Development Articles

5 Tips to Ensure Future Scalability During Web Development

If you’ve ever heard the old saying “fail to plan, plan to fail,” then you probably understand the importance of having a carefully prepared approach for any type of development project.

In today’s constantly connected Internet of Things environment, every new web application needs to be built for speed and built for ever-increasing traffic numbers. When you hear stories about retail brand websites crashing on Black Friday and consider how much money they lose every second they’re down, you start to see why scalability is such an important aspect of development.

Here are five ways to make sure your web development project is ready and willing to scale in the years to come. [more]

The Pros & Cons of Single Page Applications (SPAs)

Single page applications are the next generation of web and app development. Sites such as Facebook, Gmail, Google Maps, Twitter and Trello are now transitioning existing legacy sites and applications over to SPAs.

Traditional websites (or multiple page applications) are based on a standard homepage/index and a menu with links to other pages. When a new link is clicked, a request is sent to the server to download a new HTML page.  Data elements, graphics and other information is pulled from the database and then returned to the client-facing website where the page is rendered. This happens each time for every individual page a user accesses.

On a single page application, data is presented to the user dynamically as they scroll through and interact with the site. This is possible thanks to JavaScript running inside the browser. Once the page loads upon initial visit, it doesn’t have to wait for any other content to download, regardless of the actions taken by the user during the session. [more]

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Fixed or Flexed? Which Development Method is Right for You?

The software development life cycle (SDLC) involves many different stages of production, including concept, design, development and testing. Most software development models fall into one of two categories: fixed or flexible.

Fixed development methods include Waterfall, Rapid Application Development (RAD), and Spiral. Agile and Extreme Programming (XP) are two examples of popular flexible development models.

Deciding which one of these software development methodologies works best for your project doesn’t have to be complicated. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at the benefits of both fixed and flexible methods when it comes to software development. [more]

20 Interesting Mobile App Statistics for Developers

If you haven’t yet heard of Statista.com, you’ll want to head there immediately and bookmark the site on your current web browser. It is the absolute best place on the web to get the most-up-to date statistics and infographics about pretty much anything you can possibly think of.

Statista features survey results, reports, and charts from over 22,500 sources, broken down across all industries. When it comes to the mobile app market, there are a multitude of interesting stats…from the most popular apps all over the world to the ones people are hoping will “die off” soon. (Sorry Twitter, but you happen to be at the top of that list!)

If you’re a mobile application developer and are looking to get inside the mind of today’s mobile app users, Statista is certainly the place to do it. Here are 20 of the most interesting stats we found when it comes to mobile application development. [more]

Top Tools for Android Development

According to Statista, the Google Play store had over 2.8 million Android apps available for download as of March 2017. That’s higher than the Apple App Store’s 2.2 million and Microsoft Windows’ 669,000 available apps.

Given that there are way more Android mobile devices on the market today than any other operating system, the demand for apps and experienced Android application developers is only going to continue to increase in the future. 

Android developers are able to churn out all these apps much faster and more efficiently thanks to a profusion of sophisticated, integrated development environments (IDEs) as well as other time-saving tools and applications.

There are a few Android development solutions that tend to show up over and over again on Android developers’ “favorites” lists. Here are the top 20 favorite tools currently being used for Android application development. [more]

The Future of DevOps: 5 Predictions

The term DevOps has become increasingly popular in the software industry over the last several years. One of the reasons for this is that more companies have moved to the Agile development method, which is based on iterative development and enhanced communication between cross-functional teams.

Having both development and operations teams act as equal stakeholders in the creation of applications and solutions leads to a more efficient process and faster production timeline. Other benefits of DevOps include a higher quality product with fewer bugs, an enhanced user experience, and an easier pathway to scaling a solution for future growth.

As we settle into the new year, we find ourselves asking the question, what is the future of DevOps? How will all the latest trends in technology affect software development in general? And what should companies – both enterprise and startups – be considering as far as development investment in the years to come?

Here are the predictions. [more]

7 Steps to Choosing the Right Tech Stack for Your Web App

When developing a new web application, you want to do everything possible to make it a huge success. But where exactly do you begin?

Any successful web app starts with the right tech stack. Tech stack is a term used to describe all the different types of technology used to build an application. There are endless combinations. Your choice will depend on the type of solution you are creating, the kind of team you are working with, and your overall vision for the end result.

Let’s take a look at some of the basics of what makes up a tech stack along with a few best practices to help you choose what’s best for your development project. [more]

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What is Blue-Green Deployment?

Blue-Green deployment is a development term for the process of launching application updates without service disruptions. It does this by using two production environments that are connected to the same database. One environment is live (green) and the other is the one being updated and tested (blue).

The Blue-Green method has become very popular among developers because it allows for continuous delivery to users and helps to mitigate financial risks caused by errors, bugs and downtime.

In this post, we’ll take a look at how Blue-Green deployment works as well as the benefits of utilizing this type of update. [more]

How Progressive Apps Are Changing the Software Development Game 

When you’re surfing the web, are you noticing that more and more websites now ask if you’d like to opt-in for their notifications? This is the result of progressive web app development. These sites and their owners are tuned in to how the majority of people are currently accessing the web, which is from their mobile devices.

Progressive web apps (PWAs) are the next frontier when it comes to website development. Companies are switching to PWAs in an effort to provide a better user experience while at the same time, increasing conversion and engagement rates.

So, just what exactly is a progressive web app and how did they become the topic-du-jour in the tech industry? Let’s take a look at PWAs, the features and benefits they offer, and why you should get one ASAP. [more]

The Top 3 Trends in Mobile Testing

According to a study by Deloitte, the average person looks at their mobile device approximately 47 times throughout the day. More than 80% of smartphone users check their devices first thing in the morning and right before going to bed. Several even place their phones on a bedside table and respond to notifications throughout the night.

As people continue their obsession with mobile devices, the demand for more sophisticated apps increases. App Annie reports that the mobile app market will experience a 385% growth rate through 2021. This is becoming a challenge for developers as far as the QA and testing phase for mobile applications. Standard methods of software testing don’t cut it when it comes to complicated mobile applications. Plus, the rush to get the next “must-have” app to market limits the time needed for proper testing.

The latest trends in technology definitely influence the features and functions of today’s most popular mobile apps. Here are three currently popular technology trends and how they are affecting the way mobile testing is performed. [more]

When and How to Scale Your Engineering Team

As a startup founder or small business owner, your primary goal is growing your business. Of course, in order to do that, you have to grow the team of developers responsible for building, maintaining and enhancing your product.

Timing is everything when it comes to success. Knowing when to scale your development team is just as important as knowing how to scale it. Luckily, we’re familiar with both aspects. Since we’ve been helping startups scale their development teams for over 15 years, we’ve learned a thing or two (or actually three and five, which we’re going to share with you in this post.)

Here are three simple clues that can tell you exactly when it’s time to scale your software development team along with five tried-and-tested ways to do it. [more]

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3 Cases Where Cross-Platform Mobile App Development Beats Native 

There are two ways to go when developing a mobile app: native or cross-platform.  A native app is designed for a specific operating system…either iOS or Android. A cross-platform mobile app is designed to work on both.

A lot of developers and industry experts will tell you that native development is always the right choice because it delivers the best possible user experience. However, there are certain circumstances in which choosing cross-platform development is the best bet.

Here are 3 cases where cross-platform mobile app development beats native. [more]

Why Android Studio Beats Eclipse for Development

Android Studio was released in June of 2014 and is the official integrated development environment (IDE) for the Google operating system. Eclipse Android Development Tools (ADT) is an open-source software that was released in November of 2001. It is designed primarily for Java development but can be used for other types of programming with appropriate plug-ins.

While Android Studio was intended to be a replacement for Eclipse, upon its initial release, there were still a lot of fans of the latter who had a tough time making the switch. The argument as to which is better for Android development is still going on today. [more]

What’s New In Web Development Trends?

Hey, business owner! Having a website isn’t good enough anymore. Your website has to be all things to all people. It has to load instantly, be optimized for mobile, look great on any device, offer chatbot and AI technology, and provide an overall outstanding user experience every single time.

Hey web developers! You’re going to be very busy in 2019! New demands and expectations will challenge development teams to stay on top of their game when it comes to new trends and website technologies.

Here are the trends web developers will be focused on in the year to come. [more]

How DevOps Can Help Scale Your Startup

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The #1 Reason Companies Fail at DevOps

One of the biggest differences between established organizations and scrappy startups is the way in which they approach DevOps. DevOps is simply the term used to describe the organization and management of software development and operations.

There are many varying opinions regarding best practices for DevOps, but most IT professionals agree that automation, testing, and frequent updates are all extremely important aspects. Startups excel in all three of these steps, as they are developing from scratch and utilizing the latest technologies and programming languages.

A recent State of DevOps Report found that companies that have implemented the best DevOps practices experience a 440% increase in lead time speed for changes and have much higher levels of customer satisfaction. [more]

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3 Performance Testing Mistakes to Avoid

It’s a lot easier to get someone to download your app than it is to get them to use it on a regular basis. If your app doesn’t perform well (i.e., has slow loading or downtime), it will get deleted from the user’s mobile device pretty quickly and replaced by a competitor’s version.

This is why performance testing is such an integral part of the application development process. Whereas QA or quality control covers the inner workings and actual code, performance testing places the application in real world situations to see how it functions. This is where you test speed, stability, and response time. If your app becomes a huge hit the first week it’s released, will your platform be able to handle all of that traffic?

Oftentimes, programmers get so caught up in QA testing that they don’t pay enough attention to overall performance. Here are few common mistakes that developers are still making when it comes to performance testing. [more]

3 Blockchain Vulnerabilities to Avoid in Product Development

The technology industry has been pretty hyped about blockchain technology for a while now. This is due to the fact that blockchain transactions are more transparent, secure, and able to process and deliver higher quality data. Blockchain companies are popping up everywhere as entrepreneurs race to capitalize on the trend.

Blockchain technology, explained by most tech experts, is simply a system of distributed electronic ledgers and “smart contracts” that contain digital transactions and verifiable information within encrypted blocks. Blockchain is the most secure form of transmitting information electronically. Of course, no electronic system is completely failsafe. Hackers will always try and find a way to penetrate blockchain security protocols in order to steal sensitive data and information.

If you’re currently developing a solution based on blockchain technology, here are three specific vulnerabilities you’ll want to avoid. [more]

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QA Automation: 4 Best Practices

QA automation is the process in which pre-designed software testing tools are utilized to perform quality assurance testing during development.

Development teams use QA automation as part of an overall quality assurance plan because it frees up time for developers to focus on writing code and improves overall test accuracy. Plus, automated testing removes the possibility of human error.

Here are four quality assurance automation best practices to consider. [more]

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5 Things to Avoid When Developing Your Next Mobile App

Creating the next big mobile app is the dream of any entrepreneur.

But how do you ensure success? What are the best practices when it comes to app development and what problems should you anticipate throughout the process?

Here is a list of 5 things to avoid during app development. Steer clear of these mistakes and your app may just end up being the next big thing. [more]

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3 Best Practices for QA in Software Development

The quality assurance and testing aspect of software development is every bit as important as the actual code being written. However, most of the time, software QA process is an afterthought, performed at the last minute, right before the solution is scheduled to be released.  

There are many schools of thought when it comes to quality assurance and best software testing practices. Yes, QA is an added cost and can be quite time-consuming. But the ramifications of improper testing can be even more costly down the road. This is why it’s so important to plan your QA process in advance and to stress its importance throughout the development process.

Here are 3 best practices for QA testing in software development. [more]

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How to Develop an iOS App on a Windows PC

Are you a PC person that wants to be able to develop mobile apps for both Android and iOS devices? Do you refuse to drink the “Kool-Aid” and give in to purchasing a Mac, but still want to create dynamic apps for iOS devices?

Well, there are a few ways you can use a Windows PC to code iOS apps. Obviously, this is not an optimal way to create the best application, especially when considering the overall QA process.

But for those of you who like to challenge what can and can’t be done, here are a few hacks that will allow you to develop iOS apps on a Windows PC. [more]

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5 Reasons to Use React Native for Cross-Platform Development

React Native (RN) is a JavaScript framework popular among programmers for Android and iOS native app development. It is the result of a Facebook hackathon and is currently owned and managed by the social media giant.

Although it has only been around for a few years, React Native has quickly become a top tool for mobile app development. Airbnb, Instagram, Bloomberg and Walmart have all utilized the platform in developing their mobile applications.

So, what exactly is it about React Native that has so many developers singing its praises? The reasons vary depending on the programmer and the project, but here are the top 5 if you’re considering React Native for cross-platform app development. [more]

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