Backend developer roadmap 2024

In this era of fast-paced technology, backend development is continuously in demand. That is why you’re on the right track if you plan on becoming a backend developer. Backend web development is a popular yet complex field. New technologies and stacks are coming every day, and keeping up with everything is important. 

If you plan on starting your backend development journey, this is the perfect roadmap. Our backend developer roadmap targets beginners who are planning to pursue careers in this field. Moreover, we’ll also discuss the right resources to help you become a backend developer. Let’s get started. 

What is backend development?#

Backend development refers to the server side of software development, focusing on databases, scripting, and website architecture. It involves writing code that enables communication between databases and applications, processing user requests, and executing essential functions behind the scenes of a web application or service. 

Every beautiful and interactive website we encounter online is underpinned by complex backend coding that enables all its features. A backend developer is tasked with handling the website’s server-side operations. This includes connecting and managing the database, safeguarding the website from malware, and updating the website as necessary.

Prerequisites of becoming a backend developer #

Becoming a backend developer requires some basic programming skills and knowledge of other elements. To become a backend developer, there are several vital prerequisites, such as:

• Proficiency in backend programming languages: This entails proficiency in at least one server-side programming language, such as Java, Python, Ruby, PHP, or Node.js.

• Database knowledge: This entails understanding database technologies, including relational databases (like MySQL or PostgreSQL) and NoSQL databases (like MongoDB or Cassandra). Skills in creating, reading, updating, and deleting data (CRUD operations) are essential.

• Version control system: This entails familiarity with version control systems, particularly Git, to track code changes and collaborate with other developers.

• Understanding the web architecture: This entails comprehension of web servers, APIs, and web services work. This includes understanding request/response cycles, API design, and how to structure an application’s core logic.

• Basic frontend knowledge: This entails basic knowledge of frontend technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, which, in addition to backend developers’ main focus on server-side development, helps in understanding the full scope of web development.

• Basic security knowledge: This entails knowledge of common security concerns in web development, such as SQL injection, XSS, and CSRF, and how to safeguard against them.

Complete backend developer roadmap for 2024#

If you’re just starting to become a backend developer, there might be things that can scare or confuse you. That’s why we’re here to break down the backend development roadmap for you. Taking small steps can take you further. Let’s begin the backend development roadmap journey with you!

Start from basics#

The most important step is to have a strong grasp of the basics of computer programming and languages. For starters, you can choose a backend programming language and excel in it. There are a few great options for you, such as Java, Python, Rust, or PHP. These four languages can provide an excellent foundation for the start of your career.

To enhance your backend skills, it’s crucial to also have a basic understanding of frontend development. Being aware of what happens on the user side is important for effectively implementing and refining your server-side coding.

Core concepts in backend development#

Backend development involves a variety of core concepts that are crucial for building and maintaining the server side of web applications. It’s crucial to understand core concepts before practicing them. Some of the most important core concepts in backend development are mentioned below: 

• Server management: This entails understanding server types, configuration, and management. Knowledge of how to set up, maintain, and scale servers is essential. This includes familiarity with cloud services like AWS, Azure, or the Google Cloud Platform.

• Mastering database management: This entails proficiency in handling databases, which is key. This includes designing database schemas, performing CRUD operations, and understanding transactions, indexing, and normalization.

• Backend frameworks: This entails familiarity with frameworks that provide tools and libraries to ease development, such as Express.js for Node.js, Django for Python, or Ruby on Rails for Ruby.

Version control systems#

Backend developers must have good hands-on practice with version control systems. Version control systems keep track of code changes in the interface. They allow multiple developers to work on the same codebase without interfering with one another’s work.

Moving towards your backend developer roadmap, it’s crucial to grasp version control systems. When developers change the code, they commit these changes to the repository. This history enables developers to revert to previous versions if needed and helps in understanding the evolution of a project. The most commonly used version control system is Git.  

Advanced backend technologies#

The tech world is fast, and to stay relevant, you need to keep upgrading your skills and be familiar with the latest technologies. Moving forward, it’s crucial to keep updated and learn more about advanced technologies. 

Some advanced concepts and backend technologies you should know about are:

• Microservices architecture: This approach involves developing applications as a collection of small, independent services communicating over well-defined APIs. Microservices are highly scalable, easier to understand, and can be deployed independently.

• Containerization and orchestration: Tools like Docker and Kubernetes have revolutionized the deployment and management of applications. Containerization packages an application and its dependencies together, while orchestration automates these containers’ deployment, scaling, and operation.

• Serverless architecture: Serverless computing allows developers to build and run applications and services without managing infrastructure. Famous examples include AWS Lambda and Azure Functions. It’s cost-effective and scales automatically with the application’s needs.

• GraphQL: As an alternative to RESTful APIs, GraphQL allows clients to request exactly the data they need, reducing the amount of data transferred over the network. It’s becoming increasingly popular for its efficiency and flexibility.

DevOps#

DevOps is a common yet important concept that not only backend developers but every developer should know about. For backend developers, learning about crucial DevOps concepts such as continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) is essential to streamline the development process. 

Additionally, backend developers should focus on practicing agile planning, collaborating with other teams, maintaining security practices, and monitoring continuous development processes.

Security practices#

Website security can’t be missed or skipped at any cost. Web security practices are essential steps to protect your web application from cyber attacks. For example, SQL injection, a technique used to manipulate SQL queries through user input, can expose or corrupt database data. To prevent this, developers use parameterized queries and input validation. Cross-site scripting (XSS) involves injecting malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users; mitigation includes sanitizing user input and employing Content Security Policies (CSP).

That’s why it is important to learn more about cybersecurity to protect your website from mishaps. 

Wrapping up#

This is just a small guide to help you in the lifelong backend development journey. But we assure you that following these small beginner’s steps can give you a great start to becoming a backend developer. Educative offers various courses for backend developers that help them learn development and the other elements needed. Explore Educative courses today and start learning!