, dynamically changing web pages are made possible.

HTML, CSS, and JavaScript make up a web page's code.

Excluding these three, many frontend technologies keep changing with time. Some of these include:

1. React: It is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces. React is based on the principle of unidirectional data flow and can be used as a base for creating more extensive and more complex user interfaces that change dynamically as per the data changes.
2. Angular: It is a JavaScript-based open-source frontend web application framework. Angular uses HTML as its template language and allows you to extend HTML's syntax to express components.
3. Ember JS: Ember is an open-source Javascript framework based on the model view controller (MVC) pattern and designed for developing scalable single-page web applications.
4. Vue JS: Vue, also known as Vue.js, is an open-source JavaScript frontend web app framework with a low footprint and simple API.
5. React Native: It is a mobile application framework. You can hire Frontend Developers that can build cross-platform mobile applications using React's building blocks.

What is Backend?

Backend refers to server-side scripts which enable communication between the user and the app. It is also known as server-side programming.

Here, all the data and logic are stored. It is the central part of a website or application. It processes requests from the frontend and responds to them.

For example, in banking apps, no matter how many features it has, there's always a backend to make the app work. The communication between your bank account and your application is handled using backend scripts.

Backend development includes:

1. Programming languages like PHP, Python, Ruby on Rails, etc.
2. Database Management Systems (RDBMS) like MySQL, MSSQL, MongoDB, etc.
3. Frameworks like NodeJS, Django, Ruby on Rails, .Net, etc.

A detailed overview...

Top Backend Technologies

1. PHP: It is a server-side scripting language designed for web development and used as a general-purpose programming language.
2. Python: It is an open-source high-level programming language that makes it easy to develop large applications quickly in all domains, including Web Apps, Big Data, and Machine Learning Apps.
3. Ruby on Rails: It is a web application framework for the Ruby programming language. It uses an MVC (Model–View–Controller) architecture, enabling programmers to write reusable code for their models, views, and controllers.
4. ASP.NET: ASP.NET is a free, cross-platform web framework for building modern, cloud-based, internet-connected applications, like web, mobile, and IoT. It is built on the Common Language Runtime (CLR), .Net Framework, ADO.Net, and XML.
5. Java: It is an Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) language that mainly focuses on the object. 
6. Django: It is a free and open-source web framework written in Python, encouraging rapid development and clean, pragmatic design.

How Frontend and Backend Work Together?

Frontend and backend work together to make a website work. The user/client interacts with the frontend, whereas the backend generates content.

For example, if you use Facebook, your clicks are registered on the frontend through JavaScript code on HTML pages generated by backend scripts that display your news feed. When you upload a photo, it gets stored in databases at the backend.

Let's understand the process in simple steps and language from a user's point of view:

1. User A types in www.example.com in their browser and hits search.
2. The user's browser begins communication with the server (backend) with an HTTP request to GET example.com.
3. Now, you will see example.com will load. It is the frontend of the website that will appear on your screen.
4. Once the frontend is loaded, the browser sends a request to the server (backend) to GET what's inside example.com/homepage.html.
5. The web server now fetches homepage.html and sends it back to the client.
6. The frontend now displays what's inside homepage.html on your screen so that you can see it in all its glory.
7. You decide to go to example.com/aboutus.html and hit search again.
8. The backend sends a request to backend/aboutus.html, and then frontend takes over for the second time, displaying the contents to you.

So, that's how the Frontend and Backend work together to create a website experience for users.

What are the Major Differences between Frontend and Backend?

After doing a detailed study on frontend and backend development and related technologies, we have compiled a list of significant differences between the two in the below table. Take a look.

Final Words

Frontend and backend are two parts of the same website. Basically, the frontend refers to the user interface, and the backend refers to its functionality. It is always important to understand the difference between frontend and backend as they work together to produce an output that users see on their screens.