What is backend developer

Web development is the process of creating a website which includes its functioning, physical layout or visual appearance which ought to be appealing, management of network traffic etc. The professional who carries out the task of web development is known as a web developer.

Having understood the concepts of web development and who carries out that process i.e. a web developer, we need to know that there are 3 types of web developers as follows:

• Frontend Developer
• Backend Developer
• FullStack Developer

In this artilce, we will provide the complete detail of regarding what is backend developer.

What is backend developer? 

We are the end users of the website. We use a browser to fetch any information we need from the internet. All this information we see or get on the internet is stored in a database somewhere out there in the world.

The web server accesses the same information and delivers it to the end user on the browser. The above discussion mentioned 3 different aspects of web namely Database, Web Server and Browser. Web server and Database are a part of the backend of the website. 

For an easy understanding let us take an example of what pertains to be backend and frontend. Let’s say you are researching a topic and came across a blog you would like to read. You go to the link and the blog shows up, now the font and colors and designs etc you see on the page is frontend whereas the written content on the website is a result of the web server fetching the data from the database which happens with the help of backend infrastructure.

The backend coding helps the browser in interaction with the information available on the database. The professional responsible for the backend of the website is known as the backend developer. Backend developer makes the interaction on the website possible with the help of codes written by them. Someone who is responsible for the server side of the website is a backend developer.

Advantages of backend developer:

• The code developed is acceptable cross platform i.e. for computers as well as mobile phones
• Makes sharing of information an easier task
• The website experience depends on the backend development it has the ability to make the website a hit
• It is used to add functionality to the website and without a quality backend work the website will not work in an efficient manner.

Disadvantages of backend developer:

• A lot of security threats can be anticipated
• The end user of the website has very less control over how the website works.
• The website will be same for all the users and there is no customizations options for the end user
• Just like a great backend developer has the ability to make the website a huge success in the similar manner an inefficient backend developer can break the business way before it can take off

Roles and Responsibilities of a backend developer:

To answer the question as to what is the role of a backend developer here are a few things listed below:

• Secure payment processing system: It is the responsibility of a backend developer to make sure that the bank details entered by the customer is not misused and the payment process goes through in a secure manner.
• Developing the infrastructure: Backend developer is required to lay the foundation of any website or application. It is their job to make it logically functional throughout. 
• Data management: The data provided by the customer on the website or an application needs to be stored and should also be available for future use. The same data should be used for analysis as and when needed.
• Efficient restoration: Issues as and when faced should have a quick solution. Implementing algorithms is also one of the roles of a backend developer.
• Providing support: The backend developer is responsible in providing support to the frontend developer by making clear communication and efficiently documenting all the work done so far. The backend developer is also required to incorporate the work of the frontend developer to complete the task of making the web or app interactive.
• Creating CMS: CSM is an abbreviation to content management system. CSM means the software that helps in developing a website without the need of coding. The creation of CMS is one of the responsibilities of the backend developer and people have created a business out of it i.e. web development website that provide the services of developing a website by a simple drag and drop function.

Tools used by backend developer:

As we have established that the backend developer is responsible for creating the basic foundation of a website or an app the same can be attained with the help of some tools available in the market. Tools used for backend developer are as follows: 

1) Firebase

Backend-as-a-service is a model wherein the Developer outsource the whole backend development work related to development of a particular website or application. BaaS allows the team to focus all its resources towards the frontend of the web or application.  Firebase is one of the BaaS available out there in the market. Flutter is supported by firebase. There are various videos and documents shaped by the flutter community on using the firebase. Following are some of the services that can be availed by the use of firebase:

• Remote configuration
• Cloud storage
• Real time database
• Authentication
• Break down Reporting
• Machine Learning

2) GitHub

The tagline of GitHub is “Where the world builds software”. GitHub helps you and other works on the same project from a remote location that can be anywhere on the face of earth. It provides you with features like repositories, branches, commits and pull requests etc. GitHub is a code hosting platform. GitHub’s saftery to use depends on the user, it is as safe as you can make it. It was launched on 10th April, 2008 and was written in Ruby ECMAScript Go. It is totally free of cost and due to its community it is the most used collaboration medium among the coders. Following are some of the vital characteristics of GitHub:

• Documentation is easier
• Tracks the changes made in a particular code
• Also help you get noticed or even get work by showcasing your skills. Can help somen looking to start a career as a backend developer
• Assistance in almost open source projects

3) Postman API

API is an abbreviation for application programming interface. API is a set of definitions and protocols that helps in building and integrating website or application. Postman API is one such API used in the development process of the backend of the web. Following are some of its prominent features:

• Helps manage the cookies linked with the domain
• Postman is most known for its user friendliness 
• Accessing files is a seamless process
• All HTTP methods are supported by Postman API

4) Apache

The name seems to have been originated in respect of native America tribe for it being resilient and durable. Apache projects are mostly written in Java. It is written in C language and CML. According to the latest survey Apache served more than 24% of the world’s busiest websites. Following are a few features of the same:

• It is compatible with IPv6
• It is great at handling static files
• It supports HTTP
• Session tracking is also one of its features 

Programming languages for backend developer:

1) Python

Python is a programming language for Backend Developer. It is used mainly to build websites, apps and software, automate a particular task and perform data analysis. Python has been very relevant in current times among the coders community.

Advantages of Python

• It is easier to debug this language as it is an interpreted
• It is comparatively an easy language to read and write
• It is free
• It is adaptable i.e. you do not need to rewrite the code every time you try to run it at a different platform

Disadvantages of Python

• It is very slow
• The volume of memory used by this language is higher than usual which makes it memory inefficient
• The interaction with database is slower due to its speed
• Python is not very effective for mobile application programming

2) Java

Java is a high level object oriented programming language for backend developer that is designed to have as few implementation dependencies as possible.

Advantages of Java:

• Java is one of the simpler languages to write in
• It is very cheap as it can be implemented on any machine
• Java is most known for its security
• It is very easy to understand and is very human like language
• It is an extremely stable language

Disadvantages of Java:

• It is slow just like Python
• It consumes a lot of memory which makes it slow
• It is not possible to create graphic user interface with Java due to its simplicity
• Java code are long which makes them complex

3) PHP

It is a programming language for backend developer mainly for web development. It was originally created by Danish-Canadian programmer Rasmus Lerdorf in 1994. It helps in development of dynamic and interactive websites and is still as relevant even after the introduction of new languages like Python etc mainly due to its speed. We have listed down some of the pros and cons on PHP down below:

Advantages of PHP:

• Just like the other 2 languages it is easy to learn
• It is free of cost
• It is stable like Java
• The codes are not unnecessarily long
• The library support is immense
• Knowing PHP will raise your chances of getting hired

Disadvantages of PHP:

• It give no permission to make changes or modify the work
• There are a lot of security issues with PHP
• Learning PHP comes with added responsibility to lean the built in PHP functionalities
• It is not very efficient in handling the errors which makes debugging a little difficult
• It is not ideal for huge web development projects

Career as a backend developer:

A degree in computer science and thorough basic understanding and knowledge of various programming languages for backend developer can land you a job of your dreams.

The future as a backend developer is very shiny at the moment as the information technology industry is at the boom due to the pandemic and our huge dependency on the internet.

We need website and mobile applications for almost everything we do in a day which leads to huge companies hiring backend developer to keep their products up and running. A backend developer can get paid an average of $114,000 per annum.

There can also be an added cash bonus of around $4,000 to $5,000 per annum along with other benefits like stock options etc. San Francisco is the highest paying place in the US for backend web Developer.

Backend V/S Frontend Developer:

There cannot be a comparison as such between the 2 of these apart from the work they do and tools they use in order to do the work. Following table will help you understand the difference better:

Conclusion:

From the above discussion it is very evident that what backend developer does is they work behind the curtains but that does not make them any less important.

They are the most important in laying the foundation of any website or mobile applications. Their understanding of the project and client requirement is of the utmost significance.

If the end goal of the company is to provide the customers with interactive and logical website then effective backend Developer is the way to go.