An application or web service can be divided into two parts: Front-end and Back-end . Their roles can be guessed from these names. The front end is the part you can "see". It is the part that lets you interact with an application or service. Colors, animations, layouts, and all the other cool stuff that adds to your experience of using an app or website is the front-end. The front end is often called the user interface (UI). The backend is the part you don't see. It is the inner workings of the application or website. This includes servers, databases, etc.
For example, you are reading an article on this website. Fonts, colors, patterns, etc. make up the front of this page. However, the web pages and content of this article are served by the server and obtained from the database. This is the backend part of the application.
What does a backend developer do?
Some of the things a backend developer handles include:
1. Writing server-side code
2. Write code that interacts with the database
3. Ensure that the server-side code is secure and has no vulnerabilities
4. Ensure that the server-side code is optimized enough to handle large amounts of traffic
5. Deploy code online so others can use your service
Backend developers can work with other types of developers on a single project as needed to complete the application or web service The skill set is not limited to back-end development.
Essential Knowledge
Before we dive into the frameworks, languages, and technologies used by backend developers, there are a few things you should be familiar with.
First, understand what a server is and the different types of servers. (Recommended related articles: "What is a server")
Secondly, understand what a database is and the different types of databases. (Recommended related tutorials: "What are the common databases in China? Introduction to various databases" "mysql tutorial")
Third, have a basic understanding of what HTTP is. Communication between the server and the client (i.e. the "user" of the application - such as a web browser) occurs through certain rules ("protocols"), and you should understand how the protocol works. (Recommended related articles: "What is the http protocol")
Fourth, you should know what an application programming interface (API) is. Further, understand the difference between REST api and SOAP api. ("Related article recommendations: What is api")
Note: The typical back-end technology set ("technology stack") is called LAMP. It is the abbreviation of Linux (operating system), Apache (server), MySQL (database), and PHP (server-side language).
Related recommendations: "What are the popular web back-end development frameworks in 2019? 》
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