Klientprogrammer

Klientprogrammer is a term used in software development to describe a programmer who specializes in building client-side applications, that is, software that runs on the end user’s device rather than on a server. The label is used in several European and English-speaking contexts to distinguish development work focused on the user interface and local execution from server-side programming.

The scope of a klientprogrammer includes web front-end development, mobile apps, desktop clients, and other user interfaces that interact with remote services or data sources. Client applications may run in web browsers, mobile environments, or desktop platforms, and often balance presentation, responsiveness, and local processing with communication to back-end services.

Typical responsibilities encompass designing and implementing user interfaces, converting requirements into interactive features, ensuring responsiveness and accessibility, optimizing performance, managing client-side state, and addressing security considerations specific to the client environment. Proficiency with web technologies such as JavaScript or TypeScript, HTML and CSS, and with front-end frameworks (for example React, Angular, Vue, Svelte) is common, as are mobile development skills (Swift, Kotlin). Cross-platform tools like Electron or Flutter may also be used to build desktop or multi-platform clients.

In practice, a klientprogrammer is distinct from back-end or server programmers and may overlap with roles such as frontend developer or full-stack developer, depending on the project. Trends in the field emphasize single-page and progressive web apps, cross-platform development, and a focus on performance, accessibility, and security. See also front-end developer, client-server model, user interface design.