Matching Pairs SERVER SIDE SCRIPTINGOnline version Server side scripting by Enap English 1 The back end comprises three parts: the server, your database, any APIs, and a back-end web application, software written via server-side languages. The server is a powerful computer that runs the back-end software, the database houses your site’s data, and the software communicates between the two. For example, if a user is updating a profile on a networking site, the server-side scripts will gather the information the user enters, the application will process it on the server, then interact with the database to update that information there. 2 There are many server-side languages working toward that end goal. The language you choose for your site depends on a mix of your site’s requirements, your database/operating system setup, and the preferences of your development team. Knowing what each script can offer and what sets it apart is helpful in deciding how to build your back end, and who to hire. 3 Server-Side Scripting: Back-End Web Development Technology (Part 1) When you type in a URL, lots of code is at work to bring a page to your screen. What connects your site’s database to the browser, creating a smooth, user-friendly experience? That’s the software built by server-side scripts, languages that build your site behind the scenes. The goal of this software? To provide a seamless experience for the user that’s as close to a desktop application as possible. 4 Server-side scripts are used by back-end web developers to build the back-end software of a website—the mechanics we don’t see, but that make a site’s usability and functionality possible. These languages create the communication channel between user, server, and database. Anything that isn’t explicitly written into the text markup of a site is front-end or back-end software. Any data that a user requests in the browser (e.g., the fields in drop-down menus, photos, or user profiles) is delivered via server-side scripts, which create a channel between server and end user that requests, edits, and deletes things in the database. In the browser, front-end scripts make that information available to the user. 5 Server-side script basics: Runs on a server, embedded in the site’s code. Designed to interact with back-end permanent storage, like databases, and process information from the server to access the database—like a direct line from user to database. Facilitates the transfer of data from server to browser, bringing pages to life in the browser, e.g., processing and then delivering a field that a user requests or submits in a form. Runs on-call. When a web page is “called up,” or when parts of pages are “posted back” to the server with AJAX, server-side scripts process and return data. Powers functions in dynamic web applications, such as user validation, saving and retrieving data, and navigating between other pages. Plays a big role in how a database is built from the ground up and managed afterwards—an example of how roles often overlap in all aspects of development. Build application programming interfaces (APIs), which control what data and software a site shares with other apps. 4 3 1 2 5
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