As a frontend developer I work very closely with the people on the backend. Now we can discuss exactly what backends and frontends and serverside and programmers etc is. What I mean by saying backend is the people working with the business layer of an web application or web site. The people building up the logic that generates the HTML. I don’t really mind calling it something else so if you got a greater or more specific name that you think describe this area much better feel free to give me suggestions. Backend is the word I will use for now.

In a perfect world

Anyway, back to topic. Compared to most Art Directors and Interactive Designers people working on the backend usually have quite a lot of knowledge when it comes to HTML. They know most of the tags in use and they can often style a web site even if it’s not their job. The problem is that many of them aren’t that good at choosing the right markup that is fit for the content and of course, it’s not their job. Or at least it shouldn’t be their job. I’m having the strong opinion that every team bigger than three people working on a web site should consist of at least one frontend developer. That frontend developer should take care of the job and provide the best markup. Oh, sweet dream of a perfect world.

When backend is getting dirty with frontend

But there are times when for various reasons there is no room for a frontend developer. There might also be times when the markup provided by the frontend developer doesn’t fit the framework. Sometimes the people working with the backend need to do quick fixes that include markup. A lot of times this can result in markup that is closely connected to the visual appearance of the site. For example a label needed to be provided to a new input field. The label need to be above the input field so the person on the backend quickly put some text into a div cause he knows form experience that a div is a block element and the input field will surely get it’s own row.. wait lets put the input fields into a div as well. Now fine and dandy let’s move on. Yes, I realize that I’m generalising and that most people I met are smarter than this and they do think more than this but hey! I’m trying to make a point here… My point is that most backend people are having a hard time trying to keep the markup apart from the visual appearance. So my one sentence lesson is:

”Stop thinking about the visual appearance when you’re writing markup”

Not perfect but better

I personally think the world would be a better place if more backend people started to follow this. Of course I realize that because you don’t know everything about clearing of floated elements, positions and negative margins and other mumbo-jumbo css-talk you might need to add that extra div. But please, and this is a prayer from my deep and pure frontend heart, don’t start by thinking of how it looks. Start by thinking what feels appropriate. A label should be a label and a paragraph should be a paragraph. If more people on the backend just stopped caring about the look we wouldn’t have som many crap-markup-generating framework out there. Just saying…

No offense to nobody.
I love you.
I love the web.
Peace Out!

/Ida