Planning to start your business startup and confused about where to begin from? Don’t worry, it’s obvious! Well, you can get started with clarity by having the technical aspect first. With digital transformations, choosing the right software for building your robust online business presence is necessary.

So, based on the nominal requirements of startups and small enterprises, selecting full-stack development services will be helpful in recent times. For delivering value and modern feature-rich solutions, the demand for full-stack developers is booming in the market.

Full-stack development is wholesome of software technicalities. So, below is a clear definition of full-stack for your understanding.

What is a Full-Stack Developer?

Full-stack developers are simply tech experts who can work simultaneously for the front-end and back-end processes of developing websites or applications. In layman’s terms, a full-stack developer is an all-rounder who meets the design and development of any website and application. Developers can handle the procedure smoothly with a strong knowledge of multiple programming languages and coding skills. Still, you should always prefer interviewing the right candidate based on their skills and your needs.

What skills should you consider when hiring a full-stack developer?

Usually, full-stack developers incorporate project requirements with relevant databases and build user-facing websites. You should select the right and experienced developer who encompasses the following skills;

• Should be familiar with frontend and backend, both programming languages.
• Having enough understanding of more than two databases.
• Building websites adhering to UX/UI design.
• Tackles issues such as bug detection and code errors.
• Performs proper research about the website requirements, current trends, features, and so on.

Moreover, you can get deeper insight by going through the reasons that push you to hire full-stack developers for your small enterprise.

4 Reasons that Make Full-stack Developers First Choice for Startups

Now, after getting insights into the required skill set of developers, we will give strong reasons to select full-stack developers immediately.

• Cost-effectiveness

For any startup business, controlling budget needs is essential. It is significant for small companies to survive in the market initially. So, you can’t spend a big capital amount on the app or website development agency. However, full-stack developers can build a high-end website or app at lower rates. It creates a win-win situation for both startups and developers.

• Extensive technical knowledge

Being the knowledge holder of front and backend languages, full-stack developers have good technical skills and understanding. Full-stack developers ensure step-by-step process management from making a wireframe to waving the live website. The final outcome will furnish your business requirements and showcase the website innovatively.

• Problem-solving approach

A talented full-stack developer manages to troubleshoot errors and solve numerous issues with front-end and back-end software. With implementing an effective strategy, the ideal full-stack developer emphasizes utilizing the advantages of both frontend and backend. It is the best practice to eliminate the drawbacks of both solutions in the development process.

• Customized solutions

The customized website grabs the customers’ attention way faster than one with a bunch of text only. You should share requirements with the developers on how you want the website design, color coordination, logo design, engaging icons, and many more aspects. The custom-tailored web design should be responsive and eye-catching. Therefore, a skilled developer builds your dream website layout efficiently.

Even after emphasizing the reasons, you might wonder how to hire a full-stack developer. Where can I get the ideal developer? And many more. We are here to help you with that as well. Keep reading!

Where can you hire the right full-stack developer for your startup?

A couple of websites and portals are available to hire and outsource full-stack services. However, you should look for a candidate from Upwork or any other freelancing website.

You can also hire dedicated full-stack developers situated in different time zones and remotely work for you. It is the best-suited way for small enterprises due to budget constraints.

It’s your turn

Being the cutting-edge solution, full-stack developers will build the roadmap toward the success of your startup. You will get the assistance of technology-driven developers that do wonders for setting up your website.

Hire full-stack developers from Rlogical Techsoft and create a state-of-the-art website or application that stands out. With efficient ability, comprehensive knowledge, and innovative techniques of frontend and backend technicalities, the full-stack developer works as a comrade for you.

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In today’s digital age, business efficiency is not just beneficial; it’s essential. Organizations need to stay ahead of the curve with rapidly evolving markets and increasing competition. One way to achieve this is through custom software services.

Custom software development tailors software to specific user or organizational needs. It can range from creating a system to run your finance department to a customer-centric app for your sales team.

The Role of Custom Software in Business Efficiency

In the realm of business efficiency, custom software development plays a key role. It enhances processes by automating repetitive tasks, minimizing room for error, and enabling teams to focus on their core competencies. For instance, a custom CRM system streamlines customer management, enhances sales forecasts, and personalizes interactions.

Significant Benefits of Custom Software for Business Efficiency

The benefits of employing custom software development services for business efficiency are numerous. For instance, automation reduces manual labor and boosts productivity. Scalability allows businesses to adapt to growth and change. Integrating existing systems leads to streamlined operations, and enhanced security measures protect sensitive business data.

Indeed, let’s enumerate a few key benefits of custom software for business efficiency:

• Automation: By automating repetitive tasks, custom software reduces manual labor and boosts productivity.
• Scalability: Custom software is designed to grow and adapt with your business, ensuring it stays relevant and efficient as the organization evolves.
• Integration: Custom software can seamlessly integrate with your existing systems, ensuring a streamlined workflow and reduced disruptions.
• Security: Custom software can be built with enhanced security measures to protect sensitive business data, providing you with peace of mind.
• Competitive Advantage: Custom software can provide unique features specific to your business needs, giving you an edge over competitors who rely on off-the-shelf software solutions.
• Cost-Effective: While the initial investment might be higher, custom software can prove more cost-effective in the long run due to its adaptability, exclusivity, and long-term usability.

Comparison with Off-the-Shelf Software

While off-the-shelf software may provide immediate solutions, custom software outshines it in terms of efficiency. Custom software is built specifically to cater to your business needs, offering features that generic software often lacks. It’s the difference between a one-size-fits-all approach and a tailored solution that fits like a glove.

Sure, let’s expand on the comparison with additional bullet points:

• Personalized User Experience: Custom software allows for a user interface specifically designed for your employees’ workflows, improving usability and efficiency.
• Future-Proofing: With custom software, you’re not dependent on a vendor’s roadmap. You control the updates and improvements to ensure the software continues to meet your business needs.
• Ownership: You own the custom software. This means no ongoing license fees and the flexibility to modify the software as you see fit.
• Support and Maintenance: With custom software, you’ll receive dedicated support and maintenance from the developers who know the system inside and out, leading to quicker resolution of issues.
• Integration Capabilities: Custom software can offer superior integration capabilities with your existing tools and software, reducing friction in your operations.

Implementing Custom Software Development for Business Efficiency

Custom software development demands careful planning, considering cost, time, and company needs. Establishing a clear set of objectives and communicating them effectively with your software development team is crucial.

• Cost Efficiency: Custom software can become more cost-efficient over time than off-the-shelf solutions. Though the upfront cost is higher, adaptable software can save on future expenses.
• Competitive Advantage: Custom software provides unique functionality tailored to your business processes, which can give you an edge over competitors using generic software solutions.
• Scalability: Custom software can be modified and scaled to accommodate increased workload or expanded operations as your business grows, ensuring seamless growth.
• Security: Custom software can be designed with specific security needs in mind, reducing vulnerabilities and enhancing data protection.
• Customer Satisfaction: Custom software can improve customer service by automating processes, providing timely responses, and personalizing customer interactions.

How to Choose a Custom Software Development Company for Your Business

Choosing the right custom software development company is essential in streamlining your business operations and driving efficiency. Here are some considerations to bear in mind:

1. Expertise and Experience: Evaluate the company’s custom software development services expertise. Consider their years of experience, the complexity of projects they’ve handled, and their knowledge in your business domain.
2. Portfolio: Inspect the portfolio of the custom software development company. Look at the range of projects they’ve completed and their success rate.
3. Technical Skills: Ensure the company is proficient in the technologies and platforms relevant to your project. This includes programming languages, software architectures, database technologies, and more.
4. Communication: Clear, timely communication is crucial. The custom software development company should be able to articulate complex technical concepts in simple terms.
5. Budget and Timeline: Consider your budget and project timeline. The company should be able to deliver within your budget and meet your deadlines.
6. Client Testimonials and Reviews: Look at client testimonials and reviews to understand the company’s reputation and reliability.
7. Post-Development Support: After-sale support is crucial. The company should provide maintenance, updates, and troubleshooting after deploying the software.

Consider these factors when choosing a company for tailored software solutions.

Conclusion

Custom software development services are a powerful tool for businesses aiming to improve efficiency. Despite potential challenges, the benefits make it a worthwhile investment.

Choosing the right custom software development company is key to a tailored, powerful solution for your business. It’s more than just a transaction; it’s a partnership where shared visions, open communication, and expert technical skills mesh to create a software solution that propels your business to new heights of efficiency. Undoubtedly, the journey may present challenges, but with a competent software development partner, these can be navigated and overcome. Custom software is an investment with long-term dividends: streamlined operations, lower overhead, and increased productivity. Therefore, it’s paramount to be meticulous in your selection process, ensuring your chosen partner aligns with your budget, timeline, and business objectives to reap the benefits of custom software development.

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With the rapid shift in the digital space, there has been a high demand for skilled software developers. Interestingly, the traditional hiring model is no longer the only option to get your team, as the emergence of remote work has ushered in a new era of talent acquisition, where geographical boundaries no longer limit your choices. Hence, this article will explore the concept of remote software development teams, their advantages, and how they differ from dedicated teams while providing a step-by-step guide on building your own remote dream team. Now, let’s delve in.

What is a Remote Software Development Team?

You might probably know what remote work means. Now, let’s define what a remote software development team entails. Simply put, it’s a group of highly skilled software developers, designers, and other tech professionals who work together on projects from different locations, often spread across the globe. This implies they collaborate on a project without being in the same physical office and wondering how to communicate and collaborate. They typically use communication tools such as video conferencing, project management software, and messaging apps to stay in touch. Incredible, right? Let’s look at some benefits of a remote software development team.

Benefits of Remote Software Development Teams

Below are some benefits of remote software development teams:

• Global Talent Pool: A major merit of remote teams is access to a broader talent pool of professional developers. Why? This is because you’re not limited to hiring developers from your local area. Hence, you can search for experts with specific skills and experiences needed to handle the development of bespoke software for your projects.

• Cost-Efficiency: Do you have a limited budget for your projects? Do you want to save some extra bucks? You need not worry. Remote teams often offer cost savings compared to in-house teams. More so, you can benefit from competitive pricing based on the region you hire from, which will reduce operational costs.

• Flexibility: Based on the demands of your project, remote teams provide flexibility in scaling your workforce up or down. This is particularly helpful for startups and businesses with unstable workloads. Again, remote teams don’t have to adhere to traditional office hours. A significant advantage if you have team members in different time zones, right? Absolutely!

• Diverse Perspectives: Leveraging different experiences is a major gain of hiring a remote software development team. It increases your chances of getting more creative and innovative solutions.

• Improved productivity: There have been studies done that reveal that remote workers are often more productive than in-house office workers. And this is not unconnected to the fact that they have fewer distractions and can work in a more comfortable environment.

Remote Software Teams vs. Dedicated Software Teams. Is There a Difference?

Of course, these terms may sound alike, but key differences exist. Why? Dedicated teams are often a subset of your in-house team, while remote teams work independently from various locations. Below is a table summarizing the key differences between remote software teams and dedicated software teams:

How to Hire a Remote Software Development Team in 10 Steps

Before hiring a remote software development team, you must understand it requires careful planning and execution. Below are ten essential steps to guide you through the hiring process, from defining your project needs to onboarding your team members:

• Define Your Project Goals

It’s essential to define your project requirements. What kind of software do you need developed? How about the specific features and functionality that you need? What are your budget and timeline constraints? All of these questions have to be answered.

• Legal and Compliance Considerations

This is very important and must be taken seriously. For your project, you need to be aware of the compliance regulations. This will help to assure you that your project is carried out within the confines of the law.

• Create a Detailed Job Description

The job description should clearly state the position’s requirements, including the skills, experience, and qualifications you are looking for. This is important for specifics.

• Post the Job Description

Check out the different platforms where you can post your job description. You could post on job boards, social media, and your company’s website.

• Screen and Select the Best Candidates

As soon as you have received applications, it’s important to screen the candidates to find the best fit for your team. This may involve reviewing resumes, conducting phone interviews, and scheduling in-person interviews.

• Conduct Technical Interviews

Using technical interviews, you can assess the skills and experience of the candidates. It’s an avenue to ask questions about the candidate’s experience with specific programming languages, frameworks, and technologies.

• Make an Offer

Are you satisfied with any candidate? Then, you will need to make an offer. However, negotiate the salary and benefits package to ensure a fair offer for both parties.

• Onboard the New Team Member

If the new team member accepts your offer, you will need to onboard them to your team. This includes providing them with access to the project, the team’s communication tools, and any other resources they may need.

• Manage the Team

To manage the team effectively, you have to set clear goals and expectations, provide regular feedback, and resolve any issues that may arise.

• Evaluate the Team’s Performance

It is important to evaluate the team’s performance regularly to ensure they meet your expectations. This may involve reviewing their work, conducting performance reviews, and providing feedback. Evaluation would allow you to monitor the progress status of your project adequately.

Best Countries to Hire Remote Development Teams From

Remote software development teams are not created equally. Location matters, as it can significantly impact the quality of talent, cost, and communication. Check out some of the best countries to consider when hiring a remote development team based on their strengths and specialties. Of course, there are many great countries to hire remote development teams from. Here are a few of the top contenders:

India: India is a leading destination for outsourcing software development, with a large pool of skilled and experienced developers. The cost of living in India is also relatively low, making it a cost-effective option for many businesses.

Nigeria: Nigeria is an African country with a fast-growing IT sector. The country has a large pool of skilled developers fluent in English. Nigeria is also a good option for businesses looking for developers familiar with the European market.

Poland: Poland is a European country with a strong IT sector. The country has a large pool of skilled developers fluent in English. Poland is also a good option for businesses looking for developers familiar with European standards and regulations.

3 Examples of the Best Remote Software Development Teams to Hire

For your hiring process, below are three examples of renowned remote software development teams that have significantly impacted the tech industry. These teams have demonstrated excellence in various domains, and you can leverage them for your project.

Wazobia Technologies: If you need to create bespoke software applications for your business or projects, you should check out this top firm. Wazobia Technologies has a reputable team of developers spread across the globe to help with your projects. Their services are unique and reliable.

Fiverr: This is a giant online marketplace where you can hire freelancers for various projects. Fiverr is a good option for finding affordable developers, but it is essential to be aware that the quality of the developers on Fiverr can vary.

Toptal: This is a global network of top freelance developers. They have a rigorous vetting process to ensure that their developers are the best of the best. Toptal also offers a satisfaction guarantee, so you can be sure you are hiring the right team for your project.

Conclusion

The era of remote work has reshaped the way we build software. Remote software development teams now offer many benefits, from accessing global talent to cost-efficiency and flexibility. Following the steps outlined in this article and considering the best countries and examples, you can assemble a remote dream team capable of turning your software visions into reality. However, while hiring a remote software development team, remember that success hinges on careful planning, clear communication, and facilitating a culture of collaboration.

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Unity remains undeterred in its plan to implement new install fees despite backlash from game developers. According to the platform holder, “more than 90% of our customers will not be affected by this change.”

Unity’s response on X (formerly Twitter) comes a day after the popular game engine announced it would begin charging a runtime fee on Jan. 1, 2024 — provoking questions about multiple installs and Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass, among others.

The platform holder has since clarified that it will only count “net new installs” starting Jan. 1 and that developers won’t pay fees on re-installations, fraudulent installs, game trials, streams and charity-related installs. It also said fees for Game Pass installs will be passed on to Xbox.

Game devs remain unhappy about new Unity fees

Despite Unity’s response, game developers continue to urge Unity to change its plan — which many argue affects smaller indie titles the most.

“Buy Cult of the Lamb now, because we’re deleting it on Jan. 1,” the well-received game’s official X account stated.

“I bet Steam, Epic, Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft will love having waves of developers pulling their games,” Among Us developer Innersloth’s Forest Willard wrote, adding: “Innersloth has always paid Unity appropriately for licenses and services we use. I’m not a discourse guy, but this is undue and will force my hand.”

Willard also responded directly to Unity’s X account by stating that “Unity now needs to give this up and make obvious reparations in the opposite direction if there can be any hope of regaining trust in the future.”

Among Us is one of the most successful games that use Unity. Other popular titles using the engine include Genshin Impact, Beat Saber and Pokémon Go.

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The demand for full stack development has been on the rise in recent times. It refers to the end-to-end development process of applications, including both front-end and backend development.

When it comes to full stack development, you would want to hire software developers from the top full-stack development companies in India. However, as several companies are out there, finding the best one can be challenging. To simplify your task, we have compiled a complete list of India’s top 10 full-stack development companies.

List of 10 Trusted Full Stack Development Companies in India 2023

1. eSparkBiz

eSparkBiz is one of the top full stack development companies in India. With more than 12 years of rich experience and expertise in the industry, the company offers the most reliable services. Since its inception, eSparkBiz has successfully delivered top-notch development services to hundreds of clients.

The company has a team of skilled and highly experienced full stack developers. They are passionate and committed to delivering exceptional solutions to meet the unique needs of different clients. They work closely with different clients to understand their development requirements and offer them services accordingly.

eSparkBiz extends its full stack development services to more than 20 countries. The client retention rate of the company is 95%. Moreover, the company also has excellent ratings on popular platforms like Hubspot and Clutch. While it has a rating of 5 on HubSpot, it is rated 4.9 on Clutch.

2. TechAvidus

TechAvidus is another reputed full stack development company in India. With more than 80 proficient in-house developers, the firm aims to provide the best development services to clients. They focus on delivering custom software development solutions and enhancing the end-users’ experience.

TechAvidus has over 190 clients around the globe. Moreover, the job success rate of the company is 96%. They have been successful in achieving 5-star reviews on several platforms.

TechAvidus understands that no two companies are the same. Therefore, professional experts leverage a unique approach for every client. From simple applications to complex ones, experienced developers can handle all types of full stack development projects.

3. Sundew Solutions

Next on the list is Sundew Solutions. Sundew is popular as a digital consulting and transformation company helping clients discover new opportunities and develop impactful solutions. The company has a Clutch rating of 4.9. That clearly indicates the level of services they offer.

Sundew Solutions has a team of professional developers with technical expertise and rich experience in the industry. They focus on exceeding the clients’ expectations and enabling their software development applications to stand out in the competitive landscape. The top industries that the company serves include baking and financial services, travel and hospitality, healthcare, insurance, real estate and infrastructure, and much more.

Sundew Solutions aims to deliver value to clients by providing reliable full stack development services. The professionals assist the clients from the beginning till the end of the development process.

4. Aumbre

Aumbre is also one of the top full stack development companies in India. With more than five years of experience in the industry, the firm is dedicated to delivering unparalleled development services at affordable prices. The team of 20 professionals has relevant knowledge, experience, and expertise in the domain.

Aumbre has successfully completed nearly 300 projects and has 300 satisfied customers. They work in close association with the clients to deliver the best results. The professionals understand the clients’ exact goals, infuse their unique vision in the development process, and provide exceptional outcomes.

Each full stack development project is approached by the team with meticulous attention to detail. They ensure that every element aligns well with the key objectives of the clients. Moreover, the company operates with utmost transparency and integrity.

5. W3 SpeedUp

W3 SpeedUp is a reputed name when it comes to full stack development. The firm has a team of experienced and highly skilled full stack developers passionate about providing reliable solutions to clients. Irrespective of the clients’ requirements, they focus on delivering the best possible results.

The professional experts leverage the latest technologies and tools to deliver outstanding development services. Affordable pricing sets the company apart in the industry. W3 SpeedUp believes in providing high-quality development services and ensuring optimum customer satisfaction.

The firm offers a fast turnaround time, enabling the company to get a competitive edge in the market. Moreover, they also provide excellent support and services to fix any issues after the development of applications.

6. Whorv

Whorv is a leading full stack development company with more than 11 years of experience in the industry. The company has been successful in delivering over 1,000 projects to diverse clients. They work closely with the clients to understand their exact requirements and provide solutions accordingly.

Whorv takes pride in having more than 100 happy clients. Professional developers combine their expertise with the best-in-class technologies to deliver exceptional results. The core aim of the firm is to create long-lasting values for its clients.

The company has a very transparent and systematic development process. They keep the clients in the loop and inform them about the progress of the development projects. Through seamless communication, the experts focus on providing unique experiences to clients.

7. A2ZFrame

A2ZFrame is a reputed full stack development company offering top-notch services to clients around the globe. They have been in the business for over ten years and are well aware of the latest trends in the industry. The company takes pride in having more than 350 happy clients.

A2ZFrame offers its full stack development services in over 15 countries. Since its inception, the firm has developed and delivered more than 500 apps. The company has a team of 50+ technical experts with in-depth experience and expertise in the domain.

The development professionals specialize in building bespoke applications using modern technologies. They embrace the latest trends to provide unmatched development services to clients. The company’s development methodology is based on logically and meticulously planned strategies. Moreover, the experts also consider the industry standards to enable businesses to stay ahead.

8. Squash Apps

Squash Apps is yet another full stack development company in India. The firm specializes in building world-class solutions to meet clients’ specific needs. They are dedicated to delivering the best possible IT solutions for the customers.

Squash Apps provides full stack consulting services, from designing applications to marketing and IT security solutions. The company’s development process starts with deep analysis and finally ends with the delivery of the software applications.

The firm guarantees faster development time to help customers stay ahead in the competitive era. The low-cost development of the company allows it to be the preferred choice of a majority of clients. The technical team is always ready to provide the required support and services 24/7.

9. AlignMinds Technologies

AlignMinds Technologies is a full stack development company with more than 13 years of experience in the industry. The company promises to deliver the best development services according to the clients’ specific needs. The team of professional developers has extensive experience in the domain.

The experts know the latest trends in the industry and are familiar with the in-demand development tools. They use modern tools and technologies to build feature-rich applications at affordable prices.

The flexible engagement models of the company allow the clients to select the packages that suit their budget. Moreover, the certifications of AlignMinds Technologies ensure the delivery of reliable solutions for clients.

10. Dreamer Technoland

Finally, in the list of top full stack development companies in India, we have Dreamer Technoland.  The company specializes in providing innovative solutions to meet the specific needs of businesses. The firm has successfully delivered more than 500 projects.

Ensuring the absolute satisfaction of the customers is the core aim of Dreamer Technoland. The firm follows a systematic approach to deliver precisely what the business wants. It all starts with understanding the business needs.

With a clarity of the business requirements, the professional experts start developing the prototype and ultimately deliver the desired solution. The customer-centric approach of the firm sets Dreamer Technoland apart in the industry.

Conclusion

The need for full stack development is on the rise continuously. It will increase even more in the coming years. To ensure the best outcomes, it is always a smart decision to hire a Web development companies . The full stack developers simplify everything, from MVP development to UI/ UX creation and app development.

By now, you must be well aware of the top full stack development companies in India. Depending on your business’s budget and specific needs, you can hire the right full stack development company. Collaborate with the experts, discuss your development requirements, and get competitively competitive services.

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In the world of software development and operations, Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) and DevOps have emerged as dynamic allies, forming an unbeatable alliance for building and maintaining robust, high-performing systems. Together, they bridge the gap between development and operations, fostering a reliability, agility, and collaboration culture. This unique partnership unleashes the true potential of modern IT organizations, ensuring seamless user experiences and unparalleled business success.

SRE and Its Role in DevOps

In a survey conducted by Blameless, it was revealed that an astounding 50% of participants adopted the SRE model, employing either dedicated infrastructure-focused engineers or embedding full-time SREs directly into their services.

Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) is a pivotal discipline, harmoniously partnering with DevOps to ensure unparalleled success. SRE’s unwavering reliability, availability, and scalability focus perfectly aligns with DevOps goals.

Key principles of SRE

Error Budgets and Service Level Objectives (SLOs): Balancing innovation and stability through defined performance targets and acceptable unreliability thresholds.

Automation and Monitoring: Core to SRE, enabling faster and consistent deployments aided by proactive real-time system health data.

Incident Management and Post-Mortems: Prompt, collaborative responses to disruptions and learning from failures to prevent recurrence.

SRE’s primary objective is reliable, highly available, and scalable systems, enhancing user experience, customer satisfaction, and trust in the product.

SRE and DevOps unite with shared objectives. DevOps focuses on rapid development and continuous delivery, while SRE infuses reliability from the outset. SRE’s post-mortems offer valuable feedback to enhance the development and deployment processes, fostering a collaborative and robust product.

DevOps and Its Role in SRE

DevOps’s core is the commitment to harmonize software development and operations seamlessly. Utilizing CI/CD, developers continuously integrate and deploy code changes in small increments, promoting rapid, low-risk releases. SRE benefits from this approach, embracing a controlled, measured approach to system changes in pursuit of service reliability.

Collaboration and communication form the bedrock of DevOps culture, fostering cross-functional teamwork and ownership. For SRE, this results in faster incident resolution and heightened system resilience.

Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and configuration management are invaluable tools for DevOps and SRE teams. Automating infrastructure provisioning ensures consistency and minimizes manual errors.

DevOps’ agility, speed, and collaboration seamlessly align with SRE’s reliability mission, preserving innovation and swift delivery. The marriage of these methodologies guarantees SRE goals without compromising DevOps’ efficiency.

The Benefits of SRE and DevOps Collaboration

When superheroes unite, a formidable force emerges, and in the realm of technology, the dynamic duo of Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) and DevOps epitomizes this success. This perfect partnership brings forth an array of astounding advantages, propelling organizations to unparalleled efficiency and dependability.

Improved System Reliability and Uptime

Visualize a world where systems never falter and uptime is assured. SRE and DevOps collaboration makes this vision a reality. The teams prioritize system reliability by defining crystal-clear Service Level Objectives (SLOs) and error budgets. Vigilant monitoring and seamless automation nip potential issues in the bud, warding off catastrophes before they materialize. The result? Resilient systems and seamless user experiences.

Faster Incident Resolution and Recovery Times

In times of crisis, every second counts. SRE and DevOps collaboration empowers swift incident resolution and recovery. The teams respond promptly to incidents by using advanced monitoring tools and shared communication channels. Blameless post-mortems foster continuous improvement, enhancing their agility in sustaining services.

Enhanced Collaboration Between Development and Operations Teams

No more friction or finger-pointing between development and operations teams. SRE and DevOps collaboration fosters a culture of cooperation. Developers prioritize code maintainability and stability, while operations offer insights for optimizing pipelines and infrastructure. The result is a harmonious symphony of teamwork, facilitating a smooth and resilient development lifecycle.

Increased Automation and Efficiency in the Software Development Lifecycle

Automation enthusiasts, SRE, and DevOps together wield the power of efficiency. Repetitive tasks vanish as automation takes the stage, freeing up time for innovation. CI/CD pipelines streamline development, minimizing human error. IaC enables effortless environment creation, ensuring consistency throughout development stages. The result is an impeccably tuned machine driving organizational growth.

Best Practices for Integrating SRE and DevOps

Nurturing a collaborative culture is the cornerstone of successful integration. Break barriers between teams, fostering open communication and knowledge sharing. Form cross-functional groups, combining SRE and DevOps expertise for better understanding, empathy, and problem-solving.

Define reliability goals with SLOs and error budgets. Set clear thresholds and align efforts for system performance.

Automation is key. Implement automated deployment, IaC, and monitoring tools. Swiftly respond to incidents, learning and improving without blame. Drive continuous improvement and enhance resilience.

Tools and Technologies for SRE and DevOps Collaboration

Reliable monitoring and observability are the bedrock of SRE and DevOps collaboration. These tools provide real-time insights into the health and performance of applications and infrastructure. With comprehensive dashboards and alerts, teams gain a clear understanding of system behavior, enabling them to detect anomalies and respond swiftly to potential issues.

Popular tools in this category include:

Grafana

Grafana is an open-source analytics and visualization platform that allows users to query, visualize, and understand data from various sources. Here’s a brief overview of how Grafana works:

Data Sources

Dashboards

Querying and Aggregation

Templating

Alerting

Plugins and Integrations

Community and Support.

Datadog

DataDog is a popular monitoring and analytics platform used by businesses to gain insights into their applications and infrastructure. Here’s a brief overview of how DataDog works:

Data Collection

Data Aggregation

Visualization

Alerting

APM (Application Performance Monitoring)

Infrastructure Monitoring

Log Management, and Collaboration and Integrations.

SigNoz

Signoz is an open-source distributed tracing system designed to monitor and troubleshoot complex applications in real-time. It provides insights into the performance of microservices, helping developers and operations teams identify bottlenecks, latency issues, and errors within their systems. Here’s a brief explanation of how Signoz works:

Instrumentation

Spans and Traces

Distributed Context Propagation

Data Storage

Visualization and Analysis:

Alerting and Monitoring:

Integration with Other Tools.

CI/CD Pipelines and Version Control Systems:

The harmonious synchronization of SRE and DevOps is propelled by the gears of CI/CD pipelines and version control systems. These pipelines automate the code deployment process, ensuring swift and dependable software delivery. Git, a widely-used version control system, enables seamless code management and rollbacks. Integration of these tools ensures a smooth release process, minimizing deployment-related incidents.

Configuration Management Tools:

Configuration Management Tools maintain consistency and repeatability across the infrastructure. Automated setup and configuration of servers prevent configuration drift and ensure system reliability. Tools like Ansible, Puppet, and Chef allow SRE and DevOps to manage infrastructure efficiently and with standardized practices.

During incidents, efficient incident management and seamless communication are vital. Platforms like PagerDuty and VictorOps enable real-time alerting and collaboration among teams. Chat tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams foster cross-team communication, aiding SRE and DevOps in collectively resolving issues.

Conclusion

The convergence of SRE and DevOps orchestrates an exquisite symphony, harmonizing reliability, scalability, and agility. This fusion, intertwining SRE’s system stability and incident mastery with DevOps’ collaborative automation, begets heightened reliability, swifter deployments, and elevated customer elation. Embracing this potent alliance heralds the genesis of resilient and efficient systems amid the relentless rhythms of modern technology.

Inner Image Credit: Provided by the Author; Thank you!

Featured Image Credit: Photo by krakenimages; Unsplash; Thank you!

The post SRE and DevOps: The Perfect Partnership appeared first on ReadWrite.

Test automation frameworks provide a set of features and best practices designed to help build efficient, effective test automation systems.

By providing automated solutions for frequently repeated or tedious tasks, these frameworks cut down on test development time while enabling teams to validate software more thoroughly.

In this guide, we’ll explore what test automation frameworks are, the different types available and how to select the right one for your project.

We’ll discuss some best practices you should keep in mind when creating your framework and common challenges that may arise along the way. Finally, we will recap essential points about using an Automation Framework in your system testing processes.

Types of Test Automation Frameworks

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Modular Frameworks

Modular frameworks are test automation designs that decompose applications into discrete modules which represent business functions. This allows QA activities to move from one module to another and thus increases the reusability of tests across multiple areas of functionality.

Additionally, by using automation techniques like object mapping and object identification, modular frameworks help reduce maintenance costs when an application changes or updates since the same modules can be used with slight modifications.

It also helps eliminate redundant code such as test steps that are repetitive in nature existing. With these advantages, you will get comprehensive coverage for your applications being tested while seeing a decrease in time cost for personnel and executing faster testing automation each iteration.

Keyword-Driven Frameworks

Keyword-Driven Frameworks are used to develop automated tests using keywords or terms that map to different functions. Tests are written to utilize reusable actions, such as login and logout, along with control flow organization which steps the user through the independent tests built from these keywords.

The advantages of this system include structure, maintainability, and traceability making it easy for multiple staff to collaborate on test writing together.

Additionally, new frameworks can be easily added depending on changes within your application’s functionality while at the same time slowing down longer execution times due one not having pure libraries but instead defining actions in a slower manner and using necessary data fields more often.

Limitations however come from initial setup costs due to pipeline creation before being able to solve any test cases. An additional issue with the framework arises if complex decision trees and object identification occur since this framework relies largely on keywords which can be limited in functionality for an expected result.

Data-Driven Frameworks

Data-driven testing breaks down data into separate input and expected output values, allowing developers to perform automated tests taking these parameterized test cases.

This results in faster creation and execution of tests with minimal iteration needed per individual test, as well as a higher degree of accuracy estimated during the automation process.

By using appropriate external data storage (like MySQL) or provision for feedback loops to result from each set executed, implementation can further be optimized by being able to note trends surrounding specific server behaviors across all consoles used or pinpoint differences in tester approaches overall.

Additionally, parameters are not hard coded when executing iterations, enabling more precise localization control based on each unique environment tested – enabling the testers who are carrying out the automation to better be able to recognize and solve any raised issues quicker.

Hybrid Frameworks

Hybrid test automation frameworks combine components of modular, keyword-driven, and data-driven testing frameworks. The intention is to establish a robust framework that provides better reusability, maintenance, and scalability advantages compared to the standard approaches for software testing automation.

Hybrid frameworks can help address challenges in source code reuse because they utilize features from both Keyword Driven Test Automation as well as Data Driven Test Automation.

They enable combining theoretical steps for script design with automation tools, like Selenium or other open-source tool suites.

This means achieving maximum coverage while minimizing redundancy of effort across creation and execution cycles will be a more efficient and cost-effective ideal from a testing perspective.

Choosing the Right Test Automation Framework

Factors to Consider

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Project Requirements

When choosing the right test automation framework, one of the most important factors to consider is the project’s requirements. Each type of testing environment will likely have different needs: unit tests require speed and isolation; integration tests require proper setup configuration; functional requirements need complete system coverage.

The architecture and technology of the application should also be taken into account, that way a suitable automation solution can be chosen that suits specifically.

There may also be other external factors influencing choice such as licenses or specific tools required for successful implementation. Careful consideration should always been given to size, complexity as well as strategic impact when deciding upon a framework for automation.

Team Skills and Expertise

When selecting a test automation framework, it’s important to consider the skillset of any team members responsible for using the framework.

Frameworks are built with different levels of complexity so matching the currently available team skills while allowing for growth is essential.

Having both manual and automation testers working together from an initial set-up message can have a big impact in helping identify gaps where refining and tactical training may be necessary.

If certain technical knowledge or experience within customer/third-party applications are needed, researching ways to improve on this type of skill beforehand is beneficial as early as possible.

Scalability and Maintainability

When choosing a test automation framework, scalability and maintainability are important factors to consider. An ideal framework should support scaling up or down in accordance with changing project requirements and technology.

It should also have efficient debugging capabilities, for quickly resolving errors during test executions. Further, the maintainability of the framework should be taken into consideration – changes made to one script must not affect the entire suite of tests.

Proper documentation of scripts is essential so developers can easily comprehend codes over time without needing frequent elaborate tutorials.,

Best Practices for Test Automation Frameworks

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Maintainable and Readable Test Scripts

One of the best practices for test automation frameworks is to create maintainable and readable test scripts. Maintainable code that has a clearly labeled structure, allows developers with similar skillset to find their way quickly without requiring them to learn complex context structures.

Readable coding also means creating self-tested objects or commenting elaborate control sections with inline explanatory comments.

Going beyond basic qualifiers viz., executable code flags like try/catch clauses can save huge efforts in troubleshooting problems, disposing of resources safely and robust error reporting with verbose messages during the process of automating long-run regression tests.

Efficient Test Data Management

Good test data management is key for successful test automation! Requirements should be evaluated when applicable to determine which type and amount of test data is necessary, as well as storage methods.

Careful planning ahead of time helps to streamline the process in order to reduce costs and development time.

Additionally, automated tools can help generate large sets of data efficiently while having variables built in that allow preset values or inputs.

Robust Error Handling and Reporting

Robust error handling and reporting are essential when it comes to test automation review. Error handling should communicate that an issue exists along with key diagnostics for debugging purposes.

It should be logged for further discussion or for developers on the team so they can investigate the errors and have a data-driven approach in case alternate solutions exist.

Additionally, error messages need to be written clearly enough that users other than the initial tester understand them while being comprehensive as possible about what action led up to the failure.

A good report should promptly provide all feedback users need to be built using patterns, such as application-wide crash analysis or slow loading metrics detection, etc.

This ensures fast response time when needed by debuggers inspecting occurrences and gives stakeholders additional information and enough evidence on matters worthy of debugging or support.

Continuous Integration and Delivery Integration

Continuous integration keeps the development and testing cycle efficient through technological infrastructure that automates such processes as build generation, compilation processes, and multimedia performance.

Additionally, by integrating with delivery automation services, packaged data can be quickly distributed to multiple users—ensuring up-to-date knowledge, updates, and bug fixes are widespread in little time.

By combining continuous integration with delivery automation all components related to applications flow efficiently through pre-defined workstreams resulting in not only increased system visibility but also better quality assurance & testing and faster deployments of new software or features.

Conclusion

Test automation frameworks are instrumental for improving the reliability and repeatability of test scripts. Various types and approaches can be selected in order to meet the needs of different projects.

When selecting the appropriate framework, it’s important to factor in project requirements, team skills, scalability & maintainability before testing & unveiling a prospective framework.

Following best practices while creating, optimizing, and executing your tests is also necessary to maximize efficiency – making sure that scripts are maintainable and readable; good test data management is in place with robust error handling and reporting capabilities, as well as those for integration with CI/CD processes, will, effectively ease future script maintenance efforts.

Utilizing well-slated Toolsets might superspeed this whole procedure…but make sure you chose something comprehensible enough for multiple members working together on your team.

The post Test Automation Frameworks: A Beginner’s Guide to Choosing, Implementing, and Optimizing appeared first on ReadWrite.

Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, and the mapping company TomTom have come together to launch the Overture Maps Foundation, a collaborative initiative aimed at challenging the dominance of Google Maps and Apple Maps. With their combined expertise and resources, these tech giants are set to revolutionize the world of mapping with their open-source map project. In this article, we will explore the goals, features, and potential impact of this ambitious undertaking.

The Overture Maps Foundation was established in the previous year, with the vision of creating interoperable map products that empower developers to build their own mapping and navigation solutions. By providing access to a standardized and documented data set, Overture aims to level the playing field and enable third-party developers to compete with the existing map giants.

Recently, the Overture Maps Foundation made a significant milestone by releasing its first open map dataset. This dataset includes over 59 million places of interest from around the globe, encompassing a wide range of categories such as buildings, transportation networks, and administrative boundaries. The availability of this comprehensive data set empowers developers to create global mapping and navigation products that can rival the offerings of Google Maps and Apple Maps.

One of the highlights of the Overture Maps Foundation’s open map dataset is the Places dataset. This dataset represents a previously unavailable open dataset that has the potential to map everything from new businesses to pop-up street markets worldwide. With this wealth of information, developers can create innovative applications that leverage the vast array of places of interest, enabling users to discover and explore their surroundings in new and exciting ways.

Marc Prioleau, the executive director of Overture, emphasizes the significance of the Places dataset, stating, “Overture plans to build a broad collaboration that can build and maintain an up-to-date, comprehensive database of POIs [places of interest].” This collaborative effort holds immense potential for continuously updating and expanding the Places dataset, ensuring that it remains a valuable resource for developers and end-users alike.

By providing an open map dataset, the Overture Maps Foundation offers several advantages for developers. First and foremost, the availability of this data eliminates the need for developers to pay for access to Google Maps or Apple Maps APIs. This cost-saving measure makes it more accessible for developers, particularly those working on non-native apps, to integrate mapping and navigation functionalities into their applications.

Furthermore, the standardized and documented nature of the Overture dataset simplifies the process of ingesting and utilizing map data. Developers can now easily incorporate this data into their applications, saving time and effort in the development process. The interoperability of the dataset ensures that developers can seamlessly integrate it into their existing mapping and navigation technologies, further streamlining the development process.

The launch of the Overture Maps Foundation and its open map dataset poses a significant challenge to the dominance of Google Maps and Apple Maps. With the availability of a comprehensive and freely accessible map dataset, developers now have a viable alternative to the established map giants. This competition not only drives innovation but also encourages developers to explore new possibilities and create unique mapping and navigation experiences.

Moreover, the collaborative nature of the Overture Maps Foundation means that the dataset will continue to grow and evolve with the contributions of a diverse community of developers. This ongoing development ensures that the dataset remains up-to-date and relevant, keeping pace with the ever-changing landscape of the world.

The launch of the Overture Maps Foundation and its open map dataset marks a significant milestone in the world of mapping. By providing an alternative to Google Maps and Apple Maps, this initiative empowers developers and promotes innovation in the field of mapping and navigation. With the combined expertise and resources of Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, and TomTom, the Overture Maps Foundation is well-positioned to challenge the status quo and shape the future of mapping.

As the project progresses and the dataset expands, we can expect to see a new wave of mapping and navigation applications that offer unique features and capabilities. Developers now have the opportunity to leverage this open map dataset to create compelling experiences that cater to the diverse needs of users worldwide.

First reported on The Verge

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is the Overture Maps Foundation?

The Overture Maps Foundation is a collaborative initiative formed by Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, and TomTom. It aims to challenge the dominance of Google Maps and Apple Maps by providing an open map dataset and empowering developers to build their own mapping and navigation solutions.

Q. What is the goal of the Overture Maps Foundation?

The primary goal of the Overture Maps Foundation is to create interoperable map products that level the playing field and enable third-party developers to compete with existing map giants. By providing access to a standardized and documented data set, Overture empowers developers to create global mapping and navigation products.

Q. What does the open map dataset of Overture include?

The open map dataset released by Overture includes over 59 million places of interest from around the world. It covers various categories, such as buildings, transportation networks, and administrative boundaries, offering a wealth of information for developers to leverage.

Q. What is the significance of the Places dataset within the Overture Maps Foundation’s open map dataset?

The Places dataset is a highlight of Overture’s open map dataset, providing previously unavailable information about places of interest worldwide. Developers can use this dataset to map everything from new businesses to pop-up street markets, enabling users to explore and discover their surroundings in innovative ways.

Q. What advantages does the Overture open map dataset offer to developers?

The Overture open map dataset eliminates the need for developers to pay for access to Google Maps or Apple Maps APIs, making it more accessible for developers to integrate mapping and navigation functionalities into their applications. Additionally, the standardized and documented nature of the dataset simplifies the development process by easily incorporating data into applications and ensuring interoperability.

Q. How does the launch of the Overture Maps Foundation challenge the dominance of Google Maps and Apple Maps?

By providing an alternative open map dataset, the Overture Maps Foundation offers developers a viable option outside of the established map giants. This competition drives innovation and encourages developers to create unique mapping and navigation experiences.

Q. How will the Overture open map dataset evolve over time?

The Overture open map dataset is a collaborative effort, and the foundation plans to build a broad collaboration to continuously update and maintain the Places dataset and other map data. This ongoing development ensures that the dataset remains up-to-date and relevant.

Q. How does the Overture Maps Foundation empower developers and promote innovation in mapping and navigation?

By providing an open map dataset and encouraging developers to build their own mapping solutions, the Overture Maps Foundation empowers developers to explore new possibilities and create compelling experiences that cater to the diverse needs of users worldwide.

Q. What can we expect in the future as the Overture Maps Foundation project progresses?

As the Overture Maps Foundation project progresses, we can expect to see a new wave of mapping and navigation applications that offer unique features and capabilities. The open map dataset will continue to grow and evolve, shaping the future of mapping with the combined expertise and resources of Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, and TomTom.

Q. How can developers access the Overture open map dataset?

Developers can access the Overture open map dataset through the Overture Maps Foundation’s collaborative initiative. The standardized and documented data set is freely accessible, enabling developers to integrate it into their applications and create innovative mapping and navigation solutions.

Featured Image Credit: Unplash

The post Google Maps Has Competition! Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon Launch Open-Source Mapping Project appeared first on ReadWrite.

First reported on The Verge

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is GitHub Copilot Chat, and how does it differ from GitHub Copilot?

GitHub Copilot Chat is an AI-powered code-centric chatbot and an evolution of GitHub Copilot, the code completion tool. While GitHub Copilot offered code suggestions based on context, Copilot Chat takes it a step further by providing real-time guidance, code analysis, concept explanations, and troubleshooting assistance, all integrated within the developer’s preferred Integrated Development Environment (IDE).

Q. How does Copilot Chat offer real-time guidance to developers?

As developers type code into their IDE, Copilot Chat continuously analyzes the context and offers tailored suggestions and prompts to streamline the coding process. This real-time guidance allows developers to execute complex tasks with ease, resulting in significant time savings.

Q. How does Copilot Chat analyze and explain complex coding concepts?

Copilot Chat possesses a deep understanding of the code being written and the surrounding context within the IDE. When developers encounter unfamiliar code or complex coding concepts, they can turn to Copilot Chat for detailed explanations and insights. Copilot Chat equips developers with the knowledge and understanding to navigate through challenging coding scenarios.

Q. How does Copilot Chat simplify the debugging process?

Copilot Chat assists in the debugging process by analyzing error messages and code snippets to pinpoint potential issues and suggest solutions. This feature expedites the debugging process, enhances overall code quality, and improves code reliability.

Q. How does Copilot Chat democratize coding expertise?

Copilot Chat’s capabilities enable developers of varying skill levels to accomplish complex coding tasks efficiently. Even inexperienced developers can leverage Copilot Chat to build applications or debug extensive codebases within minutes, fostering accelerated software development and increased innovation within organizations.

Q. What are GitHub’s plans for further enhancing Copilot Chat’s capabilities?

GitHub intends to integrate “Hey, GitHub!” voice-to-code interactions into the software, known as Copilot X. This will provide developers with an alternative mode of interaction, allowing them to execute tasks and receive guidance through voice commands. The specific timeline for this feature’s release is yet to be announced, but GitHub’s dedication to continuous improvement ensures further enhancements in the near future.

Q. How can developers access GitHub Copilot Chat?

GitHub Copilot Chat is available as a limited public beta for all business users. Enterprise companies and organizations can access this feature via Microsoft’s Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code apps. By providing Copilot Chat to business users, GitHub aims to empower development teams and boost productivity across organizations of all sizes.

Featured Image Credit: Unsplash

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The gaming industry has seen remarkable advancements in recent years, with technology constantly pushing the boundaries of what is possible. In a significant development, Unity, the leading game development platform, has unveiled its beta version of PolySpatial, a development platform designed specifically for Apple’s revolutionary “spatial computing” platform, Vision Pro. This move aims to empower developers to create immersive 3D experiences for Apple’s latest hardware offering.

Unity Create president, Marc Whitten, acknowledges the challenges of building applications for a device that promises to redefine computing as we know it. The goal was to create a platform that allows Unity applications to exist in a shared space with other applications, seamlessly integrating with Apple’s Reality Kit and visionOS. This means that Unity doesn’t just run on Vision Pro but can be placed inside real space alongside other experiences, whether they are Unity-based, RealityKit, or other Apple offerings.

While gaming has traditionally been a significant driver for computing platforms, the WWDC keynote hinted at a different focus for Vision Pro. Apple positioned the product more as a productivity device, highlighting office and creative workflows, with a dash of enterprise applications. However, gaming is not entirely forgotten. Unity-based apps and games will run natively on Vision Pro, leveraging groundbreaking visionOS features like low latency pass-through and high-resolution rendering.

Unity’s PolySpatial is expected to play a crucial role in porting existing titles to the new Vision Pro platform. Building new experiences from scratch can be resource-intensive, making the ability to repurpose content a valuable asset. An excellent example of this is the game “What the Golf?,” which was successfully ported to Vision Pro using PolySpatial. Unity’s multi-platform support and comprehensive development tools allowed the game’s developer, Triband, to repurpose content and create an engaging experience for Vision Pro users.

With the release of Vision Pro scheduled for early next year, Unity understands the need to provide developers with ample time to create experiences for the hardware. The limited beta release of PolySpatial allows interested developers to start creating content and provides Unity with valuable feedback to refine and improve the platform. Unity’s close collaboration with creators throughout the process ensures that workflow challenges and support issues are addressed promptly, making it easier for developers to bring their visions to life.

Unity is taking a democratic approach to the beta release, focusing on AAA developers and soliciting feedback from a diverse range of users. By prioritizing feedback, Unity aims to enhance the development platform and make it more accessible to all creators. This approach aligns with Unity’s commitment to supporting developers at every stage of their creation, from beta testing to scaling out the platform.

Unity’s robust authoring tools have attracted a massive community of developers who have already built incredible 3D experiences. With Unity-based apps and games running natively on Vision Pro, developers can access groundbreaking features that can elevate their creations to new heights. The combination of Unity’s extensive capabilities and Apple’s innovative visionOS opens up a world of possibilities for developers to create cutting-edge experiences for Vision Pro users.

In summary, the partnership between Unity and Apple brings forth a game development tool, PolySpatial, that empowers developers to create immersive 3D experiences for Apple’s Vision Pro. By addressing the challenges of developing for a paradigm-shifting device, Unity’s platform enables Unity-based apps to coexist with other applications in real space. While gaming took a backseat in the WWDC keynote, Unity’s robust development tools and the availability of PolySpatial provide opportunities for developers to create groundbreaking gaming experiences on Vision Pro. With the limited beta release, Unity invites developers from all backgrounds to participate, ensuring that the platform meets the diverse needs of creators. As the release of Vision Pro draws closer, Unity’s commitment to supporting developers and refining its platform positions it as a leader in the gaming industry, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in spatial computing.

First reported on TechCrunch

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is PolySpatial, and why is it significant for Apple’s Vision Pro?

PolySpatial is a development platform created by Unity, the leading game development platform. It is designed specifically for Apple’s spatial computing platform, Vision Pro. PolySpatial empowers developers to create immersive 3D experiences for Vision Pro, allowing Unity applications to exist in a shared space with other applications, seamlessly integrating with Apple’s Reality Kit and visionOS.

Q. How does PolySpatial enhance the gaming experience on Vision Pro?

PolySpatial enables Unity-based apps and games to run natively on Vision Pro, leveraging groundbreaking features like low latency pass-through and high-resolution rendering from visionOS. This ensures that gaming experiences on Vision Pro are engaging, and immersive, and take full advantage of the hardware’s capabilities.

Q. What role does Unity’s multi-platform support play in content creation for Vision Pro?

Unity’s multi-platform support allows developers to repurpose content from existing titles for the new Vision Pro platform. This feature is valuable as building new experiences from scratch can be resource-intensive, and repurposing content helps streamline the content creation process.

Q. Can you provide an example of a successful port to Vision Pro using PolySpatial?

The game “What the Golf?” by Triband is an excellent example of a successful port to Vision Pro using PolySpatial. Unity’s comprehensive development tools and multi-platform support enabled Triband to repurpose content and create an engaging experience for Vision Pro users.

Q. When will Apple’s Vision Pro be released, and why is Unity releasing PolySpatial in beta now?

Apple’s Vision Pro is scheduled for an early release next year. Unity’s limited beta release of PolySpatial provides developers with ample time to create content for the hardware. It offers valuable feedback to refine and improve the platform before the official release.

Q. How is Unity collaborating with developers during the beta release of PolySpatial?

Unity is taking a democratic approach to the beta release, focusing not only on AAA developers but also on soliciting feedback from a diverse range of users. Unity’s commitment to supporting developers at every stage, from beta testing to scaling out the platform, ensures that workflow challenges and support issues are addressed promptly.

Q. What are some groundbreaking features in Apple’s visionOS that benefit Unity developers?

Apple’s visionOS provides features like low latency pass-through and high-resolution rendering that elevate the gaming experience for Unity developers on Vision Pro. These features enhance visual quality, reduce latency, and create a more immersive environment for users.

Q. How does Unity’s commitment to supporting developers position them as a leader in the gaming industry?

Unity’s robust authoring tools and commitment to refining its platform demonstrate its dedication to supporting developers’ needs. By providing a versatile and accessible development platform, Unity empowers creators to push the boundaries of what is possible in spatial computing and become leaders in the gaming industry.

Q. Can developers from all backgrounds participate in the PolySpatial beta release?

Yes, Unity invites developers from all backgrounds to participate in the PolySpatial beta release. Their democratic approach ensures that the platform meets the diverse needs of creators and provides opportunities for developers with varying levels of experience to contribute to its improvement.

Q. What does the partnership between Unity and Apple mean for the future of gaming and spatial computing?

The partnership between Unity and Apple signifies a significant step forward for gaming and spatial computing. It empowers developers to create cutting-edge gaming experiences on Vision Pro. With Unity’s extensive capabilities and Apple’s innovative visionOS, the future holds exciting possibilities for immersive 3D experiences in spatial computing.

Featured Image Credit: Zhang Kaiyv; Unsplash; Thank you!

The post Unity’s Apple Vision Pro: The Tool That Will Make You a Better Game Developer appeared first on ReadWrite.

Two new features have been added to GitHub, the most popular software development platform in the world, to improve developer safety and efficiency. New features in GitHub’s public beta release include passkey authentication for password-free account access and a merge queue for automated branch management.

The two most common methods of account security are passwords and two-factor authentication (2FA). However, these approaches are not failsafe and can result in security holes in your accounts. In order to access your GitHub account, you no longer need a password or two-factor authentication if you use passkey authentication.

Passkeys are a more secure and trustworthy alternative to traditional passwords because they consist of a private-public key pair generated on a per-domain basis. In the words of GitHub’s staff product manager, Hirsch Sighal: “passkeys offer the strongest mix of security and reliability and make accounts significantly more secure without compromising account access, which remains an issue with other 2FA methods like SMS, TOTP, and existing single-device security keys.”

It is much more difficult for hackers to guess or phish a passkey than a traditional password. Users don’t have to remember anything, so they’re less likely to forget it and lose it. Instead, the devices do the identity verification for the user before sending them on to authenticate with the website.

A common problem for GitHub users is losing access to their accounts when their devices break or are replaced. Passkeys allow for cross-device syncing, and trustworthy passkey providers like iCloud, Dashlane, 1Password, Google, and Microsoft make this possible. These companies have set up safe methods for syncing passwords between devices and the cloud, making it impossible to lose access to your account.

With GitHub’s merge queue, multiple developers can make code commits at once, and the platform will automatically merge any pull requests that are compatible with the changes. If you have multiple pull requests in the queue, the merge queue will create a temporary branch that merges the most recent changes from the base branch with the changes from the other pull requests.

In the past, developers often went through a loop of updating their pull request branches before merging. This was essential to guarantee that merging their changes into the main code branch would not cause any issues. Each change required a new set of CI tests to be run before the developer could move forward with the merge. In addition, every developer had to start over if another pull request was merged.

The merging of code pull requests is orchestrated by merge queue to improve efficiency. Clicking “merge when ready” on the pull request page or via GitHub Mobile will add a pull request to the merge queue when it is destined for a branch that makes use of a merge queue.

When a user submits a pull request, the changes from the base branch, any other pull requests in the queue, and the user’s own pull request are all merged into a temporary branch within the queue. When a pull request reaches the front of the queue, it is automatically removed if it has merge conflicts or fails any required status checks. The user receives a notification at the same time. Once the problem has been fixed, the pull request can be resubmitted.

Instead of risking code conflicts and endless rework by merging directly onto a busy branch, GitHub provides a merge queue to handle these situations. Because of the merge queue, you won’t have to constantly run CI checks and update pull request branches. It helps to manage and streamline the development process by providing insights into the number of merged pull requests and tracking trends over the last 30 days.

In summary, passkey authentication and the merge queue are two major new features on GitHub that improve developer safety and efficiency. Passkeys provide easy-to-use and hard-to-lose passwordless and secure account access by doing away with the need for both passwords and two-factor authentication. A merge queue is a type of automated branch management system that helps to streamline the development process by systematically orchestrating the merging of code pull requests.

GitHub’s reputation as a trustworthy and user-friendly platform has been bolstered by these changes. GitHub has become a go-to for industry professionals thanks to its dedication to improving the user experience.

First reported on VentureBeat

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What are the new features added to GitHub in the public beta release?

GitHub has introduced two new features in its public beta release. The first feature is passkey authentication, which provides password-free account access through the use of private-public key pairs generated on a per-domain basis. The second feature is a merge queue, which automates branch management and allows multiple developers to make code commits simultaneously, merging compatible pull requests in a systematic manner.

Q2: How does passkey authentication work on GitHub?

Passkey authentication is a more secure alternative to traditional passwords and two-factor authentication (2FA). Instead of relying on passwords, passkeys consist of private-public key pairs generated on a per-domain basis. Passkeys are more difficult to guess or phish, making them a more secure option. Users don’t have to remember anything as the devices handle the identity verification before authenticating with the website. Passkeys also enable cross-device syncing, ensuring access to the GitHub account even when devices are replaced or broken.

Q3: What are the advantages of using passkey authentication on GitHub?

Passkey authentication offers a stronger mix of security and reliability compared to traditional 2FA methods like SMS and TOTP, as well as existing single-device security keys. It reduces the risk of compromised accounts while maintaining convenient account access. Passkeys are harder to guess or phish, and users are less likely to forget or lose them. Additionally, passkey providers like iCloud, Dashlane, 1Password, Google, and Microsoft offer safe methods for syncing passwords between devices and the cloud, ensuring users don’t lose access to their accounts.

Q4: How does the merge queue feature work on GitHub?

The merge queue feature in GitHub allows multiple developers to make code commits simultaneously, and the platform automatically merges pull requests that are compatible with the changes. When multiple pull requests are in the queue, the merge queue creates a temporary branch that combines the most recent changes from the base branch with the changes from the other pull requests. This automated process helps streamline the development workflow by reducing the need for manual updating of pull request branches and running CI tests for each change.

Q5: What issues does the merge queue on GitHub address?

The merge queue on GitHub addresses the challenges developers face when updating pull request branches and ensuring compatibility with the main code branch. Previously, developers had to go through a loop of updating their pull request branches and running CI tests to avoid potential conflicts. If another pull request was merged, developers had to start over. The merge queue eliminates these issues by managing the merging of pull requests in a systematic manner, reducing the risk of code conflicts and streamlining the development process.

Q6: How do passkey authentication and the merge queue improve developer safety and efficiency on GitHub?

Passkey authentication enhances developer safety by providing a more secure and reliable account access method. It eliminates the vulnerabilities associated with traditional passwords and certain 2FA methods. The merge queue improves efficiency by automating branch management, allowing multiple developers to work simultaneously, and systematically merging pull requests. It reduces the need for manual branch updates and CI tests, making the development process more streamlined and productive.

Q7: How do these new features contribute to GitHub’s reputation and user experience?

These new features contribute to GitHub’s reputation as a trustworthy and user-friendly platform. By introducing passkey authentication, GitHub addresses security concerns and offers an easy-to-use and hard-to-lose passwordless access method. The merge queue feature enhances the development experience by simplifying branch management and providing insights into merged pull requests. GitHub’s dedication to improving user experience and introducing innovative features has solidified its position as the most popular software development platform in the world.

Featured Image Credit: Unsplash

The post GitHub Introduces Passkey Authentication and Merge Queue appeared first on ReadWrite.

Introduction

API design patterns are essential for creating reliable, scalable, and reusable code. This post explores the best practices and design principles for building APIs that are easy to use, maintain, and extend.

API Design Patterns: A Quick Overview

APIs serve as contracts that define communication between applications, services, and components. API design patterns provide best practices, specifications, and standards for building reliable and user-friendly APIs. These patterns can solve common API problems and be customized to fit specific needs.

Types of API Design Patterns

1. RESTful API

• Uses HTTP methods for resource interaction
• Supports caching and scalability
• Works well for CRUD operations
• Enables stateless communication between client and server
• Compatible with various programming languages and frameworks

2. RPC API

• Utilizes Remote Procedure Calls to interact with a remote server
• Requires a protocol or API definition like Protobuf or gRPC
• More network-efficient than RESTful API
• It can be challenging to implement and maintain

3. GraphQL API

• Enables clients to request specific data
• Provides a single endpoint for requests
• Reduces the number of required requests for data retrieval
• Can be complex to implement and may require additional tooling and libraries

4. SOAP API

• Uses a messaging protocol for structured information exchange
• Compatible with various programming languages and frameworks
• Supports more complex operations than RESTful API
• It can be challenging to implement and maintain

5. Hypermedia API:

• Includes links between resources for dynamic discovery and navigation
• Enhances API flexibility and adaptability
• May require additional tooling and libraries
• It can be challenging to implement and maintain

6. Event-driven API

• Sends notifications to clients on specific events
• Reduces the need for repeated polling for updates
• Useful for real-time applications
• It can be challenging to implement and maintain

7. Message Queue API:

• Enables asynchronous message sending and receiving
• Provides reliable and scalable message processing
• Useful for distributed systems
• May require additional infrastructure and tooling

The choice of API design pattern depends on project needs and system architecture. RESTful API suits simple CRUD operations, while GraphQL handles complex queries. RPC API and SOAP API can be more efficient for specific functions but require more complexity. Hypermedia API, event-driven API, and message queue API cater to specific systems and applications but may need additional tooling and infrastructure.

REST API Design Patterns

REST (Representational State Transfer) API design patterns follow best practices and guidelines for web services.

• Resource-Based: Organizes API endpoints around resources representing system entities.
• CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete): Defines the four basic operations for a resource.
• HATEOAS (Hypermedia as the Engine of Application State): Includes hyperlinks in API responses for resource discovery and navigation.
• Filter and Pagination: Implements filtering and pagination for efficient data retrieval.
• Versioning: Provides different API versions to accommodate changes without breaking existing clients.

The above REST API design patterns help create simple, scalable, and easy-to-maintain APIs.

Understanding REST API Design: 6 Key Constraints Every Engineer Must Know

Designing a REST API requires awareness of key constraints defining API characteristics and capabilities:

• Client-Server Architecture: Separates client and server responsibilities for scalability and flexibility.
• Statelessness: Each request contains the necessary information, and the server maintains no session state.
• Cacheability: Designs API to take advantage of caching for improved performance.
• Layered System: Designs API as a layered system for flexible functionality management.
• Uniform Interface: Establishes standard interface using HTTP methods for CRUD operations and consistent data formats.
• Code on Demand (Optional): Allows transfer of executable code from server to client for added functionality and flexibility. Not commonly used in RESTful APIs.

Understanding these constraints helps in designing a RESTful API that is scalable, manageable, and adheres to best practices.

RESTful API Best Practices

RESTful APIs have become the standard for building scalable, flexible, and maintainable web services. To build a successful RESTful API, consider the following best practices:

• Follow the REST architectural style: Adhere to the constraints of the REST architectural style, ensuring consistency, reliability, and ease of understanding.
• Use HTTP methods correctly: Utilize the appropriate HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) for the corresponding actions on resources.
• Use resource URIs: Define resource URIs that are unique, consistent, and devoid of implementation details.
• Use hypermedia to link resources: Incorporate hypermedia formats like HAL, JSON-LD, or Siren to provide links between resources, enabling clients to navigate the API without relying on implementation details.
• Employ versioning: Include versioning mechanisms, such as version numbers in URIs or HTTP headers, to support API changes without breaking existing clients.
• Implement authentication and authorization: Secure the API using authentication and authorization mechanisms like OAuth 2.0, which authenticates clients and controls access to resources, ensuring the API’s security.
• Error handling: Implement proper error handling to provide informative error messages when errors occur. Use appropriate HTTP status codes to indicate the type of error, and include error messages in the response body.

By following the above-mentioned best practices, you can create a RESTful API that is consistent, scalable, secure, and easy to use. However, it’s essential to also be aware of common pitfalls and challenges when designing RESTful APIs.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

1. Overusing the POST method: Avoid using the POST method for all operations. Instead, utilize the appropriate HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) according to the semantics of the operation.
2. Poor resource naming: Choose meaningful and consistent names for your resources that accurately represent the entities they represent.
3. Lack of versioning: Neglecting to incorporate versioning in your API can lead to compatibility issues and breaking changes for existing clients.
4. Inconsistent error handling: Ensure that error responses are standardized and follow proper HTTP status codes, providing meaningful error messages to clients.
5. Overcomplicating the API: Keep your API design simple and intuitive. Avoid unnecessary complexity that can make it difficult for developers to understand and use.
6. Inadequate documentation: Provide comprehensive documentation for your API, including clear explanations of endpoints, request/response formats, authentication mechanisms, and any specific requirements.

Conclusion

Designing a robust and effective API is essential for modern software development. By understanding API design patterns, following best practices, and avoiding common pitfalls, you can create APIs that are reliable, scalable, maintainable, and easy to use.

RESTful APIs, with their adherence to the REST architectural style, offer a flexible and standardized approach to building web services. By leveraging the power of HTTP methods, resource URIs, hypermedia, versioning, authentication, and error handling, you can create APIs that meet the needs of developers and provide a seamless experience for end-users.

Remember to document your API thoroughly, provide clear examples, and ensure consistent and meaningful error handling. With these considerations in mind, you’ll be well on your way to building robust APIs that enable effective communication between applications, services, and components in today’s interconnected digital landscape.

The post API Design Patterns: Best Practices for Building Resilient APIs appeared first on ReadWrite.

Many years ago, keywords such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Chatbots, and big data resonated like parts of a virtual world. The knowledge and use of these techniques had some role to play either for professionals or techno freaks. At least, it was not less than a rocket science thing for a common man. But now, the world of technology has made things not only convenient but interesting for every internet user.

ChatGPT is one such Artificial Intelligence-based model which is now available for users to change the experience of the way they had been browsing the web and accessing the data on the internet.

What is ChatGPT? 

ChatGPT is a large language model developed by OpenAI, which utilizes deep learning techniques to generate human-like text. It is based on the GPT (Generative Pre-training Transformer) architecture, which was trained on a massive dataset of internet text.

One of the key features of ChatGPT is its ability to generate text that is coherent and contextually relevant.The model works on  a transformer architecture, which allows the model to understand the context of a given prompt and generate text that is consistent with that context.

ChatGPT covers a diverse range of internet text, which allows it to generate text on a wide range of topics. This makes it useful for a variety of applications, such as language translation, text summarization, content generation and much more.

The model has been fine-tuned for specific use cases, such as customer service, and can be integrated into existing systems to provide automated assistance to customers.

ChatGPT is a large language model (LLM) which has been trained with massive amounts of data to predict the next word in a sentence. Hence, ChatGPT has capabilities to handle a large range of specific tasks and industries, like legal, healthcare, finance, etc.

Who created ChatGPT? 

ChatGPT was developed by a research company called ‘OpenAI’ founded by Elon Musk, Ilya Sutskever, Greg Brockman, Sam Altman, Wojciech Zaremba, and John Schulman. The company was founded in December 2015 to develop and promote friendly AI (Artificial Intelligence) in a responsible way. Since then, the company has become one of the leading organizations in the field of artificial intelligence. ChatGPT is based on GPT (Generative Pre-training Transformer) architecture version 3.5 to train the model on a massive dataset of internet text. The model is then trained using Reinforcement Learning with Human Feedback (RLHF). This uses human feedback to further enable ChatGPT follow directions and generate more satisfactory responses for humans.

Why one should consider using ChatGPT?

• Human-like Text Generation: ChatGPT can generate text that is coherent and contextually relevant. This makes it useful for a variety of natural language processing tasks such as chatbots, language translation, and text summarization.
• Diversified Capabilities: ChatGPT is suitable for specific tasks and industries, like legal, healthcare, finance, etc. This allows organizations in these industries to use the model for tasks such as document summarization, legal research, and medical diagnosis.
• Flexibility: ChatGPT’s ability to understand the context and generate coherent text makes it well-suited for a wide range of tasks and industries. With its fine-tuning capabilities, it can perform specific tasks for industries. This makes it a versatile and powerful tool for businesses and organizations.
• Cost-effective: ChatGPT can automate many tasks that would otherwise require human labor, which can save organizations time and money. Additionally, the model can integrate with existing systems, which can help organizations to improve their operations with minimal investment.
• High accuracy and fluency: ChatGPT has a high level of accuracy and fluency in the generated text, which makes it useful for a wide range of tasks such as customer service, language translation, and text summarization.

Areas where chatGPT can be helpful

ChatGPT has the potential to bring a wide range of opportunities for people in various industries and fields. Some of the main opportunities that ChatGPT could bring include:

• Job Automation: ChatGPT can automate many tasks that would otherwise require human labor, such as customer service, language translation, and text summarization. This could lead to increased efficiency and cost savings for organizations, and may also create new job opportunities in areas such as machine learning and data science.
• Improved Customer Service: ChatGPT can create chatbots that can interact with customers in a natural, conversational way. This can lead to improved customer satisfaction and can make it easier for businesses to provide automated assistance to customers.
• Advancements in Language Translation: ChatGPT can improve the accuracy and fluency of machine-generated translations. This could lead to greater access to information in different languages, and make it easier for people to communicate with others in different countries.
• Innovations in Text Summarization: ChatGPT’s ability to understand the main points of a text and generate a shorter, condensed version has the potential to revolutionize the way we consume and process information. This can be useful for news summarization, document summarization, and other applications.
• Advancements in Artificial Intelligence: ChatGPT is a powerful language model that utilizes deep learning techniques. Its development and capabilities could lead to advancements in other areas of artificial intelligence and machine learning.
• Content Generation: ChatGPT can generate text on a wide range of topics, which can be useful for content creation in industries such as media, marketing, and advertising.

Risks associated with the massive use of chatGPT

The increasing use of ChatGPT brings with it certain risks. Some of the main risks associated with the increasing use of ChatGPT include:

• Bias

  As ChatGPT relies on a massive dataset of internet text, it may replicate any bias present in the data, which could lead to discriminatory or unfair outcomes. This could be particularly problematic in applications such as hiring, lending, and other sensitive areas where bias could lead to discriminatory outcomes.

• Misinformation

  ChatGPT is capable of generating human-like text on a wide range of topics, which means it can also generate false or misleading information. This could have serious consequences for individuals and society as a whole.

• Job Loss

  ChatGPT can automate many tasks that would otherwise require human labor, which could lead to job loss in certain industries. This could have a significant impact on individuals and communities that rely on these jobs and could exacerbate existing economic inequalities.

• Privacy

  ChatGPT is a powerful language model that can process large amounts of data, which could lead to concerns about privacy. Using this model to process personal data, there is a risk regarding the misuse or mishandling of data.

• Dependence

  ChatGPT’s capabilities can be very convincing and may cause people to rely on it too much. This could lead to problems if the model is not available or fails to provide accurate information.

• Lack of human touch

  ChatGPT can provide automated assistance in customer service, but it lacks human touch and empathy. This could lead to dissatisfaction among customers who prefer human interaction.

• Lack of accountability

  Due to an enormous dataset, it can be very complex to understand and explain how ChatGPT arrived at certain decisions. This can make it difficult to hold the model accountable for its actions, which could be problematic in certain applications.

It is important to mitigate risks through proper management of the model usage and with transparent and responsible governance. This may include techniques such as de-biasing, fact-checking, and model evaluation. This will reduce the risks associated with the increasing use of ChatGPT.

In conclusion, ChatGPT is a powerful language model that can generate human-like text on a wide range of topics. Its ability to understand the context and generate coherent text, fine-tuning capabilities, flexibility, cost-effectiveness, high accuracy and fluency makes it a valuable tool for businesses and organizations.

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We spend our lives on our smartphones for purposes like communicating with our near and dear ones, researching different items, binge-watching, etc. This has led to the use of smartphones growing to a huge extent. Research suggests that the number of smartphone users globally is 6.65 billion.

So what is the reason that makes us rely on these devices and apps, so to speak? The answer to this is the provision of sensory experiences. This is why businesses channel their efforts on the task of utilizing the best techniques during the development of these solutions so that the engagement level remains at the top.

While talking about the aspect, there are two platforms where developers usually build an app. One is Android, while the other is iOS.

In the article, I will discuss the element of Android app development, explaining the significance of a programming language in this, followed by giving you a list of the best languages to build native Android applications.

About the Android Platform

Google released Android in 2008. A mobile operating system, Samsung, and Sony have leveraged their advantages to the maximum. This was due to the support the platform rendered to devices like smartphones and tablets. The work from the Android Platform has led to the Operating System having over 2.8 billion active users.

This number suggests why developers are channeling their efforts toward developing a native Android app.

Understanding the Concept of Native Android App Development

Native Android app development includes the aspect of creating an app that is tailored in sync with the features present in the Android platform or devices like smartphones or tablets. This ensures that users receive a seamless experience in terms of visuals and performance.

To ascertain that these aspects become easily achievable, it is a must to use the best programming languages.

7 Best Programming Languages Perfect for Android Apps Development

There are many languages that developers recommend when they embark on the journey of creating an Android app. You can discover below some of the most utilized languages for Android development.

1. Java

Java is a computer coding language whose release was done by Sun Microsystems in the 1990s. Subsequently, it got acquired by Oracle and has since then built its name as a multi-purpose coding language that helps developers to develop Android apps for services like games alongside building tools.

It also has a diverse range of features that makes it the developers’ favorite.

• Enables developers with the concept of OOPS, also known as Object Oriented Programming to allow them to create reusable codes.
• It gives access to open-source libraries to allow the app development cost to go down and the procedure to get accelerated.
• It is easy to learn due to the presence of English punctuation, which most developers are familiar with, followed by containing angle brackets in the generics to make coding easy to read.

2. Kotlin

60% of developers recommend Kotlin next when they build an Android app. This is due to the support it provides them to boost their productivity, followed by ensuring that the code is safe from incidents like crashes. Additionally, it is packed with features like structured concurrency to make network calls and database updates easy to perform. This is followed by including nullability within the type system to ensure NullPointer Exceptions get avoided in the best possible manner.

Here are some other constituents present in the programming language that make it perfect for this task.

• Due to interoperability support with Java as a result of supporting Java libraries and tools, it helps developers in compiling an Android project in the two languages with swiftness.
• Helps the development experts in writing an equivalent of the Java code simplistically, requiring lesser code.
• It makes it easy to determine the predict the constituents of the resulting list through the provision of collection filtering.

3. Dart

Developed by Google in 2011, Dart has earned its name as an object-oriented client-optimized programming language that makes web and mobile app development seamless across different platforms. Particularly when it comes to building a native Android app, the language streamlines this task greatly due to its aid to developers in converting the Dart code into a native code. The language especially renders aid to developers in UI development by enabling them with features like hot-reload so that changes are easy to view as they occur.

Compiled with the below-mentioned elements make, Dart perfect for developing an app for the Android platform.

• Possessing a syntax similar to Java, C#, etc., it is easy to learn.
• Code compilation happens at an accelerated pace due to the support it renders to the two kinds of compilation processes like AOT (Ahead of Time) and JIT (Just-in-Time).
• Has a large community of developers. Therefore, it ensures any problems that the development experts face during coding are easily resolved.

4. C#

Microsoft developed C# as an object-oriented programming language that simplifies app management and accelerates the development pace. It is particularly known for supporting in the task of developing mobile apps, desktop apps, cloud-based services, enterprise software, and games.

Coming to the task of developing Android apps, as a result of containing an android SDK (software development kit), C# helps in streamlining coding-related tasks to a great extent. This is followed by possessing the features listed below.

• Shareable code across multiple platforms.
• Garbage collection tool to prevent chances of memory leaks.
• Android SDK to enable developers to code comfortably using C3.

5. Python

Known as an interpreted, object-oriented, high-level language containing dynamic semantics, Python accelerates the Android app development time. Alongside this, it also contains third-party tools to allow the conversion of Python apps into Android packages to take place conveniently. However, if we have to cite a con related to the language when used for developing Android apps, it is mostly the prospect of consuming excessive memory.

Nevertheless, containing the Kivy library ensures that developers can create these apps at a reasonably faster pace. Alternatively, it comes pre-loaded with the features such as:

• Code that is easy to read, thereby making app design and software update an easy process.
• Comprehensive libraries that enable developers to include functions within the app during the later stages of development mitigate the requirement to add code separately.
• Test-driven development to accelerate the app development pace, streamline the task of prototype creation, and, most importantly, make it easy for developers to assess the design of an app, ensuring its user-friendly nature.

6. Lua

Though not too popular, Lua is nevertheless a good alternative in terms of programming languages for developing a native Android app. Through the partnership with the Corona SDK, it enables development experts with a range of features to streamline this task (native Android app development).

Alternatively, Lua contains the following features listed below by us that have allowed it also to become a favorite among developers.

• Simple and well-documented API to ensure robust integration with code written in other languages.
• Meta-mechanisms to make class implementation and inheritance streamlined.
• Software is free and open-source, thereby ensuring developers need not spend anything to purchase it. A simple download is all it takes for developers to start using it.

7. JavaScript

JavaScript is popular among developers for its versatility. Due to the support it provides them in creating rich user interfaces at accelerated paces; JavaScript has become a language developers suggest for Android app development.

Especially due to containing the frameworks like React Native and Flutter, for instance, developers get the necessary features for building an Android app with utmost ease. I have listed down the properties it contains that particularly allow it to maintain its prominence among development experts.

• A single code base makes it easy for developers to create multiple platforms. This ensures that it becomes convenient to make the services reach the maximum target audience.
• Universal front-end to rewrite server-side code for back-end tasks and identify the performance of the server side.
• Open-source to ensure a rich mobile UI is easy to create from decorative components.

Conquer Android Like a Champion

Want to build an app that helps you conquer the world of Android like a champion? With there being many apps already in the market, there is no specific language you need to reserve when you perform Android app development. You need to be adept in all of them and, based on business objectives and client preferences, make the appropriate choice. As they say, the right decision taken at the right time is key to success. Know these languages and expand your skill sets to achieve growth like never before.

Featured Image Credit: Provided by the Author; Pexels; Thank you!

The post Top 7 Programming Languages To Develop Native Android Apps appeared first on ReadWrite.

Technology advances at a furious pace these days. Innovative new software products and hardware devices are conceived daily to connect our increasingly digital world further, and organizations across industries are struggling to keep up.

Once thought simply of as trendy ideas or intriguing concepts from the world of science fiction, technologies like the cloud, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality are all now common, with myriad real-world applications.

You Can Harness Technology Trends — With Great Benefits to Your Business

While leveraging those technologies to benefit your business once involved, assuming a significant amount of risk, countless companies are embracing the technological evolution to realize the benefits of remaining near technology’s cutting edge.

Take Advantage of Your Best Opportunities

Today, the rate of innovation still makes many businesses nervous about the future. Entirely too many businesses feel they’re “playing it safe” by ignoring the latest technology trends. Others do not even have teams capable of harnessing the latest and greatest. Whatever the reason, these organizations are missing out on opportunities to save money, improve efficiencies or otherwise boost their businesses.

Custom Software Development

Enter custom software development. Custom software design and development expertise empower organizations from any sector to utilize technology trends to propel their businesses into the future. The software your business uses today impacts tomorrow’s results, so understanding these trends can help reduce complexity and boost business efficiency.

Context-Aware Mobile Apps

Defined as “systems that can sense clues about the situational environment and enable appropriate mechanisms of interaction between end users and systems,” context-aware mobile applications improve the intelligence, adaptivity, and personalization of mobile devices.

With users increasingly able to surf the internet, play games, send/receive emails, listen to music, and even watch video content straight from their smartphone or tablet, mobile technology has become a pervasive, ubiquitous element of our lives.

Wherever we go, most of us haul a mobile device in tow, whether to the kitchen, bathroom, library, or movie theater, out to dinner, or even on a hike. And it’s mobile applications that provide us with the services and information we deem important enough to engrain these gadgets into our daily routines.

If a mobile app is able to understand the context — the user, situation, or combination of environmental variables — to make mobile devices smarter, it is “context-aware” and capable of unlocking important practical applications, from location-based services to patient care to everything in between.

What’s Your Next Phone App? Improve Our Lives

Most of our smartphones are equipped with myriad sensors and services that applications can utilize to establish context and improve our lives:

• Accelerometer
• Altimeter
• Ambient temperature sensor
• Gravity sensor
• Gyroscope
• Location/GPS sensor
• Magnetometer
• Microphone
• Pedometer

Other apps use circumstantial data, such as demographics and behavior profiles, to glean immediate information about a user’s context and deliver tailored experiences.

More Context-Aware Mobile Application

The challenge, however, is building a context-aware mobile application with robust features and functionality and an engaging, delightful user experience that requires a rigorous design and development process.

There are myriad technical challenges and considerations associated with the development of context-aware mobile apps — from power and memory to internet connectivity and beyond — and delivering an app with a poor UX can negatively impact your reputation and bottom line.

Partnering with an experienced custom software development company can help companies harness the advantages of context awareness to improve their businesses via timely, relevant, and appropriate information, notifications, and functionality.

Edge Computing

Just like how cloud computing progressed from an industry buzzword to the typical way organizations store, manage, and process data, edge computing is now having its moment. This innovative computing concept enables remote devices to process information at a network’s “edge” instead of using cloud services, where latency is becoming increasingly noticeable.

According to Gartner, more than 75% of enterprise data will be created and processed outside the data center or cloud in the near future, so data-dependent organizations must adjust how they handle computing.

By moving computing power closer to where data is generated, edge computing helps reduce network congestion and latency — and ultimately enables organizations to extract the maximum amount of value from their data in a timely manner.

The Critical Cost of Not Using Edge Computing

Without edge computing, IT costs balloon as the deluge of data generated by edge devices and IoT-connected sensors hamstrings business networks, disrupting all operations across impacted networks. In some worst-case scenarios, critical machinery could malfunction or be damaged, and employees could even be injured or, worse yet, killed.

By reducing response times and lowering the amount of bandwidth organizations use, edge computing can speed data processing, enhance security and safety, improve productivity, and minimize costs.

But since organizations require real-time responses to massive amounts of data as the Internet of Things advances, any errors during the software design and development process can introduce a new set of technical challenges to the network.

Extended Reality

Immersive technologies transform how we live, work, learn and play; extended reality — or XR — is the umbrella term for innovations like virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality that enable users to experience life in a way that extends beyond the present reality. A market expected to grow by about 60% in the next five years, XR allows individuals to create, collaborate and explore in unprecedented — and engaging — digital environments.

Virtual Reality

Virtual reality creates virtual environments that can push the boundary between a simulated environment and the real world. Whether immersing gamers in the story, sports fans in the game, architects in their building designs, or homebuyers in their dream houses, VR has countless applications that extend our reality to unlock benefits for businesses across industries.

Augmented Reality

Augmented reality, which is largely synonymous with mixed reality, involves supplementing our reality with computer-generated content rendered into the real world. AR brings a new kind of interactive experience to users by displaying rendered graphics through smartphones, tablets, and other devices.

Popularized by apps like Pokémon Go and Snapchat, AR has been explored for many applications and can also span multiple sensory modalities to deliver value across application areas.

While extended reality allows many people to live more comfortably and efficiently, cost, comfort, connectivity, and data privacy concerns can hinder the adoption of XR technologies — especially if such technologies are not designed into an application in an efficient, user-friendly way.

“Zero Trust” Security

Demanding verification from everyone — both inside and outside a network — to gain access to resources on a private network, zero trust aims to prevent data breaches by trusting no one and nothing.

Because verification is required from every user and device trying to gain access to resources on the network, the added layer of security is proven to prevent harmful attacks — whether reputationally or financially — data breaches. Zero trust uniquely addresses the modern challenges of today’s business by rightly assuming there is no traditional network edge.

A significant departure from traditional network security, zero trust requires continuous monitoring and validation that a user and their device have the right privileges and attributes and policy enforcement incorporating user and device risk, compliance, and other requirements. The challenge is finding that delicate balance between user-friendly and secure.

With far-flung user and application identity attributes to consider, too many companies fail to build security into their solution from step one — and the consequences can be devastating.

If your team isn’t prepared to address device-specific credential privileges, geolocation, firmware and operating system version challenges, or incident detection, find a custom software design partner that understands the chain that your company’s IT system is only as strong as its weakest link.

The Value of Expert-Vetted Custom Software Design Expertise

Clearly, as different technologies continue advancing, the promise of the IoT will continue delivering incredible new experiences that transform businesses and delight consumers.

Whether sensing the environment around devices, boosting processing power, immersing users in simulated environments, or enhancing data protection, 2023 technology trends will only strengthen our relationship with our continuously more tech-driven world.

But it is also apparent that harnessing technology trends to boost customer service or an organization’s internal work with software is difficult without the right expertise and experience.

Conclusion

Countless software design and development companies talk a big game but fail to keep pace with the rapid acceleration of technology. That’s why it’s important to partner with an expert-vetted custom software design firm to tailor an innovative solution to your unique needs and elevate your business.

Featured Image Credit: Photo by Yan Krukau; Pexels; Thank you!

The post Harnessing 2023 Tech Trends Through Custom Software Design and Development appeared first on ReadWrite.

Java was released in 1996 by Sun Microsystems and is still widely used today. It is a popular programming language, ranking fifth in Stack Overflow’s 2019 Developer Survey. It is easy to outsource Java app development to professional web developers with years of experience in software development. These professionals can work independently or with a team.

You can manage the complexity of your requirements by hiring an expert team. Quality is essential for the success of your Project.

Outsourcing Java development outsourcing is also very cost-effective, making it a popular choice. This process allows the individuals to focus on their core competencies, which are required to create your solutions. This helps to reduce costs.

It is also possible to spend time on aspects that do not relate to solution development. The company handles all aspects of development. They take care of databases, programming languages, infrastructure, and other related matters.

Java’s strengths and features make it an excellent language for any software or application. But are you considering Java for your next project but don’t have the right talent or resources to do it yourself? These are nine ways to outsource Java app development, so your product is successful.

What is Java?

Java is a prevalent programming language. Oracle developed Java in 1995. Java is available on over 3 billion computers. It’s used for app development, especially Android apps, the development of web and server applications, and game development and database association. Java is the most popular choice for creating high-performance mobile apps.

According to the latest State of the Developer Nation report from Slashdata, the total Java developer count is slightly more than 8 million. According to the Java community, there are approximately 0.5 million new Java coders each year. As a result, Dallas’ dedicated mobile app developers can master everything from the inheritance Java programming language to modern full-stack app development.

Why Java is Preferred for Web Development?

Our super-developers spent hours creating this informative post to help you understand the many benefits of Java in web application building.

Let’s dive into the many reasons Java is the best choice for web app development.

Highly Secure

Java has security features like access control, advanced authentication, cryptography, and advanced authentication. These security features have contributed significantly to the rapid growth of Java development services. In addition, developers can access the Java API, which includes digital signatures and ciphers and secure login mechanisms.

Easy to Learn

Java is an easy language to learn, with a similar syntax to English and a small number of characters. Java is an easy language to learn, with a limited number of characters and a syntax that mimics English.

Java’s operations are quick and efficient because it takes little time to learn the code and how things work. Every day can be a learning opportunity for Java and a chance to improve the efficiency of the Java-built system.

Cross-Platform Compliance

This is the reason Java is so popular. Java, unlike other programming languages, is not dependent upon one platform. Java applications are compatible with any operating system. This allows web developers to create Java-based systems on Windows and then use them in UNIX operating systems. Java’s extensive functionality makes it the best language for developers to integrate two systems into one.

Java is everywhere. It’s in smartphones, tablets, ATMs, kiosks, and servers. There are many other applications. According to estimates, Java is available on over 3 billion devices worldwide. Java is the most widely used programming language. It’s no surprise that Java is the most used programming language globally.

Adaptability

Java is highly scalable. High-level programming language EE is an example, Java EE transparently clusters instances if properly prepared and used in the correct application server. This allows multiple instances to serve requests simultaneously.

Improved scaling is possible with Java’s separation problems. You can quickly introduce services to redistribute the load and increase the processing power. This is due to the separation of interest.

Java modules are easily accessible and make it easy to scale large web applications. In addition, it is flexible and requires less code to scale up.

9 Tips for Choosing and Hiring a Java Development Outsourcing Company

It can sometimes feel like building a spaceship by outsourcing Java development services. This is because it requires a lot of attention to detail. So let’s start with some tips that will help you create your Java outsourcing company.

Determine the Structure of Your Outsourcing Java Development Team

Also, determine the crew you will need to launch a successful project. For example, you might need a group of Java developers to work with your internal team or a single Java developer. To fully support your Java development project, you might want to hire a dedicated team.

Define your Goals and the Scope of the Project

Before you start searching for Java developers to build your product, you must establish your requirements and criteria. This will allow you to know when your Project has been completed to your satisfaction. If you don’t clearly define your goals, you can spend a lot of time tweaking the product and end up paying a lot more. This could delay its launch and give your competitors an edge.

It is also essential to determine the scope of your Project. This includes how much work it will require and a realistic timeframe. This will allow you to agree with your potential partners about the price and deadlines.

Search in the Right Places

Although Google is the most likely option for searching for a company in search results, it’s worth digging deeper to find the right service provider.

Google is important, but LinkedIn can search for Java development companies. LinkedIn and other platforms allow you to simplify your search by including local parameters. This will help you locate a company right there you need.

Choose the Best Outsourcing Model for your Needs

Each partnership has its pros and cons, whether offshore, nearshore, or onshore. For example, offshore can be the best option if you want to save money. However, it often has language and cultural barriers that could slow down your timeframe.

An alternative is partnering with an onshore outsourcing partner if you have country-specific projects that require language fluency and cultural understanding. For example, if you are a US-based company or working on a project for a client in the US, you need to ensure that you have a collaboration without any obstacles caused by geographical distances. In this case, a US-based virtual assistant can help you with your outsourced tasks, be it directly or indirectly related to your development project.  

Although they are costlier, you will probably have a better time communicating. You can weigh the benefits and drawbacks of each to decide which model is best for you.

Check Genuine Company Reviews Online

You should check online reviews about the company before shortlisting a team to develop your software product. You can also check their LinkedIn profiles and corporate websites for reviews. Another option is to search on trusted websites that collect information about companies and authentic reviews from clients.

It is essential to search for positive and honest reviews to ensure that the software development company you hire has made clients’ businesses easier with its software-building solutions.

Ask for Post Development Support

This is the last tip when outsourcing software app development projects. Ask your development partner for post-development support if it is possible. This could be via email, phone, or chat. You should ensure they offer assistance. In such cases, you should make sure that the outsourcing company properly trains your employees to solve any future problems.

Check for Portfolio and Projects

These elements can be found on the company’s LinkedIn page or website. In addition, Java development companies will share their work to help attract new clients.

Without a case study page or portfolio, a company may lack the expertise and experience. As a result, it can be challenging to work with them. If they share their portfolio, they will either display it on the home page or create a Portfolio tab.

Knowledge of the Latest Tools and Trends

Java has been around for almost a quarter-century. The programming language is also constantly evolving as technology changes. Java 13 was released in September 2019. Java 13 was released in September 2019. It might be a good idea to ask them which version they are using and the changes.

Discuss Project Development Time and Costs

Once you have chosen the right software development company to work on your next project, now it is time to discuss the costs and timeline and make sure everything is clear. It is essential to discuss all details, including your pricing model and other fees. If everything is clear and discussed, you can move forward, including mobile app development cost, delivery time, release date, and other costs.

The Key Takeaway

Outsourcing Java developers can be difficult in today’s highly competitive IT market. This blog post will help you make it easier and more efficient.

These are the questions to ask when you’re looking for Java developers to outsource.

• What type of team do I need?
• Which country should I outsource to?
• What are my requirements?
• Have I checked the ratings and platforms for hiring?

Here you are, ready to start your Java development outsourcing (team4solution dot com) journey.

The post 9 Tips on Selecting Your Java Development Outsourcing Company appeared first on ReadWrite.

Software development is straightforward, at least in theory. When you start to break it down, though, the need for a robust test environment strategy becomes abundantly clear.

The development team codes individual features or fixes and tests them in a local environment to work out the kinks. Once they appear to function as intended, the team merges these topic branches into a trunk branch and tests the entire application in a QA or staging environment. More testing and iteration ensue, and eventually, the more-or-less bug-free program is ready to go live in production.

In practice, software development is messy, time-consuming, and can be highly inefficient. One of the most persistent bottlenecks is the gap between local testing environments and the staging environment.

Many enterprises employ multiple full-time software engineers to manage DevOps workflows between these environments at an average base salary above $120,000 — and much more for experienced engineers in high-cost-of-living areas.

Some expect iterative improvements in low- and no-code development to reduce the need for backend testing and staging environments. But that technology isn’t yet versatile or sophisticated enough to handle most backend applications.

It may never be. For the foreseeable future, development teams need to upgrade their test environment strategy if they’re serious about using their limited resources — time, talent, and money — efficiently.

Uffizzi is making that much easier. They offer a preview environment solution that helps bridge the divide between local testing and production, helping teams find bugs and optimize performance before merging features into “main.” As we’ll see, Uffizzi preview environments offer many benefits for developers tired of the old way of doing things.

What Are Preview Environments?

First, a brief overview of what preview environments actually are and where they fit in the software development lifecycle.

Preview environments are “on-demand and ephemeral cloud environments for testing a specific git branch before it’s merged into a trunk branch,” according to Uffizzi’s preview environment guide.

Unlike “traditional” staging or production environments, which remain operational in perpetuity, preview environments are generally designed for a single purpose. They’re created to test specific features or fixes, often being instantiated to support the pull or merge request related to the git branch being tested.

Once the test or merge is done or a predetermined timeout threshold arrives, they no longer have any purpose and cease to exist. Their lifespans match a branch’s lifespan. Developers usually measure these in hours rather than days, weeks, or months.

Why Should Software Development Teams Use Preview Environments?

Uffizzi is ushering in a modern way to build software using a robust test environment strategy. Preview environments have transformative potential for software teams used to the old way of doing things. Here’s why.

1. They save time.

Teams with the capacity to automate short-duration preview environments take advantage of a “parallelization” effect.

This means that developers can test features in isolation from one another. So even if one feature has a critical bug, it doesn’t impact the testability of all the other features, which can proceed in their testing process.

This eliminates a key bottleneck. As individual features are ready, you can quickly merge and release them. This is much faster and more efficient than the old way of releasing multiple features in a batch and ensuring that every feature in a release is “bug-free.”

2. They reduce crowding in shared test environments.

Relatedly, preview environments also allow development teams to work around automated test queues.

These can build up to great lengths during busy merge cycles. They can debug the smaller features they’re responsible for without waiting for others to do the same. This means they can get feedback that drives faster iterations and, ultimately a higher development velocity.

3. They free up resources for the entire team.

Uffizzi’s preview environments are designed to free up time for everyone involved in the development and test cycle. This is critical for development team leads and open-source maintainers responsible for protecting against software vulnerabilities and mitigating merge risks.

“To mitigate merge risks [team leads and open-source maintainers] will often want to see a running version of a pull request before they approve it,” says Uffizzi’s preview environment guide. “Without preview environments, this means pulling down the branch and running it in their local dev environment. This, of course, can be time-consuming — multiply it by the number of developers on the team, and this becomes their whole job.”

To make matters worse, team leads and maintainers go about this process in different ways.

When each maintainer uses a different environment setup, it’s impossible to standardize branch runs, which is detrimental to process efficiency. And with tech firms from Amazon down to four-person shops newly serious about running lean in a looming tech recession, every ounce of efficiency helps.

4. They’re purpose-built and easier to manage.

Uffizzi designed its preview environment solution from the principle that software testing shouldn’t become an end in itself. Traditional “fixed” staging and production environments tend to take on a life of their own, demanding attention better spent elsewhere.

Because Uffizzi’s preview environments are purpose-built to handle specific pull requests, they have little overhead. Multiplied by the number of pull requests likely to occur across an entire development cycle, their low-maintenance nature significantly reduces teams’ ‘busy work” workloads.

With more resources freed up for more productive, higher-value work, firms using Uffizzi preview environments can rethink everything about their strategies, up to and including whether to outsource functions that might be better kept in-house.

5. They help teams catch bugs before a merge when they’re easier to fix.

It’s far easier and far less time-consuming to catch bugs in an environment designed for that sole purpose.

Once a feature or fix merges into the main trunk, it becomes 10x harder to find and fix. If something doesn’t work, finding what’s wrong becomes an ordeal — and a major development bottleneck.

And it goes without saying that the longer bugs go without being caught, the more they cost to fix.

A study by Grand Canyon University finds that the cost of applying fixes increases 10-fold between development and production — turning a theoretical $100 fix into a $1,000 boondoggle.

Consider the number of bugs and fixes required during a typical development lifecycle. When you do, the value proposition of preview environments becomes crystal clear.

6. They complement existing staging or production environments.

Uffizzi’s preview environment’s solution might sound like a radical break with the standard development cycle.

But it’s really not. To its credit, Uffizzi designed its preview environments solution to complement rather than entirely replace standard staging or production environments. Developers can use them as a bridge between local testing and staging, designed to make life easier on both sides of the equation.

7. They facilitate collaboration between stakeholders.

By reducing friction during development and helping devs focus on the pieces of code they’re specifically responsible for, Uffizzi’s purpose-built preview environments actually foster more collaboration between developers, testers, product designers and managers, and other key stakeholders.

There’s less waiting, more doing, and more productive communication. This provides more of the “what can we do to make this better” variety. You end up with less of the “can you let me know when you’ve done the thing we’re waiting on you to do because our dev process is bottlenecked” ilk.

Increased collaboration doesn’t just make teams more functional and productive. It sets them up for future success by freeing up senior devs’ and managers’ time to improve internal processes, train new developers, and work on higher-level problem sets to make current and future products more valuable.

See What Preview Environments Can Do for Your Development Cycle

If you’re frustrated with the current state of your software development cycle, consider adding a preview solution to your test environment strategy like Uffizzi.

As a complementary solution to your existing process, and your existing CI/CD, you’ll find it makes your software team more efficient and opens up new possibilities in the product, process, and personnel.  Imagine getting nearly 50% more productive without adding new personnel.

Featured Image: ThisIsEngineering; Pexels.com. Thank you!

The post One Company Helping Software Teams with Test Environment Strategy appeared first on ReadWrite.

For those looking at open-source options for applications, this can mean choosing between Flutter and React Native. Though there are pros and cons with each, and React Native has been around longer, Flutter may be the better choice right now.

And if you looking to launch applications but can’t get the development team you need. And you’ve been told your runway is now shorter in anticipation of a recession and rising inflation. Your software development framework may play a bigger role than you expect.

Many mobile-first companies that are considering cross-platform solutions are choosing Flutter instead of React Native. For example, listen to what Sam Moore of Betterment had to say on Venturi’s Voice podcast earlier. And according to the 2021 State of Developer Ecosystem survey from JetBrains, Flutter has “surpassed React Native to become the most popular cross-platform mobile framework.” What’s driving that?

Speaking talent’s language

Take a step back from talent for a moment, and ask what the factors are driving your choices between open-source development kits for your multi-platform mobile development. How is that influencing your ability to grow? Here are eight questions to consider:

1. Do we want to be multi-platform (iOS, Android, Desktop, Web, Embedded), or is mobile cross-platform (iOS and Android) sufficient?
2. Which options give us the best performance and quality?
3. Which option is growing and provides the best long-term benefit?
4. What approach has the best developer experience?
5. What is the learning curve and impact on productivity?
6. Will we be able to train/hire effectively?
7. Will our team benefit from streamlining our engineering management process?
8. Do we value building and learning in a community-focused manner?

Let’s go through these questions in a bit more detail.

Cross-platform and multi-capability

Do you need to be cross-platform? React Native has helped popularize the cross-platform approach. But Flutter’s multi-platform ability to go beyond mobile to include Web, Mac, Windows, Linux, and more has been a significant advancement and selling point. Consider multi-capability dimensions as well. Can a development kit be useful for more than building apps that target different screens?

Here, Flutter enables developers to expand beyond traditional app development. They can move into areas that may have required entirely new workstreams and tooling earlier. These include games, backend code, and experiences for embedded devices. Flutter uses familiar tooling without requiring fluency with a new tech stack.

You can then program on a Raspberry Pi, like this project by Flutter GDE Roman Jaqeuz,get a game underway with 2D effects and physics, or even advance an infotainment system in a motor vehicle.

Further, with so much change in devices, the platform independence of Flutter is a big de-risker. As David DeRemer at Very Good Ventures points out – “Flutter is about platform ‘independence’ as much as it is about ‘multi-platform.’” He says you can create a single codebase and deploy it on any platform that can run the Flutter engine.

This is important because if you’re a hardware startup and your device has a screen user interface, but you’re early in the development phase and you haven’t finalized your OS, what do you do? Do you go with Linux, Android, or possibly Windows? That decision doesn’t have to be a gating factor that slows you down, and you can change your OS later if needed.

Catching up

Insiders say React Native has been catching up and has fixed a number of areas where Flutter has been out ahead.

Commentator and programmer Shalitha Suranga wrote last year, “Flutter apps exhibit great performance improvement over React Native applications due to blazing-fast Dart-to-Native binary communication. React Native communicates with native APIs via a JavaScript bridge.

The JavaScript bridge concept doesn’t perform well for all development requirements. As a result, the developer community started criticizing React Native since it showed poor performances on low-end devices and drained batteries so fast due to above-average resource usage.”

But Suranga reports React Native has been busy catching up and may be becoming more viable again. That may be true, which leads us to teams and efficiency.

A rallying point for streamlined teams

With Flutter, teams don’t need to be organized around platforms. You can focus on features, which is helpful for mobile but also for improving efficiency with web and other platform teams. Organizations building native apps often have separate teams for iOS and Android, and yet others have teams for web and desktop. Flutter teams can easily collaborate and work on the same codebase, and the platform is no longer the central organizing factor.

This single team streamlining is built for what’s ahead, and with a vast ecosystem, devs can find high-quality open-source tools and support from well-known brands like Canonical and Microsoft.

While React Native teams are also more streamlined with respect to mobile, Flutter’s multiplatform nature means the streamlined efforts of a team can expand to nearly any platform.

Which option is growing and maturing best?

You’ve probably heard the words “React Native” for longer and more persistently than “Flutter.” And it’s easy to assume the pool of developer talent is deeper on the React Native side, given its history.

That being said, to date, more than 500,000 apps have been built with Flutter. Web and desktop apps are likely to follow suit now that Flutter is officially stable for web, Windows, macOS, and Linux. The release of Flutter 3.0 and Dart 2.17 came with updates that deliver stability and maturity. So, Flutter’s now stable for six platforms, including Linux, macOS, iOS, Android, web, and Windows. There’s advanced support, new lint rules, performance improvements, and Material Design 3 support.

While exact usage metrics are hard to come by, the Flutter community points to trends on GitHub and StackOverflow to illustrate its rapid growth relative to other alternatives.

Building and learning in the open

React Native is open source and boasts a strong operations support system (OSS) network thanks to JavaScript.

That being said, looking at the source code, developers can see exactly how Flutter works. If you run into a problem, you can open an issue on the repo, and the Flutter team promptly responds. Flutter maintains an up-to-date roadmap, and they deliver annual updates on the strategy for the UI toolkit. There are no surprises. Teams can be confident that what they see is what they get.

There’s an extensive global community of other passionate developers who continually use open-sourcing packages and content. Find a helpful open-source package on pub.dev and check out this list with favorites.

What about Dart?

RedMonk shows Dart is now on the playing field with JavaScript and Python, which then plays a role in Flutter. According to RedMonk analyst James Governor “Dart is, like so many technologies, a 10-year overnight success story.” Dart is easy to learn, especially if you’re coming from JavaScript or Swift.

Dart is more than just the language powering Flutter. It’s on the server. With solutions like Serverpod and Alfred, Dart’s full-stack capabilities are growing. Open-sourced Dart Frog has now emerged as a popular backend framework. It can be used to set up a simple backend, create middleware, and interact with a legacy backend. See what Felix Angelov at Very Good Ventures had to say about Dart Frog’s stability in August.

This provides a unified tech stack with shared tooling and models. With Dart Frog, developers familiar with Dart aren’t limited to building for the front end.

Here we go!

Doing more with less is becoming the watchword for the year ahead. But you need a critical mass of talent that can carry your digital initiatives forward, thus carrying the business forward. That’s why paying attention to the tools you’re using is important.

Are they allowing your team to do more, more efficiently, and without burning them out? And does the sophistication of your operation and your development process create a halo around what you’re doing and attract more of the right people? The answers can help you avoid the fate of others panicking around you.

Featured Image Credit: Photo by ThisIsEngineering; Pexels; Thank you!

The post What Drives Choosing Flutter Over React Native? appeared first on ReadWrite.

The expectations for Salesforce developers are increasing, and rising cybersecurity threats further the need for quickly-produced, pristine code. At the same time, the economic downturn and developer shortage is forcing companies to operate with a very limited team.

All these factors increase the pressure resting on the shoulders of Salesforce developers — companies need to take this stress into account. Unfortunately, burnout is an increasingly common scenario that leads to a degradation of quality and, ultimately, losing talented team members.

To prevent burnout, organizations first must know how to spot it. Then,  ensure resources are available so developers can accomplish their goals and maintain proper mental health.

Why It’s Important to Address Burnout

Employee burnout starts with minor frustrations but begins to increase on a growing spectrum. The symptoms and outcomes snowball over time if there aren’t meaningful changes in the developer’s workday to address the situation. In some cases, however, employees aren’t as vocal about issues as we would like them to be. Employees don’t want a problem, so they try to endure the situation—even if it becomes a drain on their well-being.

The bigger picture is that conditions contributing to burnout are warnings of unsustainable business practices, which indicates more widespread issues.

Overtaxed employees’ quality of work degrades over time. Eventually, talented employees leave organizations due to burnout, costing an organization time and money.

How to Spot Burnout

Spotting employee burnout in its earliest stages gives organizations time to provide Salesforce developers with what they need to stay fresh and invested in their day-to-day tasks.

Here are four signs that an employee might be experiencing too much stress.

1. Reduced Output

We all have expectations in our position within the company. These metrics help to ensure we are staying on task and remaining productive. However, overworked employees will be more easily overwhelmed by these standards. When faced with this, employees can go in one of two directions: overdrive or burnout.

An employee who suddenly displays a decrease in productivity and output may be experiencing the early stages of burnout.

Are projects taking longer for the individual to complete? Is the individual failing to complete every aspect of a Salesforce development task? Degradation in an employee’s work quality can signify they are overwhelmed.

Of course, everyone has a bad week occasionally. However, workers who consistently fail to meet previous productivity levels signal they are having a challenging time. Burnout might have something to do with it.

2. Diminished Enthusiasm

An ideal work environment is one in which team members enjoy their working lives. Employee satisfaction comes from several factors, such as enjoying the minute details, producing quality work, or seeing how their actions contribute to the greater good. Of course, employees do not need to be enthusiastic about their careers to accomplish their job functions. Still, enthusiastic team members are more connected to their work and happier with what they’re doing.

Conversely, a lack of enthusiasm indicates that a developer isn’t as connected to their work as they were at an earlier stage of their employment. Dissociating from other team members, slogging through the day, or generally disconnecting from interactions are all signs of burnout.

Being a Salesforce developer takes a lot of focus and attention. Unfortunately, being overworked leads to employees becoming overwhelmed. When this happens, teammates don’t have the energy to adequately address other aspects of working on a team.

3. Tired, Bored, Procrastinating

A colleague not participating in conversations, meetings, or other social aspects of the job also signals burnout. Managers should be on the lookout for how developers approach their daily tasks. Have you seen a team member frequently yawning? Have you noticed them putting off tasks or avoiding them altogether?

Work doesn’t need to be as fun as their favorite leisure activity — after all, there’s a reason it’s called work —but it also shouldn’t be seen as a complete chore.

Odds are, Salesforce developers enjoyed their job at one point. So, what happened that led them to become disconnected from their work? Burnt-out employees likely got there because they’re overworked, which causes them to lose the joy they once found in their position.

4. Missed Deadlines

Burnout has very real consequences for team members who experience it. The toll that it takes on a person’s mental health causes rippling implications in other parts of their life as well. Employees showing one or more of these signs of burnout aren’t necessarily overwhelmed. However, taking them all into account may lead an organization to conclude something needs to change.

Of course, the personal toll burnout takes on an individual is the primary consideration, but it isn’t the only one. For example, an employee who frequently misses deadlines negatively impacts the entire team and company.

A burned-out employee who can’t keep up with their workload puts more pressure on other Salesforce developers. Unfortunately, this ignites a flame that speeds coworkers along on their own path toward burnout and makes the problem spread like wildfire.

Preventing this situation in the first place should be your primary goal. But how can you be sure your employees have everything they need to continue enjoying their work?

How to Prevent Developer Burnout

Developer burnout can result from several factors, such as repetition, rework, and an unrealistic workload with pressing time demands. Clearly, the solution is not for the company to compromise its expectations.

So how can you keep productivity high while ensuring your Salesforce developers aren’t worked to the point of burning out?

1. Decrease Workload Through Automation

Writing and producing an application or update on Salesforce can include thousands of lines of code. These lines not only have to be written but also tested and checked for errors. This review process can be incredibly time-consuming when performed manually and can contribute to developer burnout.

Equipping Salesforce developers with automated tools allows them to focus on more pressing matters instead of lingering on a single task for a long time. In addition, the ability to move from task to task creates variety in the workday, and shifting focus keeps developers fresh.

Automation is the key to avoiding tasks that contribute to burnout. Tools like static code analysis offer a series of benefits to the DevOps process. These resources also benefit the developers themselves by taking tedious tasks off their plates.

2. Reduce Repetition

Constantly readdressing existing work is monotonous and significantly draws on the developer’s satisfaction from completing a task. Repetitive tasks like lengthy code reviews and analyzing lines of code over and over until they are error-free cause burnout. Testing tools can find and correct errors before they become long-standing issues that affect other aspects of a DevOps project.

Getting an update right the first time moves developers along to the next project, increasing satisfaction and minimizing repetitiveness.

Static code analysis sends developers immediate alerts of coding errors to fix the issue, benefitting the project and employees.

3. Gather Detailed Reports and Enact Thoughtful Plans

The infrastructure needed to support Salesforce developers properly includes thought leadership. DevOps tools like static code analysis and CI/CD help reduce repetition and other annoyances that lead to burnout. Proper planning also supports developers by enabling management to establish realistic schedules and expectations that won’t overwork a team.

Utilizing DevOps tools to compile metrics, data, and insights in the form of detailed reports provides the information needed to manage a DevOps team properly.

The best approach to an application development pipeline evolves over time. To stay on top of changes, organizations need a constant view of what is happening in the Salesforce DevOps pipeline.

How many tries does it take to put together a successful deployment? How long does it take to produce an update or application? Are errors being found after production? Assessing this information will help management develop realistic plans that won’t drain developers.

4. Avoid Redundant Work Through Backups

Even after an organization puts all recommended precautions in place, there is no way to guard against a potential data loss event completely. Team member errors, system outages, and cybercriminals pose real, ongoing threats. That is why it’s essential to maintain a current, reliable data backup and recovery plan.

Having a recent backup will provide the information needed to save the company a massive amount of time and money. It will also save developers from redoing a long list of tasks. Since we can’t totally guard against data loss events, maintaining a current backup is crucial.

Yet it’s essential to recognize how much redundant work drains your employees. Too many repetitive tasks will likely lead to a lack of drive and decreased employee engagement.

5. Highlight Strong Work

Employees crave the gratification that comes from simply enjoying the fact that they are producing quality products – but it can also come from external sources as well.

Using DevOps tools with version control capabilities, individual markers can signal who did what in a project. Recognizing your employees when they are doing a good job is essential. These markers help identify when an employee goes above and beyond to push an application or update to production. Praising their efforts helps developers realize that their work is not only appreciated but also necessary.

Simply believing that their work is being noticed helps team members gain satisfaction. In addition, any success at reducing rote tasks makes the day-to-day grind more enjoyable. Less monotony and increased recognition provide a multi-tiered rubric of support that helps developers avoid burnout.

6. Ensure Proper Settings/Permissions to Avoid Costly Errors

Errors of any sort have adverse effects on the whole team. Accidental deletions, for instance, can lead to redundant work. These accidents become more likely when profile and permission settings allow access to team members who don’t need it to do their job.

Utilizing a policy management scanning tool ensures that only those who need to access essential data can do so. This reduces the likelihood of costly deletions that lead to redundant work.

Job dissatisfaction comes from several sources, and frequently running into massive, avoidable issues is no exception. Ensuring permissions and profiles create a streamlined system fosters a better environment for Salesforce developers to operate in.

7. Offer Continuous Enablement

Task variety keeps developers engaged in their work, and the possibility of career growth energizes team members.

Even if promotions aren’t immediately available, organizations can allow developers to participate in expanded training sessions, skill development workshops, and anything else that supports them in their goal of advancing their careers. Employees that feel supported in their careers are far more likely to experience consistent motivation and have a positive relationship with their organization.

Frequent, meaningful check-ins with team members are a simple way for management to show developers they have their support. In addition, employees are more invested in producing quality work when they care for their company.

Intentional Support Helps Avoid Developer Burnout

Mundane tasks, repeated team-wide errors, and little to no recognition for hard work all contribute to burnout. While burnout is often a workplace culture issue, the first steps organizations can take to take pressure off their developer is to provide an infrastructure of automated DevOps tools and a culture of encouragement and support from management.

A work atmosphere intentionally designed to reduce annoyances and anxiety helps to ensure team members continue to enjoy their jobs. Not only is this incredibly beneficial for the mental health of Salesforce developers, but it also allows organizations to retain talented individuals.

Featured Image Credit: Cottonbro; Pexels; Thank you!

The post Salesforce Developers are Burnt Out – Spot it and Help Them appeared first on ReadWrite.

Mobile apps have become an inseparable part of the lives of people globally. This is something businesses have realized. They thus align themselves in the task of mobile app development. This is in the hope of getting an increased rate of customer engagement which would further their revenues in the long run.

However, when it comes to the mobile app development process, the steps are not so easy. It demands the use of the most robust set of frameworks.

Currently, with 2022 bringing its curtains to a general halt, these major frameworks have particularly captured the attention of developers globally. We will discuss them here.

Before that, it is important you know the meaning of mobile app development frameworks first.

What is Mobile App Development Framework?

Check out the image to get educated and get an insight into the meaning of the mobile app development framework.

The image above illustrates the definition of app development frameworks. In simple words, it is a software creation toolset that simplifies the mobile app development process in terms of building a feature-rich and compatible mobile app.

Significance of Using These Frameworks

• Saves time and resources during mobile app development.
• Mitigates dependency on learning complex programming languages.
• Prevents the process of app development from scratch for developers.

Knowing the different advantages related to using mobile app development frameworks, let’s get an idea of the tools and SDK it empowers developers with.

SDK & Tools Developers Get with App Development Frameworks

When developers enter the mobile app development process using frameworks, they get enabled with different Software Development Kit (SDK) and tools, respectively.

• Build generic app functionality
• Code library
• Programming interface
• API tool
• Compiler
• Tools to perform code debugging
• Pre-built solutions to boost app speed and improve its overall usability.

Types of Mobile App Frameworks

• Native apps for a particular platform, such as Android, iOS, and Windows.
• Web apps that focus on delivering web pages on different web-based platforms. For example, emails, online shops, etc.
• Hybrid apps are built on the lines of web and native app constituents through a single codebase.

Now you know the different subcategories into which these frameworks are divided about their advantages. Let’s give you an idea of the different frameworks. the 10 popular ones particularly.

Top 10 Recommended Mobile App Development Frameworks

1. Flutter

Released in 2017 with its developers being the popular tech-giant Google, Flutter is known for its support in transforming the entire app development process alongside also assisting in the task of building, testing, and deploying apps for different platforms like the mobile, web, etc. This is through the utilization of a single codebase.

Key Features:

• Code reusability
• Flexible UI
• Fast app development
• Offers Native performance
• Offers built-in material design
• Offers strong widget support

2. React Native

An open-source UI software framework whose creation was done by Meta in 2015, React Native is known for its support in creating truly native apps without compromising on the user experience. This is by providing developers with a core set of native platform compatibilities. Alongside these, it also assists in reducing the load time of the app without compromising on its quality or functionality at all.

Key Features:

• Compatible 3rd-party plugins
• Declarative API for predictive UI
• Supports Android & iOS
• Reusable components for optimal performance
• Offers best deployment features
• Easy to maintain

3. Ionic

Released in 2013 by Drifty, Ionic is known as the cross-platform app development leader. It also is known for its cutting-edge aid in developing progressive web apps. Being a complete open-source SDK, it makes it easy for developers to create flexible UIs for different app platforms using a single shared codebase.

Key Features:

• Cross-platform app development
• Optimized Performance
• Uniform UI
• Quick development time
• Intuitive UI components

4. Xamarin

An open-source platform, Xamarin makes it easy for developers to build native, cross-platform apps alongside a shared native user interface. It is also known for its ease of integration with backend services, components, etc. Finally, due to the aid in extending the .NET developer with tools and libraries, it is recommended to build different app types rather seamlessly.

Key Features:

• Diagnostic tools
• Android SDK manager
• Google emulator manager
• Versatile backend infrastructure
• App loader
• Storyboard files

5. Apache Cordova

Coming fifth in the category of top ten popular mobile app development frameworks is Apache Cordova. It helps in wrapping the HTML/JavaScript app into a native container to make it easy to access device functions of different platforms. Therefore writing one code so that it targets different phones and tablets becomes a cakewalk.

Key Features:

• Reusability of codes
• Easy-to-work plugins
• Robust Backend

6. Native Script

NativeScript is known for liberating the development process for developers. This is by giving them the flexibility to use platform APIs directly. Since its creation in 2014 until now it has been a favorite among developers due to allowing them to implement CSS and JavaScript so that users get a native experience while using it.

Key Features:

• Plugins and templates
• Robust backend support
• Easily adaptable
• Native UI with no WebView
• Direct access to Android & iOS APIs

7. Corona SDK

A popular cross-platform framework released in 2009, Corona is known for assisting development experts in creating apps and games for mobile devices as well as desktops. Alongside the support it provides developers in the quest of building cross-platform apps, it is also known for aiding them in avoiding paying extra for core functionalities.

Key Features:

• Wide variety of plugins
• Excellent visuals
• Optimal performance
• Realtime testing
• Lua-based platform
• Multiple plugins for all needs
• Strong API support

8. Sencha

A user-interface JavaScript library, Sencha Touch assists developers in making use of the cross-platform tools within to design, develop and test data-intensive web apps. Alongside the support it provides to build data-intensive web apps, it also aids them in the process of developing user interfaces that possess the look and feel of native apps.

Key Features:

• Flexible layout system
• Visual data representation
• Holds hundreds of user extensions
• Powerful analytics

9. PhoneGap

Developed by Adobe and written in the JavaScript and Java programming languages, PhoneGap is an open-source framework that supports building applications that work smoothly on iOS and Android. Alongside the ease of app development, it also empowers developers with a container so that the native API gets bridged to the web view.

Key Features:

• Open Source
• Single codebase
• Strong Backend
• Flexibility
• Compatible on all the platforms
• Third-party tools for app management

10 Onsen UI

Onsen UI is an open-source UI framework written in JavaScript that helps developers in building mobile apps through technologies like CSS, HTML5, etc. Alongside the support listed above, it also provides developers with a set of tabs, side menus, etc., to make it easy to build HTML5 hybrid and mobile web apps.

Key Features:

• Free and open-source
• Easy to use
• Compatible with jQuery

Knowing now about these popular frameworks, you must be having some questions, one most prominent being- which one is worth using?

The answer to this, know all. This is because they have a significant role to play in the mobile app development process. Hence, regardless of changes, the relevance of these frameworks does not vanish at all.

It is however a good idea to keep some tips in mind before you go ahead using either of these frameworks during the app-building stage.

Tips to Remember before Using The Frameworks

• Focus on your project requirements.
• Check the years of operation of the framework and find out the businesses that witnessed growth using the framework.
• Assess their features and understand if they are at par with your business needs or your app’s advantage.

With clarity of these aspects; you can go ahead and use it to your app’s advantage. This includes cross-platform app development too. This will ensure maximum user engagement apart from pouring revenues.

Wrapping Up

Reading the in-depth article you have an idea of the 10 popular app development frameworks that ease the overall mobile app development process. To nevertheless see your app getting success and allowing you to capitalize on profits, make the choice wisely.

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