In today’s world, web development is a term widely used within the tech industry, but also well-known outside of the tech community. Even if you don’t know exactly what it means, we are confident that you have heard it from a friend, watched a video where it’s casually mentioned, or read about it on the internet. But how did it all start and what led to this term being so widely used today? We talked with Ivan Klandev and Andrea Lapevska to find out more.
So, who are Ivan and Andrea?
When it comes to Java, Spring Boot, and SQL, there isn’t anyone better than Ivan to learn from. He also excels at an architectural level in systems, complex development, technical infrastructure, tools, complex cloud development, modeling, external interfaces, and maintenance activities. On the other hand, Andrea has worked with several back-end and front-end technologies throughout her studies, mostly focusing on Java and .NET on the back-end side, and React on the front-end side. She offers a fresh perspective and a peer-to-peer approach, making her the best person to help students overcome the most common challenges in the beginner learning stages.
And now, to return to answering the question of how it all started. In preparation for the upcoming webinar, A Beginner’s Guide: Front-End vs. Back-End Web Development, which will be happening on the 27th of March 2024 at 6:00 pm CET, we asked Ivan and Andrea to help us understand the history of web development better. Here is their response:
1990s – The Dawn of the Web
What can Andrea and Ivan tell us more about this?
Andrea:
In the early 1990s, the internet was like a baby – full of potential, yet still learning how to take its first steps. Front-end development was all about static HTML pages. These digital canvases were painted with basic design elements such as text, images, and hyperlinks. The pages were simple, but this is because CSS hasn’t found its place just yet.
Ivan:
On the back-end side, the gears turned with server-side technologies like CGI scripts, customized in languages such as Perl and C. These scripts allowed websites to perform tasks beyond displaying content – albeit in a more rudimentary fashion than we’re accustomed to today, but still pretty good compared to how little time this technology has been available.
Early 2000s – The Rise of Dynamic Content
The Rise of Dynamic Content
Andrea:
With the arrival of the new millennium, the web started to grow significantly faster than before. Front-end technologies were upgraded with JavaScript, a powerful tool that transformed websites into interactive experiences with Dynamic HTML. Web pages were no longer static brochures; they began to interact with users and kept them engaged longer.
Ivan:
Back-end also experienced a surge in the popularity of server-side scripting languages such as PHP, ASP, and JSP. With these languages, developers could craft more intricate and efficient interactions with databases, empowering them to have a more complex conversation with the data that powered websites.
Mid-2000s – The Web 2.0 Era
The Web 2.0 Era
Andrea:
As we moved into the mid-2000s, the term’ Web 2.0’ took over the digital world. Front-end development was revolutionized by Ajax, allowing data to be fetched asynchronously. That meant no more page reloads interrupting the user experience. Furthermore, the Rich Internet Applications (RIAs) began offering desktop-like experiences within browsers. This became the new standard, setting the stage for the immersive web we know today.
Ivan:
During this time, back-end also went through its own little era of innovation. Frameworks such as Ruby on Rails, Django, and ASP.NET MVC provided structured architectures, simplifying the development process with built-in features for everyday tasks like authentication and database interactions.
Late 2000s to Early 2010s – The Mobile Revolution
The Mobile Revolution
Andrea:
The rise of smartphones changed the game once again. Front-end development made responsive web design a norm, ensuring that websites looked good on any device. Furthermore, CSS became the essential tool for crafting fluid layouts adapted to all sizes of screens.
Ivan:
In the back-end, the popularity of mobile development led to the rise of RESTful APIs, which act as diplomatic channels facilitating seamless communication between front-end and back-end systems. Serverless architecture also began to find its place in the industry, offering scalable and cost-effective solutions without the need for traditional server management.
Present Day – Modern Web Development
Modern Web Development
Andrea:
Today, we stand in an era of advanced front-end technologies. JavaScript frameworks such as React, Angular, and Vue.js offer developers the power to create efficient, state-managed, component-based architectures with the agility of virtual DOM manipulation.
Ivan:
We experienced the same with back-end technologies. Microservices architecture has gained popularity for its modular approach, allowing for independently deployable back-end services. The complex process of managing these distributed systems is eased through containerization technologies like Docker and orchestration tools like Kubernetes.
Limited Seats
It has been an exciting journey for web development, would you agree? If you want to learn more from Ivan and Andrea, as well as how to better differentiate front-end and back-end web development, we invite you to join our A Beginner’s Guide: Front-End vs. Back-End Web Development webinar. The seats are limited, so hurry up and save your spot!
Save your spot for the upcoming webinar today!
