Table of Contents
There are three main types in web development: frontend and backend. Together with the front end development company, we figure out how they differ, who is more suitable and what you need to study in order to build a career in each of them.
The frontend developer is responsible for website design, layout and animation. What happens “under the hood” – the internal logic of the site, interaction with the server and databases – is the responsibility of the backend developer. A full-stack developer must be able to do both.
Frontend Developer: what does he do?
The frontend developer is responsible for beautiful and clear interfaces. It turns a static layout into an attractive and functional page on the Internet, where you can click buttons, buy products, etc. In this case, the page will be displayed correctly in all browsers and on different devices.
Tech stack
To be a successful front-end developer, you need to master HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. The “skeleton” of the page is written on HTML, colors, fonts and its internal content are set on CSS. After mastering static web pages, the developer learns the JavaScript language, which allows you to add dynamic elements to the site: sliders, calculators, animations.
Working day
A typical working day for a frontend developer starts with a meeting or a call to discuss tasks, priorities, and issues. Then he downloads the latest versions of the code from GitHub (a service for hosting and collaborating on projects), reviews the changes and comments, and starts working. In addition, he needs to study thematic resources in order to keep abreast of current trends.
Career growth
- The initial level in development is trainees. These are beginners who have completed courses and gained basic knowledge.
- The next level is junior developers, they have little experience working with projects and often consult with more experienced colleagues.
- A middle front-end developer is an experienced person who is able to independently and efficiently solve most problems.
- The senior frontend developer has extensive experience, makes decisions on development independently, has his own vision of the project architecture and can justify it. In addition, he solves managerial tasks, participates in meetings with other departments.
Personal qualities
It is useful for a front-end developer to be a perfectionist, as it is often necessary to implement the designer’s intention “pixel by pixel”. In front-end development, you can’t stand still, it’s like running up an escalator that goes down: new tools are constantly appearing and trends are changing. It’s interesting, but sometimes tedious. For large projects, teamwork and the ability to find a common language with people are relevant.
Backend developer: what does he do?
A backend developer solves a variety of tasks, from creating a framework for a future application to specific back end development company business tasks. For example, in a bank, such a specialist will analyze payments from bank terminals and check their correctness to prevent theft. He also designs storage systems that ensure the speed of data exchange, control their cleanliness and correct access to them. In addition, the backend developer writes systems for automatic testing and checks whether the program works correctly.
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Tech stack
Backend parts are often written in PHP, JavaScript, and Go; for large applications, such as banking, Java is used. Each language, like any tool, has its own scope. Backend developers actively use frameworks – application frameworks in which the fundamental functionality has already been optimized, this allows them to focus on more specific tasks.
Working day
The working day of a backend developer depends on the place of work. In companies developing their own product, there is a more measured rhythm, in which there are a couple of large coding sessions per day (2-3 hours each), short meetings for synchronization with the team, discussion of architectural issues. Custom development has a more torn schedule: you need to communicate with customers, quickly make changes and participate in meetings.
Career growth
Career starts as a junior developer. During the trial period, he studies the development processes, communicates with the team and works very hard. For the first six months or a year, a junior gains experience. If during this time many tasks were completed, there were few bugs, and the performance is comparable to more experienced colleagues, you can ask for a raise.
Further growth can be different, like pumping branches in computer games: if you pump technical skills (hard skills), you can grow to the level of an architect. If you feel like building processes, you can learn Scrum or Agile management methodologies and train teams. If there is a bias in classical management, you can grow up to team leaders and CTO (Chief Technical Officer, Technical Director): in this area, you need to be able to organize and build processes, and also not be afraid to communicate with customers.
Personal qualities
Responsibility: on the shoulders of such a specialist lies a lot. But the most important quality of a programmer is to learn to think in abstractions. If a person cannot move from the material level to the level of functions, objects, patterns, then it will be difficult for him.