In the beginning, web servers were just a way to deliver files. With time, people realized that the web could do a lot more if you didn’t have to create all of the files ahead of time. This led to the development of ways to create the files (mostly “web pages”) on-demand. Back-end development includes all the ways this is done. (You may sometimes hear the term “server-side.” That’s basically the same as “back-end.”)

No one starts back-end development from scratch. Instead, they use a web framework which handles the lowest-level parts consistently, so the developer can focus on the parts that are unique to any given project. There are web frameworks available for every popular programming language, and usually more than one! See below for more.

Another term you might hear is CMS or Content Management System. Content Management Systems can often be set up by non-programmers and customized using web-based interfaces. Often they can also be customized with code, as well.

The most popular CMS out there today is WordPress; some estimates say more than 40% of websites in the world run on WordPress. There are lots of jobs in journalism that have to do with customizing WordPress at various levels. WordPress has extensive online documentation for developers. Knight Lab doesn’t do a lot of WordPress development, but we have a little experience.

Python web frameworks

• Django was created by journalists! It provides a full feature set to create your own CMS, so you don’t have to invent things like user account management and login. Knight Lab has a lot of experience with Django and we often choose it when we need a more fully-featured site. Census Reporter uses it, as does a private site for managing applications for the Data-Driven Reporting Project.
• Flask is a Python “microframework.” That means that it starts, “out of the box,” with fewer features than Django, which means it’s a bit easier to get up-and-running if you don’t need those. There are lots of Flask add-ons available to help solve different problems if you need them. Knight Lab uses Flask a lot, including for another facet of Census Reporter, as well as to manage the authoring tool for StoryMapJS, among others.

JavaScript web frameworks

While JavaScript originated in the browser, it has developed into a first-class programming language. Knight Lab doesn’t use these tools regularly, so we’re less able to recommend one specifically. Several JS web frameworks are tightly linked to front-end JS libraries.

• **ExpressJS** is a minimal framework, something like Flask, mentioned in the Python section. It can be used by itself, but it’s also the basis for many other JS web frameworks.
• NextJS (React)
• GatsbyJS (React)
• SvelteKit (Svelte)