What Is Backend? What Skills Does a Backend Developer Need?

Working in information technology strongly appeals to young people. But there are many different specializations to pursue as an IT engineer, and becoming a Back End programmer interests many people. So learning what BackEnd is, or BackEnd Developer what skills it requires, helps us choose a suitable career with confidence.

What is backend?

In website developer BackEnd is everything users can't see on a website or in software that is in use. It is the heart, or the engine, of a website so the site can run efficiently and meet customers' needs. The Back-End responds to customer requests by sending information from the BackEnd to the Front End for the fastest possible display.

For a website, the Back End includes the server, operating system, database, APIs and more. All of them work together to deliver detailed, specific and complete information to users in the shortest time. That is why a Back End programmer's job is to write the code and programs for the server, and to build the database for the website and every application in it.

For a website, the Back End includes the server, operating system, database, APIs and more.

The duties of a backend developer

A Backend developer has many different duties to carry out. The most basic ones are:

A server

A Backend developer programs what the website does on the server side. The main server-side duties are:

• User authentication: which makes sure users' account details are accurate, and that they have permission to see what they want to see.
• Sequence control: making sure the processes running on the website are handled well, without any errors.
• Optimization: every function of the website not only works but works quickly and efficiently.

See more:

• What is a web server?
• What is a Dedicated Server? What to know about Dedicated Server Hosting
• High-quality web hosting with fast speeds

Automatic notifications

When we do something repeatedly, we should find a way to automate it so the work gets simpler. This is entirely true for website development. A Backend developer writes the code that makes this automation happen. We can't email thousands of online users by hand. So automatic notifications, whether about new features or service offers, can be sent simply and easily.

Database validation

A Backend developer is also the guardian of the system. The part of a website shown on the Front End can easily be changed in the browser using languages like CSS or HTML when we inspect it. These changes last only until the page is reloaded.

All the data we imagine a website needs is stored in the database. When the browser builds the page we visit, it pulls the values it needs, such as item quantities and prices, from the database. When we enter information, a request to update the database is made.

The Backend developer builds the processes that make sure entered data is valid before any change is made on the server side. Put simply, all information entered on the website must be validated by code written by the Backend developer before it becomes part of the database.

See more:

• What is a backup? Why you need to back up your website data
• What is MySQL? What you need to know about MySQL

Database access

This is quite similar to the duty above, but separating it clearly helps us understand the full range of a Backend developer's duties. Here, the Backend developer's job is to access the different database systems the website maintains, so those systems do what is asked of them.

A Backend developer needs to carry out many different duties in web or software development

Backend developers and their code are among the most basic and important factors in the success or failure of keeping a website secure and running reliably. Each Backend developer is responsible for streamlining database access so the web reloads and performs its functions as fast as possible.

API

API – Application Programming Interface is the application programming interface provided by a third party that makes a feature work properly. Here the Backend developer makes sure everything runs stably. We can also write APIs for other websites to use the same functions as our own.

Working with APIs and building them can be a large part of what a Back End programmer does. Done efficiently and accurately, it saves a lot of time. But it can also give Backend developers headaches and cost effort in separating things out when coding a complex system.

Differences between back-end and front-end developers

Back end developer and front end developer are 2 of the 3 main specializations in the IT field. There are certain differences between the two, and knowing them gives everyone full and accurate information. They are:

The work of a Front End programmer

A Front End programmer manages and builds everything the user sees first on a website or a specific application. This developer is fully responsible for how the user sees and feels the site. The main focus is building and developing websites with the common languages HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. Put simply, a Front End programmer's job is interface programming.

See more: 

• What is Front End? How to become a good Front End Developer

The work of a Back End programmer

They do the work inside the server and handle communication between the server, the database and the browser. Everything that can't be seen with the eye is the Back End programmer's job. They are usually called developers or programmers.

A Back End Developer is required to know languages such as Java, PHP, ASP.NET, Ruby and Python, aiming to deliver dynamic websites whose content is changed and updated regularly.

What skills does a backend programmer need?

To become a successful Backend developer, there are many skills each person needs to learn, improve and perfect. The skills a good, professional Backend developer must have are:

• Be skilled in using BackEnd programming languages and Framework.
• Fully understand Front End web technologies, mainly CSS, HTML and JavaScript.
• Be able to manage the hosting environment, including database administration and scaling applications.
• Know the rules about access and website security.
• Have experience with basic distributed version control systems such as Git.
• Have skills and knowledge in developing mobile websites or building applications on cloud platforms.
• Be able to use version control and source code management tools effectively.
• Understand CMS and CRM platforms thoroughly and in detail.
• Understand commonly used database management systems such as RDBMS and NoSQL.

See more:

• What is a CMS? The most popular CMSs today
• Should you design a website by hand-coding or use a CMS?

Beyond professional knowledge and skills, a good Backend developer who can do the job well also needs basic soft skills:

• Many skills need to be developed to become a good Backend developer
• Careful and detail-oriented, able to juggle several tasks while managing personal time well.
• Strong analytical skills, so problems are handled efficiently and accurately in every case.
• Good communication skills, and able to organize and schedule work in a sensible, structured way.
• Able to handle the high pressure that comes with a backend developer's work.

Essential tools for backend developers

To succeed as a backend developer and deliver what real projects require, there is a lot of knowledge to pick up. Using the right supporting tools is just as essential. They include:

• Server-side programming languages: the first languages to learn are HTML and CSS, which matter a great deal for a backend programmer. Beyond those, the essential server-side languages are PHP, Node.js and Python.
• Database systems: A backend developer is free to choose the programming language that gives the best result for the application. That choice directly affects which database system to use. The main tools here are frameworks: frameworks for Node.js, Framework cho PHP, frameworks for Python, and frameworks for C#.

Becoming a backend developer takes a lot of knowledge and many skills, all of which need to be built up fully. Only then can you meet the demands of the job and build software or websites good enough to support the real needs of businesses and organizations, helping them grow and expand their markets as planned. We hope this guide from MONA Media has helped you understand backend programming better and choose the right direction for your own career.