Decoding the Web: A Comprehensive Guide to the World of Web Development in 2024

What do you know about Web Development? Do you also think of the spider anytime you hear the phrase Web Development?

Maybe you aren't wrong after all, spiders are great web developers. They spend the entirety of their lifespan on the web.

But when we talk of Web Development in the realm of technology, we mean the World Wide Web (www). World Wide Web is a system of interconnected hypertext documents and multimedia content that is accessed via the internet using web browsers.

Here is to decoding the web and explaining how it works. This article delves into the concepts of web development; its type, prerequisites, career opportunities and lot more. By the end of this article, you will understand the trick behind how you post and receive updates on social media.

Without further ado, let's get started!

What is Web Development?

Web development refers to the tasks associated with designing, creating, building and maintaining websites and web apps. Websites and web apps run online on a browser.

A website is a location on the world wide web, where information is presented in a readable format. It is a collection of webpages, multimedia content and other resources that are identified by a common domain name. Websites are accessible via the internet and presented through a web browser.

A web application (web app) is a software application that runs on a web browser. Unlike the traditional application, it doesn't need to be installed or launched by the operating system. Web apps are accessed through web browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge and others. This allows users to access app functionalities without the need to install it on their system.

Web apps are platform independent. Meaning they can be accessed on different operating systems and devices as long as they have a compatible web browser.

Websites and web apps are integral to the internet's functionalities, so are web developers. Anytime you do anything on the internet, you make use of a website built for that specific purpose.

Web developers build websites and web apps by writing lines of code. They make use of various programming languages depending on the part of the website and the task it performs.

Programming languages are formal systems used to instruct computers and create software. Lines of code (LOC) refer to individual lines within a computer program or script. LOC are fundamental units of measurement used to quantify the size and complexity of a software project

Realms of Web Development

Web development unfolds in three distinct realms, these are:

• Front-end development.
• Back-end development.
• Full-stack development.

Front-end Development

Front-end development deals with the client-side part of web development. It involves the creation of the part of websites or digital products that the user sees and interact with directly.

Front-end developers are responsible for how digital products look and feel. They are saddled with the responsibility of creating a functional website that is visually appealing. Front-end developers turn visual ideas and web designs made by UI/UX or product designers into codes. They act as the bridge between designs and technological realities.

The role of a frontend developer encompasses the conduction of web testing and fixing of bugs developed during the process. They also ensures that website's structure follows SEO best practice.

To be a Front-end developer, one need a solid background knowledge of the three core web technologies. These web technologies are: Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) and JavaScript (JS). A good knowledge of frameworks and libraries like Tailwind, Bootstrap, React, AngularJS and preprocessors like SASS and SCSS is also essential.

Front-end Development Roles

As a skilled and experienced front-end developer, tech roles you can apply for include:

• Front-end engineer.
• Front-end developer.
• Front-end web designer.
• Mobile front-end web developer.
• Front-end SEO expert.
• Front-end Dev ops.
• Front-end quality assurance (QA) engineer.
• Front-end user interface developer.
• Front-end accessibility expert.

Back-end Development?

Back-end development refers to the development of the server-side of a website, where the server database and application logic resides. It involves handling tasks that are not visible to users but are essential for the proper functioning of the website.

If Front-end developers are responsible for digital product's look and feel, Back-end developers are concerned with how it works. Back-end developers create the basic framework of websites, they maintain it and ensure it perform the way it should. Back-end developers are also responsible for database interactions, user authentication, server, network and hosting configuration, and business logic. Back-end developers must know how to build servers with modern frameworks. They must be good at managing database and data on web servers.

To be a Back-end developer, one must master server-side programming languages PHP, Ruby, Python, NodeJS, JAVA e. t .c. A sound understanding of tools like MYSQL, ORACLE and GIT is also essential.

Back-end Development Roles

As a Back-end developer who knows his onion, tech roles you can apply for include:

• Back-end developer.
• Database administrator.
• Back-end development team lead,
• API developer.
• Back-end quality assurance (QA) engineer.
• Security engineer (Back-end).
• Technical architect.
• Software engineer (Back-end).

Full-Stack Development?

Full-stack development is the combination of both Front-end and Back-end development. A Full-stack developer is someone familiar with both Front-end and Back-end development. Full-stack developers are generalists with a great command of many programming languages and web technologies. Their versatility always give them an edge over other developers who specialize. It makes them eligible for leadership roles in tech companies.

Obviously, almost every company want to hire Full-stack developers. According to an indeed study, they are the fourth-most in-demand job in tech.

How does Front-end works with Back-end?; A real life scenario.

Front-end and Back-end work hand-in-hand to execute user's request. To instantiate this, let's consider a scenario where you post an update on Facebook.

You upload the update (video, audio, text e.t.c) by interacting directly with the user interface which is the Front-end. The front-end sends your request to the Back-end server.

The Back-end server which handles user authentication and data storage verifies your credentials. It then processes your update and store your new post in the database. Then, it triggers notifications to your friends and update your activity feed.

After all these, it finally sends a response back to the Front-end confirming the successful posting of the update. That is when you now get a notification saying "your post has been uploaded successfully".

This is how social media platforms process contents and maintain consistency of data across the platform.

Web Wonders: Concluding the Odyssey of Web Development Discovery

The world wide web is far from being some kind of cobwebs made by the spider. It is a component of the internet that facilitates the sharing of information, communication and collaboration globally. It is formed by collections of websites that are developed through a process called web development.

Web development involves the design and creation of the front-end and back-end part of a website. Developing the front-end and back-end part of a website requires skills and expertise in various web technologies. This includes programming languages and frameworks like JavaScript, Python, HTML, CSS, SASS. React and so on.

Web development is a lucrative and rewarding career path to start toeing in 2024.

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