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What is the difference between UI and Front- end Development ?
IMO it's solely based on the definition set up by the guy defining the position(s) and will most often be the same (but they might differ as well).
Depending on the technology used (e.g. web pages vs. client programs) this might slightly change and possibly include messaging between backend and frontend as well or not include parts of the frontend at all.
I'd use some MMORPG as a perfect example for this: backend is obviously everything server related, possibly some client side stuff that isn't visible to the client, too. Frontend development might include pretty much everything somehow visible to the user (web page, game client's UI, game client's representation of the game world, etc.). However, UI dev here would most likely only include stuff being part of the user interface, but not necessarily things belonging to the game world (unless the player interacts with them, like ui elements placed in the3d world instead of inside some kind of overlay). As an example, a frontend developer might change the way some monster models are rendered or where icons appear, while a ui developer might only change how the monster's health bars or the mentioned icons are shown.
A front-end developer (or indeed UI developer) really depends on the technologies being used. If it is a web application then yes, the front-end is going to be using a mix of technologies such as HTML, CSS, jQuery, Javascript, and perhaps Flash and even Silverlight.
Off the web, a UI developer might well be working in WinForms, MFC, or other rich-client user-interface library. They may also be expected to write custom controls that perform special rendering requirements.
1.1- WEB: the development of user interface using HTML, CSS, Javascript & Jquery etc, shortly the designer task but not included custom controls or plugins development
1.2- DESKTOP: development of user interface using Visual studio, Java ....
In some cases we need to customize built-in controls provided by a tool/Language
like HTML provide us Single column drop down (Select tag)
What if we need2 or3 column drop down
so creating such things is UI Development.
2-1: WEB: mostly UI are developed by using JQuery, html, css, ajax, database
to reuse it is given structure of jquery plugins
2-2: DESKTOP: creating custom controls like OCX etc
Front-end developer: builds websites using HTML, CSS, JavaScript and other common client side technologies. The focus is on delivering a complete product in a confined timeline. The developer sees pages as a whole, and a website as a combination of those pages.
UI-Developer: Similarly uses HTML, CSS, JavaScript and other client side technologies. There is less emphasis on scripting languages like JavaScript and more emphasis on HTML and CSS. The focus is on delivering more granular assets such as buttons, tooltips, and other modular pieces which will go into a larger, finished product. The developer sees an asset as the individual css styles and pays particular attention to how the asset will look, feel, behave in different contexts. They may be more familiarized with methodologies like OOCSS, Smacss, or BEM. They may not even see a website as a whole but rather a collection of assets applied to pages.
Successful front-end developers would have traits of both. They see a page as a collection of assets and have high attention to detail and writing code in a modular fashion. They constantly analyze how the assets will be used on the page and how they might be used across the entire site.
Apart from our conflict between the two job descriptions, Front-end Developer is the person responsible for coding all the visual content you can interact with, in a web product. Programming is the key responsibility for the developer.
UI Designer is the person responsible for putting the main visual identity of a web product like the look, feel and colors.
Should the UI Designer be a programmer?
No, he shouldn't he can just design and give it to a Front-End Developer to turn it to a functional code.
Should the Front-end Developer be a designer?
No, he shouldn't but for most current positions especially in small companies, he should do the two jobs together.
UI development deals with the artistic or eyeworthy designs according to creators preference and how they percieve their application would look like for its users. front-end development deals with what your applications interactivity with its user should work, like what application would do if user clicks a link or presses a key.
