Posts by "Roxana"

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Healthcare App Development Guide

September 7, 2021 Comments Off Roxana read

The use of healthcare apps in daily life has recently increased significantly following the COVID-19 pandemic. Before that, tracking things such as calorie intake, fat burned, mental health, and more became integrated in routines by society. Uncertainty as a result of the pandemic led to a large focus on the development and usage of healthcare apps.

Types of Healthcare Apps

Telehealth
Monitoring
Medical Tracking
Lifestyle
Mental Health
Fitness
Dieting
Wellness
Women’s Health
Networking (Professional)
Medical Reference
IoT Medical
HER

How to Create a Healthcare App

Choose a Topic/Theme/Problem to Focus the App Around
Research the Target Audience
Identify Which Type of App to Create
Decide on Features
Pick Platforms to Run the App On
Learn About Common Issues (i.e. privacy, security, etc)
Be Aware of User Experiences During Development
Bring In a Development Team
Test the App Before Releasing It

Popular Features of Successful Healthcare Apps

The primary features to perfect in any healthcare are data security and privacy. With healthcare apps in particular, there can be serious legal repercussions for apps that don’t protect the data of their users. This is essentially the same for any app, however, healthcare apps often contain sensitive information.

Another feature that separates successful healthcare apps from mediocre ones is the UI/UX design. This is how an app is received by users via its appearance and functionality. An understanding of the different app types is also extremely useful. The app types are native, web, and hybrid with each having its own unique purpose. This can affect how the app performs since its foundation should be established with growth in mind. Similarly, interoperability—the exchange and access of information between people in real-time—is important as well. It helps users, healthcare providers, hospitals and patients, and so on communicate or store vital information.

Platform or device security is a crucial element of successful healthcare apps. For example, iOS/Apple products have better security compared to Android. Android has had issues with cybersecurity breaches in the past. All healthcare apps should display up-to-date security measures to prevent data breaches, regardless of the platform or device the app is being used on.

Identifying and keeping a primary functionality in mind is a great focus that the best healthcare apps employ. Every app should have a function or purpose that is at the forefront of the app. They can have secondary functions as well, but both should be clear to the user. After all, they install and use an app for what the app is intended. If that purpose is unclear, users may delete it.

Final Thoughts

Healthcare apps have limitless potential. The success of apps like CareZone, Lose It!, Headspace, Medscape, and more can be used regularly. By finding ways for users to incorporate the app into their daily lives, the estimated success rate will increase significantly. These kinds of apps should benefit a person’s life in some way while providing a pleasant, helpful experience.

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Analysis of a Tech Stack: MEAN

September 2, 2021 Comments Off Roxana read

Some of the biggest focuses of web app development are centered around how apps are structured, how safe they are, and how fast they perform. Developers looking to create apps that provide speedy, efficient performances must start with the basics of web app development. Such a foundation is built with good tech stacks—one of those being the MEAN stack.

Tech stacks contain all the tools developers need to build good apps. Front- and back-end tools are included, and there are different combinations for different types of projects or purposes. The best tech stacks typically utilize JavaScript as their base language since it’s so widely used and effective.

What is MEAN?

MEAN is an acronym for MongoDB, ExpressJS, AngularJS, and NodeJS. It’s open-sourced and always up-to-date with current technologies since it uses JavaScript as its base language. MEAN is flexible and easily adaptable, as well as helpful apps that require multiple layers of code. Additionally, it has a high-performance speed and is very effective. Startup businesses, major corporations, and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) can all benefit from incorporating the MEAN stack into an app’s development plan.

Elements of MEAN

MongoDB: This NoSQL database framework is document-oriented and flexible across different platforms.
ExpressJS: Lightweight and server-side, ExpressJS is used as a back-end development tool. It works primarily with NodeJS while decreasing development time.
AngularJS: Utilizing data binding, this front-end framework has an MVC (Model-View-Controller) JavaScript UI structure. It increases the development speed of dynamic SPAs, or Single-Page Applications, and has a high scalability speed as well.
NodeJS: This is a runtime framework that works with Google Chrome’s JavaScript V8 engine. It also contains an integrated server for the web along with access to open-source libraries.

What are the Benefits of Choosing MEAN?

– Since it’s a full-stack development tool, MEAN contains all the software a developer needs to build a web app, which cuts down on development costs.

– The whole stack is built on JavaScript, making it extremely flexible, easy to distribute across platforms, and can function smoothly with large amounts of data.

– A reliance on its JSON structure limits MEAN’s need for rewriting code while increasing its functionality with APIs.

– MEAN creates a straightforward, simpler development process by using JavaScript in all its components and having clear scanning or monitoring features.

– Apart from JavaScript’s popularity, MEAN has a large and supportive community of developers. They help each other figure out problems and fix issues through the use of open-source libraries.

Summary

The clearest choice for developers wanting to use the MEAN stack in app development is its connection with JavaScript. Also, having a development foundation that specializes in being cross-platform compatible is another positive feature. Developers with extensive knowledge of tech stacks, full tech stacks, in particular, may be quick to point out the weaknesses with using MEAN. There may indeed be better tech stacks out there that have faster processing speeds, are even more cost-effective, and are equally or more cross-platform compatible. However, for developers comfortable with using JavaScript-based development tools, MEAN will be a highly popular candidate.

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React Vs React Native Web– Comparison Guide For 2021

August 31, 2021 Comments Off Roxana read

Many times we wonder – what is the difference between React and React-native web? Many people think that they are the same thing. But that’s not the case and there are some differences between these two.

If you have an app in React and you want a web version of the app you should know React-native web. React-native web can make your apps run on the web with the help of React DOM.

Comparison between React and React Native web

React web was first and then came react-native who was before react-native for the web.

React Native was built by the concept of conversing jsx to Html by using virtual Dom. Programmers thought of a way to simplify the process of writing code by writing one code instead of two codebases. So the thing was to write one code and to convert the code into Html, java, and objective c. From this method was born React native web.

Is React out of date now, or can React work together with React native web?

You can build your website with react native web, but my advice is to use it when you are building web and app versions together, or if you have an app but you also want a web version. You should probably go with React if you are building it only for the website.

Advantages of React over React native web

Easy syntax (div, h1, h2, h3, p, etc.). If you have some background in Html, you will see that the syntax is the same, which is not the case with react native. React native syntax (view, text, etc.).
It is easier to inspect the elements, and you can easily make the changes in the Html. In react native, there is no way to change the Html, so basically, you need to change the code in the editor by yourself.
You can easily install react packages, while that is challenging with react native web.
React has better documentation and is more stable, while React native web is a new technology, and there isn’t any documentation.

Advantages of React native web over React

If you have a codebase in react native, then you can run the same code on the web with almost no changes.
React native web is a perfect choice if you are building both app and web versions.

Fundamentals of using the react native web.

Easy to start (the setup is very easy with the expo)
Great development experience (You will gain a lot of benefits with using the expo kit, such as great reloading)
Navigation (The most popular navigation library called react-navigation for react-native)
Styling (The styling components is the same for react native and react native web)
Great community support (React native web is a new technology, and it doesn’t have community support like react. But lucky for you, there are a lot of helpful websites where you can search for answers and ask for questions)

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Best Front-end Framework: Angular, React, or Vue?

August 27, 2021 Comments Off Roxana read

In development, the front-end and back-end tools are equally important. The front-end aspect is defined as the visual things users can see such as appearance. Studies conducted each year have shown a varying shift in what front-end tools are better. When referring to frameworks, there are 3 main ones at the top of every list—Angular, React, and Vue.

React

Created by Facebook, React was released in 2013. It quickly drew attention, largely in part due to the popularity of its parent company. React and Angular were often compared until React surpassed Angular in 2019 by having the highest number of downloads. Using a Document Object Model (DOM), which uses the JSX extension, HTML code is easily written. Coding in React itself is very simple if a developer knows JavaScript. Other benefits include:

Contains a large number of helpful tools for developers
Has a great community of developers to help it evolve
Small learning curve
Better performance levels

However, there are some disadvantages of React such as:

Harder to learn programming style
Doesn’t use HTML since it has JSX
Needs third-party libraries for creating UIs

Angular

Angular is open-sourced and was made by Google. Though it’s over 2 decades old, it’s still one of the best front-end frameworks for development. React and Vue have made Angular struggle to remain at the top but, with a significant update in 2016, it remains in the top 3 front-end frameworks. Some benefits are:

Allows developers to work on components separately
Has a big community and is backed by a large portion of developers
Component-based structure
High quality of programming

The major issues of Angular are its high learning curve and complicated syntax.

Vue

Similar to Angular, Vue was created by a developer from Google—Evan You. It was released in 2014, a year after React. You wanted to make a framework that would be more lightweight than Angular with a better performance speed. Advantages of Vue include:

Very lightweight (running at about 20KB)
Easily integrated with other programming languages
Small learning curve and quick performance

Some disadvantages are:

Lower number of developers that support the language
Struggles to work alongside other much bigger projects
Has a limited amount of features available

Overall Comparison

In terms of download numbers, React wins while Vue is next and Angular trails behind. Angular is considered old in the development industry. It has slowly become less effective or used compared to the other two. As an older language, the learning curve for Angular is steeper than React and Vue—the others being built to make learning the framework easy.

The size of the frameworks put Vue far ahead, but Angular once again falls to third, and React comes in second. Programming languages for the three see Angular as an outlier with its incorporation of TypeScript while Vue and React use JavaScript. JavaScript is more preferred for developers of any skill level because of its efficiency and other advantages.

A developer’s skills, time, dedication to the development project, available resources, and more all should contribute to choosing which kind of front-end framework is the best choice. In a general sense, it would be impossible to recommend one over the other two due to that.

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Choosing SQL or NoSQL

August 26, 2021 Comments Off Roxana read

Picking out a programming language for software, app, or web development will be a huge component of the project’s foundation. This means that, as the project adds more features and data, the development tools it’s built with must be able to adapt. There are many useful programming languages but among those are two particularly comparable languages—SQL and NoSQL.

What is SQL?

SQL stands for Standard Query Language. It’s an RDBMS, or Relational Database Management System, which uses ‘relations’ (also known as tables) to contain data. Those tables are the basis for relational databases and help developers delete, search, add, and update data records. SQL looks at data definitions, control of access, querying, and manipulation. Companies like Hootsuite and Gauges implements SQL.

Benefits to Using SQL

Allows users to access a bigger amount of data effectively and quickly
The need for coding is essentially non-existent
Can be used as a mobile and PC version

Disadvantages of SQL

Interface complexity
Lack or inability to gain full control over the database
Can be costly for developers or businesses to use

What is NoSQL?

Unlike SQL, NoSQL isn’t an RDBMS. It stands for Not SQL and is easily scalable. Additionally, it doesn’t have a fixed schema or uses joins. NoSQL works great for databases with an exceedingly large amount of data. JavaScript Object Notation, or JSON, documents are a part of NoSQLs and more accessible to the public as well. They have a scalability structure that is horizontal, making it simpler to add servers to the database. Companies implementing NoSQL include Kickstarter and Uber.

Benefits to Using NoSQL

Very easy to scale
Can handle exceptionally large amounts of data
Ability to add on to the database

Disadvantages of NoSQL

Has a smaller supportive community of developers
Developers can struggle a bit with its interfacing and operability
Standardization

Comparing & Contrasting

There is often a combination of SQL and NoSQL databases being used by several businesses. NoSQLs are faster and more scalable than SQL. However, SQL is excellent with structuring data. The most obvious difference between the two is that one is an RDBMS (SQL) and the other isn’t (NoSQL). This affects how data can be manipulated within the database.

SQL has a stronger, larger community than NoSQL since it has been around longer. NoSQL was created after SQL to be an easier development tool for developers to use. It’s still considered a fairly new programming language, which is part of the reason its community is smaller, though it continues to increase.

Last Thoughts

SQL and NoSQL are very much alike since NoSQL was built off of SQL—even if it was designed to be different. The structure, or lack thereof, is what affects how each is used in software, web, and app development the most. Keeping in mind that businesses can use both programming languages in their systems, developers should evaluate the pros and cons of each in relation to how they can benefit the project’s development.

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How to Develop Education Apps Step-by-Step

August 25, 2021 Comments Off Roxana read

A surprising number of education apps are developed each year. In fact, they are some of the most popular apps in the market. The education app industry benefited significantly in 2020 when schools were forced to go virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents, teachers, and students used education apps—as well as their web versions—as the primary form of communication. Even in 2021, these apps are still highly popular.

Some of the most widely used education apps are:

Google Classroom
Udemy
Coursera

Google Classroom

Released in 2014 by Google, Google Classroom is an app that works for iOS and Android systems. It helps teachers create tests and assignments for students to complete. Grading is a feature of it as well. Some internal tools include other software made by Google (i.e., Docs, Sheets, Drive, Gmail, Calendar, and more).

Udemy

This app is generally used by older students where recorded classes can be sold to students; however, there are classes for elementary schoolers. There are many different categories of classes to choose from, and it isn’t part of a program-like system.

Coursera

There’s an easy search-based structure to Coursera alongside classes taught by highly respected members of the educational community. It includes tools like virtual textbooks, quizzes, and projects. Once classes are completed, students receive certificates of accomplishment.

Suggestions for Developing Education Apps

They should be web apps—have access to mobile versions (iOS and/or Android) and a browser version.
Should be able to handle large amounts of data and function smoothly
Maintain solid security of user data
Allow teachers and students to upload videos or otherwise large files

The Development Process Step-by-Step

Much like any other web app development project, the general structure and tools needed will remain the same. However, this step-by-step guide contains the recommended development tools based on the functionality of popular education apps.

Create a development plan.
Establish a good team of experienced developers.
Find a good Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Mobile Backend as a Service (MBaaS) provider.
Purchase SAP Litmos API.
Download and install Express.js for the web version.
Develop and activate the app on AWS Elastic Beanstalk.
Create the UI for the mobile version.
Build an Android version with Android Studio and Kotlin.
Build an iOS version using Xcode and Swift.
Release the app to the app stores.
Find a good PM tool.

Development is Complete

It’s a complicated and elaborate process to develop an education app. There are many elements and tools needed to construct it. Most importantly, it has to function smoothly as well as be useful to the user. All apps will run into problems, so knowing how to fix them should be the job of at least one person on the development team. Developers must also keep in mind how many education apps are made, what their most useful features are, and find ways to entice users to want to use the app instead of another.

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3 Main Types of Mobile Apps

August 24, 2021 Comments Off Roxana read

On the surface, creating a mobile app seems easy. However, it’s comprised of many different elements, tools, and software that make it function smoothly at all times. There are 3 main types of mobile apps. Each has its own benefits and weaknesses, as well as how well they work with various development projects.

The 3 Types

Native apps
Web apps
Hybrid apps

Native Apps

Native apps are considered the more traditional approach to app development. They’re designed for individual Operating Systems (OSs) and must be essentially rebuilt to run on other platforms. The programming languages native apps are coded with include: C++, React, Java, Kotlin, Swift, and Python. Since they are created for singular platforms, this allows them to have faster performance speeds. Additionally, they have direct access to all the features of the apps, such as Bluetooth and phone contacts.

The biggest downside to native apps is having to recreate the app for each platform it’s developed on. Reusable code isn’t generally an option across platforms with native apps. This will also slow down development and increase the cost of the entire development project. Another downside is the maintenance and need for updates of each of the platforms as the app grows.

Web Apps

Web apps don’t require software installation onto the computer developing the app like native apps do. Instead, they are accessed through a web browser, which is where actual development takes place. Less memory and storage space is used up on the computer as well—a bonus for web app developers. This decreases development costs because it reduces a substantial amount of effort and time native app developers would have to spend rewriting code for different platforms. A subdivision of web apps is Progressive Web Apps (PWAs), which are similar to a native app functioning within a web browser. Programming languages such as JavaScript, Ruby on Rails, HTML, and CSS are used to build web apps.

The most significant disadvantage to web apps is that they are entirely dependent on the web browser being used to make the app. Some features or functions may not transfer properly across different platforms. This could disrupt or disappoint users if they have a poor experience. Since the web browser plays such a large role—and no software is downloaded—developers can’t use it offline, meaning power outages, poor service, and more could happen unexpectedly.

Hybrid Apps

Hybrid apps are the middle-man. They have functionalities of native and web apps. Essentially, they appear to be native apps in every sense, but they are actually more advanced web apps. They’re built using Objective C, Swift, HTML, and other similar programming languages. Economically and in terms of development speed, hybrid apps are superior. The loading speed is much faster, which helps even in places of poor internet connection, and they only need one code. Although they do seem like a better option, hybrid apps rely on native APIs and various web technologies for app development.

Final Thoughts

Each app type works slightly better for different projects depending on the use for the app, expected growth of the app, development time and cost, and the developer(s) skillset. Analyze those elements to properly determine which type of app is the right fit.

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Top 5 Best Programming Languages for Social Media Development

August 20, 2021 Comments Off Roxana read

From using apps on lunch breaks to quitting jobs and becoming full-time content creators, social media apps play a huge part in daily life. Businesses even use them for marketing purposes or to generate awareness. Additionally, they’ve found their way into the hiring process by attracting candidates through posts (i.e. images or videos) of company culture.

Behind every top social media app are the elements that make it function. One of the tools of app development is the programming language used.

Programming Languages in App Development

Programming languages serve as a part of the foundation of an app. They work behind the scenes as back-end development tools. Being able to code is a skill necessary for app development because essential tools such as programming languages rely on it. Everything is built on how well the language of an app functions so it’s important to choose a programming language that fits the goal and purpose of the app.

Let’s look at the top 5 programming languages for social media app development:

Java

A veteran in the development community, Java is one of the most used development tools and has been around for over 2 decades. It has a solid structure that is quick and secure. Developers use Java since it doesn’t require the use of a compiler due to its JVM, or Java Virtual Machine. This can speed up the development process as well.

Another top and reliable programming language, PHP has excellent software that helps with social networking. Facebook is one of the many large corporations that uses this programming language to make its platform run smoothly.

.NET

.NET is not considered a programming language. Instead, it’s a framework (another back-end development tool) that was created by Microsoft. It’s also responsible for aiding developers in producing some major social media platforms.

Perl

Despite being released before Java, Perl didn’t pick up as much steam or popularity among developers like Java did. Nonetheless, it’s known for being faster than most newer languages and produces stable code. Perl works best when creating dynamic web pages.

Python

This programming language is often compared with Java in many categories. It’s faster than Java, though not as secure, and was created to be easier to use. The learning curve for Python is much lower than Java but it’s only used in the back-end development process. Companies such as YouTube, Reddit, and Pinterest implement Python in their systems.

Summary

It’s difficult to compare programming languages as a whole since most app development projects will be used for various purposes. The 5 mentioned here are at the top of the long—and growing—list of programming languages the developer community prefers. For social media app development, all elements of the production process need to be able to handle not only the creation of an app and its large amounts of code but what that app could turn into. It can be a painstaking process to switch development elements once an app has been created, which means picking the right development tools should be a priority.

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JavaScript and Dart: How Do They Stack Up Against Each Other?

August 19, 2021 Comments Off Roxana read

Mobile app development is in high demand within the tech industry. Two programming languages at the forefront of back-end development are JavaScript and Dart.

But how do they stack up against each other?

JavaScript

Between being cross-platform compatible, having a dynamic structure, and containing its own package managers, JavaScript is a one fits all language. It’s the most popular programming language, as well as the most widely used. Additionally, it supports Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) and functional programming.

The community behind JavaScript is the largest among the other languages and developers are continuously helping to improve it. JavaScript also has a low learning curve, needing only a basic knowledge of programming to learn it. It can be used as a scripting language as well on the client side of development and on the server-side. Major corporations such as Instagram, Reddit, Square, and Airbnb incorporate JavaScript into their systems.

Dart

Officially released by Google in 2017, Dart is considered a very young programming language. It’s cross-platform compatible like JavaScript and its SDK version has its own package manager as well. Dart is synonymous with Flutter, experiencing an increase in popularity when Google revealed that Flutter would be able to be cross-platform compatible, encompassing mobile app development.

One of Dart’s most unique features is the compilation function. Dart has both Ahead of Time (AOT) and Just in Time (JIT) functions. Essentially, Dart’s code is both compiling and executing in real-time so developers can see changes they make within seconds. It’s designed to be able to do everything JavaScript can do, but on a simpler level. Other benefits include its low learning curve and object-oriented functionality. Big companies like Google, Adobe, and Blossom use Dart.

Side by Side—Advantages

JavaScript’s advantages are:

Front- and back-end compatibility
Versatile, quick, and adaptable
Backed by a large community and many libraries

Dart’s advantages are:

Faster than JavaScript and acts like Java
Highly scalable
Uses AOT and JIT
Backed by Google
Very compatible with any Flutter tools

Side by Side—Disadvantages

Disadvantages of JavaScript include:

Can be slow dealing with errors
Some libraries are of lower quality
Changes are constantly being made (needing continuous updates and knowledge)
Doesn’t have good security measures on the client side of development

Disadvantages of Dart include:

Smaller communities and libraries due to being new
Rigidity in altering functions without having to rewrite code
Not as many supporting tools or resources
Centered around a single object paradigm

The Finale

Both languages are highly used for various projects and development purposes. Each has close similarities and differences, however, they can be utilized for a wide range of developments. Choosing one over the other, or saying one is better, would be undermining the strengths of each language. JavaScript and Dart have earned the support of developers worldwide. The level to which JavaScript is used globally means it will continue to evolve. Google’s support of Dart can say the same. These two are likely to be compared for years to come.

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Why is Flutter the Perfect Fit for Startup App Development?

August 18, 2021 Comments Off Roxana read

The foundation of every startup app is crucial. Developers must always choose tools that will benefit the current and future versions of the app. One of the most important decisions for a developer should be in what frameworks they use. A unique and popular tool that is available is Flutter.

But what would make Flutter the ideal choice for startup app development?

While Flutter is still considered a framework, it’s much more than that. It’s an SDK, or Software Development Kit. SDKs contain every tool a developer needs to make an app. Heavily supported by Google, Flutter is cross-platform compatible and utilizes the programming language, Dart. Widgets are a significant part of Flutter’s structure. It relies on them to serve as the bridge between the actual framework and the other development tools.

Benefits of Flutter

For companies that are startups, attempting to build a native app—or constructing it from scratch—SDKs are much more cost-effective. Native apps require more time, resources, and are more expensive.

One of Flutter’s most popular features is its hot reload. It allows developers to see changes they make in the framework in seconds. The flexibility of Flutter also makes it easily interfaceable with various platforms due to a solid GPU rendering UI.

Advantages of Cross-Platform Apps

Compared to Native apps, cross-platform apps have many advantages such as:

Decreased coding
Fast development speeds
More cost-efficient
Implementation of reusable code

Why Developers Should Choose Flutter for Their Startup Apps

The pros of using Flutter don’t stop with its general benefits as a cross-platform framework. Developers should choose Flutter because it:

Builds on the strength of Dart.
Makes development much easier.
Adds on to itself with advanced features
Has a rendering engine of its own
Combines design within the development process
Decreases the app’s development time

Apps That Can Be Made with Flutter

Web apps
Desktop apps
Internet of Things (IoT) apps

Summary

With major corporations using Flutter in their app development as much as smaller companies are, it shows how versatile this framework is. Google, which is the corporation that created Flutter, uses it in their system as well. Other smaller benefits Flutter can provide are things such as establishing a faster market speed where businesses release apps quickly and it needs less testing.

Building native apps using software other than Flutter can get very expensive. The resources at its disposal are not only vast due to its personal popularity, but being backed by Google increases Flutter’s reputation as well. In general, SDKs are useful for app development and even more so with developers with little experience. That is why Flutter is simpler to learn. Its cost-effectiveness, incorporation of widgets, and use of reusable coding are more reasons developers should choose it for their startup app development.

Ultimately, as many benefits as Flutter has, it won’t be the right fit for every startup development project. There are multitudes of development tools that each have their own strengths and weaknesses. Nonetheless, Flutter is an excellent framework to at least consider as a part of the app development process.