Welcome to the Treehouse Community
Want to collaborate on code errors? Have bugs you need feedback on? Looking for an extra set of eyes on your latest project? Get support with fellow developers, designers, and programmers of all backgrounds and skill levels here with the Treehouse Community! While you're at it, check out some resources Treehouse students have shared here.
Looking to learn something new?
Treehouse offers a seven day free trial for new students. Get access to thousands of hours of content and join thousands of Treehouse students and alumni in the community today.
Start your free trial
ramy rahmiel
11,797 Pointswhat is the deal with back end??
hello i finished now the express course and the node.js course and don't understand. what is the deal with back end??? for what purpose it serves? another question: my goal is to be a front end developer do i even need to learn back end?
3 Answers
Clayton Perszyk
Treehouse Moderator 48,850 Points"Backend development languages handle the 'behind-the-scenes' functionality of web applications. It's code that connects the web to a database, manages user connections, and powers the web application itself."
As far as whether you should know the backend as a front end dev, it's up to you. I would suggest getting a high level understanding of it, even if it's not where you want to work, as it will give you a more holisitic understanding of web development and if you want to build an app from scratch, you may need a backend (although depending on the app, you may get by with using APIs).
Michael Cook
Full Stack JavaScript Techdegree Graduate 28,975 PointsYou say you completed the node and express courses but you still don't know what the backend is?
The "backend" or server-side is where app your files and data live. The front-end merely renders files and data that come from the server. Should you know it? I agree with Clayton. You need to have a fundamental understanding of it, but if your goal is only to be a front-end developer then that's all you need. Though you should still understand the basics of node for using tools like npm.
smooty
739 PointsNah, dont listen to these guys. If all you want to be is a front end developer, just concentrate on that. There isnt enough time to learn everything anyhow. So put your focus where it makes the most sense. For you that's front end. Dont waste your time on backend. You don;t need to understand it to be a front end developer. Dont listen to anyone that says you do. To be a great front end developer you need to know literally ZEEEEEERRRROOO about the back end.
Michael Cook
Full Stack JavaScript Techdegree Graduate 28,975 PointsThis is false and bad advice. You absolutely do need to know something about what servers do, the request/response cycle, status codes and other aspects of the server side. I really can't believe that anyone who knows what they're talking about would ever give advice like that. Its absurd.
Michael Cook
Full Stack JavaScript Techdegree Graduate 28,975 PointsFurther to my last comment, now that I have a bit more time I want to emphasize that a front-end web developer does need fundamental knowledge of what server-side scripts do. Front-end developers often write applications and sites that pull in data from APIs. You need to know the basics of HTTP - GET and POST requests, the most common server status codes (200, 404, 500 etc). You should also know about URLs, dynamic parameters, query strings, and you should know what the Request-Response cycle is. Someone applying for a front end developer job who can't demonstrate knowledge of these fundamentals if asked to do so will probably not be seen as a serious candidate for the job.
Do you need to know how to write a REST API or design a database schema as a front-end developer? No. But you should have a fundamental understanding of these things on a high level.