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front end / back end

English translation: Front end is viewable on screen (or clients) while back end is i.e. databases (or servers).

19:03 Aug 20, 2008
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Tech/Engineering - IT (Information Technology)
English term or phrase: front end / back end
As it now moves forward with a truly embedded level of IT interaction, the people of the region will demand highly responsive technologies at the front end to ensure their on-screen experiences are optimsed – and at the back end too as they come to expect fast response times with little or no down time.
Abdelmonem Samir
Local time: 17:48
Selected answer:Front end is viewable on screen (or clients) while back end is i.e. databases (or servers).
Explanation:
Front end and back end are very common expressions among programmers, like me. I have been both a front end programmer and a back end programmer. Front end programming is development of web pages, user interfaces etc. It's what the user can see and interact with on the screen. Back end programming is database programming and development of the parts of the system which is not viewable, but "under the hood", further away from the user, often in contact with databases.

In this case, front end is what is viewable and near the user, such as the user interface (what the user interacts with on the screen). Back end is the servers, the software on the servers which communicates with front end (but not viewable on the user's screen) and the databases on the servers. In this case, you can also look at the clients as the front end and the servers as the back end (sometimes that is what is meant by front end and back end). The logic is the same: Front end is near the user, back end is hidden behind.
Selected response from:

Egil Presttun
Norway
Local time: 17:48
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
5 +7Front end is viewable on screen (or clients) while back end is i.e. databases (or servers).
Egil Presttun
4 +1front end = visible, available, initially
Demi Ebrite


  

Answers


28 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
front end\back end
front end = visible, available, initially


Explanation:
They seek IT that will offer a lot of upfront or usable features initially, immediately, with the potential of, or infrastructure in place 'at the back end' to accommodate the future need to add more features, programs, etc.

Demi Ebrite
United States
Local time: 10:48
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Mohamed Mehenoun: exact !
44 mins
  -> Thank you, Mohamed
neutral  Egil Presttun: Front end is visible, but back end is not in any way related to future needs.
5 hrs
  -> Thank you, Egil - I trust you are right about program language; when I read 'with little or no down time' I took it to mean the potential to 'add' components, servers, whatever will be called for to handle the need
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +7
front end\back end
Front end is viewable on screen (or clients) while back end is i.e. databases (or servers).


Explanation:
Front end and back end are very common expressions among programmers, like me. I have been both a front end programmer and a back end programmer. Front end programming is development of web pages, user interfaces etc. It's what the user can see and interact with on the screen. Back end programming is database programming and development of the parts of the system which is not viewable, but "under the hood", further away from the user, often in contact with databases.

In this case, front end is what is viewable and near the user, such as the user interface (what the user interacts with on the screen). Back end is the servers, the software on the servers which communicates with front end (but not viewable on the user's screen) and the databases on the servers. In this case, you can also look at the clients as the front end and the servers as the back end (sometimes that is what is meant by front end and back end). The logic is the same: Front end is near the user, back end is hidden behind.


Egil Presttun
Norway
Local time: 17:48
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Norwegian
PRO pts in category: 20

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Deborah Workman: Yes. Though poorly written, I think this is saying that they need responsive "front-end technologies" to ensure an optimal on-screen experience" and "back-end technologies" for faster response times.
5 mins
  -> Yes, correct. It's part of what's meant. Thanks a lot!
agree  Demi Ebrite
1 hr
  -> Thanks!
agree  Will Matter
2 hrs
  -> Thanks!
agree  Vincentius Mariatmo: Good answer ^^ Front end ensure the pleasing experience of the end-user, while back end support the availability of data at the front-end. You need them both :D
3 hrs
  -> Thanks!
agree  Phong Le
5 hrs
  -> Thanks!
agree  kmtext: "back end" could also include the people providing the service, engineers, programmers etc, the maintenance and support staff, especially if the text refers to remote hosting or service contracts.
7 hrs
  -> One would normally say that they work in back end. Thanks!
agree  Katsuhiko KAKUNO, Ph.D.
2 days 12 hrs
  -> Thanks!
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