Back-end development is the mystical side of web development. Back-end developers are involved in constructing the actual logic on which an application or a website works. Some of the key skills they should have include: an in-depth knowledge of the back-end programming language/framework, accessibility and security compliance, a basic understanding of front-end web technologies like HTML, CSS and the ability to manage a hosting environment.

If you are keen to learn about the must-knows for any back-end developer, here’s a list of the top 6 essential back-end development tools:

1. Languages & Frameworks

A variety of programming languages and frameworks are involved in building the software aka back-end. Frameworks are libraries of pre-written code with a pre-imposed structure that a back-end developer can use according to the requirements and needs. Whereas, a programming language is a superset of scripting languages like Ruby, Java, Python, PHP, Perl, Erlang, and Node.js which can be used to write instructions for execution.

For the Java enthusiasts out there, check out this insightful blog post on the latest features in HTML 5.1 with JavaScript & JQuery.

2. Web Servers

Web servers are computer programs that store, process and deliver web pages to the users. The most popular ones include Apache (an open source web server which is currently used by 50% of all websites) and NGINX which is good for reverse proxying, caching, load balancing and media streaming processes.

3. Database Management Systems

A Database Management System (DBMS) is a collection of programs which enables its users to access a database, manipulate, interpret and represent data. MySQL is the world’s most popular open source relational database. It’s not only accessible, but also free. Its ease of setup and speedy performances make it a favorite among many Backend developers. On the other hand, MongoDB is an open-source NoSQL database system which is closely associated with a JavaScript-based set of technologies like ExpressJS, AngularJS, and NodeJS.

4. Local Development Environments

All back-end developers will swear by the importance of a local test environment. The advantage of using a local site that’s visible only to you gives you the liberty to try codes and experiments before the site goes live. XAMPP and WampServer are examples of open source windows development environments that allow users to use web applications with Apache, PHP, and a MySQL database.

Tweaking codes on a local environment until you have perfected it prevents the live site from crashing due to an erroneous code.

5. Collaboration Services

Since back-end and front-end operations go hand-in-hand, it’s ideal for developers on both sides to remain connected with each other. Platforms like Slack, Asana, Jira, and Trello help teams to work effectively with better collaboration.

6. Website Performance Testers

In the digital age, the average attention span of a human being is a mere 8 seconds. Therefore, the speed at which a site loads influences site traffic to a huge extent. Even a one-second delay can make a customer bid farewell to your site. That’s why back-end developers consider speed testers like Google PageSpeed Insights and Full-Page Load Tester as important back-end development tools. These not only provide reports of the site speed but also recommend tweaks you can do to make your page faster.

To sum it all up, programming languages and frameworks, web servers, database management systems, local development environments, collaboration services and speed testers are essential back-end development tools.

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