7
24 Comments

Frontend or Backend? 🗣

Comment below which you like or use more, frontend or backend. Also, comment below why it's your preferred stack.

  1. 6

    I think backend is easier, so I naturally like frontend more, as it's more challenging and it's the focal point of the product.

    1. 4

      Both frontend and backend have many complexities, but claiming that backend is easier makes no sense.

      1. 5

        Well, that's my opinion based on my experience(8 years as a dev with a CS degree).

        I've seen many people coming from university and rapidly get going on the backend, but struggle a lot with modern frontend(React with typescript for example).

        Probably because those people are very technical(like me), so backend stuff is more straightforward.

        1. 5

          Agreed, for most projects frontend will be more complex.

          Creating CRUD apps in 2020 is all about the UI. The backend is very easy compared to it.

          Now if you're doing some deep AI project then yeah i'm not sure.

        2. 4

          In my opinion frontend is more often than not more detailed, which can make it quite strenuous in comparison to the backend, but I think its misleading to put a blanket statement on the topic and say that frontend is harder.

          Both are deep rabbit holes with their own set of challenges. The backend is a quite limitless, especially if you get past the typical CRUD operations which I would anecdotally say a large handful of developers don't go really past.

        3. 2

          Agree.

          Often times the backend is also hard but it's mostly because the code base is very old, messed up by many different devs and ideas and don't use the modern tools that are available today.

      2. 2

        He said for him backend is easy. It does make sense to him and to me. Nothing wrong in it.

  2. 4

    Funnily enough, I'm a designer but I hate doing front end work. Since I have the plan of the interface done, it just feels like a chore to make it happen.
    Back end is really fun, and I get more the feeling of building an actual product.

  3. 4

    Frontend. I am more of a visual person and therefor like designing great UIs and experiences.

  4. 3

    It's a well known scenario that good software developers find back-end easier than front-end. But I like both, always have, because for me it's really about building the whole solution, rather than just focusing on the tools I use to create it.

    Back-end is more straight cut logical.
    Front-end is much more creative /artistic.

    1. 1

      Both are engineering discipline. I would not say frontend is more artistic except if you are also involved in graphical design.

  5. 3

    I'm a full-stack so both. I like to develop the product that customer faces, but also like to develop the internal stuff that is 'magic' for them.

  6. 3

    Backend : now a days mostly Nodejs, Java. Sometimes C#, Python.
    Frontend: majorly ReactJS, (jQuery for super simple apps). Previously Angular.

    Desktop apps: JavaFX, .NET(C#) and Electron.

    I felt python is the fastest way to learn for backend for new bees. But Nodejs got more advantages in longterm like modules and same language for both frontend and backend.

  7. 3

    Frontend with Angular.

  8. 3

    I prefer to do both ends at the same time.

    Typically when I'm building out a feature I like to think about it as a "vertical slice". In other words, I start with the UI and work my way back to the database (or whatever the back end is doing). I'm quite comfortable working on both ends and it really comes down to what bits should go where.

    That said, I work with a guy that prefers to do it the other way around. He likes to start at the database end and work his way up to the UI. This feels very strange to me because how do you really know what you're going to need until you've thought about it from the users point of view.

  9. 3

    Backend mainly python, sometime node too. Can make basic frontend for a prototype, mvp nothing much fancy. But will definitely prefer backend.

  10. 2

    Frontend: I like receiving quick visual feedback 😃

  11. 2

    I'm a full stack developer, and would say have equal experience on both ends. For the past few months I've enjoyed the frontend more because by nature I am more technical/logical than I am creative/artistic, so it's given me an opportunity to dive further into that side. However, I recently switched back to the backend to implement an NLP API with Python and I've really been enjoying.

    All in all I enjoy both equally, and they allow me to take a break from one another an change things up every now and then.

  12. 2

    My background is in C++/OpenGL/high-performance apps so my answer is probably biased. But for my startup's MVP I had to learn web development in general which includes both front and backend. My current stack is Vue.js, Nuxt and Netlify (frontent) plus AWS for my serverless backend plus Firebase only for authentication/user federation.

    My experience so far has been that once you're past the modern frontend lingo (SPAs, PWAs, prerendering, JAMstack, etc), UI development is very pleasurable. Developing user interfaces is usually done locally so you can see the results immediately and iterate fast. After developing at the pixel level with APIs like OpenGL I came to appreciate HTML technology a lot. At this point I think that, unless you're coming up with some 3D application, it's straight-up stupid to use any other framework other than HTML/CSS. I cannot even imagine the complexity of having to develop an equivalent layout engine from scratch. 🤯🔫

    On the other hand, I'd say backend development is harder and WAY slower. Iterating usually means writing a bunch of tooling to be able to test stuff (again, this applies to my stack which is AWS Lambda, etc), then deploying and re-testing. Integrating all the parts together also means you need to understand how each vendor works, read up on a ton of documentation and have a good understanding of the underlying technologies (HTML, DNS, CORS, caching, etc). I'm still learning myself.

    So yeah, in short: frontend -> super cool and rewarding, backend -> slow and hard.

    Hope that wasn't too obtuse of an answer. Ask me anything from the above if you need, I'm happy to elaborate.

  13. 2

    To build a good product, I need both.

  14. 2

    you kind of ned both. so, i don't prefer either. but, i'm always experimenting. preference is based on utility.

  15. 2

    Front! I have been in some backend projects and both are fun, but I really like creating UI stuffs and handling users data on the front

  16. 1

    I prefer your sister back end

  17. 1

    This comment was deleted 2 years ago.

  18. 2

    This comment was deleted 3 years ago.

    1. 1

      When I was learning I thought that Node/Express on the backend was relatively easy to pick up!

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