<P> In software engineering, the terms front end and back end refers to the separation of concerns between the presentation layer (front end), and the data access layer (back end) of a piece of software, or the physical infrastructure or hardware . In the client--server model, the client is usually considered the front end and the server is usually considered the back end, even when some presentation work is actually done on the server . </P> <P> In software architecture, there may be many layers between the hardware and end user . Each can be spoken of as having a front end and a back end . The front is an abstraction, simplifying the underlying component by providing a user - friendly interface, while the back usually handles business logic and data storage . </P>

What does frontend and backend mean in programming