Complexity Factors:
Abstraction Layers: Back-end devs deal with multiple layers of abstraction, from databases and server infrastructure to frameworks and APIs. Understanding how these layers interact and troubleshooting issues across them requires a broader knowledge base compared to front-end development.
Data Management and Security: Back-end developers are responsible for the integrity and security of sensitive data. This involves implementing robust database structures, authentication mechanisms, and authorization controls. These aspects require careful planning, coding practices, and attention to detail.
Performance Optimization: Back-end code directly impacts application performance. Optimizing queries, handling concurrency, and scaling for high traffic demands all require a solid understanding of algorithms, data structures, and system architecture.
Choice Overload: The back-end landscape offers a vast array of languages, frameworks, and databases. Choosing the right technology stack for a project involves considering factors like performance, scalability, developer expertise, and community support. This can be overwhelming for beginners.
Dealing with the Unknown: Back-end systems often interact with external services, APIs, and legacy code. Debugging issues that arise can be challenging due to limited control over these external factors. Adaptability and problem-solving skills are crucial.
Shifting Landscape: Back-end technologies are constantly evolving. Developers need to stay updated on new tools, frameworks, and security best practices to maintain their skillset and adapt to changing project requirements.
Top comments (33)
Was this written by chatgpt?
If it is then I think Chatgpt knows better about my feelings towards the backend development and learning it than me.
Imagine someone saying "Man I cannot learn this because ChatGPT says it is complex and I am not good enough even though I know how to become good at it."
Honestly backend is easier than front end these days.
Dude that's how I feel
Backend can also still be tricky. I recently migrated from nodejs to fastify. Then I needed to configure all kinds of plugins. Like under-pressure, fastify metrics, helmet, dotenv, logging config, authentication, swagger and don't get me started on CORS.
I couldn't be sure, but probably so. It looks like it. But, that's within the rules, as long as it's helpful (though, I generally prefer a post written by a human).
It's within the rules as long as the author provides a disclaimer that the article was assisted by or generated by AI (per the guidelines).
Right. I forget, did the author of that post provide the disclaimer?
Nope
The author hid the original comment of @softwaredeveloping which mentioned the rules. I think it's clear it was indeed AI-written and no disclaimer
Dev.to should forbid generated content.
True. I could've just asked ChatGPT and got this post as response. No value in it being a dev.to post.
Maybe.
Complicated =≈ Challenging (yes)
We are no longer in the ?cgi-bin era ...
For too many choices: have a look at Any Decision Records as a practice in decisions , as an approach to being flexible and declarative about your decisions
And given how broad this article/complaint is ... Just pick one area and get good at that, start small and remember, many coding practice are transferable even when the syntax is not. Hence the study of programming and computer science is a fundamental skill. And mastery of the craft doesn't happen over night...
And recently, with AI CodeGen shortcutting to outputs and outcomes without stating the Why of it, many are skipping out on the graft of the fundamentals... And such, these (gen'd) article/complaints may become more common place.
I guess it's relative. For people who just started learning webdev css is also complicated. But your text is 87% generated by ai so my answer dosnt matter.
I would disagree about your CSS point. Delving into backend was twice as tough as when I started CSS. But, it might not be the same for everyone! 😀
CSS starts out very easy but can slowly evolve into something extremely challenging to maintain if you don't understand and plan for css specificity.
Yes. Agreed.
Well, back-end development can be complex due to the interacting components involved, but it's not necessarily complicated in the sense that it's difficult to understand or solve. With proper planning, a solid foundation in programming principles, and a willingness to learn from others, developers can overcome the challenges of back-end development and create robust and scalable applications.
I totally agree with you. If you look at all these topics, it might seem daunting. However, it's important to highlight that you don't need to be an expert in all of them at the beginning of your career. Over time, this knowledge will come naturally as you study for it.
Any one can pass through the challenges of backend development if the right mindset is employed from the start. Learning to think as an engineer is the mindset for backend developers while thinking as a designer is greatly needed for frontend developers. I find both frontend and backend interesting but if I am to go with one, backend is where all the magic happens which makes it more complex than the frontend. No matter how hard it seems it can be learnt without stress if the right mindset and dedication is employed.
I totally do not consider my job complicated. Explaining it this way makes it sound far more complicated than what it is. I find my work interesting, continuously keeping me on the edge, almost always challenging, greatly rewarding, offers a solid platform for innovation and it has the tendency to make you feel like you're in godmode... But definitely not that complicated
I agree. Back-end developers is the most difficult jobs in development. Period. I can add Anther layer of complexity: Scalability of the infrastructure, be reliable when your product scale, servers, redundancies, dbs. A lot to think!
Everything you use today online have a back-end. This is Key role. It will be forever.
Antonio | CEO & Founder at Litlix.com - One-Line Code Analytics
I don't really understand why people think what is complicated for them is also gonna be complicated for others.
And yeah listing the factors why it is complex is not gonna help in deciding someone else's complex. I have seen people starting the backend at an early stage making mistakes, learning from them and now they are the elite ones in their area. Though they find themselves miserable in the frontend that doesn't mean frontend is hard now.
Though not detailed it gives a basic understanding of what Backend development is. Thank You.
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Some of these things are also true for frontend developers
Backend is complicated? And front end is not? In that sense everything is complicated which it actually is sadly 😭 even solving a simple starter function problem on JavaScript learning 😭
Backend development is not complicated. It has been made complicated by web developers who have no clue what they're doing.
FrontEnd is in Levels as BackEnd too is. Don't come and be posting a Prompt you gave to ChatGTP. ChatGTP supports every opinion and will give you convincing reasons.
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