Introduction to Back-End Development

ecommerce

Lecture

Auteur

Affiliations

Emmanuel BRUNO

Université de Toulon

LIS UMR CNRS 7020

Date de publication

2026-10-05

Session Structure

Introduction to Back-End Development Concepts
Types of Back-End Solutions
Web Servers and Data Storage
Rest and WebSockets for Communication

What is Back-End Development?

The server-side of web development, handling data processing, logic, and database communication.
Responsibilities of Back-End Developers
- Building APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) to communicate with the front-end.
- Managing databases and data security.
- Implementing server-side logic and business rules.
Various programming languages and frameworks can be used for back-end development.

PHP

PHP: A widely-used open-source scripting language especially suited for web development.
Frameworks:
- Laravel: A PHP framework known for its elegant syntax and robust features.
- Symfony: A PHP framework for web applications and a set of reusable PHP components.

JavaScript

Node.js: An open-source, JavaScript runtime environment built on Chrome’s V8 engine.
Frameworks:
- Express.js: A minimal and flexible Node.js web application framework.
- NestJS: A progressive Node.js framework for building efficient, reliable, and scalable server-side applications.

Other Languages and Frameworks

Python: Django, Flask
Ruby: Ruby on Rails
Java: Spring Boot, JakartaEE
C#: ASP.NET

Why Focus on JavaScript Frameworks?

Unified Language: JavaScript can be used for both front-end and back-end development, reducing complexity.
Large Ecosystem: Extensive libraries and tools available for JavaScript.
Performance: Node.js is known for its non-blocking, event-driven architecture, making it efficient for I/O operations.

Front-End and Full-Stack Development

React for Front-End:
- React is a popular JavaScript library for building user interfaces.
- It allows developers to create reusable UI components, making front-end development more efficient and maintainable.
- React’s component-based architecture promotes reusability and scalability.
Remix for Full-Stack:
- Remix is a full-stack web framework built on top of React.
- It simplifies full-stack development by providing tools for both front-end and back-end development.
- Remix focuses on performance and user experience, offering features like server-side rendering (SSR) and static site generation (SSG).
- By using Remix, developers can build modern web applications with a unified language and framework.

Node.js

Event-Driven Architecture:
- Non-blocking I/O operations.
- Efficient handling of multiple concurrent connections.
- Ideal for I/O-heavy applications.
Single-Threaded:
- Uses a single-threaded event loop for asynchronous operations.
- Simplifies concurrency management.
Package Ecosystem:
- npm (Node Package Manager) provides access to thousands of libraries and modules.
- Facilitates rapid development and code reuse.

Why Focus on React and Remix?

React: A JavaScript library for building user interfaces, known for its component-based architecture and virtual DOM.
Remix: A full-stack web framework built on React, focusing on performance and user experience.
Integration: Seamless integration between front-end (React) and back-end (Node.js) using Remix.
Modern Development: Emphasizes modern web development practices, including server-side rendering and static site generation.

Web Servers (Apache, Nginx)

Key Functionalities:
- Serving Static Content:
  - Delivering files such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, images, and videos directly to the client.
  - Both Apache and Nginx are optimized for fast and efficient static content delivery.
- Routing Requests:
  - Directing incoming HTTP requests to the appropriate application or service.
  - Supports URL rewriting, redirection, and proxying to backend servers.
  - Essential for handling dynamic content generated by web applications.
- Plugins and Modules:
  - Apache:
    - Highly configurable with .htaccess files.
    - Supports a wide range of modules for additional functionality, such as mod_php for running PHP scripts.
  - Nginx:
    - Uses a modular architecture with dynamic modules.
    - Can be configured to work with PHP via php-fpm (FastCGI Process Manager) for efficient PHP processing.

Web Servers (Apache, Nginx)

Overview of Common Web Servers:
- Apache:
  - One of the most widely used web servers.
  - Known for its flexibility and extensive module support.
  - Suitable for serving both static and dynamic content.
  - Highly configurable with .htaccess files.
- Nginx:
  - Popular for its high performance and low resource consumption.
  - Excels at handling concurrent connections.
  - Often used as a reverse proxy and load balancer.
  - Efficient for serving static content.

Data Storage

Relational Databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL): Structured data with tables and relationships.
- Benefits: strong consistency, complex queries.
- Drawback: schema rigidity.
Non-Relational Databases (MongoDB): Flexible schema, stores data in JSON-like documents.
- Benefits: scalability, rapid development.
- Drawback: complex querying for relational data.

Machine-to-Machine vs. Human-to-Machine Communication

Human-to-Machine (HTML):
- Traditional web interactions where users request and receive data.
- Typically involves web browsers and servers communicating using HTTP/HTTPS.
- Example: A user fills out a form on a website and submits it to the server.
Machine-to-Machine Communication:
- REST (Representational State Transfer):
  - A stateless architectural style for designing networked applications.
  - Uses standard HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) for communication.
  - Ideal for CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations.
  - Example: A client application sends a GET request to a RESTful API to retrieve data.
- WebSockets:
  - A protocol for real-time communication between systems.
  - Establishes a persistent connection between the client and server.
  - Allows for bidirectional communication, enabling real-time updates.
  - Example: A chat application where messages are instantly sent and received without refreshing the page.

Comparison

REST:
- Pros:
  - Simple and easy to implement.
  - Uses standard HTTP methods and status codes.
  - Well-suited for CRUD operations and stateless interactions.
- Cons:
  - Not ideal for real-time communication.
  - Requires multiple HTTP requests for continuous updates.
WebSockets:
- Pros:
  - Enables real-time, bidirectional communication.
  - Reduces latency by maintaining a persistent connection.
  - Ideal for applications requiring instant updates (e.g., chat apps, live notifications).
- Cons:
  - More complex to implement compared to REST.
  - Requires additional considerations for scalability and security.

Key Takeaways

Understanding Back-End Development:
- Grasp the fundamental concepts and responsibilities of back-end development.
- Learn about different types of back-end solutions and their use cases.
JavaScript and Node.js:
- Explore the advantages of using JavaScript for both front-end and back-end development.
- Understand the event-driven architecture and single-threaded nature of Node.js.
PHP:
- Understand the role of PHP in web development.
- Learn about popular PHP frameworks like Laravel and Symfony for building robust web applications.
Frameworks and Tools:
- Get familiar with popular frameworks like Express.js and NestJS for building scalable and efficient server-side applications.
- Learn about the integration of React for front-end and Remix for full-stack development.
Web Servers and Data Storage:
- Understand the roles of web servers like Apache and Nginx in serving static and dynamic content.
- Learn about different data storage solutions, including relational and non-relational databases.
Communication Methods:
- Compare REST and WebSockets for machine-to-machine communication.
- Understand the pros and cons of each method and their suitable use cases.

Réutilisation

CC BY-NC 4.0