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2024’s Tech Trend: Frontend for Backend

OpenSource on December 28, 2023

Hey there! We all heard about the Backend for Frontend, our BFF. It's basically a backend designed specifically for a certain frontend application...
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opensourcee profile image
OpenSource

Frontend for Backend (FFB) is distinct from a traditional Content Management System (CMS) in several key aspects:

  1. Target Audience and Purpose: CMS platforms are designed primarily for content creation and management, targeting content creators, marketers, and non-technical users. FFB, on the other hand, is tailored for developers, focusing on creating intuitive admin panels for backend systems. This makes it more developer-centric, dealing with data management, system configuration, and backend functionalities.

  2. Customization and Control: While CMSs offer customization mainly in terms of content layout and design, FFB provides deeper control over the interface and interactions with the backend. This includes customizing data displays, user interactions, and integrations with various backend services.

  3. Integration with Backend Systems: CMSs typically handle the content aspect and have limited capabilities in managing complex backend operations. FFB excels in seamlessly integrating with backend systems, offering a more efficient way to manage and interact with databases, server-side applications, and APIs.

  4. Developer Experience: FFB focuses on enhancing the developer experience by providing tools and frameworks that simplify the creation and management of admin panels. This contrasts with the user-centric design of CMSs, where the emphasis is on ease of use for content managers and editors.

  5. Scalability and Flexibility: FFB is designed with scalability in mind, allowing it to handle varying levels of complexity and load. It offers more flexibility in managing diverse backend functionalities, which is often not the focus of traditional CMS platforms.

  6. Open-Source Community and Collaboration: Being open-source, FFB benefits from community-driven development, ensuring continuous improvement and innovation. This community aspect often leads to more diverse and robust features compared to some CMS platforms.

  7. Technology Stack: FFB is typically built with modern technology stacks like React, aligning well with current web development trends and practices, which might differ from the technology stack of many CMS platforms.

In summary, while CMS platforms are content-focused and designed for ease of use by non-technical users, FFB is a more technical tool aimed at developers, focusing on backend integration, customization, and control. This makes FFB a specialized solution for managing backend systems, offering capabilities beyond traditional content management.

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syeo66 profile image
Red Ochsenbein (he/him)

But what is it?

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opensourcee profile image
OpenSource

Thanks, @syeo66 , I realized I forgot explaining it better. Just added above.

Frontend for Backend (FFB) is a development approach that integrates admin panels into web applications, enabling frontend developers to manage and configure backend functionalities more efficiently. This method adds a layer of frontend interfaces - essentially admin panels - that directly interact with the backend. These panels provide a user-friendly way for developers to control and modify backend processes, such as database management, user authentication, and system configurations, without delving into complex backend code. FFB is designed to simplify the overall development process, making it more accessible for those who primarily work on the frontend. By offering a visual and intuitive means to handle backend tasks, FFB streamlines the workflow, making it easier to implement changes and updates. It can expedite the development cycle by allowing quick and straightforward adjustments through the frontend.

Cheers!

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edumi538 profile image
Eduardo Miranda

I've been using headless CMS for a while now, and it's been a game-changer. I believe that the term FFB is cool, but in the end, it's indeed a CMS, just more advanced. In my opinion, it greatly accelerates backend development. I recommend everyone to take a look at Strapi!

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parkerproject profile image
Parker

@edumi538 What problem have you been solving with the Headless CMS, especially in the SaaS? How do you use it? How do you use Strapi

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gitsujon profile image
Moniruzzaman Sujon

React-admin can be a example of this?

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opensourcee profile image
OpenSource

Yes, thanks for mentioning. Good old Wordpress is one (for those using PHP).

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ozzythegiant profile image
Oziel Perez

Directus. That is all

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pavithra_sandamini profile image
Pavithra Sandamini

nice article, thanks for sharing

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opensourcee profile image
OpenSource

Thanks for reading!

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liabilityquek profile image
Harold

Are u referring to headless cms?

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opensourcee profile image
OpenSource

Quite. It’s a bit more than headless cms. It’s the head for the headless cms, to use the expression.

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radoslavkarlik profile image
Radoslav Karlík • Edited

Nothing special but it can also be useful to have for some automation fornon-technical users so they do not need to rely on developers. You can also restrict functionality based on roles etc.

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opensourcee profile image
OpenSource

Yes! Makes all the sense

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olamphzy07 profile image
Olamphzy

An example of Front-end for Backend is using Payload CMS to integrate an existing backend to build project.
I'm using the certain practice on my e-commerce project.

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ortonomy profile image
🅖🅡🅔🅖🅞🅡🅨 🅞🅡🅣🅞🅝

Did you just try to rebrand back-office admin panels?

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litzinger profile image
Brian Litzinger

Can we stop with this trend of giving new names to tried and proven technologies? This article just described a CMS.

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Friday candour

Introducing JetPath: A Lightning-Fast, Code-Saving Node Framework, for Supercharged Server-Side apps! ✨🚀github.com/Uiedbook/jetpath

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official_dulin

FFB, never heard of this concept? Is this created by yours?

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