530 Back-end web programming

The server-side of the web handles data processing, file storage, and dynamic content delivery through databases, scripts, and APIs.

Outline

This chapter introduces the principles and tools used in back-end web development. Students learn how servers respond to client requests, process data, connect to databases, and deliver content securely. They explore the role of scripting languages, frameworks, version control, and web servers in developing scalable, secure, and efficient web applications.

Back-end development is where business logic is applied, data is validated and stored, and APIs serve as bridges between systems. This chapter also highlights the collaborative relationship between front-end and back-end developers in building full-stack applications.

Targets

In this topic, students learn to:

• Describe how server-side code responds to requests and processes data

• Use scripting languages and web frameworks to create dynamic web content

• Apply secure file and directory handling using shell scripts

• Connect web applications to SQL and NoSQL databases

• Construct queries that retrieve and manipulate data

• Compare Object-Relational Mapping (ORM) to direct SQL

• Explain how back-end and front-end developers work together on web projects

Glossary

Term	Definition
Back-end	The server-side part of a web application that handles data, logic, and communication with databases
Web server	Software that handles HTTP requests and delivers content to clients
Framework	A collection of pre-written code that supports common development tasks (e.g. Flask, Django, Express)
API	Application Programming Interface; defines how software components communicate
Shell script	A script written for the command line to automate tasks such as file management
SQL	Structured Query Language used to query and manipulate relational databases
ORM	Object-Relational Mapping; a technique for accessing databases using object-oriented code instead of SQL
NoSQL	A category of databases that store data in flexible, non-tabular formats (e.g. JSON documents)

Overview

Back-end web development powers the dynamic, data-driven experiences that users expect from modern web applications. While the front-end handles presentation, the back-end manages logic, persistence, and communication with external systems.

Students begin by learning how a server handles requests and returns responses using scripting languages and frameworks. They explore how shell scripts can be used to automate file tasks, and how APIs allow web services to exchange data. Students also learn how to query SQL and NoSQL databases to support full-stack functionality. Finally, the chapter covers the role of collaboration between front-end and back-end developers, including shared workflows, testing practices, and version control.