Posts by "Roxana"

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Pros and Cons of Using Flutter

August 3, 2021 Comments Off Roxana read

Officially released in 2018 by Google, Flutter found itself rising in popularity quickly. It also received a second-generation release in March of 2021. However, this gem of software is unlike other development tools.

What is Flutter?

Initially often mistaken for a programming language, Flutter is actually an open-sourced SDK or Software Development Kit. An SDK consists of libraries, APIs, frameworks, and all the other elements needed to make an app.

To take it a step further, let’s clarify other similar development tools:

Libraries: Codes that can be recycled to decrease coding difficulty and time.
Frameworks: A skeleton of tools used to make apps, requiring code to build on it

Flutter also contains layers, which are an embedder, an engine (utilizing C or C++), and a framework.

Dart

This is an optimized, object-oriented programming language within Flutter that is entirely optional for developers to use. It was also made by Google. Dart can compile code into JavaScript and native code, which increases performance speed and decreases loading time.

Widgets

Aside from Dart, widgets are the most notable feature of Flutter. Developers essentially build apps with widgets through Flutter. These widgets can be pre-made in virtually every level of development and Flutter allows for the altering or creation of new widgets.

The Release of Flutter 2

Originally, the first generation of Flutter enables developers to create apps for iOS and Android. Flutter 2, however, expands that list to include macOS, Linux, and Windows. Moving into a technologically overwhelmed world, Flutter 2 is compatible with smart TVs, cars, and other smart home appliances.

Pros of Flutter

Widgets that are pre-made or can be completely customized for fast coding
The Java compatibility and simplicity of Dart
A gentle learning curve for experienced or inexperienced developers
A strong community that supports and works to improve Flutter
Backed and used by Google (continuous updates and fixes)
Hot reload feature for simultaneous updates
Fast performance speed
Extremely accessible for creating and distributing apps

Cons of Flutter

Fewer third-party libraries to help with automation
Dart is not as preferred as other programming languages
Contains a larger file size with no way to significantly decrease it

The fact that Flutter is an SDK is important to remember because, while it may seem a little more clunky than other development tools, it’s still a kit of all the necessary tools to create an app.

Conclusion

If choosing Flutter for app development, there are three primary steps to follow. First, check the system details of the computer being used. Next, download Flutter SDK. With this software, iOS and Android capabilities, as well as Dart, are included automatically. When designing a web app, a Chrome browser is needed. Third, install editor software. It’s recommended by Google for developers to use IntelliJ, Visual Studio, or Android Studio.

Being backed by Google, incorporated into the company’s system, and giving way to Flutter 2, the original Flutter is still very popular. It isn’t likely to fade into the background anytime soon either.

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How are Java and JavaScript Different from One Another?

August 2, 2021 Comments Off Roxana read

The name in both Java and JavaScript can be deceiving. While both languages utilize the Java programming language, that is essentially where the similarities end. In fact, JavaScript used to be referred to by a different name!

But let’s look at what the differences between the two are and what they really do.

What is Java?

Java is a programming language that was released in 1995 by Sun Microsystems. Since then, it has become an instrumental feature in most technology. One of its biggest benefits is its stable structure and reliability. Some features of Java include:

Used in Android and general mobile app development
Supports scientific computing and large analytical data

Advantages of Java

It allows for detailed data reports to be generated.
There is a large community of dedicated and supportive developers backing it up.
It’s multithreaded, lets developers reuse code, and has helpful third-party libraries for information.

Disadvantages of Java

Its JIT (Just In Time) compiler makes it slower.
The complexity of the language means more money is charged to use its software.
It isn’t compatible with garbage collection.

What is JavaScript?

Dynamically typed and released the same year as Java, JavaScript was initially introduced as LiveScript. However, its creator, Netscape, renamed it to capitalize on the popularity of Java. Similarly, like Java, this language is object-oriented. Some of the features of JavaScript are:

Deep integration with HTML and Java
Compatible across various platforms

Advantages of JavaScript

It’s supported by Microsoft.
It can be run on all browsers with Java compatibility.
Elements like interfaces and classes are supported within it.

Disadvantages of JavaScript

JavaScript is limited since file writing or reading isn’t supported for users.
It isn’t as popular as Java and doesn’t have significant backing by a large community.
It won’t work with multithreading or with multiprocessors.

Side by Side

Here are some of the most important differences between Java and JavaScript:

Java is a programming language while JavaScript is a scripting language.
JavaScript must be incorporated into HTML or Java code to be used.
Specific codes have to be used in Java while JavaScript is predictive.
Web browsers aren’t necessary for Java programs, but they are for JavaScript programs.
The learning curve for Java is steeper than the curve for JavaScript.
JavaScript’s predictive element makes it less memory-heavy than Java.

Final Thoughts

Initially, Java and JavaScript seem more similar than they are different. However, this closer look highlights specifically what each language can do. They are indeed more different than they are similar. Nonetheless, both languages are Java-based, which makes them invaluable tools to learn. Current technology is almost completely integrated with Java software. Learning how to use both Java and JavaScript, while it isn’t necessary, can significantly improve the skillset of a developer. The use of Java programs has only increased since 1995 and is likely to continue increasing due to how widely used Java itself is.

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Tech Stacks in Application Development: The Travel Industry

July 29, 2021 Comments Off Roxana read

Across the world, travel is an important resource for both business and pleasure. Many people have to travel for work, are visiting family and friends as restrictions are loosened, and have decided to take vacations while they have the time. But even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the travel industry was still highly influential for similar reasons.

This industry is known for being frustrating with regard to:

Wait times
Flight delays or cancellations
Luggage claim issues
Layovers
The complex boarding and disembarking process

One thing that can make flying less stressful is a smooth booking system, also known as an example of a travel portal application.

What is a travel portal application?

This is the place where people go to book flights, look for hotels, compare ticket rates, see boarding times, and so on. Having apps that can contain this information are useful for individuals traveling as well as travel agencies helping clients set up their destinations.

Development of Travel Portal Apps

Like any app, these are constructed with a tech stack. Primarily, tech stacks consist of frontend and backend software but include any other elements used in the app’s development. The travel industry also contains consultants or companies who aid businesses in travel portal app development, which are a highly recommended resource. Development in different areas of the travel industry such as hotels, flights, Airbnbs, and more will require varying tech stack elements due to the complexity and uniqueness of each type of travel.

Frontend Development

This is everything consumers and travel agencies see. It could be the appearance of the app, checkout system, inventory/lists, etc that they interact with. The most popular frontend development software are:

JQuery
HTML
CSS
js
JavaScript
Angular
React

Backend Development

As its name suggests, this encompasses everything that goes on behind the scenes. These elements include performance speed, scalability, updates, support, security and data privacy, and app management. The following are recommended for this kind of development:

.Net
Ruby on Rails
js
Python
Java
Python

It is important to note that .Net isn’t a programming language. Instead, it’s a framework used in programming. Flexible and most useful with financial-based apps, .Net works similarly to programming languages.

Final Thoughts

The largest factor to consider when constructing travel portal apps is what the app is going to be used for. As previously mentioned, even within the travel industry, there are several different types of travel. Each of these will work better by using frontend and backend tools tailored to that particular app’s goal. Ultimately, app development should look ahead at how big it may grow to. Travel apps must hold large amounts of data or forms and the tools used in development could help or hurt it depending on the tools in its tech stack.

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Why Use Golang for Your Development Project?

July 28, 2021 Comments Off Roxana read

What is Golang?

Go was founded in 2009. ‍It is an open-source programming language. Golang aims to make the development process a little bit easier, reliable, and efficient. Golang was designed by a Google team and is built in C programming language.

With Go, you can build more efficient and faster applications for companies. A number of organizations are starting to use Golang as their first programming language of choice. Here are the most famous companies that are using Golang: Google, Apple, Facebook, Docker, The New York Times, and BBC.

What are the benefits of using Golang?

Here are the main advantages of using Golang as a programming language.

Golang is fast
Golang is easy to learn
Golang is well scaled
Comprehensive programming tools
A growing pool of talent

What are the downsides of using Golang?

Although it is growing in popularity, Golang is not the number one choice of programming language. Here are the weak sides you need to know before start using Golang as a programming language.

Time-consuming
It is a young language
Golang does not support generic functions

What are the best projects that you can build with Golang?

There are ups and downs for every programming language, and the same applies to Golang. For example, executing the code with Golang is faster and simpler than the execution of the code with Python. Still, it is not suitable for building every type of apps because it is a very young programming language.

Golang is the perfect language if you need backend developments where servers have a number of requests. Dropbox is one of the services that is using Golang. Another thing we can say about Golang is that he is the perfect language for building an e-commerce website with a high volume of users. In other words, we must state that Go is a very promising language.

When should you choose to switch your project to Golang?

For every startup, it is very important to have great marketing strategies for getting the product to the market. With clever marketing strategies is only natural to have a large number of users. This is the time when you should consider using Golang.

Netflix and Uber are some of the companies that switched to using Golang because of its service delivery speed. Migrating to Golang was a wise option because there were risks of ruining the user experience. Golang is the best programming language if your organization is expecting growth and if you want quick server responses.

Is Golang the future?

The short answer is yes. Golang has it all when it comes to web programming. With Golang, you have the opportunity to write all functions that other languages are doing separately, regardless if you want to watch a log, manage data from users, or send some regular tweets.

Conclusion

Golang got a lot of developers excited. It is a brilliant new programming language developed by Google. Golang provides a lot more benefits for companies of different industries. Switching to Golang is something your company should consider in the near future.

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6 Tips to Developing an Amazing mHealth App

July 26, 2021 Comments Off Roxana read

Within the mobile app development industry, a popular—though often undervalued—category is health. Specifically, this refers to fitness-based and health-related apps. Mobile health apps are most commonly called mHealth apps and can center around exercise, workout progress, healthcare information, calorie intake management, and so on.

Developing a mHealth app requires attention to:

User base and purpose

Have a clear plan for what kind of users might download the app and what they will get from it. Identify its main purpose before beginning development to have a better understanding of what the app should look like and how it functions.

Data protection and privacy

For an app that will contain sensitive information, the app must be safe and secure. Data protection and privacy are crucial for mHealth apps. Research the appropriate laws and regulations regarding mHealth app development and how it should protect the users’ data.

6 Tips for mHealth App Development

Make the app pleasing and attractive.

Unless the intent for the app is to have a professional appearance, the app should be colorful and lively. Give it a pleasing appearance with colors that complement one another. One such design focus should be on the app’s logo. It needs to stand out among the over 300,000 mHealth apps currently out there.

Navigation should be simple.

Users often get frustrated with apps that are complicated or take them to several pages before they reach their destination. Keep navigation simple and clear throughout the app. Minimalism for login and signup pages are recommended as well. Apps asking for a lot of information may make users feel uncomfortable. If a user feels either uncomfortable or frustrated, they are much more likely to uninstall the app.

Stick to the app’s purpose.

The app should serve one central purpose. If it tries to encompass too many things, the app will lose that purpose and thus, lose the user. mHealth apps are also designed to provide and/or request information. For many, this is their purpose with regard to calorie counting apps, self-help or journaling apps, medication recording apps, and so on.

Allow for data to be collected and displayed.

Many mHealth apps keep track of records entered by the user or through an electronic system from, for example, a hospital. Users need to be able to have that data collected and displayed in a variety of formats.

Limit the number of screens.

Similar to keeping navigation simple, the number of screens a user is taken to should be kept to a minimum. Additionally, those screens need to be clear and easily understandable to prevent confusion.

Make sure data is ALWAYS secure.

Data protection and privacy is perhaps the most important element of an mHealth app. Users are trusting these apps to secure their data and information as well. Firewalls or other safety measures should be in place to prevent the app from being hacked. If it ever is, lawsuits, identity theft, and other dangers are possible.

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Why is Golang a Great Choice for Development Projects?

July 23, 2021 Comments Off Roxana read

Of the numerous programming languages out there, why is Golang a great choice? But, what is Golang and how does it work?

Golang is an open-sourced programming language released in 2009 by Google. Three engineers from the company—Rob Pike, Ken Thompson, and Robert Griesemer—sought to take the best qualities of popular programming languages at the time and combine it into one language for universal use.

One of the things Golang, most commonly referred to as ‘Go’, achieved is a quick performance speed. Corporations such as Facebook, The New York Times, BBC, and Apple incorporated the language into their systems because of this.

How Does Go Work?

Building onto the C language, Go is designed to be both faster to run and easier to use than other programming languages. It is based on the C language, thus incorporating some of its features like syntax and memory management.

Advantages of Go

Performance Speed

Go is fast because it is a compiled language, meaning that the code is translated to the appropriate structures automatically.

Small Learning Curve

One of the primary focuses of Go is its easy to learn features and structure. Backgrounds in Java or C are also very useful for developers.

Concurrency Capabilities

Goroutines, or concurrent functions that are both simultaneously and independently running alongside one another, make Go much more scalable. In comparison, Java threads are heavier and referred to as ‘blocking’ while Go is ‘non-blocking’. These goroutines can be run in the millions and not back up the system, unlike Java threads.

Disadvantages of Go

More Code is Still Needed

Despite being much faster than other languages, Go is still simpler than languages like Python. Many more lines of code may be needed in Go to equal the same process in Python, where that language would only need a few lines, for example.

Not Too Young, Not Too Old

Go has been in the world for over a decade, making it not quite a ‘new’ programming language, but not considered an old one either. Veteran languages that can keep up with current, newer languages are always preferred, but Go doesn’t quite fit the bill…yet.

Struggles with Generic Functions

As a reminder, Go is a simple, compiled programming language. It can only be so detailed and specific, even with updates. Python outshines Go in that it doesn’t have any problems utilizing generic functions. Reusability and efficiency of code functions are negatively impacted in Go as a result.

What Go Does Best

Go is frequently used by developers for its simplicity and speed. These features make it a good fit for heavy backends. It excels at handling complex collections of data. Even with its compiler limitations, Go helps run some of the largest companies and software in the world like Dropbox and Netflix. Looking forward, for developers who anticipate big numbers of activities that may overwhelm and crash a system, adding Go to backend development could help keep that from happening.

Staff Augmentation

An Analysis of Erlang

July 22, 2021 Comments Off Roxana read

Running behind the scenes of many chat apps, including WeChat and WhatsApp, is the programming language known as Erlang. A general-purpose language created in the late 1980s, Erlang may be older than most other languages, but it’s solid in its functioning. It’s easily scalable and utilizes concurrent systems. The original purpose of Erlang was to manage telephone switches. However, it evolved as the technology of phones did.

What makes Erlang different?

First, Erlang is based on light processes that are isolated but can communicate between each other through messages. This allows the messages to create their own processes and alter them. Additionally, the system Erlang has is quick and requires less memory.

Where does it shine best?

Chat apps are Erlang’s forte, but it’s good with manipulation of binary protocols, queue systems for messages, and blockchains. This language is known for being quick and has excellent scalability.

Disadvantages with Erlang

Some disadvantages in using Erlang are:

– Tools for each layer of development must be chosen manually

– Its library is informational for mid-level developers but doesn’t contain much for entry-level developers

Advantages of Erlang

Alongside its concurrent system, Erlang uses a virtual machine called BEAM, which makes concurrency with the language possible. It also has the motto, “Let it crash”. This philosophy within Erlang functions like a tree—the ‘leaves’ being the processes. When something happens to one of the ‘leaves’, the branch it’s on, so to speak, will try to fix the issue. If it can, the ‘trunk’ won’t be affected. If the branch is unable to solve the problem, the system will then crash. These branches do have the power to terminate themselves and anything attached to them that may be corrupted (i.e., the leaves) in order to protect the trunk.

Elixir Enters the Picture

Elixir is essentially an updated version of Erlang. It increased popularity from 2015 to 2016 because its primary framework, Phoenix, reached the public. What separated Elixir from Erlang was the simplicity of its syntax, a more active community, and the exceptional use of Phoenix as a framework.

Compared to Erlang, Elixir is modern and beneficial. Erlang’s system and functionality are by no means bad. They are simply a step behind Elixir on most fronts.

Is Erlang Worth It?

Erlang is still the better choice for chat apps, and any developer looking to enter that field would benefit from learning Erlang. Additionally, it serves as a good programming language to learn when expanding skillsets that lean heavily toward messaging.

Conclusion

The stability and reliability of Erlang are what has kept it going since the 1980s. For a programming language in a world that sees new languages every year, that timeframe is impressive. So far, it has continued to match (or even exceed) other languages in performance speed, security, scalability, and more areas. Erlang does fall behind in some areas, and Elixir is often preferred over it. However, developers are still devoted to improving it. Thus, Erlang likely won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.

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How Tracking KPIs Helps App Developers

July 21, 2021 Comments Off Roxana read

Developers go through the arduous process of creating their apps. Then they may think, once they release it, they can just sit back and watch the downloads roll in. But it isn’t that simple. Sure, developers can go that route; however, it’s unlikely to gain any real popularity.

There’s another element to app development—KPIs.

What are KPIs, and why are they important?

KPI stands for Key Performance Indicator. It also goes by another name: application performance metrics or app metrics. KPIs are how app developers track what interactions users have with their apps. Two places developers can go to look at their app’s statistics are Google Play Console (Android) and iTunes Connect (iOS).

What do KPIs track?

The elements of the apps’ KPIs track have increased over the years, providing developers with different tools to use. Some of those include:

Downloads/Installs
Benchmarks (aka how well the app does on a regular basis)
Rate of Installation/Download
App ratings
Reviews
Ranking in Categories
Popular Keywords

What Happens After the Download/Install

It often doesn’t take much to convince people to download or install an app. They know they can delete it if they aren’t satisfied. As a developer, this should be something to avoid. Nearly one-fourth of global app usage reports apps being used only once. The goals of every developer should be to attract as well as keep their users.

KPIs help with this by looking at a few more specific features of apps. Things such as:

Average Daily Active Users (ADAU)
Daily Active Users (DAU)
Weekly Active Users (WAU)
Monthly Active Users (MAU)

Focusing on WAUs or MAUs is the best option, particularly for smaller developers, since it gives a more accurate long-term rate of usage. Retaining long-term users is beneficial because it also creates a positive relationship between the developer and the user.

On the other end of that spectrum is the ‘churn rate,’ which is the number of people who stop using the app altogether. Apps with high churn rates don’t do well among users or in rankings. Alternatively, if a developer is able to keep users, they are often MAUs. A positive thing regarding MAUs is that they can turn into WAUs or even DAUs.

For apps that offer in-app purchases like subscriptions or product purchasing, KPIs can analyze how long it takes for users to make those purchases. The lower the time spent considering a purchase, the better an app’s analytics will look. If users are spending a lot of time debating whether or not to make a purchase, it becomes less likely they will purchase anything at all.

Closing Thoughts

App developers who keep a regular eye on their KPIs may have much more success than developers who aren’t interested because they don’t think it’s important. Analytical tools are available for developers as ways for them to be successful. Something vital to remember is that there are more businesses and people out there who want developers to be successful than not. When an app thrives, others thrive too.

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Tech Stacks: What They Are and How to Choose One

July 20, 2021 Comments Off Roxana read

Choosing tech stacks are the first step to web or app development. Before any other progress can be made, developers must plan their tech stack. It can positively or negatively impact how the site or app functions in the future. But first, what exactly are tech stacks?

A tech stack consists of all the technology needed for developers to make a website or app. Things that make up a tech stack are:

Frameworks
Servers
Programming Languages
Libraries
UI and/or UX solutions

Building a Tech Stack

All tech stacks include front-end tools, middleware, and back-end tools.

Front-end

This is the part of a site or app that users can see. It’s what they interact with and what can lead to a pleasant or disappointing user experience. When creating a website, HTML code organizes the site’s data while CSS formats it. JavaScript comes in to improve interactivity through libraries (i.e. Slick, Bootstrap, JQuery, etc) and frameworks (i.e. React.js, Vue.js, Angular, etc).

Apps on the front-end encompass one of three categories—native, hybrid, and cross-platform. Native apps rely on programming languages like Java, Swift, and Objective-C. Hybrid apps use JavaScript, Cordova, HTML, and other similar technologies. Flutter and React Native are software used in the front-end of cross-platform apps.

Middleware

Essentially invisible, this part of a tech stack bridges the front- and back-end elements. It consists of app and web servers, as well as management processes.

Back-end

This is everything users can’t see that makes websites and apps function properly. Things like frameworks, databases, programming languages, and operating systems are a part of the back-end. Some popular languages and frameworks include:

Ruby on Rails (RoR)
Python
C++
PHP
and more

Things to Consider When Choosing a Tech Stack

The Best Fit (Project-Based)

Different programming languages, for example, are better fits for certain kinds of projects. Deciding on a tech stack should be based on the project itself and what’s best for it.

Size and Complexity of the Project

Larger projects will contain more data and be more complicated. This can impact things like loading speed, which could hinder user experiences.

Time to Complete the Project

Some software was created to make coding easier and quicker. The grand scope of the project, combined with the software a developer is considering, will factor into the time it takes to complete the project. Whether an individual or development team is working on the project would also affect this.

Level of Scalability

The chosen software and future potential intricacy may impact the functionality of the site or app that is being developed. If it grows significantly but the software used to build it can’t keep up with that growth, or scalability, user experiences (among other things) will be impacted.

Data Security

The protection of data is crucial to any website or app, particularly if it collects sensitive information such as credit card numbers, addresses, and so on. Not all software (on the front- or back-end) will contain good security for data. Developers should be aware of this and incorporate alternatives if necessary.

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7 Trends in JavaScript to Keep an Eye Out For

July 16, 2021 Comments Off Roxana read

Being a vital part of technology systems even in 2020, JavaScript is still heavily used and applied in 2021. But, as advancements are made in technology, what will the top JavaScript-based programs be?

TypeScript
js
js
AngularJS
PWAs
SPAs
AMP

Trend #1: TypeScript

From 2012 to 2019, and into 2021, TypeScript is a programming language and JavaScript extension. It’s easy to understand and can debug a system easily.

Trend #2: React.js

React.js has been a go-to for many developers who know they can rely on its simple scalability process. Corporations like the New York Times, Netflix, and Instagram utilize this language as well.

Trend #3: Vue.js

One of the younger languages on this trend list, Vue.js was released in 2014. Its user-friendly and customizable capabilities, along with its flexible integration, make it a favorite among many developers.

Trend #4: AngularJS

AngularJS may seem old-fashioned and not as smooth as its trending counterparts. However, it has a solid structure. It also received an update in 2019 with numerous features added to increase loading speed and simplify web development.

Trend #5: PWAs

PWAs, or Progressive Web Applications, are developed by using one of three frameworks—JavaScript, CSS, or HTML. They are multiplatform-based, meaning they can be used on the web and as a mobile app. Additionally, they also adjust sizes to fit different screen dimensions, can be set to update routinely, and even allow users to work offline. Big companies like Uber and Pinterest use PWAs to make their users’ experiences better.

Trend #6: SPAs

Also known as SPAs, Single Page Applications are similar to PWAs. The biggest difference is that they don’t need to be reloaded, creating a more seamless experience for the user. They are constructed with essentially the same frameworks as PWAs but can be created using Vue.js, AngularJS, or React.js. SPAs are designed to extend battery time, make navigating pages faster, and enhance user experiences. Gmail, Facebook, and LinkedIn all use SPAs in their development systems.

Trend #7: AMP

AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) was created by Google to speed up downloading. Developers are provided JavaScript code that can’t be changed, alongside CSS and HTML frameworks, and allows limited customized codes as they can increase loading speeds. AMP pages are special to Google’s system, which increases SEO. Monetization is also improved due to the clarity and functionality of banners or images as defined by HTML code.

Conclusion

There are no signs that point to a significant decrease in the usage of JavaScript since its release. It is a flexible language that has helped developers churn out the most popular apps and websites in the 21^st century. JavaScript is backed by an enormous community of developers who help solve problems and errors within the system. This healthy cycle of improvement aids global development, making JavaScript continuously more vital, even as technology advances.

The trends on this list are among the top globally-used languages, each with their own unique benefits and combinations of features. While the number of programming languages and software increases, these are likely to remain on the rise moving into the future.