{"id":2819,"date":"2020-09-20T08:20:42","date_gmt":"2020-09-20T08:20:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swisstomato.ch\/2020\/09\/20\/comparing-backend-and-frontend\/"},"modified":"2020-09-20T08:20:42","modified_gmt":"2020-09-20T08:20:42","slug":"comparing-backend-and-frontend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swisstomato.ch\/en\/2020\/09\/20\/comparing-backend-and-frontend\/","title":{"rendered":"Comparing backend and frontend"},"content":{"rendered":"

When we talk about computer programming, code or web development, we are not always very familiar with technical jargon, yet certain expressions come up regularly. Backend and Frontend are part of it. Two terms that we hear more and more, but ultimately what is it? What does it represent and what is it for?<\/span><\/p>\n

\"backend<\/p>\n

There is backend and frontend everywhere<\/span><\/h2>\n

In the field of IT development, we develop \u201capplications\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

These applications can take the form of a website<\/a> (f.ex: the Swiss Tomato digital agency\u00a0 website), a web application (f.ex: the Google Drive), a mobile application (f.ex: Waze).<\/span><\/p>\n

To function, an application<\/a> or website very often needs what is called in tech jargon, a backend part and a frontend part. We can read on different resources, “the front is what the end user (you) see, and the back is what we don’t see”, but what does that mean?<\/span><\/p>\n

Backend and frontend in very simplified form<\/span><\/h2>\n

To better understand these two concepts, let’s move away from technical terms for a moment and take an example from everyday life: postal services<\/span><\/p>\n

Imagine the following situation: I have to send a letter to a company, and that company will have to send me a return mail in order to respond to my request.<\/span><\/p>\n

In this example, the letter I need to send represents my search for information on a website (or web application).<\/span><\/p>\n

We are now going to break down the different actions that follow from sending my letter and all the necessary steps from sending it to receiving the company’s response to my request. Let’s see offline backend and frontend structure :<\/span><\/p>\n

\"backend<\/p>\n

Several actors will be involved throughout the stages:<\/span><\/h3>\n