What are the most popular questions about web development?

Websites, huge e-commerce platforms, mobile apps – how are they made? What do web developers do on a daily basis? And can anybody build their own online page? If you’re fascinated by these and other IT curiosities, dive right in. Here are the most frequent questions on web development and answers to them!

Who is a web developer?

Web developer is a person who creates websites. First of all, this is a big generalisation, because web specialists can be divided into three main groups. Each is responsible for a different aspect of the webpage or application.

In a way, an online page consists of two parts: front- and back-end. According to this division, each of them requires a different professional approach. The front-end is the web page part that is visible and accessible for the users. It consists of: layout, functions, animations, textual and graphical content. The back-end, on the other hand, is where the data needed for the front-end solution is stored.

• Front-end developer is a person that is responsible for the visible part of the website. This developer has to design user-friendly interfaces and manage the way of how the content is viewed on the page. A very good utility used by front-enders are frameworks, because they help to save time and resources, while programming. The most popular frameworks used for front-end development are: React.js, Vue.js, Angular, Gumby, Bootstrap and Foundation.
  
  

• Back-end developer is responsible for the support area of a website, invisible for the online visitor. The back-end developers are the “invisible hand” caring for technical functionality, security and implementation of new functions to the website. As well as the front-end specialists, they use frameworks. The most used include: Ruby, Hibernate, Django and Springs.
  
  

• Full-stack developer is a programmer who works both on the front-end and back-end of the page. They combine skills of both areas of knowledge.
  
  

The most popular web development strategy in large companies and agencies is utilisation of so called programmist teams, which are basically groups of developers with different skills. These teams then cooperate with other departments, such as, UX designers, graphic designers and project managers.

The most popular programming languages for web development

The programming languages differ in their structure, use and complexity level. We can choose from simple machine codes, giving out simple orders to particular devices; through semi-advanced languages, which offer a restricted number of functions; to advanced programming languages designed to specific coding fields.

Among the most programming languages used in 2020 (Study of IT society 2020 Developer, BULLDOGJOB) are Java (24% respondents using it), C# (18%), JavaScript (15%), PHP (11%), C++ (6,9%) and Python (6,2%). 

What are different programming languages used for? 

As we mentioned, the programming languages serve many purposes. Some of the languages can be utilised in the same field, for example, in web development. Therefore, developers can choose which language they want to use. The following are the most popularly used:

Java

This language is used in back-end development of information systems. It is widely used by novice web developers (16% according to study by BULLDOGJOB). It is one of the most popular languages used for web development and offers many frameworks, such as: Hibernate, Struts, and Spring.

C# 

An advanced language used for many solutions also in back-end development. It offers many possibilities but at the same time requires a high level of skills.

JavaScript 

This language is dedicated to front-end development and UI building. However, it is also utilised in the creation of other solutions. For example, when combined with React Native framework we can extend a mobile application. Additionally, thanks to JavaScript compatibility with Node.js, a large-format open-code software, developers can create a server-side program. Further, we have another very popular framework for JavaScript – Angular. It is exceptionally well at scalable implementations, which require high-quality code and security. Last but not least, we have Vue.js, which is famous for its fast loading time and low entry-level for the beginning developers.

PHP

A back-end development server-side language. It is most known for its ability to generate website code that enables the given webpage to update its own content. The two of its most interesting frameworks are Symfony and Laravel.

C++

This is another language used for back-end development. Firstly, it is one of the most universal programming languages used in web, apps and games development. However, it is quite a complicated language, especially hard to understand for beginners. Nevertheless, it is very effective and requires little uptake of resources. In addition, it has a big support of frameworks and libraries, which makes it easier to develop. The most popular are: Apache C++ Standard Library, ffead-cpp and Reason.

Python

A universal language that can be utilised by many different specialists: testers, developers, administrators and online analyticians. It enables the programmer to write practically anything thanks to the use of suitable frameworks and libraries. The most frequently used are: Django, offering automatisation and speed in web-building; and CherryPy, a minimalistic framework which enables system configuration and includes numerous plug-ins simplifying database management.

Last but not least, are HTML and CSS, which shows the web browsers what sort of content has to be shown to the user.

What’s easier – web development for websites or mobile apps?

Writing an application requires proficiency in a programming language suited for one of the two mobile operating systems: Android or iOS. Furthermore, sometimes one language offers the possibility to create apps for various devices. For example, if you were to choose to develop in the iOS system, you would have to learn the Swift language, as it enables the development of apps for Macs, Apple TV and other platforms and devices made by Apple.

When it comes to desktop website development, it’s all about how advanced we want our webpage to be. Sometimes a simple CMS will suffice, however the more sophisticated our goals are, the higher level of proficiency in programming languages is required. You could then say that programming mobile applications is less complicated than developing web pages, especially those with enhanced structure.

Is programming worth learning?

There are a couple reasons as to why it is worthwhile to learn programming. Certainly, the most obvious one should be the profitability of the profession. Truly, an advanced developer can work on high-pay technological advancements in international companies.

The second one is development of oneself – programming enhances skills like analytical thinking, creativity in problem solving, innovative designing and many others. You could become a visionary, who can bring brilliant ideas into existence. Moreover, you do not have to restrict yourself to one industry alone, but can test your strengths in many different projects. Concluding, the art of programming is, above all, a constant challenge.

How long does it take to learn programming?

As always the answer is – it depends. First of all, it is different when you want to become a back-end developer or front-end developer. Secondly, learning different programming languages also varies in difficulty and time needed to master the language.

To clarify, programming languages are different and, as you probably have figured, out there are some that are less and more complicated. For example, the easiest to learn are HTML and CSS, although, they are not fully technical languages. Nevertheless, after a few weeks of regular learning you will master the basics of those languages.  On the other hand, we have the intermediate languages: JavaScript and Python, which are tougher to master. Therefore, you may need to spend more time and put more effort when learning those.

However, if you decide to become a front-end developer you will need proficiency in only three languages: HTML, CSS and JavaScript.

On the contrary, if you prefer a career in back-end development, get ready for a never-ending honing of skills. The languages like C++ and Java are definitely more advanced and require constant updating of one’s knowledge. Nonetheless, keep in mind that the time which it will take to learn programming languages depends on how determined you are, the methods of learning you employ and the regularity of your training.

Is web development for you?

Some people outside the IT industry think that to become a software developer, it is compulsory to obtain a technical degree and master mathematics and physics. Obviously, there are some requirements that need to be met – to complete suitable courses or present your portfolio. However, not all aspects of web development are strictly related to mathematics or physics. For instance, skills that are more effective in front-end operation in JS include:

• logical thinking,
• analysing,
• searching for non-obvious solutions.

In conclusion, it’s worth considering your own skills and knowledge before choosing the right path of programming.

Web development without programming?

There are ways to build a website without knowing advanced programming methods. However, these solutions, although simple, are much less sophisticated than professional web pages. Nevertheless, there are situations where utilising them is possible.

One of these tools is WordPress. WordPress is a content management system written in PHP that is mainly used to create blogs. The system offers templates that offer decorative layouts and ways to implement textual content. In addition, WP contains various extensions and plug-ins, which enable enhancement of our website.

To sum up, we hope that the answers we gave you will help in understanding the basics of web development. However, if you have any doubts or look for the best business solution, contact us and we will help you!