Introduction to Back-end development (sometimes spelt back-end or back-end development) is the expertise that drives the internet. However, it does it quietly and without fanfare, allowing users to browse their favourite websites without being aware of all the effort done by the back-end developer or team.
So, to assist in clearing up this riddle. What exactly is back-end development? How do back-end technologies function? What are good languages for backend developers?
This article will cover the many sorts of back-end languages, what you can do with them as a back-end developer, firms that use them, and (the big question!) what pay you can earn by specialising in specific back-end talents.
Back-end development languages manage web application 'behind-the-scenes' operations. The code links the web to a database, manages user connections, and runs the web application. Back-end development collaborates with front-end development to deliver the result to the end user.
What Exactly Is Back-end Development?
What exactly is back-end programming and development? As previously said, back-end development keeps the internet working behind the scenes.
Back-end developers are primarily concerned with how a website functions. They produce code that concentrates on the functionality and logic that power the application they are working on, and the technology they utilise is never directly visible to consumers.
Back-end technologies include servers, apps, and databases.
Back-end programmers may be responsible for designing APIs, writing code to communicate with databases, creating libraries, working on business processes and data architecture, and much more. The specific function and firm frequently determine the responsibilities of a back-end web developer.
What Is the Role of a Back-end Developer?
So, what exactly does a back-end developer perform on an average workday?
According to Ali Bayat's blog post The Day in the Life of a Back-end Developer, "Reflecting on a typical working day, I'd say I spend 50% of my time on project work, 20% in meetings and general communication, and the remaining 30% working on immediate requests and bugs."
As a back-end web developer, you might spend your day doing the following:
Maintaining legacy apps (previously constructed applications by other programmers)
Putting out fires (for example, defects and faulty apps)
Attending meetings (to acquire project needs)
Work on a project with front-end developers, for example.)
Writing code for new apps or projects
So, while you will undoubtedly be writing in back-end languages, don't think of it as the only thing you'll do as a back-end web developer.
Back-end Development Language Types
Back-end development can be either object-oriented (OOP) or functional.
OOP is a strategy that focuses on object generation. Statements in object-oriented programming should be executed in a specific order. Java, .NET, and Python are popular OOP languages.
Functional back-end programming is a more "action" oriented technique.
Because available programming uses declarative language, statements can be executed in any order. SQL, F# and R are major programming languages for data research. Back-end languages may be statically or dynamically typed. The former is more rigid but better at catching faults, whereas the latter is more flexible but permits variables to change types, perhaps accounting for unexpected errors.
1. Java
Java is the world's third most popular programming language and for a good reason. Java is not only very adaptable (it is used in everything from smartphones to smart cards), but developers have also used it for over 20 years.
The Java Virtual Machine (JVM) is what makes Java so versatile. Compiling a programme in multiple back-end developer languages generates code that may behave differently depending on the computers it runs. Because of the JVM, this is not an issue for Java. The Java Virtual Machine functions as a middle layer, allowing code to run on any machine, regardless of where it was compiled.
While desktop and commercial software developers widely use Java, it is less user-friendly than a back-end language like Python. This is because it is more verbose and requires more code to build out features; as a result, Java is less lucrative for people just starting.
However, because of Java's long history of popularity and wide range of applications, it has a sizable community. As a result, any queries you have concerning this back-end language are likely to be answered in forum posts or online tutorials.
Java back-end technologies can be used to fulfil a variety of goals, including the following and others:
Development of (Android) mobile applications
Website creation
Database interconnection
Image processing
Programmes with graphical user interfaces
Networking
2. PHP
PHP is the server-side programming language used by 78.2% of all websites. When the speech was initially introduced in 1995, there were few possibilities for creating dynamic websites.
Because PHP is dynamically typed, you can devise several remedies and workarounds for a single problem. It also implies that the same line of code might signify multiple things depending on the environment, making PHP programmes challenging to scale and sometimes slow to perform.
PHP is an excellent language to learn for folks who are just getting started for a variety of reasons:
It is more error-tolerant, so you can compile and run a programme until you hit a troublesome section.
As a result of the significant community and tool support, a plethora of resources is dedicated to the language. Because the language is updated, ensure you learn from an up-to-date tutorial.
Compared to a language like Ruby on Rails, the setup is quite simple. You may download MAMP (for Macs) or WAMP (for Windows) and be up and running in 5 minutes.
You can, according to the PHP website:
Gather form data
Make dynamic page content
Cookies can be sent and received.
Create command line scripts
Create server-side scripts
Develop desktop applications
3. ASP.NET
Microsoft's counterpart to Sun Microsystems (now Oracle) Java is ASP.NET. The web application framework creates back-end webpages in programming languages such as Visual Basic (VB), C#, F#, and others.
Its MVC (Model-View-Controller) architecture paradigm delegated back-end work to a controller, who interacted with a model to process data. The output is subsequently displayed to the view as a front-end web page.
.NET Core, released as open source in 2016, can interface with iOS, Linux, and Android.
Because the code is incredibly robust and reliable, it is a popular choice among enterprises. Because it is a Microsoft product, there is excellent support if you need help.
You can do the following with .NET?
Create desktop applications
Make mobile apps
Create web applications and games.
Work with Big Data and other technologies.
4. C#
C# is considered a high-level programming language; programmers can use it to create applications that are not dependent on a specific kind of computer. These languages write and read more like human languages than computer languages.
Because it error-proofs instructions that frequently trip up C++ users, C# is favoured by developers because it has the same power as C++ (another back-end language).
The language's "cool syntax" has been complimented by programmers on Stack Overflow.
5. VB
A graphical user interface (GUI) is used by the programming language VB to alter code created in the BASIC programming language. Because of its simple syntax and extensive use, it's a simple language to learn. As a result, prototyping frequently involves it.
The disadvantage of writing back-end code in Visual Basic is the amount of RAM needed to set up and execute GUI-based development tools.
6. Ruby
Ruby on Rails (sometimes called Ruby) is a web development language based on the Ruby programming language. Ruby on Rails includes tools that allow you to quickly construct basic tasks (for example, you can make a simple blog with one line of code).
Ruby requires less back-end labour, allowing developers to construct and run applications quickly. It's like Python in that it's great for prototyping. As a result, Ruby rose in popularity in the early 2000s but has subsequently fallen.
Because Ruby is open-source, it can be modified and expanded upon.VB is a computer language that changes code written in the BASIC programming language using a graphical user interface (GUI). It's a simple language to learn due to its simple syntax and general use. As a result, it's frequently utilised in prototyping.
The disadvantage of using VB for back-end coding is the enormous amount of memory required to install and execute GUI-based development tools.
Ruby on Rails allows you to do the following:
Repetitive tasks should be automated.
Create web applications
Create mobile apps and games.
Make prototypes and more.
7. Python
Python is the fastest-growing programming language for a reason. The universal back-end language is used for online and desktop applications. Like Java, several tutorials and guidelines are available online, making it one of the more approachable back-end languages for those just starting.
Furthermore, its syntax is essential and more accessible than other back-end developer languages. Python programmers have praised it for its "elegant," "readable," and "beautiful" code on Stack Overflow.
As previously said, Ruby and Python are comparable. They are dynamically typed open-source and object-oriented programming languages. The main distinctions between the two are their popularity (Ruby is falling while Python is exploding) and the tools available in Ruby's language.
Python's most common applications include:
Shell scripting on several platforms
Rapid automation
Easy web development
8. SQL
The most used query language is Structured Query Language, or SQL (pronounced sequel). SQL is used to communicate with databases.
SQL is a beautiful language for beginners to learn because it is declarative. Declarative language enables coders to 'declare' the results they want to achieve without detailing the processes or procedures for achieving those results.
SQL is a beautiful query language for individuals who want to tap into the wealth of knowledge housed in databases.
SQL is a programming language that accesses, manipulates, and creates databases.
Those who work with data frequently can benefit from understanding SQL. Financial analysts, data-driven marketers, and online entrepreneurs are examples of this. SQL is an excellent starting point for individuals interested in diving into Big Data. Here's a list of the tasks that use SQL the most.
9. JavaScript
JavaScript, not to be confused with Java, is a language that may be used for both the front and back end.
It's an excellent language for beginners because it's a higher-level language with minimal setup (you may start coding in your browser).
Objects generated in this language are slow since the language is so flexible. As with most dynamically typed languages, it is also challenging to maintain and scale.
However, because the language is widely used, the community is enormous, providing you with a wealth of information and numerous job chances if you are familiar with JavaScript back-end technologies such as Node.js.
JavaScript can be used to create a wide range of websites and software, including:
Websites and mobile applications
Desktop software
Games
Web servers
Presentations, among other things
10. TypeScrip
TypeScript is an open-source "superset" of JavaScript that expands based on JS to allow you to write higher-quality, less flaky code. Microsoft created it to make JS code easier to understand. It can be used in the back end with other JS technologies, such as NodeJS and Express.
TypeScript is the seventh most popular programming language, according to Stackoverflow's 2021 Developer Survey, with 30.19% of respondents using it. JavaScript is a scripting language, whereas TypeScript is an object-oriented programming language.
TypeScript should be reasonably simple to learn if you already know JavaScript!
TypeScript allows you to do the following:
Make the code easier to read and comprehend.
Make development tools for JavaScript IDEs and practises.
Increase the reliability of JavaScript programming by speeding up development.
11. GO
Also known as "Golang," it is a programming language. Google Go is a statically typed, compiled programming language. It was made available to the general public in 2009.
It has a syntax comparable to C/C++ but also memory safety, garbage collection, and other features that make it ideal for back-end programming. It also makes code more readable than C, Python, or Java.
Go is a fast back-end programming language since its compiler can translate its source code to machine code. It also features a function that makes bug identification easier.
GOLANG allows you to do the following:
Create web applications
Server-side programming
Cloud-based development
Applications for machine learning
Other Back-end Skills You Should Know
Here are some non-programming language back-end talents you may require as you learn back-end development.
1. Databases and Cache
Understanding how databases and database caching functions might be helpful to a back-end developer. Caching is a mechanism that temporarily caches frequently accessed data. It enhances a primary database by relieving it of unneeded strain.
Many back-end job descriptions call for Database Management Systems (DBMS) expertise, including MySQL, PostgreSQL, Microsoft Access, SQL Server, and caching methods like Redis and Memcached.
2. Web Servers
A web server is software and hardware that responds to client requests using HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) and other protocols. As a back-end developer, you may need to be familiar with production web server technologies such as load balancers (for example, Nginx) and HTTP proxies.
3. REST and SOAP
APIs, or application programming interfaces, enable two different apps to communicate. They influence the design of most server-side software architectures.
You may encounter SOAP and REST API styles as a back-end developer. SOAP is an abbreviation for Simple Object Access Protocol. REST is an acronym that stands for Representational State Transfer.
Back-end vs Front-end Programming
The front end is, intuitively, the opposite side of back-end development.
The significant distinction is that, whereas back-end developers create how a website runs, front-end programmers design the interface, determining how the site appears to users.
Back-end web development creates the groundwork for websites to process users' actions on the front end and return the correct information.
Neither function without the other—the back end is required to do the front-end work, and the front end is necessary so that people can access and interact with the website.
Back-end developers often earn more than front-end developers since back-end languages are more technical. A back-end developer's average income is $114,608, whereas a front-end developer's salary is $100,966.
Full-stack engineers may work with both front-end and back-end technologies. They are the programming world's jack-of-all-trades.
Conclusion
We hope this overview has given you a better understanding of back-end programming and the possibilities of the languages covered. Suppose you're thinking about becoming a back-end web developer. In that case, we recommend reading the job descriptions for the roles you are interested in and noting the back-end languages that occur the most. Then, study back-end development languages and skills using courses like the ones mentioned above.
Do not be intimidated by industry jargon. Remember that everyone who is an expert at something was once a beginner.
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