Whether you’re interested in pursuing a career in web based development or you’re planning to bring it into your growing business, your first step is to understand what it means and what it entails.
This post briefly explains the basics of web development that anyone who is interested in the topic needs to first understand.
What is web-based development?
Web based development, simply put, is the development of web-based applications—applications that run on a web server.
If you’re familiar with the computer, you’d agree that your PC is loaded with many software programs that serve different purposes. These software that run on your computer are known as desktop-based applications. And for you to use them on your PC, they must have been previously installed by you or the manufacturer.
Web-based applications on the other hand run on a web server, and you don’t have to install them on your own computer before using them. They load just like traditional websites, but they perform far more advanced functions.
Why is web-based development necessary?
Before now, businesses and startups needed no more than websites that comprised few pages of content. And only simple tasks—such as submitting contact forms, placing orders, viewing product catalogs, etc.—can be completed through such websites.
However, due to increasing consumer demand for convenience and the development of advanced programming languages, most businesses now interact with their prospects and customers through advanced web-based apps that perform various complex functions. Examples of such apps include mailing list auto-responders, analytical tools, live-chat support software, and so on.
How are web-based applications developed?
Web-based applications are developed with advanced programming languages—not the likes of HTML and CSS. Javascript is the standard language for developing programs on the front end—that is, the part of a web-based program that you interact with via your PC browser.
However, when it comes to the back end—the part of the program that runs on the server and communicates with the database—there are many programming languages of choice. These include PHP, Javascript, Ruby on Rails, ASP.NET, Python, and so on.
The purposes to be served by a web-based application determine the programming language to be employed in its development.
The professional in charge of developing a web-based application is called a web developer. To start developing web-based applications, you have the option of taking some time to learn the required programming languages. This could take months to years, depending on many factors—such as your access to good learning resources, the number of programming languages you’re learning, etc. Alternatively, you can hire a web developer to create and set up your web-based app. This is the option widely favored by business owners.
Issues with web-based development
From errors in data entry to dangerous security flaws, web-based development has its fair share of challenges. However, these are eliminated through continuous checks and security testing for bugs. These explain why many web-based programs—especially widely used, commercialized ones—are updated and upgraded at frequent intervals.
By now, you should have gotten a good grasp of what web-based development means and how relevant it is in today’s world.
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