Back-end Development – Key Responsibilities and Technologies

Have you ever wondered what exactly happens behind the scenes of a website? What exactly happens when you click a button to go to a different page? And what happens to your personal information if you sign up for a free trial?

Back-end developers are the experts who create and maintain the mechanisms that allow websites to process data and perform actions. Back-end developers, instead of front-end developers, are involved in data storage, security, and other server-side functions that are not visible to the user.

What Is Back-End Development?

Working on server-side software, which is concerned with everything that cannot be seen on a website, is part of back-end development. Back-end developers make sure that the website functions properly by focusing on databases, back-end logic, APIs, architecture, and servers. They use code to assist browsers in communicating with databases, storing, understanding, and deleting data.

Back-end developers work with front-end developers, product managers, principal architects, and website testers to build the structure of a website or mobile app as part of a team. Back-end developers must be comfortable with a wide range of tools and frameworks, and languages such as Python, Java, and Ruby. They ensure that the back end responds quickly and effectively to front-end user requests. Master the key technologies with the help of an IBM system design course, designed for working professionals of all domains.

Back-End Developer Responsibilities and Tasks

Back-end developers require technical expertise, analytical thinking, and excellent collaboration skills. As a competent back-end web developer, you should be able to design the web infrastructure independently.

On a daily basis, back-end developers do the following:

• Create and maintain websites: The primary responsibility of a back-end developer is to use various tools, frameworks, and languages to determine how to best develop intuitive, user-friendly prototypes and turn them into websites. This necessitates knowledge of cross-platform functionality and compatibility.

• Write high-quality code: In order to create long-lasting web applications, developers must write clean, easily maintainable code.

• Create and oversee testing schedules to optimize user interface and experience, ensuring optimal display across multiple browsers and devices.

• Evaluate efficiency and speed: Once a website is live, as well as during updates and edits, developers must evaluate its performance and scalability, adjusting code as needed.

• Troubleshoot and debug: Troubleshoot and resolve issues while communicating with project managers, stakeholders, and QA teams.

• Maintain workflows with client teams to ensure ongoing support, as well as a leading training and mentoring for junior developers.

Technical Skills of a Back-end Developer

As a back-end developer, you will need to learn specific technical skills to navigate developing the back-end of a web or mobile application.

• Programming languages – Any back-end engineer should be proficient with back-end programming languages such as Python, Java, and PHP. When used with databases, frameworks, and servers, these enable the website to function. Python is a popular programming language because it works well to write clear and logical code and is compatible with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. A basic understanding of front-end languages such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript is advantageous.

• Frameworks –  Frameworks are libraries of back-end programming languages that aid in the creation of server configurations. They are usually associated with programming languages, so if you know Python, you’ll also know Flask, Django, another Python-based framework, and so on.

• Back-end programming controls access to this information, including storage and recovery, so you’ll need to understand how to stack and recover data from databases. MongoDB and MySQL are well-known database applications. The database stores and organizes the client’s data so that it can be easily arranged and recovered, similar to how you might store your photos in the cloud. This database is then run on a server that provides data on demand.

• Application Programming Interface (API) –  An API is a set of definitions and rules that can be used to create application software. Companies frequently require a mobile app for iOS or Android in addition to internet browser websites. Knowledge of application-building languages such as JavaScript will broaden your job prospects.

• Access and security clearance –  You should learn about network protocols and web security. Understanding how to secure databases and servers is essential for success as a back-end developer.

If you’re interested in the development field, consider taking a professional Full stack web developer course which covers the entire spectrum of full stack technologies. With the assistance of IBM experts, you will learn how to build web applications, understand front-end languages such as HTML and CSS, back-end languages and frameworks such as Express, Node.js, Python, and Django, and much more. These are essential tools regardless of whether you apply for software or web application-based  jobs.