Is web development harder than software development

Well, web applications are software, so on that level writing this article seems a bit pointless. But wait a moment—this can be a valid question for people trying to choose between them. So, I try to explain. 

What is a web application?

A web application is software that runs on a web protocols. Or commonly known as apps that run on browsers (by the way we have web applications that do not run only on browsers), but all and all they are software. So, what is a software? 

What is a software program?

A software program is a set of code instructions from a developer to the computer. Basically, we are instructing a computer how to behave.

Some of this code provides interfaces through web protocols, making it web software or web applications. 

Some of them can be installed and accessed on mobile operating systems like Android, and desktop operating systems like Microsoft Windows, making them mobile apps and desktop apps.

Generally, we don't have a software developer who does all things, it is very rare and most people who say they develop any software are ineffective in real-world situations. Because every platform needs different expertise which you can only acquire through time.

Scope of a web developer's job

•    Specializes in building websites and web applications that run on browsers.

•    The focus is on web technologies and the development of web-based interfaces and systems.

•    In the past, both front-end (user interface) and back-end (server-side) work were common, but nowadays, it's more common to specialize in one.

Scope of software developer's job 

•    Works on creating software applications that may run on various platforms such as desktops, mobile devices, embedded systems, etc.

•    The scope is broader and can include different types of software, including operating systems, databases, games, and more.

•    They may work on both client-side (front-end) and server-side (back-end) development, as well as system integration.

Which one is harder?

Well, I would argue that a complete software developer is something like a unicorn, sounds fascinating but no one ever saw one. But if you believe such a being exists surely web developers have an easier path to follow cause software development has more challenges and more complicated dependencies to consider. 

What skills does a web developer need?

A web developer needs to know client-side markup or scripting languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and if they want to do server-side programming they need to know at least one server-side language like C#, PHP, java, etc.

as we discussed in web development roadmap a web developer needs to know how the web works! When I started mentoring some people in my team, I often learned that they knew how to create a web application but they didn't know how it all worked. For example, if you ask them how our server knows which resource are we asking for, or if you ask them what happens to our request from some domain in the browser to the server, they just don't know. So I think that a web developer needs to be skilled in the fundamentals of web protocols and how they work.

PS: if you are looking to be a better web developer checkout strategies to have a user friendly website.

What skills does a software developer need?

Again, let me point out that a software developer is a broad term and in almost all cases there is no man or woman that can create every kind of software there is. If someone tells me I'm a software developer I would ask him or her:

"Do you work on a specific platform or did you mean a software engineer?"

Wait! Is there a difference? Yes, there is. 

Who is a software engineer?

Software is not all about coding or development. Development is just a phase. For producing any kind of software these 5 phases must be passed. 

1- What is the problem and is it possible to give a solution? (Analysis and requirement engineering)

2- How is it possible? (Design and architect a solution)

3- Create the solution as an artifact (Implementation and coding)

4- Deploy the solution (put it where the customer can see it)

5- Maintain and update the solution

The developer only comes in at the 3rd phase and some parts of the 4th and 5th. So, who is doing all these other phases? Uou guessed right. A software engineer.

A software engineer is someone who designs and builds software. They use programming and problem-solving skills to create applications, systems, or tools that help people perform tasks on computers, smartphones, and other devices. Think of them as the architects and builders of the digital world, who ensure that the software works efficiently, is easy to maintain, and can grow as needed.

In simple terms: A software engineer is like a digital problem-solver who designs and builds the programs that make your devices work smoothly and effectively.

So Is web development harder than software development?

The answer is no.

 let me give you an example why creating a software on a basic level is harder than coding on a specific platfrom like web.

firstly any software, web or not, needs architecture. needs requirement engineering. needs analysis. needs risk management. which is out of the scope of the question but if you want to create any kind of software you should be familiar with these terms. 

secondly every platform has its own dependencies, libraries, limitations and different type of users. you don't use your phone for what you use laptop for do you? if you are developing a software for say an android device then you are not controlling the server that the code runs on. your software may need to work on different android versions, different hardwares, more limited than other so you need to choose what is the min requirement of you applications is and how to make it so the most client base can use it. 

you need to think about the platform's security dependencies and such. so it is obvious that working on a specific platfrom is often more realistic and easier than being a all type of software developer. 

Conclusion

I tried to describe why the question itself is a bit funny but to conclude this topic I would say any specific developer career like web development or mobile development is easier to get into than a multi-hat job description like software development. And being a software engineer is surely harder than being a developer. 

In the next topic, I will talk about a roadmap for developers so you can decide better. 

Have a good one!