DEV Community: thecompetenza

10 Mistakes to Avoid When Hiring Remote Developers

thecompetenza — Fri, 04 Aug 2023 10:35:13 +0000

Hiring remote developers can be a game-changer for businesses, offering access to a vast talent pool and cost-saving benefits. However, to ensure a smooth and productive remote development experience, it’s crucial to steer clear of common mistakes that might lead to hiring the wrong individuals or hinder the overall success of your remote team.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll delve into the ten most critical mistakes to avoid when hiring remote developers, along with additional tips to improve your remote hiring process and foster a successful working relationship.

#1. Not Having a Clear Job Description

One of the primary mistakes to avoid is lacking a well-defined job description. Before initiating the hiring process, take the time to create a detailed job description that outlines the skills, experience, and responsibilities required for the role.

A clear job description helps attract the right candidates and saves you from wasting time interviewing individuals who may not be suitable for the position.

#2. Not Using the Right Channels to Find Candidates

Finding remote developers requires utilizing the appropriate channels. Leverage online job boards, social media platforms, and referral networks to reach a wider pool of potential candidates who align with your requirements and company culture.

#3. Not Doing Enough Screening

Thoroughly screening remote developers is essential for finding the right fit. Take the time to check references, verify technical skills, and assess their compatibility with remote work to avoid hiring mismatches.

#4. Not Having a Good Onboarding Process

Remote developers deserve a proper onboarding process similar to in-house employees. Establish a clear onboarding plan that helps new remote developers quickly integrate into your team and understand their roles and responsibilities.

#5. Not Communicating Effectively

Effective communication is the cornerstone of successful remote development. Regularly engage with your remote team, be clear about expectations, and ensure everyone stays on the same page throughout the project.

#6. Not Providing the Right Tools and Resources

Remote developers require adequate tools and resources to perform their tasks efficiently. Ensure they have access to the necessary software, training, and support to excel in their roles.

#7. Not Managing Remote Developers Effectively

Managing remote developers presents unique challenges compared to in-house employees. Be well-versed in the intricacies of remote work and implement effective management strategies to keep your remote team productive and motivated.

#8. Not Being Flexible

In the remote work landscape, flexibility is key. Be prepared to adapt to changes and unforeseen circumstances, as they are inevitable when working with a dispersed team.

#9. Not Trusting Your Remote Developers

Trust is the foundation of any successful remote team. Place confidence in your remote developers, empower them to make decisions, and grant them the autonomy they need to thrive.

#10. Not Giving Remote Developers the Opportunity to Grow

Remote developers, like any other employees, aspire to grow in their careers. Offer them opportunities for learning and development, and acknowledge their contributions to foster a sense of belonging.

Tips for Hiring Remote Developers

Use a reputable recruiting agency: Consider partnering with a reliable recruiting agency specialized in remote hiring to streamline the process and identify qualified candidates.
Set up video interviews: Conduct video interviews to establish a more personal connection with remote developers and gauge their communication and teamwork skills.
Use project-based work to start: If unsure about committing to long-term remote contracts, start by engaging remote developers on a project-by-project basis to assess their suitability.
Be clear about your expectations: Define expectations upfront to avoid misunderstandings and ensure alignment between your vision and the remote developers’ deliverables.
Provide regular feedback: Regular feedback helps remote developers stay on track and enhances collaboration and performance.
Celebrate successes: Acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of your remote developers to foster motivation and loyalty.

Lastly…

Hiring remote developers can be a game-changer for your business, unlocking a vast talent pool and cost-effective solutions.

By following these tips, you can increase your chances of hiring the right remote developers and having a successful experience with remote development.

Source

11 Skills ASP.NET Developer Must Have to be Ingenious

thecompetenza — Fri, 21 Jul 2023 13:41:42 +0000

If you are in the software development field, you may know the popularity and demand for a .NET developer.

A skilled .NET professional can design, customize, and develop software applications according to the business needs of the clients.

So, organizations hire .NET professionals with technical knowledge along with other skill sets.

Having some of the skills hands-on can help you gain an upper hand during the hiring process.

If you are interested in knowing about the ideal skills needed to become successful in .NET, you have come to the right place.

About .NET

Why should you focus on .NET technology? If you wish to get hired by top organizations, you need to master .NET.

It refers to the open-source software framework offering the developers a controlled environment for developing, installing, and executing software mainly in the Windows operating system.

The framework from Microsoft supports more than sixty languages. Hence, you can write code in powerful languages simultaneously while using shared elements for the same application.

Eleven languages supported by Microsoft include:

Visual Basic .NET
C#
C++/CLI
F#
IronPython
PowerShell

.NET provides the developers with multiple frameworks and libraries for the easy creation of diverse applications.

These mobile, desktop and web applications using .NET can meet complex business purposes.

Skill Set Needed for an ASP.NET Developer

.NET is a versatile and sought-after technology in the industry. But, like any other field, the competition has skyrocketed.

To cement your place as a successful .NET professional, you need certain skill sets. These specializations and skills will help you establish yourself in the broadening field.

Hence, a developer must possess certain skills that will help them get the position of .NET Developer in a reputed firm with a good salary.

Try to fine-tune or acquire the following skills as it makes you reliable, strong, and competent in the eyes of the employer

Skill #1 – ASP.NET MVC

The most vital skill as a .NET developer includes the knowledge of ASP.NET MVC (Model View Controller).

It permits you to manage the control of every function of the application. MVC refers to the web framework allowing you to create an efficient web application with ease of control, high security, and robust technology.

It is the software providing access to client-side technologies allowing the developer to build software swiftly and efficiently.

You can build a better, scalable, and faster web application that can gain popularity among clients.

In the professional field, ASP.NET MVC has replaced other frameworks.

Skill #2 – Able to Code Efficiently

To become a successful .NET developer, you need to write efficient codes allowing the software to perform the intended tasks.

You need to understand the purpose of the code. It will give you an idea of the new code you need to write and the use of existing code to save resources and time.

As you proceed to make progress on the prototype build, it becomes easier to analyze the code and its performance to make changes as required.

Skill #3 – Proficient in Multiple Programming Languages

You need to become proficient in the following programming languages:

F#
C#
C++
VB.NET

It helps you develop the program at a faster pace meeting the client requirements. Apart from that, you must also understand the database applications. Here are some of them:

SQL Server
Oracle
NoSQL

Skill #4 – Well-Versed with Client-Side Technology

Employers look for .NET professionals with competency to build client-side web applications. Client-side technology helps developers build aesthetically appealing interfaces that feel easy to use and navigate. It includes proficiency in the following:

CSS
HTML
Bootstrap
JavaScript

Skill #5 – Knack in Budget Planning

An exceptional .NET professional also must have budget and finance management skills.

It will teach you to use cost-effective techniques while developing new software. Before the launch of the new project, you can create a budget to determine the resource needed for the project.

It becomes easier to allocate and reserve funds for future projects. While building the project, you must review the spending habits to avoid exceeding the budget.

Skill #6 – Time Management

Time management is another vital skill needed for a .NET developer to meet the deadline of the projects.

The clients may have issued a date to submit the project. So, the developer needs to organize the tasks to complete them on time.

At times, you need to manage multiple projects at the same time. Therefore, you need to reserve time to finish one task before you proceed with the next one.

Skill #7 – Problem-Solving

A .NET professional can become successful when they can identify the issues in the prototypes and rectify them immediately.

Problem-solving skill is a necessity for good ASP.NET professionals as they can build the interface with ease. It helps you assess the results of the project testing.

Assessing the code will help you find the bug triggering the issue and help find a solution to fix the issue. Problem-solving skills also come in handy while examining the projects. It can help you determine if the project seems user-friendly or not.

Skill #8 – Client Handling

Every client expects good service from the developers. So, a .NET developer must strive hard to provide high-quality customer service to satisfy the clients.

It is vital for retaining the clientele and attracting more clients. Customer service skills come hands in the following instances:

Project Requirement Phase

A .NET developer might have to talk to a client to understand any specific technical need. And sometimes as an ASP.NET developer, you need to discuss key points with your client related to features of the ASP.NET application development. Answering clients’ questions can make them feel at ease.

During Project Development

As the project progresses, you need to maintain transparent and open communication with the clients. The .NET developers need to inform clients regarding the completed modules and the next agenda. Maintaining transparency is vital for building trust.

Project Maintenance & Enhancement

During the maintenance & enhancement phase, you need to meet with the clients for application maintenance or any enhancement. Remember, a successful .NET professional shows courtesy and professionalism at the different stages of project development.

Skill #9 – Good Verbal Communication

During the project planning, development, and execution phases, .NET professionals need to convey important messages to everyone they deal with for the project.

Hence, they need to possess good communication skills to express their ideas, queries, and concerns.

Since .NET professionals focus on application development, they need to meet with the client to tell them about the project.

The .NET developer must translate the intricate codes into features having clarity.

Everyone must understand them effortlessly to avoid any misunderstandings.

Good verbal communication skills also help you enhance your confidence levels.

So, you can stand your ground when clients tend to make unrealistic demands.

With excellent communication skills, you can interact with high-profile people in the organization with no technology background such as President, CEO, or CFO.

A skilled .NET developer must explain complicated technical language for shared understanding.

Skill #10 – Willingness to Collaborate with Others

A project may require different skill sets. While you may possess some of them, you need assistance from others to fulfill the particular project demands.

To complete the projects within the suggested deadline, you must show a willingness to collaborate with others.

A .NET developer can finish a project on time meeting the client’s needs when they collaborate with fellow IT professionals.

A developer with a willingness to listen and respect the ideas of others have better chances of getting the best results.

This mindset will help the .NET developer to delegate tasks to members of the team depending on their strong skill set.

Such apt delegation of tasks will ensure the project meets the client’s demands with ease.

Skill #11 – Get a Certification

To inform others about the technical skills you possess, you need to get the certification. It is the test that allows your employers to see your competency level in .NET development.

You have certification courses offered by Microsoft such as the Microsoft MVP (Most Valued Professional) and MSCD (Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer).

Microsoft MVP is a prestigious program that makes you become a leader in .NET technology. MCSD is an in-demand program showcasing your talent. Microsoft has the responsibility for development and maintenance.

Since Microsoft modifies it after two years, the certification reflects your updated knowledge. These endorsements help you develop a profile status reflecting your strength in .NET.

These certificates are proof of your technical excellence and skill. So, acquiring it can ensure you have become eligible to play the role of a mentor to others.

With the technological improvements, the industry has so many opportunities for .NET developers.

The tech industry has a high demand for skilled ASP.net developers. Employers in different industries are not satisfied with professionals having just theoretical knowledge.

Employers look for people who possess the skills to help their organization reach new levels. A skilled professional can do something different that can help them reach business goals swiftly.

While .NET developers are several, the tech industry always seeks the best professional with skills. With new technologies released constantly in the market, the professional must have the interest to learn more.

Keeping updated with the current trend will help you secure a good position in your professional life. Learning is a never-ending process that will help you learn more and get high pay.

Original publisher

Future of ASP.NET – Is it frightening?

thecompetenza — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 12:34:57 +0000

In this technology-driven world, you need to update yourself with the latest technology to stand strong in this competitive market.

After COVID-19, in this new normal world, every business wants to shift from offline to online mode. And ASP.NET is one of the application development frameworks that is helping businesses to thrive in this new-normal world. The web application framework is being used across various sectors such as E-Commerce, BFSI, Healthcare, Education and many more.

Quick Intro of ASP.NET

ASP.NET is an open-source, web-application development framework built by Microsoft to aid ASP .Net developers in creating dynamic websites, applications and services. Being a cross-platform framework, applications built on this framework runs on Windows, Linux, macOS, and Docker.

Current Scenario of ASP.NET

In this technological world where technology ever changes, ASP.NET is the most prevalent programming platform. Most software development companies embrace this robust framework to build dynamic websites, web services, cloud-based web applications and other web applications.

Let’s have a look at the current trends in ASP.NET

➜ Serverless Computing

Cloud computing has been gaining popularity in the digital world. With Azure cloud, ASP.NET provides a serverless computing platform to businesses of all types. It enables developers to build high-end cloud applications.

➜ Machine Learning Solutions

In today’s data-driven world, machine learning plays a significant role in running business operations successfully. Many well-known companies such as Facebook, Google and Uber embrace machine learning to run their business operations.

ML.NET 1.4, a machine learning framework that enables developers to build data-driven ASP.NET applications by implementing ML algorithms.

➜ Cross-Platform Mobile App Development

Xamarin is an open-source cross-platform mobile app development framework for .NET. With this framework, ASP.NET developers can build responsive apps for Android, iOS, tvOS, watchOS, macOS, and Windows.

Xamarin allows ASP.NET developers to use C# programming language for back-end code such as business logic, data access and native API access. Apps based on Xamarin leverage platform-specific hardware acceleration and provide native performance.

➜ IoT-Enabled Application Solutions

ASP.NET developers can now leverage .NET IoT Libraries to create apps that can interact with specialized hardware such as sensors, analog-to-digital converters, and LCD devices. Enterprises can invest in lots of other IoT projects with the .NET nano framework.

➜ Building 2D and 3D Game Development

.NET is a component of Microsoft Game Stack. Gaming companies are investing in ASP.NET for building 2D and 3D game development. Game developers can build games for more than 25 different platforms such as Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo and so on.

User Statistics of ASP.NET

ASP.NET has a huge userbase. More than 100,000 contributions from Microsoft itself, and over 3,700 enterprises other than Microsoft support .NET.

ASP.Net usage by websites across the globe.

HG Insights, a Market Intelligence provider, tracked 1,087,624 firms using ASP.NET. You can have a look at some of the big companies that are currently investing in ASP.NET.

Here, the bar chart shows industry-wise usage of ASP.NET. However, the chart is not completely shown here. You can have a complete in the HG Insights.

According to the Stack Overflow 2021 survey, ASP.NET took fifth place among the most popular web frameworks.

Future Growth of ASP.NET

With the release of .NET 6 in the recent past, the future looks quite great.

Have a look at the below roadmap of .NET, Microsoft team is consistently working on it to improve and bring something new to the table every time.

Below are some of the pointers that show the growth of ASP.NET in the coming future:

♦ ASP.NET developers would be able to build fast and scalable cloud applications with Microsoft Azure.

♦ With Azure cloud, businesses would not have to worry about servers and pay only for the resources their application uses while running. The Serverless Computing Market is expected to register CAGR of over 23.17% during the forecast period (2021 – 2026).

♦ With the Xamarin feature, future businesses will invest in Android and iOS app development with .NET and C#.

♦ In the future, businesses will leverage the .NET for building 2D and 3D applications such as games and simulations.

♦ With ML.NET 1.4, enterprises would witness tons of AI applications.

♦ In the near future, ASP.NET will run smoothly on Docker. This would assist developers to faster deploy ASP.NET-based applications.

♦ By implementing.NET IoT libraries in .NET framework, developers would create apps that run on IoT devices.

Should Businesses Develop Their Project with ASP.NET?

Irrespective of the size of an enterprise, ASP.NET is the go-to technology for building applications for businesses.

Without any iota of doubt, ASP.NET is one of the go-to technologies to meet enterprise application needs. Enterprises can meet organizational goals and solve business challenges with the ASP.NET application development solutions

ASP.NET provides a host of benefits to your business. This robust application development framework is perfect especially for enterprises that are looking for a leading edge in this digital world.

Let’s take a look:

♦ High Performance Apps: Post-release of .NET 6, ASP.NET has improved performance. It performs faster than any other popular web framework. The performance report is available at TechEmpower Round 20.

♦ Secure Apps/software: ASP.NET safeguards apps from cross-site scripting (XSS) and cross-site request forgery (CSRF). It includes a user database that supports multi-factor authentication and external authentication via Google, Twitter, and other services.

♦ Diverse applications: With rich libraries and tools, businesses can develop different types of application solutions such as AI-based apps, IoT-based apps, Game development and lots more by investing in ASP.NET.

♦ Bring your Business to Cloud: ASP.NET enables businesses to build high-end cloud applications. Enterprises can now migrate their existing .NET application to the cloud by leveraging Microsoft Azure.

♦ Build High Performing Mobile Apps: Xamarin.Forms, a mobile UI framework from Microsoft for developing mobile apps such as iOS, Android, & Windows apps with .NET from a single shared codebase.

♦ Get Active Community: ASP.NET has many active communities. Businesses can get quick answers to any technical query or discuss anything on ASP.NET from active communities such as Stack Overflow, ASP.NET forums, .NET Tech Community, The .NET Docs Show and more.

Limitation of ASP.NET

Every coin has two sides and the same goes with ASP.NET technology as well. There are a few limitations with ASP.NET.

♦ As ASP.NET is designed by Microsoft, any changes implemented by the technology giant will surely impact application development projects done on the .NET framework.

♦ Migration of applications to .NET can be costly.

♦ Transiting applications with older versions to new versions could be long and difficult.

Closing Words

ASP.NET is one of the popular technologies in this technology-driven world. Microsoft has been striving hard to come up with new updates and upgrades in this popular framework to serve the ever-growing ASP.NET development needs. With high-end in-built features, ASP.NET will soar high and will be the choice for many more enterprises in the near future.

If you are willing to build responsive mobile apps, dynamic websites or any cloud-based applications for your clients, ASP.NET has a host of amazing features to make your product and services secure, reliable, and scalable.

Originally published

ASP.NET Core Blazor – A Complete Overview

thecompetenza — Thu, 06 Jul 2023 13:36:08 +0000

The web development landscape is transforming quickly. Now, developers can build fascinating and responsive web applications without leveraging JavaScript technology.

Yes, you read it correctly!

Microsoft’s Blazor technology in ASP.NET has redefined web development world.

Want to know more? Let’s dive into this article.

About Microsoft Blazor

Before the advent of Blazor, ASP.NET developers leverage C# and JavaScript to create full-stack web applications. With Blazor, developers get a single .NET technology stack to develop both server-side and client-side code.

Blazor is an open-source web UI framework for building single-page applications (SPAs) in .NET and .NET Core. This framework assists developers to create responsive and appealing web UIs using C# in lieu of JavaScript.

Now by leveraging the Blazor framework, ASP.NET developers can build both server-side applications and client-side applications by choosing the respective hosting models.

Hosting Models in ASP.NET Core Blazor

Blazor framework offers developers two hosting models to run web applications. These models are- Blazor Server and Blazor WebAssembly.

What is Blazor Server?

In this hosting model, application runs on the server within an ASP.NET Core application.

The Blazor Server application communicates with the browser with the help of connection called SignalR.

When an event such as a button click occurs on the client, the event information is sent to the server with the help of SignalR connection. The server manages the information of the event and for the generated HTML, a difference is calculated. Instead of sending the complete HTML to the client, only the diff is sent to the client via SignalR. Thereafter, the web browser updates the UI.

This makes the application faster and more responsive to the user.

What is Blazor WebAssembly?

WASM or WebAssembly refers to the web standard capable of running in modern web browsers. WASM brings language diversity. It is a binary instruction format different from JavaScript.

Developers use it for executable programs designed to have speed faster than JavaScript. WASM appears close to complied languages but remains interpreted language. Only machines can interpret WASM and not humans.

Benefits of ASP.Net Blazor

Why do developers find Microsoft Blazor attractive? While it is a relatively new and less mature platform, Blazor has several features that have gained the attention of the developers to build an application. Here are some of them:

► Developers have an enriched development experience due to Blazor supporting all the needed SPA (Single Page App) features. It helps developers build interactive client-side web apps that include routing, components, dependency, and more.

► Blazor applications work offline. They can load instantly irrespective of the network speed making it faster.

► Even when your machines don’t have .NET installed, you can deploy and execute applications developed using Blazor. It becomes possible because of deploying and executing the application like static files.

► Blazor comes with rich IntelliSense, which refers to the code editing features. The features such as quick info, code completion, parameter info, and member lists can make it easier for the developer. With IntelliSense and tooling, developers can create codes in reduced time.

► Blazor supports all major browsers used by people today. It also supports the older version of such browsers. The browsers with support for WASM (WebAssembly) like Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, and their mobile variants will run fine.

► The hype around Blazor has escalated due to its ability to work well without any browser plugins. It is because of having WebAssembly that remains as the native part of different browsers. It helps in taking all static files into the browser.

Future of Blazor

Most developers choose JavaScript for front-end web development. From its inception, JavaScript has remained the popular choice. But it does not mean it has no faults. Not everyone seems happy with the use of JavaScript.

It is evident in the springing up of different transpile or superset to the JavaScript languages to improve its performance and make it more maintainable. Dart, Scala, Elm, and CoffeeScript are some of the examples.

Developers looking for a new option seem interested in Blazor. It has already attracted the attention of people with its productive and efficient programming model. It has the potential to become the direct competitor to the SPA frameworks of JavaScript.

Microsoft has initiated multiple experiments using Blazor. Recently, developers opt it for native mobile app development by mixing the Blazor programming model with the Xamarin forms controls.

It is an exciting prospect as this single unified UI may aid in building any type of application by using the .NET framework. So, it may help the developers build web, mobile, or desktop apps.

Here are some of the significant FAQs you need to become aware of for better understanding Blazor technology.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is ASP.NET Core Blazor?

Blazor refers to the free, open-source web framework developed by Microsoft that aids developers in creating different web apps using C# and HyperText Markup Language (HTML). Hence, developers can opt for C# instead of using JavaScript to build interactive web user interfaces.

Is Blazor Part of ASP.NET Core?

Blazor refers to the latest feature added by Microsoft to ASP.NET. ASP.NET with Blazor feature has become the popular web development framework to build web apps using the in-built tools and libraries.

Which Is Better- ASP.NET Core Blazor or ASP.NET Core MVC?

Actually, here ‘better’ word is probably not correct. However, ASP.NET Core MVC is definitely a mature framework than ASP.NET Core Blazor. But, both the frameworks serve different tasks for different business needs. Blazor is not here to replace MVC. Blazor offers a single technology stack to C# programmers for creating single-page full-stack web applications without using JavaScript. We think the question is subjective.

Is Blazor Faster Than REACT?

While comparing the two, React will load and render faster than Blazor. When developers use Blazor as WASM, the application downloads the complete .NET runtime along with application DLL Libraries to the browser.

This seems that Blazor is slower than React. However, this doesn’t tell that Blazor is slow. The download and render time is better in React.

Conclusion

Microsoft’s open-source web framework-Blazor has given a single .NET technology stack to ASP.NET developers for developing both the server-side and client-side of an application. This single technology stack provides high productivity and cost savings for organizations.

Blazor seems to have a high potential to develop stellar applications that will blow everyone’s mind.

It can become the single UI framework needed for any type of .Net application. With all the hosting models for Blazor moving into production, we can expect it to slay the tech world.

Eventually, Blazor can become the single programming model that every developer needs to know to create any type of UIs.

Note - This article was originally published here.

21 Facts About Coding/Programming You Should Know

thecompetenza — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 13:11:56 +0000

Programming is a complex and fascinating field, and there are many interesting facts about it that you may not know.

Here are 21 programming facts that will help you learn more about this amazing field:

The first computer programmer was a woman named Ada Lovelace, who wrote the world's first algorithm in the 1840s.
The term "bug" originated when a moth got trapped in a computer and caused a malfunction.
The average computer code consists of about 20 lines.
The world's first computer virus was created in 1983 and was called "Elk Cloner."
The concept of emojis originated in Japan and was initially designed to enhance communication between different mobile platforms.
The world's first website was published in 1991 by Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web.
The "Hello, World!" program is a traditional way to introduce beginners to coding and is often the first program they learn to write.
The Apollo 11 guidance computer, which landed humans on the moon, had less processing power than today's smartphones.
The original name of Python programming language was inspired by the British comedy group Monty Python.
The concept of open-source software encourages collaboration and allows anyone to view, modify, and distribute the source code.
The fastest supercomputer can perform over 200 quadrillion calculations per second.
The world's first computer programmer for hire was a woman named Charlotte "Lotte" D'Éon, who programmed the Analytical Engine.
The programming language C was developed by Dennis Ritchie in the 1970s and is widely used for system programming.
The most common programming language used for artificial intelligence and machine learning is Python.
The first computer game, "Spacewar!," was created in 1962 by Steve Russell.
The average salary of a software developer is higher than many other professions.
The concept of object-oriented programming (OOP) revolutionized software development by allowing for reusable and modular code.
The first computer mouse was invented in 1964 by Douglas Engelbart and was made of wood.
The world's first smartphone, IBM Simon, was introduced in 1994 and included features like a touchscreen, email, and fax capabilities.
The concept of virtual reality was first introduced in the 1960s.
The programming language Java was originally called Oak.

I hope you enjoyed these 21 programming facts! Learn more exciting programming facts.

How Much Does It Cost to Develop a Mobile App?

thecompetenza — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 11:42:52 +0000

Today, creating a mobile app is the top priority for enterprises to develop a solid online presence and offer their users the best customer experience.

Globally, the mobile market is showing significant growth. As per Statista, mobile app revenue will touch 935.2 billion USD by 2023.

Entrepreneurs are looking to unleash the power of mobility by investing in mobile app development projects. But how much does it cost to build a mobile app?

Yes, this is the question that rattles around in business owners’ heads when developing a mobile application. But we cannot answer it at one go. There is no standard cost for mobile app development as it depends on numerous factors such as app features, functionalities, App testing, development region, and lots more.

Let’s talk about the cost-determining factors to understand how much you would need to invest in a mobile app development project.

Here we go.

1. Hiring Dedicated Developers VS App Development Firm

The choice of hiring an app development company or hiring freelance developers will impact your overall cost of mobile app development.

If your app development project size is small, go with freelance developers; it will cost you less, depending on the hiring models. But if you have a more significant project to execute, collaborate with the best app development company. It would be best to have a complete team to build your app from planning to launch to maintenance. Naturally, for a complex, more significant project, the cost will also be high.

2. Number of resources working on a project

For starting a mobile app development project, developers aren’t the sole resource needed to carry out the project; you need an entire team of developers, designers, testing engineers etc. Based on your project requirements, an app development team can be small or large.

With different app development team sizes, the hourly rates will vary, which will impact the overall cost of mobile app development.

Small app development team

1 Project Manager
1 Front-end Developer
1 Backend Developer
1 UX/UI Designer
1 QA Engineer

Large app development team

1 Project Manager
2-3 Front-end Developers
1 Backend Developer
1 UX/UI Designer
1 QA Engineer

3. Mobile App Platforms & Operating Systems

The cost to build a mobile app depends on what type of app platform and OS you choose to develop your mobile app.

♦ Native vs Cross-platform

A native app is a type of app built for a particular mobile OS, whether Android or iOS. However, a cross-platform app is a type of application that can run smoothly on multiple operating systems.

This concludes that native apps take more time to build than cross-platform apps. So, the cost of a native app is higher than a cross-platform mobile app.

♦ Android vs iOS

Developing an Android app takes more time than an iOS app because an Android app has to be optimized for many devices & screen sizes.

That’s why the cost is sometimes higher for Android app development than iOS app development.

4. Features & Functionalities

Mobile app functionality & features are some of the critical factors that drive the cost of app development.

There are various types of mobile apps available in the market.

Basic app
Gaming app
Social media app
On-demand app
E-commerce app
IoT & Cloud-based app

As the number of app features & complexity rise, app development hours and testing efforts increase. Hence, the cost also shoots up.

How much would it cost to develop a mobile app?

As per research conducted, a basic app would cost between $40,000 to $60,000, a medium complexity app between $61,000 and $120,000, and a feature-rich high-end app would be $120,000+.

5. Cost Based on App Developer’s Region

The app development cost varies according to the geolocation of the app developer as the hourly rates differ from country to country.

Let’s check out the average hourly rates:-

♦ USA and Canada-based developers (North American) would charge an average of $150/hour for iOS development & $168/hour for Android app development.

♦ In South America, the median charges for iOS app development and Android application development are $43/hour & $34/hour respectively.

♦ Australian developers would ask for $110/hour for both Android & iOS development.

♦ UK-based mobile app developers would charge $70/hour for both Android & iOS app development.

♦ Eastern European developers would ask for $35/hour for both Android & iOS development.

♦ Indian app developers would charge $30/hour for iOS development & $26/hour for Android app development.

♦ App developers in Singapore would ask for $63/hour for iOS development & $59/hour for Android app development.

♦ Indonesian app makers would charge $11/hour for iOS development & $12/hour for Android app development.

6. App Testing

App testing is one of the pivotal stages in an application development process, which contributes to figuring out the overall cost of app development. The app testing stage includes many testing steps such as manual testing, automation testing, performance testing, and more.

As per the project’s complexity and size, the cost of app testing varies. According to a survey conducted a few years back by Clutch, the app testing costs may range from $5,000 to $25,000.

7. Implementing Best Secure Coding Practices

In today’s data-driven world, data is the new oil. Therefore, building your app highly secure is imperative for your enterprise. So, to protect your app from hackers, mobile app developers need to figure out the security loopholes and fix the issues with the latest security tools and standard secure coding practices.

So, configuring such high-end tools and implementing the best secure coding practices will further add to the overall cost of mobile app development.

8. App Hosting Server

It is an IT platform where you as an app owner serve your app content to app users in a hassle-free manner.

Generally, an app hosting server can cost you somewhere between $70 to $320 per month. But cost varies with many factors such as the type of application to run, number of resources, workloads, etc.

Also, different hosting providers offer services with different pricing. The Server hosting charge further adds to the cost of creating a mobile app.

9. App maintenance

Successfully developing your mobile app doesn’t complete the whole development process until you prepare a maintenance plan to keep your app fresh and bug-free on the app store for years.

App maintenance includes integrating new features and functionalities, fixing deferred bugs, UI changes & server maintenance. Doing all these might cost you close to 20% of your actual cost of building a mobile app.

10. App Publishing on the App Store

When coming to publishing your mobile app, different App Stores charge different fees. Let’s talk about some prime app stores:

❓ How much does it cost to launch an app on Google Play Store?

➥ For publishing your first Android app, you need to pay a one-time fee of $25. Thereafter, no charges for all other apps.

❓ How much does it cost to launch an app on Apple App Store?

➥ In order to publish your app on the Apple app store, you need to pay an amount of $99 yearly.

❓ How much does it cost to launch an app on Amazon App Store?

➥ You have to pay $0. Yes, it is free to launch your mobile app on the Amazon app store.

❓ How much does it cost to launch an app on Windows App Store?

➥ You have to pay $19 if you register as an individual. If you register as a company, you have to pay $99. Both payments are one-time charges.

Wrapping Up

We hope this cost breakdown for mobile app development will help you better understand how much to invest while planning to build a mobile app for your business.

To get the best results, we suggest you discuss your app project in detail with a business consultant of a leading mobile app development company.

Source: This article originally published on Competenza Innovare Blog.

What are ASP.NET Core Razor Pages?

thecompetenza — Wed, 14 Jun 2023 11:48:38 +0000

“Razor pages” has become the buzzword in the web development community. It is a page-centric development model for building data-driven web pages in ASP.NET Core.

Due to better organization quality, Razor pages can group files by design and purpose to solve problems. ASP .NET MVC’s view component and Razor pages are very similar. The syntax and functionality of the Razor pages is similar to the MVC.

Does that mean there is no difference between Razor pages and ASP .NET MVC’s view component? No.

Razor pages have model and controller code included inside. It provides an easy development experience along with two-way data binding that seems similar to the MVVM framework, where model and view communicate directly.

Today, ASP .NET development services have become the most sought-after choice for web application development due to the benefits linked to it. Razor pages appear as the development of ASP .NET Web Forms that provide an MVVM solution.

Advantages Of Using Razor Pages

Why are software developers interested in Razor Pages?

Here are some of the reasons that make Razor Pages interesting:

Any application using MVC can automatically include Razor Pages.
The context of the structure of Razor Pages remains simple.
Razor Pages has no controllers.
Developers choose it because of its flexibility to fit any type of application they wish to build.
Razor Pages feels organized as they have specific codes behind each page.
Like the web application built in ASP. NET web forms, it takes less time to do the same in Razor Pages.
The coders get complete control over both URLs and HTML.
Having only one controller translates to fewer complications with better control.
Razor Pages allows you to check for any validation errors.
It helps manage any dependencies via dependency injection.
You can complete testing of Razor Pages using the IDE’s built-in test features.

FAQs About Razor Pages

What are ASP NET core Razor pages?

Razor pages refer to the latest aspect of the ASP .Net Core MVC. Developers became familiar with it after using ASP .Net Core 2.0. It is now included in .Net 5.

The Razor Pages has a flexible and lightweight framework that developers use for building a server-side application in ASP .Net Core.

The page-based approach of Razor Pages also provides full control to the developer. It can also work along with Web API controllers or conventional MVC.

If you have page-focused scenarios, Razor Pages may prove the best option. It is easy and productive compared to using views and controllers.

For cross-platform, HTML generation on the server-side, the developer uses Razor Pages. Developers use the C# programming language for programming the server-side Razor Pages.

Razor templating syntax helps embed C# in HTML. The easy-to-learn Razor templating syntax aids in the dynamic generation of content for the browsers.

How to use Razor pages in .NET core?

To create an application in Razor Pages, you must at least have Visual Studio 2017. A version 15.3 or above can serve the purpose.

Your system must have a .Net Core SDK installed. To create a Razor Page application, you need to follow the steps suggested below:

♦ Like you create a new project, you need to go to the Files and select Project from the New option.

♦ You need to choose .Net core from the left and ASP .NET Core Web application from the central panel when you choose the New Project window. Here you can provide the application’s name and its location. Click OK to save it.

♦ Next, you have to choose the template responsible for creating the Razor Page from the next window. You have to select the Web Application option from it while changing the authentication to read No Authentication. Click Ok.

♦ After you click OK, you can configure the Razor Page application within a few seconds.

These are the steps involved in using the Razor Page for your application.

What is a Razor Web page?

Razor refers to the markup syntax allowing coders to embed server-based code. You can add code of C# and Visual Basic to the web pages.

Using the server-based code, it becomes possible to build dynamic web content. While coders write the web page to the browser.

When you call the web page, the execution of server-based code present on the page occurs by the server.

After that, the page gets returned to the browser by the server. Due to running on the server, the code may complete complex tasks such as database access.

Razor pages have the same Razor syntax used in ASP .Net MVC. You can port several MVC-style applications to Razor Pages without a lot of modification to the views.

You must also modify link generation as it now uses page references instead of actions and controllers.

How do Razor pages work?

Instead of controllers and views used by the traditional ASP .Net MVC application, Razor Pages focuses on page-based scenarios while building web applications.

When the application gets an HTTP request, it reaches the middleware component after moving through the middleware pipeline where it gets handled and processed.

In short, it means routing middleware matching a URL path to a configured route.

The configured route can define invoking the specific Razor page for the request generated.

After the router selects the Razor Page, the final HTML response gets generated by the Razor Page after the framework execution.

The response generated goes to the client browser from where the request generates.

Like the View files in the ASP. Net MVC, the Razor Pages exists as a .cshtml file in the folder called Pages.

Each view has C# objects associated with it. You can call it the object Page Model. Page Model determines the page behavior.

Conclusion

Razor Pages has captured attention with its simplified model of web application programming.

It is the new concept eliminating the complications linked to ASP .Net MVC as it uses a file-based routing approach.

Original Source - What are ASP.NET Core Razor Pages?

Python vs JavaScript: Which is a Better Programming Language?

thecompetenza — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 13:44:37 +0000

Picking the right programming language is always crucial for your software development project to be successful.

Both Python and JavaScript are quite popular programming languages in the world of software development. Before diving deep into the comparison between the two, let’s have a quick introduction to these two languages.

A quick introduction to Python and JavaScript

JavaScript is the most powerful and flexible front-end programming languages for creating dynamic web-based applications.

Applications of Python:

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Application Development.
Applications that deal with Computation and Scientific Data Processing.
Automation Testing framework Development
Data Visualization Applications

Applications of JavaScript:

Mobile App Development using React Native
Single-page Web Application Development.
Web server & back-end infrastructure Applications using Node.js
Build browser games.

Python is an open source, high-level, general-purpose object-oriented programming language. The code structure is just like plain English.

According to the 2020 Stack Overflow developer survey, below are the polls mentioned.

% of developers who are not developing with the language or technology but have expressed interest in developing with it

% of developers who are developing with the language or technology and have expressed interest in continuing to develop with it

Python Vs JavaScript – Comparison

There are lots of parameters in the software development field that decide which is the better programming language among others. Here, we will be talking about the key parameters that would help application developers and entrepreneurs to pick the right programming language among the two for their businesses to succeed.

Let’s get started:-

1. Community Support

Community support is an imperative comparison metric as it assists developers to quickly get the solution of a technical problem while developing an application.

Some of the Python communities:

PySlackers
Python Discord
PyCon (original conference, US / North America)

Apart from that Microsoft, the tech giant, has been a sponsor of the Python Software Foundation since 2006.

2. Some of the JavaScript communities:

JavaScript
Dev.to
Apigee

JavaScript and Python are both trending programming languages in the current time. Both the languages have plenty of support from the IT community.

3. Learning Curve

This metric helps you to understand which programming language or technology is easy to learn and implement in a software development project.

Python has fewer lines of code and is quite readable. This makes it a developer-friendly programming language. While JavaScript has lots of complex concepts, syntax, and complex structure. So, when talking about the learning curve, Python is the clear winner.

4. Performance & Speed

The performance metric is the most pivotal element to look for while choosing any programming language. The reason being, it impacts the execution speed of the application.

Node.JS, a well-known ecosystem of JavaScript, is based on an event-based architecture and non-blocking I/O model that enhances the processing of CPU and computer memory. Apart from that, it uses a feature called Chrome’s V8 (Google’s open-source WebAssembly engine) that multifold the performance of a Node.js application.

While the execution of the Python application happens via interpreter instead of the compiler. Due to this Python-based applications are executed one line at a time, resulting in a slowing down of execution speed. However, by implementing CPython, developers can improve the performance to a certain extent. Still, performance & speed-wise, JavaScript is better than Python.

5. Code Debugging

Debugging a code is a cumbersome task for a developer in order to fix a bug. The more complex is the code, the more effort a developer would have to give to fix an issue.

Python has a simple syntax with no curly brackets and it has fewer lines of code. While JavaScript has lots of brackets, complex syntax & concepts, and more lines of code. That’s the reason, python-based applications are comparatively easy to debug than JavaScript.

6. Time-to-Market

Time-to-Market is one of the important parameters for the success of a product or service. The quicker is the time-to-market, the better is the chance to stay ahead of your competitors.

The Time-to-Market of a product or service depends on how quickly a product is developed with all fixes done and is launched at the market.

Python, being a simple and user-friendly programming language, developers can build a bug-free application with Python quickly. While JavaScript developers need to invest more time and effort to create and deploy an application. So, for sure, Python is better than JavaScript when comes to the Time-to-Market metric.

7. Extensibility

Some of the Python code can be written in C and C++ languages. Even it can be integrated with Java. Developers can run Python on the Java platform by the use of Jython. That means python is an extensible programming language.

While JavaScript can also be integrated with so many languages such as HTML, XML, Ajax, and many others. So, JavaScript is also an extensible programming language.

Python Vs JavaScript: Which is Better Project-Wise?

Which one is the better choice for building AI/ML Applications?

Python programming language is quite similar to English language. Python code is easy to read and write. This helps developers to invest less time and effort in writing complicated and lengthy codes. They can give more focus on building AI & ML algorithms and programs by leveraging amazing AI/ML libraries and frameworks.

Some of the libraries are:

NumPy
Scikit-Learn
Pandas
Keras
Matplotlib

Use cases of Python in AI/ML development

Uber developed an ML platform Michelangelo PyML using Python.
Skyscanner, one of the well-known travel firms, predicts new airplane paths’ behavior by embracing Python unsupervised ML algorithm.

Data visualization is an important part of data Science that assists in creating outstanding dashboards, and dynamic charts. JavaScript too provides certain data visualization libraries such as D3.js, Plotly.js and so on.

The release of the TensorFlow library in JavaScript, provided some sort of opportunity for developers to build machine learning applications using JavaScript. However, JavaScript does not provide too many AI/ML libraries and built-in functions as compared to Python. So, with respect to data science projects, Python clearly wins.

Which one is the better choice for building Mobile Applications?

If you are investing in mobile app development, JavaScript is better option than python.

You can build cross platform mobile apps by embracing JavaScript mobile frameworks. Some of the popular JavaScript frameworks for mobile app development are PhoneGap, Ionic, React Native and many more.

While Python is not a good option for mobile app development projects. Actually, it doesn’t have built-in mobile development capabilities. However, there are few packages such as Kivy, PyQt, or Beeware’s Toga library, to develop mobile apps.

Which one is the better choice for building Web Applications?

For building a web application, we would say JavaScript will be the better option among the two.

JavaScript is a Cross Browser Compatible means it is supported by a plethora web browser such as Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Opera and many more. Lots of JavaScript frameworks are available such AngularJS, ReactJS, EmberJS, many more, to create responsive and dynamic web applications.

You can also build web applications with Python. Some of the popular web frameworks are available in the market such as Flask, CherryPy, Pyramid, Django and web2py. But web applications need speed and responsiveness. And python is slower than JavaScript.

So, JavaScript is better than Python for web development projects.

Wrapping Up

We have talked about the different metrics for comparing Python and JavaScript programming languages, however, it would be unfair to mark any one of the two as the better choice. Both have their unique capabilities and use cases in the software development niche. The two aforementioned programming languages are applied differently in the software development market.

JavaScript is the go-to choice for projects related to web and mobile application development. It has lots of powerful JS libraries such React, Angular, D3 for building responsive applications.

While Python is the preferred language for projects such as machine learning, AI, and academic computational work because it has lots of data-driven libraries such as Matplotlib, Pandas, PyTorch, TensorFlow, and lots many.

So, pick your best-fit among the two, while creating an application for your business.

Source: This article was originally published on TheCompetenza blog.

10 Benefits of Using Xamarin App Development

thecompetenza — Fri, 26 May 2023 12:48:01 +0000

In today’s tech world, businesses from start-ups to Fortune 500, all look for faster development of mobile apps that deliver high levels of convenience and user-friendliness.

To get such high performance from smartphone apps, native app development is the preferred solution. But in recent years, cross platform app development platforms have emerged as a great alternative.

The open-source platform Xamarin is one of those alternatives which is used to build robust mobile applications for Android, Apple iOS and Windows.

According to Wikipedia, over 1.4 million developers opt for Xamarin’s products in 120 countries worldwide. Xamarin meets the expectations to build cross-platform mobile applications and highly supports the .NET development ecosystem to test and debug products.

If you want to develop a great mobile app through Xamarin platform then you need to delve deeper and understand the essential benefits of using Xamarin for mobile development.

1. Faster Development Process

If you are looking for an advanced and powerful app that meets your business needs, then Xamarin is the best pick among all. It is a sophisticated way of sharing code across multiple mobile platforms and takes less time to develop the app. The universal tools allow developers to write single application logic through C# and .NET for all three platforms at once.

Xamarin forms a second approach used for advanced versions that allow for rapid prototyping or producing apps with less platform-specific functionality.

2. Code Sharing across multiple platforms

Native app developers need to grasp more than one language like Java, Objective C, Swift, etc. Simultaneously, code in native apps is optimized for a particular platform that cannot be run on others. Whereas, Xamarin is a cross-platform software that creates app database interactions, web service scale, backend integrations, input validations and much more. About 75% of the code can be used and shared across various platforms.

3. Flexibility

Xamarin is an open-source technology that offers higher flexibility to choose components as per your requirement. Its useful resources like third-party web services, UI controls, cross-platform libraries help you achieve close-to-native performance.

4. Simplified maintenance

As it is a cross-platform application, Xamarin supports maintenance and updates easier. A developer needs to deploy the change or update the source file, and it would be applied to iOS and Android as well. The entire process saves time and money while keeping apps updated always.

5. No hardware compatibility issue

Xamarin is friendly and eliminates worry about any hardware compatibility issue. It offers a range of APIs and Plug-ins, also supporting cross-platform development. Xamarin is linked with native libraries and supports native-level functionality and better customization.

6. Cost-Effective

Since the framework uses a single technological stack and reusable code, developers’ time and efforts are significantly reduced while saving time to release the software faster for clients. The entire process requires a single team to work as it is streamlined and eliminates additional expenses as are necessary for multiple groups to start building or scaling up.

7. Integrated testing

The platform offers comprehensive solutions to monitor and test app performance. One of the biggest challenges developers face with native apps is testing, updating, and maintaining. With Xamarin, updating and testing are simplified. UI- Xamarin Test Cloud and Xamarin Test Recorder allows you to run automated tests on real devices in the cloud and pop up performance issues, if any, before release. As a result, developers get the benefit of flawless source code.

The Azure cloud offers a robust app development environment that promotes developers to create rich mobile apps with higher scalability, on-demand resources, cost-effectiveness, and high availability.

8. Technical support

The platform offers stability, scalability, continuous technical backing, and issue resolution by Microsoft. The vibrant community online helps you quickly find answers and solutions that are unclear. The Xamarin component store allows developers to choose paid free and paid components from the store, which is built into the Xamarin visual studio extension.

9. Forms make it easier

Developers use Xamarin forms over native when they design and share the same structure across various platforms. While using native, developers need to grasp multiple native UI frameworks that increase the development cycle.

10. RMAD and. Net Embedding

Rapid mobile app development is a new concept that incorporates tools and reduces the time required to develop an app. RMAD is a code-free programming tool that fosters application development for mobile applications. Forms libraries for User Interface development and 100 percent code reusability eventually make the development process faster and easier. Xamarin meets the demand of business requirements while delivering a native app look and feel with consistent performance and higher user experience.

Winding Up

Coder’s pleasure Xamarin has a great future in the mobile app development world, considering the numerous benefits it offers. Being Microsoft-powered and open-source makes it a perfect choice to build highly safe and cost-effective smartphone apps.

What do you think? Is Xamarin a game-changer?

If you have some thoughts on your mind, please share them in the comments section. Let us all hear your expert opinion about Xamarin.

Source: This post was originally published on The Competenza Innovare Blog.

What Is DevOps and How Does It Work?

thecompetenza — Thu, 18 May 2023 13:23:04 +0000

Organizations keep switching towards innovative and creative methods to complete their projects at top speed. Fortunately, “DevOps Technologies” are emerging in the IT universe as practices to empower organizations for accomplishing tech goals at a higher velocity.

As per the official data from Verified Allied Market Research – the global DevOps market will gain a valuation of $57.9 billion by 2030. It will grow at an astonishing CAGR rate of 24.2% from 2021 to 2030.

During this period (2021 to 2030), the centralized nature of cloud technology will support automation in DevOps. Now, let’s check out the below article to gain crucial insights about the overview of DevOps, associated benefits, challenges, and working model of DevOps.

Overview of DevOps

DevOps is a software development methodology in which operations and development team members come together to fulfilling their objectives with the utmost software quality in the minimum time.

DevOps as a service enables companies to release new software-related updates, functionalities, and features quickly. It also aims at reducing the probability of getting any errors and downtime.

Multinational retail giants such as Walmart & Target are utilizing DevOps solutions for a long time before it becomes popular at the global level. In the year 2016, Walmart released its own software for deploying applications known as “OneOps – Cloud Platform”.

Empower Your Business with DevOps

Benefits & challenges of DevOps

Benefits of DevOps

Implement DevOps and release your products in a faster time span.
End the struggle for collaboration among your departments by implementing DevOps for improved communication as well as faster problem resolution.
With DevOps automation, you can automate many of your existing business processes. So, you can reduce manual efforts and increase efficiency.
Catch early issues and get early warning signals through DevOps.
During cultural shifts, it can also be used for providing assistance to an operating system with more stability, stableness, and auditable changes.
Teams who are working with DevOps are able to provide more profound and timely remedies to customers. It eventually increases the company’s customer retention satisfaction rate.

Challenges of DevOps

Sometimes, dependencies on too many tools can reduce the speed of operations.
If there is a lack of standard repositories (security) during team collaboration then it can increase the probability of exposing data.
Needs to work towards resolving the complexity of the tool integration.
DevOps can be complex and requires a range of technical skills and expertise, which can be difficult to find and maintain.
It requires a cultural shift in the current practices. In reality, many companies may face certain challenges during cultural shifts.
It can be time-consuming because the developers will need to first prepare specific metrics. As DevOps software requires specific metrics and toolsets for generating results.

How DevOps Works?

DevOps breaks down traditional barriers between development and operations. It results in encouraging cross-functional collaboration and communication to deliver software more efficiently.

The working model of the DevOps lifecycle can be understood through the five-stage process that DevOps companies follow to streamline their business units. These stages will help you into streamlining and optimizing the software development process:

Stage 1: Continuous Development (CD) stage

In this stage, the team members work toward planning and coding. There is no specific requirement for DevOps tools however, team members can utilize some tools for maintaining the code – such as: “GitHub”, “GitLab”, “Bitbucket” & many more.

Although, DevOps developers consider GitHub as easy to implement tool because it incorporates diverse protocols – such as HTTP, SSH & FTP. With GitHub, the developers can keep track of all the required changes.

Stage 2: Continuous Integration (CI) Stage

The code is integrated with other code and tested again to ensure that it works with the rest of the software. This stage is all about ensuring that the software is cohesive and that all the components work together seamlessly.

Tool for Continuous Integration:

Jenkins
GitLab

Stage 3: Continuous Testing (CT) Stage

The code that is integrated and written by developers are forwarded to the testers for testing bugs through automated tools. Once, the report is generated then developers are required to rectify all the bugs.

Tools for Continuous Testing:

Selenium.
JUnit 5.

Stage 4: Continuous Deployment (CD) Stage

The code is deployed to production through an automated process. So, new versions of the software can be released in a minimum time. The use of advanced automation tools and methodologies are common in the CD stage because it ensures that the deployment process should be seamless, secure and efficient.

The deployment stage is also critical for ensuring that the software is released to the production stage in a controlled manner because it needs to fulfill the objective of minimizing downtime and reducing the risk of errors.

Tools for CD:

AWS CodeDeploy.
Octopus Deploy.

Stage 5: Continuous Monitoring & Feedback

In DevOps practice, teams use logging tools to identify issues and make data-driven decisions about how to improve the software. This stage plays an important role in checking the software’s stability by comparing it with the needs of the end-users over time.

For gathering feedback, the developers can take use of structured and unstructured methods. To collect the structured feedback, team members need to conduct surveys & questionnaires. On the other hand, unstructured feedback can be collected through social media platforms.

Tools for Continuous Monitoring:

Monit
Nagios
Prometheus

The Final Words

Until this point, you have gained an understanding of DevOps practices. If you are running any enterprise then you may be thinking about whether you should move to DevOps or you should still continue to run your process through traditional practices.

In reality, to answer this question – we need to first analyze your company’s current software development and delivery methods. As an organization’s needs are unique and it requires immense planning before implementing DevOps.

Although, if you want to stay ahead of the competition and you want to bring out digital transformation (DX) into your enterprise then DevOps is worth considering as a potential solution.

Source - This article originally published here.

WhatsApp, Telegram or Signal. Which platform is more secure?

thecompetenza — Fri, 12 May 2023 12:33:34 +0000

The best chat app would allow you to send texts, share photos, make calls, video conference, and other packed features. WhatsApp was once considered and most preferred with about 2 billion monthly active users. However, numbers do not always tell you the entire story, with a comprehensive comparison of security and privacy with other apps, WhatsApp lagged with updates in their policy. No surprise, recently users have experienced security concerns, spam has begun, malware threads, and much more.

WhatsApp has been alleged in the witness box with a constant influx of features for its security feature and reliability. Under certain circumstances, multiple people can breach your privacy policy, and your end-to-end encrypted messages are no more ‘private’.

Have you ever been scrambled with advertisements of products showing up in social media feeds that you recently gossiped with your friend in chat? The ad pops up on your Instagram feed, Facebook posts about the product you wished to buy and you thought it was just a modern urban myth or coincidence. But Big tech companies are looking for creative loopholes to use up your data, whether it be Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, or others.

WhatsApp and Signal have been accessed by billions of customers monthly. The apps have penetrated deep inside the strong market of the US as well as other countries. It is considered a prominent element of daily social diet and the most popular social media app worldwide.

WhatsApp has been promising end-to-end encryption and high security since its inception. But since the last few years, it has been baited for its security and privacy issues.

Facebook acquired WhatsApp in 2014, and users were astonished and worried about their privacy issues. Still, it’s a question for many about how much data is flowing between the two platforms. Most of them experienced a shocking awakening this week; the app unlocked the mystery about step WhatsApp grasps to share more with Facebook in 2016.

In January 2021, there was a pop-up mentioning the update about its terms of use and privacy policy, basically extending its practices around business users about how they can store their communication. As on February 8, WhatsApp upgraded the privacy policy, and users must accept these terms to continue using the application. WhatsApp removed a passage where it mentioned sharing data with Facebook enhancing Facebook ads and product experiences. In haste, users started peeking for other messaging apps that ensure safety while remaining private and secure.

WhatsApp has been sharing information about its majority of users to Facebook Since 2016 when there was an update to its privacy policy. In the wake of the policy update in recent times, high-profile social media users denounced WhatsApp and began using alternatives like Signal and Telegram. A notable notification from Elon Musk with above 138 million followers tweeted to Use Signal due to privacy issues.

Signal and Telegram witnessed a surge in downloads with more than 100,000 users across Google and Apple app stores in that week. However, WhatsApp fell by 11% in the first week of January 2021, reaching 10.5 million globally. The Signal did not expect the sudden influx of users and notified that the verification code to create new accounts is slowed down due to the rise in demand.

Telegram vs WhatsApp vs Signal

Though there is no shortage or limitation of messaging services available, if privacy and security are major issues, criteria are narrowed down. Using communication apps is pretty, but insecure options are quite worrisome. Communication apps are easily intercepted and passed through a middleman, and there is a scope for invasion of privacy. Let’s look at the prominent players, WhatsApp vs Signal vs Telegram, which is better in terms of security.

Each holds its pros and cons, benefits and drawbacks, with different terms and conditions, but one major thing about them is encryption. Encryption is a way of scrambling data, and only authorized parties can decode it and understand the information. It is the process of converting simple text into incomprehensive text. They cannot be intercepted easily; a cryptography expert can decrypt them.

As each platform has different offers in different areas, we will dive in and take a keen observation of each aspect of privacy and security that you might need to know.

WhatsApp

Collaborated with Facebook, WhatsApp already had many security and privacy issues and it’s likely enough for many users to drawback using WhatsApp. Many users avoided Facebook as it was rumored that the messaging tool would not share any personal data collected. Now, when WhatsApp mentioned in a clear perspective that their data would be shared with Facebook, it’s up to you, if you swung around WhatsApp or choose or drop the idea and switch to another app.

In 2014, WhatsApp was acquired by Facebook for approximately US$19.3 billion.

WhatsApp offers end-to-end encryption, and you need to check if it’s enabled at your end and with the people you chat with. WhatsApp mentions that it does not store any messages on the server, but they can be retained for 30 days until the recipient reclaims them.

Unlike Facebook, even WhatsApp is free from ads, and it is rumored and confirmed that ads would start to appear in WhatsApp statuses in 2020.

WhatsApp’s downloads declined by 35% from 5.2 million to 1.3 million.

WhatsApp uses the highly praised encryption protocol and encrypts every text and message by default.

Telegram

A telegram is a cross-platform tool available for Android, Windows, Mac, iOS, and Linux. The platform uses the MTProto encryption protocol, but it doesn’t work in the same way. There is a bulk of messages stored on cloud servers and encrypted on servers. Telegram’s additional layer in secret chats offers client-to-client encryption that any other device recovers cant beyond the sender and receiver. Simply, if you send a message through a secret chat, it is encrypted, and the receiver can decrypt it.

In response to WhatsApp’s new privacy policy, 25 million new users joined Telegram within 72 hours alone.

Telegram is criticized for its lack of transparency no matter how much they assure encryption protocol. The end-to-end encryption is not enabled by default, you need to opt for a secret mode to be sure nothing goes off the way, and no one else taps into your communication. Beyond these caveats, Telegram is impressive in most features like chat backups and disappearing messages.

Telegram is not secure as the brand’s marketing campaign or policy; mentions that might lead you to believe. As per interviews with leading encryption and security experts, the app doesn’t meet its proclamations regarding safe and secure messaging features. Telegram does not use end-to-end encryption as it is advocated for.

Telegram copies your address book to the server and does not thoroughly encrypt all metadata. Telegram supports up to 200,000 group messaging, which is hard to imagine in the scenario. There are a lot of public and private channels and an unlimited number of subscribers. With lots of advantages and flaws, the app is still opted for by most users.

If ads are your concern, then Telegram is a good choice as it does not make money through advertising as noted in the FAQ. Pavel Durov supplied Telegram with a substantial donation that they don’t need supportive funds for the time being.

Signal

The Signal is considered the most secure messaging, voice, and video conferencing platform with end-to-end encryption. Signal USP is highly focused on privacy. Its source code is peer-reviewed, and independent experts frequently inspect security and privacy. The biggest strength of the platform is its privacy: it encrypts calls, texts, gifs, group calls, and everything. However, the flaw it carries is its backup and restore mechanism is not up to mark. In case you switch phones, you need to follow convoluted steps to transfer your chats to new devices.

Between 6 Jan to 10 Jan, 2.3 million people downloaded Signal app in India.

The Signal is the most secure messaging app considered right now. Beyond Elon Musk, Edward Snowden also recommended Signal due to its end-to-end inception, which makes it extremely difficult to spy on conversations. It uses a second password to log in to new devices with biometric authentication and much more to enhance security features.

In privacy terms, Signal is better than WhatsApp. The platform’s primary goal is to provide you with a source where you can communicate without being spied on.

Final Verdict

The WhatsApp privacy issue has been popping up everywhere, declaring its intention to use your data for advertising. It has been a major concern for users. It depends upon the users whether they are comfortable using WhatsApp with end-to-end encrypted features despite its some drawbacks of sharing data with Facebook or want to opt for alternative Telegram. However, those, unlike Telegram, hold some drawbacks, a company already infamous for decoding users’ data and tons of messages stored on its server.

Source: This article originally published here - WhatsApp vs Telegram vs Signal

30 Cool Facts About Coding/Programming You Didn’t Know

thecompetenza — Wed, 03 May 2023 12:47:10 +0000

People generally think programming is part of computer science. However, it is a way of thinking.

Coding skills enable software developers to bring a positive impact on our entire society. By learning to program, newbie developers can have a better opportunity to flourish in tomorrow’s competitive world.

Coding can improve a human’s abilities such as cognitive thinking, creativity, and problem-solving. In the near future, every single sector will utilize some sort of software programming.

What are the interesting facts about computer programming?

There are many interesting facts about computer programming that can amaze you. In this article I am listing 30 amazing computer coding/programming facts.

Lets check out these amazing facts:-

Ada Lovelace is said to be the first computer programmer. In 1843, she worked along with Charles Babbage, the inventor of mechanical computers, to build the first computer program for one of his machines—the Analytical Engine.
Margaret Heafield Hamilton is a computer scientist and system engineer who developed an on-board flight application for NASA’s Apollo program.

The JAVA language was previously called Oak. It was named after an oak tree that was grown outside James Gosling’s office (Gosling is best known as the founder and lead designer behind the Java coding language). Later, it was renamed Java, from Java coffee (a kind of coffee from Indonesia).
In June 1991, James Gosling, Mike Sheridan, and Patrick Naughton began the Java language project. This programming language was originally created for interactive television, but this language was too modern for the digital cable television sector at that period.
Did you know? There are approximately 700 coding languages.

Grace Hopper and her team created the term from a dead moth they found in Relay 70 of Harvard’s Mark II computer system.

Grace Hopper’s handwritten note after she found a real bug:

Did yo know? Fortran (FORmula TRANslation) was the first coding language created by John Backus and his team at IBM in the 1950s.
Computer codes had played a pivotal role in ending World War II. An English computer scientist, Alan Turing, was successful in deciphering Nazis’ code machine ENIGMA with his cryptologic and mathematical skills.
In this Covid-19 pandemic time, Avi Schiffmann, a teenager, developed one of the world’s most popular COVID-19 monitoring websites. He coded ncov2019.live, the admired covid virus tracker that is one of the most visited corona trackers across the globe.

Kautilya Katariya from UK is the youngest to take up programming at the age of 6. He developed AI applications after completing an array of study materials from IBM. He became a Guinness World Record holder.
Did you know? ADA is a coding language built in 1980 that is used by the International Space Station. In 1995, this programming language was accepted as an international standard programming language.
In 1980, MIT mathematician and a co-founder of the coding language LOGO, Seymour Papert published a book “Mindstorms: Children, Computers and Powerful Ideas” in 1980. The book tells, kids can enhance their cognitive thinking skills by learning to code.
Bill Gates, Co-founder of Microsoft, created his first computer program- an implementation of tic-tac-toe that enabled users to play games against the computer.
Go is a programming language that was designed at Google in 2007 to enhance coding productivity in the time of multicore, networked machines and large codebases.
During the creation of the Java coding language, Sun Microsystem’s’ Green Project developed its first operational demo, an interactive handheld home entertainment controller known as Star 7. There was a cartoon character named Duke in the touch-screen user interface. It was designed by one of the graphic artists- Joe Palrang. Later he worked on many popular animated movies such as Shrek, Over the Hedge, and many more.
Alan Turing invented the “Turing Test” (one of the Turing tests is CAPTCHA). It is a set of twisted numbers or words on online forms that assist to identify humans from computers. This CAPTCHA was also the contribution of Alan Turing.
Markus Persson, a Swedish software programmer, developed and launched the computer game- Minecraft in 2009. Later the computer game became so popular that Microsoft bought the game for $2.5 billion.
Steve Jobs and his partner Steve Wozniak began their career by building a computer arcade game named “Breakout.”
PHP language was not created to be used worldwide for enterprise applications. Rasmus Lerdorf, the creator of PHP, built this coding language just to manage his personal web project! But, with time PHP became one of the popular programming languages in the market.
As per Gartner, more than 65% of application development in 2024 will be done by low code programming.
Schneider Electric, a global leader in energy management and automation firm, developed 60 apps with low-code programming in 20 months.
When Guido Van Rossum was implementing the Python programming language, along with that he was reading the published scripts from Monty Python’s Flying Circus (a BBC comedy series). He was looking for a name that was concise, unique, and mysterious, so he decided to name the programming language -Python.
Before creating the “C”, one of the most well-known programming languages, there was a predecessor coding language known as the “B”. This “B” language was written by Ken Thompson, a Turing Award-winning computer scientist. Later, Dennis Ritchie created the “C” language by improving the “B” language.
Fred Cohen is known as the inventor of computer virus defense techniques. In 1983, he developed a parasitic application that could ‘infect’ computer systems. He called it a computer virus.
There are multiple meanings of the word “Final” in the Java programming language.
Java is both a compiler and an interpreter programming language. The reason being, source code is first compiled into a binary byte-code. After that, byte-code runs on the Java Virtual Machine (a software-based interpreter).
“sizeof” is the only operator which is also a keyword in the C programming language.
JavaScript programming language is called a dynamically typed language because a programmer can create new variables at runtime, and variable type is set at runtime.
Python programming language for Data Science returns more than one value from a single function unlike in the majority of the modern programming languages.
You cannot represent infinity as an integer in any coding language. But with python, you can represent an infinite integer via float values.

Using float(‘inf’) and float(‘-inf’)

Wrapping Up

We, the software developers, get tired after working on complex lines of code for endless hours. I hope these cool as well as informative facts about coding have refreshed your mind. After all, a happy mind can deliver better.

Keep enriching your curiosity and master your coding skills to build amazing enterprise applications.

Happy Coding!!

Source: This article originally published on The Competenza Blog.