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General Discussion

Posted by Shaun Russell
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Shaun Russell
Front End Web Development Techdegree Graduate 18,510 Points

As a new front-end developer, should I learn a back-end language or just try to get by copying back-end code snippets?

Recently, I completed the front-end techdegree. I have started working on websites for clients, however, they keep asking me to implement features on their site that require back-end code.

For example, one client wants a subscription form that automatically emails the content of the form (the users email) to a given email address. I can find snippets of php code that allow me to do this, but many times, it restricts me from fully customizing something they way I want it due to my lack of understanding the language.

How do front-end web developers deal with this issue and is their a better approach? I would like to focus on strengthening my current skills before getting too involved learning other languages/concepts.

1 Answer

Dom Talbot
Dom Talbot
7,686 Points
Dom Talbot
Dom Talbot
7,686 Points

Hey Shaun,

As a front-end developer I believe its very important to understand how back-end development works - but arguably its not essential.

You don't need to be an expert, but understanding how back-end works can be very beneficial. Certainly being able to understand what is / isn't possible is important :)

If you don't have a back-end developer working with you, learning back-end would be much better than copy & pasting. After all If something goes wrong/performance is slow you'll need to understand why.

However the alternative is to teach your clients where your role stops. If a task requires back-end development make it clear to them they'll need a back-end developer. There is a risk that if you do fiddle with back-end development, there might be an occasion where the back-end work requested is too complex / its not PHP.