What Is Web Development?

What Is Web Development?

The goal of the Digital Websynation Web Developer Career Guide is to assist you in beginning your journey toward a successful web development profession. Find out more about the scope of the web development industry.

Creating, developing, and managing websites and web apps that operate online in a browser is referred to as web development, sometimes called website development. However, database management, web development, and web design may also be included.

The work of creating the features and functionalities of applications (web design) is closely tied to web development. Usually, the actual building of these things—that is, the programming of sites—is referred to as development.

The three programming languages, HTML (HyperText Markup Language), CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), and JavaScript, are the fundamental instruments used in web development. Nonetheless, there are also more tools that "manage" or make it easier to develop sites than if it had to be done "from scratch" by writing code. This group includes, among others, WordPress, Joomla!, Drupal, TYPO3, and Adobe Experience Manager content management systems (CMS).

What is Web Development, Exactly?

Although the work of creating the features and functioning of websites and applications—often referred to as "web design"—and web development are closely related, the phrase "web development" is typically used to refer to the actual building and programming of websites and applications.

Consider all the websites you have visited over the years. When web developers created those, they made sure the sites operated well and provided an excellent user experience. Writing code in a range of computer languages—which change based on the jobs and platforms they function on—is how web developers accomplish this.

Web Design vs. Web Development

While there are some similarities between web development and web design, there are also important distinctions. Let's investigate more closely:

Web Designers:

Make all the visual, color, typographic, and usability aspects that a user encounters on a website or software application

Create designs directly with a customer or collaborate with them to develop their idea as a team.

Perhaps some coding experience or programming language knowledge, or at the very least some acquaintance with commonly used languages like HTML, CSS, PHP, and JavaScript

To test design concepts, create wireframes and prototypes. Provide feedback on logos, branding, and company style guides.

Web Developers:

Write the server-side (front-end) or back-end (server-side) code that drives a website.

Develop or put into action designs that a client requests or that a design team has produced.

Proficiency in multiple programming languages is required, including HTML (HyperText Markup Language), CSS, PHP, and JavaScript, as well as additional languages like Ruby, C/C++, and Python, as well as frameworks and libraries.

Make a few mockups, choose fonts, and choose color schemes.

Which programming languages are most commonly used?

The following are the most popular programming languages used in web development:

HyperText Markup Language, or HTML

Cascading Style Sheets, or CSS

JavaScript Web Development Types

Front-end, back-end, and full-stack development are the three primary subtypes of web development.

What Is Front-End Development?

The "client-facing" aspect of web development is included in front-end development. In other words, the part of a website, application, or digital product that people will view and interact with is typically referred to as front-end web development. Because they are in charge of how a digital product appears and feels, front-end developers are also frequently referred to as web designers.

In front of, The primary task of web developers is to convert visual concepts and website designs into code. Serving as a liaison between design and technology, a front-end software developer programs the concepts developed by other members of web development teams into reality.

Programming languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, as well as frameworks like React, Bootstrap, Backbone, AngularJS, and Ember-JS, are typically prerequisites for front-end developers. A front-end developer's duties might include building websites that are responsive—that is, that work and look well on any device—testing websites to find and solve errors found during the web creation process, and making sure the structure of the site adheres to search engine optimization best practices.

Front-End Development Jobs

In contrast to back-end development, front-end development encompasses a variety of job titles that cater to varying skill levels and experience levels, such as:

Front-End Programmer

Front-End Developer: HTML/CSS Web Developer

Front-end web designer: this term typically refers to a position requiring higher interaction and visual design requirements.

Front-end interface developer with expertise in interaction design

a front-end web programmer

Front-end SEO Specialist (often referring to a developer with experience using SEO tactics)

Expert in Front-End Development Operations and Accessibility

Front-end quality assurance, which includes A/B, functional, unit, and user testing

What Is Back-End Development?

Back-end developers are more concerned with the functionality of a digital product than front-end developers are with its appearance. A back-end developer builds the foundation of a website, including database interactions, user authentication, server, network, and hosting settings, and business logic, and then maintains it and makes sure it functions as it should. Back-end developers work on the back end, or server side, and are primarily concerned with the frameworks and mechanisms that enable computer programs to function as intended.

Back-end developers are mostly in charge of making sure the website functions, including how quickly and responsive it is. Back-end developers must be proficient in managing databases and data on a web server, as well as creating servers using contemporary frameworks, custom API development, and supplying static files and webpages.

Back-end developers typically work with tools like MySQL, Oracle, and Git in addition to server-side programming languages like PHP, Ruby, and Python.

What Is a Full-Stack Developer?

An individual skilled in both front-end and back-end development is known as a full-stack developer. Since they are more adaptable than specialized developers, full-stack developers frequently have a broad understanding of a range of programming languages and may even hold more leadership positions on projects. They are multitaskers who know how to wear both hats and are knowledgeable about every stage of development. Full-Stack developers are the fourth most in-demand position in technology; therefore, it goes without saying that employers want to hire them. This was found in an Indeed study.

The position's generalist nature is the source of any controversy around the title. Front-end and back-end developers frequently take offense at the idea that someone may be equally skilled in all areas; the phrase "jack of all-trades, master of none" springs to mind.

Front-end developer Andy Short wrote, "When I hear that magic phrase ('full-stack'), my defensive tendencies are normally put on high alert." Being able to assert that one has developed refined skills at every tier of web development is undoubtedly not a modest boast, as stacks are much larger than they ever were. Does this imply that you are skilled in many areas or that you are an expert in every field?

Even with that persistent notion, more and more tech professionals are identifying as full-stack developers. In a recent Stack Overflow study, 48.2 percent of developers identified as full-stack developers.

It's unclear if developers are now required to have a wider range of skills, or if they are taking it upon themselves to comprehend front-end and back-end operations. In either case, having a foundation in both is becoming more and more crucial for those who want to become developers.