Explained: What is Back-end development? | skills need for a Back-end developer

What is back-end development?

Backend development is that area of web development that focuses on core HTML & CSS required for a website. Backend development is important, because all the pieces that compose a website are designed, and built, using only HTML & CSS. 

So if you are a front-end developer or graphic designer, you need to be aware of backend development too, otherwise, you might lose out on a whole lot of job opportunities.

Now I'm sure all of you use social media applications. Every time you click on a video scroll through a feed perhaps search for something the corresponding information is displayed on your screen. Now, these applications provide an excellent user experience but how is this achieved?

You must know that every application comprises of two parts there's the front end and then there's the back end.

The front end is what the user deals with and the back end is what makes this happen. In other words, the back end includes an application, a server, and a database. The backend application fetches the data from the database and processes all client requests, the result of this is made visible to the user.

Who is a back-end developer?

A back-end developer's role is to focus on details like building an effective website architecture, scripting, and writing code that serves as a means of communication between the website's database, and the browser, and lastly to ensure data integrity and consistency.

Skills required to become a back-end developer

1. Data Structures and Algorithms

You need to have a good understanding of programming concepts like data structures and algorithms this includes:

• Stacks 

• Queues 

• Linked lists

• Trees and graphs 

• Sorting Algorithms 

• Search Algorithms

2. Programming languages and frameworks 

One of the most critical skills of a back-end developer is the depth of knowledge in back-end programming languages. This includes:

• Proficiency in javascript and its environments like node.js and express.js.

• Java  - This language was particularly built from the ground up to be run on the server-side. Popular frameworks include spring and java server faces.

• Python - Which is the most popularly used language today it is flexible and easy to use. Python frameworks like Django and flask are used for back-end development.

• C-sharp and its frameworks - Like asp.net core and asp.net MVC

• Other languages include Perl, PHP, and ruby.

Now biggest back-end and front-end developers work so closely together it is also helpful to have a foundational understanding of front-end web languages like HTML and CSS.

Now proficiency is essential not only for performing daily tasks but also for working alongside front-end developers for developing solutions.

3. Database management systems

A back-end developer writes code that is used to perform relational mapping to fetch data from the database some popularly used DBMS are MySQL, SQL Server, and PostgreSQL.

4. Version Control 

Again popular ones are git and subversion, they help manage the project files and keep track of the entire history of things that the developer is working on.

5. Cloud hosting platforms

 These platforms allow you to deploy your product on the cloud service provider so that it can be accessed from the world wide web.

The most popular ones are Amazon web services, Google cloud platform, Microsoft Azure, and Heroku. 

Of course, there are non-technical skills that are required of back-end developers those who choose this profession should be comfortable with analytical processes, have well-developed problem-solving capabilities, be interested in emerging technologies, have good communication skills, and be able to work independently, and sometimes as a part of a collaborative team.

Responsibilities of a back-end developer

1. Forming an understanding of the performance needs and goals of the website to develop effective successful solutions.

2. Development and management of application programming interfaces

3. Development of systems for websites, to accept and securely store data such as those required for payment processing systems.

4. Then there's writing code, testing, and development solutions for correlated issues.

5. Organization of system logic.

Salaries of a backend developer 

Some experts consider front-end developers as backend developers because they build the UI of a website and not just the data storage. But technically, the UI of a website is a separate concern because the UI of a website is developed by another web developer.

The average salary of a back-end developer in the United States is around 102,000 dollars per year.

The average salary of a back-end developer in India is around 7 lakhs 23,000 Indian rupees per annum.