Developing a web application requires juggling multiple aspects – visual appeal, engaging content, seamless functionality, and robust security. However, simply throwing code at these elements often leads to messy, hard-to-maintain applications. The key lies in separation of concerns (SoC), a principle that advocates for compartmentalizing these aspects for a smoother development process and a stronger final product.
SoC essentially divides the web application into distinct layers, each responsible for a specific concern. Let's delve into the four key areas to separate:
Design: This layer defines the visual identity of the application. It includes elements like layout, color schemes, typography, and imagery. Separating design allows for easy customization and experimentation without affecting the underlying functionalities. Imagine changing the color scheme of a website without rewriting the code that powers the login function.
Content: Text, images, videos, and other informational elements fall under content. Keeping content separate from code makes it easier for non-technical users to update and manage the application's information. This fosters a dynamic and content-rich user experience.
Web Functionalities: This layer handles the core functionalities of the application. It processes user interactions, interacts with databases, and delivers the desired results. Separation here ensures clean, modular code that's easier to debug, test, and maintain. Modifying a specific feature becomes a focused task, minimizing the risk of unintended consequences in other parts of the application.
Security : With the ever-growing threat landscape, robust security is paramount. A dedicated security layer handles user authentication, data encryption, access control, and vulnerability patching. Isolating security allows developers to implement best practices and security protocols without cluttering the functional code. This promotes a secure environment for both users and the application itself.
Modern Headless Content Management Systems understand the importance of separation of concerns.
Netzary has built a modern Content Management System which is Headless if you are planning to build a modern web or mobile app. If you need a monolithic architecture, we support award winning Jinja2 templating popular in the Python world, good enough for powering 99% of web sites globally.
Our platform is devops ready and supports CI/CD pipelines for most modern Javascript frameworks including NextJS, React, Angular and Sveltte. We also have pipelines for pushing your website to modern CDN platforms from Cloudflare to Netffly and even custom built delivery platforms.