Tech Career Guru

Is Backend Development Dying?

As a back-end developer, you must understand the databases and how to access and interact with them, as well as several programming languages (PHP, Python, Ruby, .Net, etc.) and how to handle front-end requests.

Will backend development die? No. Backend development will not die, at least not in the next 30 years, but will be more pushed to be provided as a service rather than as part of a single product. In IT, in general, what is new at this moment, will be standard in 3 years.

To stay with the trend, you need to deal with AWS, Google Cloud, and other providers, and how to build your own backend as a service utilizing these providers. Step away from the outdated custom development way of doing things.

 

Backend development is not dying

There's been a lot of talk lately about how the backend is dying. But I'm here to tell you that this simply isn't true. Sure, the backend has changed a lot over the years. But it's still very much alive and kicking. 

In fact, I would argue that backend development is more important than ever before. As the world becomes more and more interconnected, the need for robust and reliable backends increases exponentially. 

So if you're thinking about getting into backend development, don't be discouraged by the naysayers. Just get out there and start coding!

 

Why is backend development still needed

You are probably comparing backend development with frontend development. For the time being, there is a lot going on the frontend. But this will not always be the case, and even frontend will eventually mature.

The backend is not going away...ever. There will always be a requirement for centralized processing, particularly in database applications. Massive calculations cannot be spread across serverless peers since it is impracticable.

The backend still goes through updates and changes. Currently, backend development is moving away from large application engines that run a large number of apps and toward containerised services that operate on an orchestration platform (Docker).

Even though frontend frameworks like Angular and React have become more popular in recent years, backend development is still an essential part of web development. After all, someone has to write the code that powers the features that users see in their browser. 

Backend developers are responsible for ensuring that data is securely stored and easy to retrieve. They also need to be able to scale applications to support a large number of users. As a result, backend development is a complex and challenging field that requires a deep understanding of both server-side technologies and databases. Despite the challenges, backend development is still needed to build robust and scalable web applications.

The backend is often larger than the frontend. Just because you can't see it doesn't imply it doesn't exist. There's also a slew of additional features with cloud-native applications, such as logging, alerting, data science, real-time data streams, real-time analytics, data mining/stealing, machine learning, distributed systems, and so on.

Most major corporations have massive backends with a plethora of services operating at any one moment. There are a lot more backend developers and a lot more work on the backend overall.

The frontend is vital since it is what your customers see, but the critical backend services are what power everything.

 

Backend development also evolves

 

Let's imagine you're living in 2005, and there's no actual distinction between backend developer, frontend developer, DevOps, system architect, and so on. You are the one in charge of all of it.

Let's say you want to create a web application, or better said a website (we didn't have the concept of web application back then). You'll probably use PHP (Node.j.. what?) to create the environment in which you'll connect to a MySQL database (NoSq.. what?) and handle async operations to avoid reloading the UI with some jQuery (you're the best guy in town). You will handle POST requests from the form, logins, maybe shop carts, and even a search tool for your super mega amusing site (web app).

That being said, you are a very excellent developer, therefore you adhere to the testing standard by developing and testing in your local environment with your LAMP/WAMP/MAMP suite and your spanking new code editor (not IDE).

After that, you'll look for the greatest domain+hosting deal, and you'll upload your project, most likely using FileZilla. And that was it. You've "deployed" (merely uploaded the files) your fresh new website (web app) hosting.

As you can see, there are some changes between then and today. For starters, back then, it was a one-man show, very basic, with a lot of hacks, a lot of strange stuff in that code, but you know, if it's working, it's working, you don't need to think about other things.

Today, maybe you know better than I do, that is not the case; practically every single process stated above is handled by a separate person or department. Which, in my perspective, is quite nice.

 

Future of backend development

 

There will always be back-end development as long as there are databases.

The client-server paradigm implies that an application has two sides: frontend and backend.

If you wish to exchange data with others, the back server must have some form of database or data storage. The server might be dedicated, housed in a data center, or hosted in the cloud.

What changes are the methods via which the clients access the data. It used to be merely backend processing, then AJAX, then APIs...

As a back-end developer, you must understand the database and how to access and interact with it, as well as several programming languages (PHP, Python, Ruby, .Net, etc.) and how to handle front-end requests.The needed skill set differs significantly from that required for front-end development.

 

Is Nodejs enough for backend?

Node.js is a powerful tool for backend web development, but it's not the only option out there. If you're trying to decide whether Node.js is right for your project, it's important to weigh the pros and cons. 

On the plus side, Node.js is fast, scalable, and supports a wide range of features. On the downside, it can be challenging to debug, and some developers find it difficult to work with as compared to other backend options. 

Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to use Node.js comes down to what you're looking for in a backend solution. If speed and scalability are your top priorities, then Node.js is definitely worth considering. However, if you value ease of use above all else, you might want to explore other options.

 

Conclusion

 

Based on the information above, it seems that backend development is not dying, but rather evolving. This is due to the nature of the client-server architecture, which requires backend developers to continue acquiring new abilities. However, we can see that traditional web development jargon is evolving and new programming abilities are taking their place.

This is most likely due to the rise of serverless development services (such as Firebase, DigitalOceans, and Backendless), which are becoming more popular among businesses. In conclusion, backend development is not dying, but rather changing to meet the demands of the modern world.

Refrence https://webdev-tech.com