Is JavaScript Front End or Back End?

JavaScript is everywhere. As one of the foundational web development languages (along with HTML and CSS), it helps power a large fraction of the websites on the Internet. And since it’s partly responsible for adding the functionality we’ve come to expect from modern web sites, it’s extremely important to know how the Internet works. A natural first question: is Javascript front end or backend? 

What Is the Difference between a Front End Developer and a Backend Developer?

One of the biggest distinctions to be made in web development is the difference between front end and back end development. It’s important enough that developers often think of themselves as being specialists in front end or backend development. This is so common that we have a separate name for those who work in both, calling them ‘full stack’ developers. 

What Is a Front End Developer?

Front end developers focus on the things people see when they sit down to interact with a website. They focus on the site’s layout, usability, and responsiveness. They could focus on anything from getting a domain name registered to having animations play whenever a user makes it to a certain point on the page. 

What Is a Backend Developer ?

Backend developers, on the other hand, focus on things people don’t see when they interact with a website. They address how well and how fast the site is able to read from and write to a database, for example. 

Where Is JavaScript Used? 

JavaScript is used across the web development stack. That’s right: it’s both front end and backend. 

I know, I know; take a moment to let this sink in. 

JavaScript for Front End Development

Front end developers use JavaScript to make web pages dynamic. JavaScript is a great tool for tasks like validating submission forms or updating specific pieces of page content without simultaneously updating the entire page. 

Without JavaScript, the Internet would be filled with web pages that just sit there displaying text. 

Is Node Js Front End or Backend?

Backend developers use a type of JavaScript called Node.js for backend work. The Node.js framework allows a developer to handle data updates from the front end and build scalable network applications able to process many simultaneous user requests, amongst other things. 

All of this means that learning JavaScript is crucial. JavaScript is an important programing language to add to your web developer’s toolkit, whether you plan to specialize in front end, back end, or full stack development.