{"id":6012,"date":"2016-01-12T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-01-12T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thinkapps.com\/blog\/?p=6012"},"modified":"2016-01-12T11:44:29","modified_gmt":"2016-01-12T19:44:29","slug":"basics-back-end-development","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thinkapps.com\/blog\/development\/basics-back-end-development\/","title":{"rendered":"Basics of Back-End Development"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is back-end development and how does it compare to front-end?\u00a0Also,\u00a0what techniques do back-end developers use? Read on to\u00a0find out!<\/em><\/p>\n

What Is Back-End Development?<\/h2>\n

In order to have a discussion about back-end development,\u00a0we must first explain what are the back-end and front-end. The\u00a0two are indivisible concepts, both of which play an important role\u00a0within an\u00a0app’s structure.<\/p>\n

\"Basics<\/a><\/p>\n

The Front-End<\/h3>\n

The front-end is\u00a0essentially\u00a0the part of an\u00a0app that users\u00a0can see and interact with, <\/strong>including\u00a0images, buttons, menus, transitions, etc.<\/p>\n

The front-end\u00a0is the most superficial “layer” within an app and is made of images and objects that contain\u00a0no information or are able to work by themselves.<\/p>\n

\"Basics<\/a><\/p>\n

The Back-End<\/h3>\n

The back-end<\/b> \u2014 also known as CMS (content management system) or back office \u2014 is\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>the part of the app that\u00a0remains hidden to users<\/b>\u00a0(but not to the admin or developers). <\/span><\/p>\n

Its job is to 1) access the information that users require through the app, 2)\u00a0<\/span>combine and transform\u00a0such information,\u00a0and 3) return the information\u00a0in its new shape to the requester.<\/span><\/p>\n

To put it another way, the back-end makes its entrance into the app in order to give life to the front-end.<\/p>\n

Now that you know the difference between the front-end and the back-end and understand the relationship between the two, we are ready to dive\u00a0deeper into a discussion of back-end development.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Basics<\/a><\/p>\n

Duties and Work Processes of the Back-End<\/h2>\n

As mentioned above, there are\u00a0three duties of a back-end platform. Let’s examine\u00a0each in greater\u00a0detail.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Access the Information Users Require through the App<\/h3>\n

Regardless of the nature of the product, users continuously ask for data when using an app. <\/span><\/p>\n

This is true whether it’s a “get-nice-info” app that shows\u00a0public transit maps and timetables or a kids’<\/span> game that allows users to make their own Barbie dolls.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Combine the Information Gathered and Transform It<\/h3>\n

The data\u00a0or\u00a0information that is required for an\u00a0app to work can come from lots of different places, which are\u00a0known as\u00a0databases. <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

At this point, the duty of the back-end is to find the specific information the user needs within the various databases \u2014 which are enormous, by the way \u2014 and then combine it in a way\u00a0that provides useful results.<\/p>\n

Imagine that you\u00a0have downloaded a how-to-get-there app and now want to know how to arrive quickly to your new job. In this example, the\u00a0app will need to access the information from your\u00a0city bus databases, but also from those of any other modes of public transit, taxi companies, and Google Maps.<\/p>\n

Sounds tough, right? It can be challenging, but a well-built back-end is able<\/em> to surgically find the information demanded. The key is that its structure is designed based on\u00a0the particular questions it will have to answer throughout its life.<\/p>\n

Which begs the question: what happens if the questions that the\u00a0back-end has to answer change over time?<\/span><\/p>\n

Happily, there’s no need to worry. The skeleton of the back-end is always optimizable, and developers\u00a0will always be able to introduce new job orders or questions to answer within its code. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Give the Information Back to the User<\/h3>\n

Finally, once the back-end has gathered and combined all of the information requested, the data must\u00a0be sent to the user.<\/p>\n

But how many users know how to read the information in pure code that the back-end produces? Probably\u00a0only a small handful.<\/p>\n

Because of this, the back-end needs “translators” to be able to translate the pure code into a human language. Here come the famous APIs and the front-end, anew.<\/p>\n

\"Basics<\/a><\/p>\n

APIs<\/h3>\n

APIs (Application Programming Interfaces)<\/a> are the tools that transport the information that the back-end produces to the front-end of the\u00a0app.<\/p>\n

At that point, the front-end is in charge of translating the data that has been brought through the APIs and converting it into the visual elements\u00a0that the app\u00a0user can understand (including\u00a0buttons, pictures, menus, text, etc).<\/p>\n

A\u00a0Final Note about\u00a0the Front-End<\/h3>\n

In order to more fully\u00a0explain\u00a0the process of the information’s return \u2014 but without going too deep\u00a0into the mechanisms of the front-end, since they are complex and deserve to be explored in a separate post\u00a0\u2014 we should clarify that there are\u00a0two “layers” that comprise the front-end:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. One layer is directly related to\u00a0the OS<\/a> in which our app has been developed. The nature of<\/span> this part is logical, and it is in charge of transforming the language of the data delivered from the API’s language to that of the specific OS.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. The other layer\u00a0is directly related to\u00a0the app’s aesthetic design, and which is, by nature, visual. This visual part is the one mentioned at the beginning of this article, <\/span>the one with which users can see and interact.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The logical layer, although considered a part of the front-end, is not seen by the final user. Very informally, we could call it the “back-end part of the front-end.” But more on that in a future post. \ud83d\ude42<\/span><\/p>\n

    Summary of the Back-End Duties<\/h3>\n

    To sum up the duties and processes of the back-end, let’s turn\u00a0to the words of\u00a0<\/span>Ignacio Barrea,\u00a0director of\u00a0Tictapps<\/a>\u00a0mobile consultancy and development agency:<\/p>\n

    “The solid work of a well-built back-end is key for a good front-end experience.<\/i> You can design the most beautifully crafted app, you can have the most innovative mobile business idea. But in the end, <\/i>if the foundation of your app doesn\u2019t work, the application will be a failure, and your users will quickly uninstall it from their devices.”<\/i><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Languages\u00a0Used for\u00a0Back-End\u00a0Development<\/h2>\n

    When it comes to back-end development, programmers\u00a0look for a language that is intuitive and easy to implement. This is particularly important\u00a0since much of the app’s code is written on the back-end, and they will have to work with it over and over again.<\/p>\n

    Some of the most popular languages used for back-end development\u00a0are Ruby, Python, SQL, PHP, and Java<\/strong>.\u00a0Each has its pros and cons, and which one you choose will ultimately depend on your specific needs.<\/p>\n

    Since the focus of this article is on the basics of back-end development, we are not going to dive\u00a0deeper into\u00a0each language’s benefits and drawbacks. <\/span><\/p>\n

    However, based on our experience with\u00a0Tictapps’ own clients, we recommend that you (or your development team) take the following criteria into account when choosing a\u00a0language<\/span>:<\/p>\n

    1. Scalability<\/h3>\n

    When we talk about the scalability of the back-end, we are referring to <\/span>the “flexibility” of its structure for integrating new codes (or “work questions,” using the former terms). <\/span>This is crucial, especially if your app is intended to work in\u00a0the long run. <\/span><\/p>\n

    Changes within apps are not only unavoidable but also recommended. Users change, needs change, business models change. So your app and its back-end must\u00a0<\/span>be developed in a way that will enable you and your team to face those challenges.<\/p>\n

    2. Security<\/h3>\n

    Due to the constant interaction of the back-end with data, you can understand\u00a0how important it is for it to be developed following secure practices. This is even more essential\u00a0when the data your app interacts\u00a0with is sensitive information, such as financial, personal, or medical data<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

    In order to build secure back-ends <\/span>we suggest the following\u00a0recommendations: only hire\u00a0<\/span>professional developers, use secure connections\u00a0(such as the popular\u00a0HTTPS),\u00a0<\/span>and encrypt your databases.<\/p>\n

    3. Robustness<\/h3>\n

    By robustness, we mean <\/span>the “strength” of the back-end or its capability to keep working even when unexpected things happen. <\/span><\/p>\n

    Imagine, for example, that you have a mobile commerce startup and your app isn’t prepared for a huge number of deal-hungry users logging in and making purchases during your Christmas campaign. <\/span><\/p>\n

    What it will happen? Your app will crash. And then, what will happen next? Yep, your users will get angry and impatient\u00a0and quickly go find deals in your competitor’s app. <\/span><\/p>\n

    You don’t want this to happen, right? So, you must\u00a0take into account that your app has to be developed in order to respond to\u00a0unexpected situations, such as a huge number of users coming all at once on a deal hunt.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Final Recommendations to\u00a0Ensure App Strength<\/span><\/h2>\n

    To put it simply, we\u00a0suggest that you test your app over and over again.<\/p>\n

    At Tictapps, we perform two types\u00a0of app testing, one within the code and the other from the user’s point of view<\/a>. The first is highly recommended, as it can\u00a0help app designers and developers discover\u00a0a wide range\u00a0of crashes<\/a>. <\/span>The second is mandatory, as it helps to assess\u00a0the final proof of your app. <\/span><\/p>\n

    About the second and final testing process, we always advocate for putting<\/span>\u00a0your app in the worst possible situation. Such situations\u00a0might seem unlikely to happen, but the hard truth\u00a0is that <\/span>only by trying to “break” your app will you\u00a0be able to find out what its weak points are and what your users will experience<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    This article\u00a0is part of a series on app development. Please stay tuned for our upcoming post on the basics of the front-end.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    What is back-end development and how does it compare to front-end? Also, what techniques do back-end developers use? Read on to find out!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":64,"featured_media":6239,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[58,30,491,487,490,364,492],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nBack-End Development: A Guide to the Basics<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What is back-end development and how does it compare to front-end?\u00a0Also,\u00a0what techniques do back-end developers use? 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