Is JavaScript Frontend or Backend

Welcome to the world of development! It’s no secret that web development is one of the most sought-after professions in the world at the moment. But have you ever wondered to which area of web programming JavaScript is related to? The reason for this question is the division of web programmers into two specializations: frontend and backend. In this article, which is called ‘Is JavaScript Frontend or Backend’, you will find out where JavaScript is most used and for what. Read on and discover something new and interesting!

As you may already know JavaScript is the best friend of HTML and CSS. HTML defines the layout of the site, CSS is responsible for the look, and JavaScript brings it all to life. The programmer uses JavaScript code to determine how the page will react to user actions. From this, we can conclude that these technologies are used in the frontend. JavaScript is now the only programming language for browsers. It works under Windows, macOS, Linux, and mobile platforms, that is, everywhere. If you don’t know JavaScript, there is nothing to do with programming interactive sites. It provides interface response to user actions, handles mouse clicks, keystrokes, and cursor movements. It also sends requests to the server, downloads data, allows you to enter messages, and much more. 

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How does JavaScript work in front-end development?

Any user action on the page raises an event. JavaScript programming is all about handling events. This is what a typical scenario looks like: the user did something on the page, after which an event was triggered in the browser, then the JavaScript code was launched, which was assigned to the event, and finally changed something on the page. To do this, the programmer must write a handler only for those events that are worth reacting to. For example, a site user clicks the mouse, after which the onclick event fires, the change photo function starts, and the photo in the gallery changes. Classic JavaScript is a programming language for the web and is powerless outside of the browser. JavaScript cannot run a program on a computer or write a file to the desired folder. Due to security rules, browsers limit the power of JavaScript outside of the native page. You can manage tabs under certain conditions or not at all. For example, JavaScript can only close a tab that it created itself. Globally, JavaScript is a programming language for the Internet. 

Now let’s talk about the fate of JavaScript features and their knowledge in backend development. This, of course, is not about completely abandoning backend responsibilities, but about expanding competence towards the client-side, because JS is almost synonymous with a browser client. As it was already written above JavaScript is the most popular IT language and other languages do not have such a huge community, there are not so many haters and admirers, there is no such prevalence. More than half of developers write in JavaScript, according to Stack Overflow. Most of all, packages and ready-made libraries have been written for JavaScript. Every year they come up with an alternative to JS, but these alternatives either end up being compiled to JS or to WebAssembly, which only a few have seen in production. 

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So why should a backend developer know and use JavaScript?

With JS, the back-end developer can take on all the responsibilities and divide the task at will. This is convenient and speeds up the process as there is no additional API and behavior negotiation. One developer can distribute a large piece of functionality and be responsible for its development. Sometimes in the workflow (or in the IT team as a whole), there are some problems with shifting the load from back to front part and vice versa. With the help of JS knowledge, the back-end developer can maneuver and take over some of the tasks from the front. Flexibility, especially in an outsourced environment, is a very important quality for a talented developer.

An important part of backend development is the architecture of the future project. The point is that the back-end itself does not exist in a vacuum. Being usually a server, it interacts with a client, which, in turn, can be a mobile application, a web page, or a desktop. Thus, understanding all the pros and cons of the client will help in shaping the application architecture. And speaking in general terms, by studying and using an additional programming language or framework, the developer is more confident in the labor market and can try on different professions in the IT field. With a wide toolbox of technologies, you can prepare a resume for a vacancy. A specialist with broad competence sees the task more broadly, sometimes going beyond the scope of the task. A lot of solutions are born from here with their pros and cons in different situations. 

JavaScript is a suitable and versatile language for learning programming. It is simple enough, but it contains all the fundamental things: algorithms, object-oriented models, data structures. If traditional languages for learning – Pascal, and Basic – are of little practical use, then JavaScript is a working platform even for a beginner in programming. In general, your IT project should include your back-end technology and front-end. As you can read above, with the knowledge of JavaScript you will be a kind of multifunctional developer in the team, because this knowledge can be applied in two areas. However, you need to understand that not all people in the team are happy with the changes and you can encounter negativity when you get into someone’s work. If your colleagues are loyal and result-oriented, everything should go smoothly. 


The developer’s job is to build a product, not just write code. To do this, you need to be flexible and not forget that one of the main qualities of successful developers is the desire to constantly learn, but you can learn different things. There is nothing in web programming right now that can undermine JavaScript. After all, this language is so successful that there is no reason to invent something else. The main strength of JavaScript is eternal youth (Rock and Roll are dead, but JS is not yet). It was released 21 years ago, but it is not outdated but has evolved and evolved after HTML. Thanks for reading an article and hire javascript developer.


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