The main skills you need to have to be a back-end developer

October 7, 2021

Before we get into what technical skills are needed for a back-end career, it is important to know in some detail what their jobs are. Activities such as writing APIs, creating libraries and working with system components without user interfaces are included in the back-end. When a request is made to the system through a front-end framework, it is the responsibility of the back-end to ensure that a program can deliver any requested data or information. Maintaining databases, managing application program interfaces (APIs), testing and debugging to ensure that a software program works effectively are some of the possible functions to be performed. Specialized training combined with experience and a constant willingness to learn are essential tools to enhance the careers of these professionals. We list some of the main tools used by a back-end developer:

PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES

PYTHON

Python is one of today's most popular programming languages. Known for its simple syntax, the reason behind its prominence is that Python is reliable, accessible, supports multiple programming styles and provides excellent data visualizations. From here, developers can use both functional and object-oriented programming approaches with equal ease. The language's support for libraries that deal with databases makes a simple visualization, fast development, and moreover, its syntax is relatively easy to learn. Python's extensive set of libraries and frameworks can be extremely helpful in saving time, which translates into more efficient programming.

JAVA

This technology is capable of handling more robust programming tasks and is incredibly useful for back-end programmers because it is a high-performance language that supports object-oriented programming and can run on any system that supports a Java virtual machine.

PHP

PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) is a server-side and open-source scripting language, that has been developed specifically for the web and designed to work with HTML, servers and databases. It is simple to learn, has a huge community behind it and is supported by several frameworks. The vast majority of websites are built in PHP, which is also the language behind Wordpress, WooCommerce and Shopify. This language allows you to build simple landing pages and websites, but also to create more complex web platforms.

JAVASCRIPT

JavaScript is a scripting language that can be used on both the client and server-side for the development of dynamic web pages. It is its application that makes a functional website dynamic, then enables an end-user interaction. The reason it is important to a back-end developer is that it can handle all database operations, develop the business logic of an application and also implement an API from scratch. For these reasons, its use in web development is increasing, as it makes the whole procedure much easier.

FRAMEWORKS

DJANGO

Quite famous for its 'Django admin' feature, this is a Python framework. It allows for rapid website development while maintaining high levels of security, combined with simple maintenance and updating. It is an automatically generated backend that allows you to manage the website quickly, securely, without requiring much development. Django comes with an ORM that can also support database migrations and other associated tasks. This framework written in Python, saw its first lines of code in 2005, standing out for its ease of use, since there is no need to write long queries and for being able to create models and templates according to specific data. It is a free and open-source platform, with a thriving and active community, since it provides its developers with very useful documentation.

NODE.JS

Node.js is not technically a framework, a programming language or a library, it is an open-source, cross-platform software package based on Google's V8 interpreter that is used to run web applications outside of the browser and can be applied to server-side software, applications and APIs that reside in places inaccessible to users (the back-end). Many back-end developers choose Node.js for its speed, ability to compile JS code and its almost instantaneous speed. In addition, its biggest advantages are scalability and the ability to quickly add nodes to existing systems. To support the developers there is a dynamic community that broadcasts regular updates and a foundation (OpenJS Foundation) responsible for overseeing its growth.

LARAVEL

Considered as one of the best PHP frameworks for web application development, this language allows you to build applications using a very accessible syntax. With a vast template system, fast integrations of third-party libraries, Laravel ensures that any website has a secure back-end. At their disposal, developers are provided with a set of ready-made features commonly used in web projects, such as authentication, redirection, sessions and caching. The development process is thus simplified, allowing developers an increased focus on customizing the solution. This language also offers a unique architecture where you can create your infrastructure, specifically designed for your application.

Although back-end developers work behind the scenes of software, their contribution to the success of a web application is crucial. In any web or mobile project, it will be critical that, from its kick-off, there is good communication between all members of the team. Moreover, understanding the needs and goals of all stakeholders will promote a successful system architecture, providing valuable solutions. Due to the technical knowledge that this role requires, most professionals start their academic career with more specialized training in Computer Science, which they later consolidate within the professional field, in parallel with courses and workshops that offer a new dimension of knowledge about the latest technologies and improve their hard skills.