Posts by "Roxana"

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6 Reasons To Use Vue.js for Web UI Development

October 8, 2020 Comments Off Roxana read

The UX/UI design is extremely important for application development and these days every brand and business is focused on having the right interactive elements and an intuitive user interface. So which is the best JavaScript framework for the development of UI?

One of the best frameworks you could use is Vue.js – an open-source JavaScript framework that can be used for the development of web UI and single-page applications. It is preferred by most of the developers mostly because it offers a full set of features that makes it very easier to enter the UI world and ensure the success of a web application.

Read on to find out what are the main characteristics of Vue.js and why you should use it for web UI development.

What are the main characteristics of Vue.js

Virtual DOM: Vue.js operates with Virtual DOM which means that any changes that are made during the development process will not be reflected on the DOM. This allows the developers to experiment with their design and see all the changes made in the user interface design.

Data Binding: developers can easily modify the style, set values to HTML attributes, and more.

Transition and animation: Developers can implement transition to HTML elements and add animated libraries to build more interactive UI.

HTML-based templates: Vue.js makes tasks of UI development simpler by complying templates into Virtual DOM render functionality.

Computed Properties: one of the core functionalities, which encourages developers and designers to take care of changes made to the elements of the user interface and make calculations without the need for additional coding.

Why you should use Vue.js for web UI development

Smaller size and high speed

One of the best reasons to use Vue.js is that the application needs is up to 21 kB. But the smaller size does not affect performance and high speed. This is why Vue.js can be used for both smaller and bigger application development projects.

Easy to learn

With a very simple structure, Vue.js comes with a gentle learning curve that allows everyone to find and eliminate coding errors and work on smaller and larger templates fairly quickly. This is the main reason why Vue.js is becoming more and more popular in the mobile market.

Better performance

Another great plus of Vue.js for web UI development is that it offers better and higher performance. The reason for that is that it works with a virtual DOM but also because it comes with the option to manage a high frame rate and pay attention to shortcomings.

Simple to integrate

Because Vue.js is based on JavaScript, it is very easy to integrate with every existing app which allows JS integrations. This means that developers can create an app from scratch with Vue.js or introduce elements in an existing application.

Flexible

This is another plus of Vue.js for user interface web development – because it offers flexibility and enables writing templates in JavaScript and HTML that can run on different browsers.

Well-defined documentation

The enhanced documentation that comes with Vue.js means that developers can easily understand the mechanisms and develop the application without having serious issues.

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The Pros and Cons of Using Concrete5 CMS

October 6, 2020 Comments Off Roxana read

Concrete5 is a Content Management System (CMS) that can be used for website development.

Just like other content management systems, Content5 provides the ability to manage the website content without the need of going through a web developer.

With Concrete5 you can edit copy, control URL structure, and facilitate the distribution of media. It can simplify the management of content and offers search engine optimization and content distribution. You can use it for websites, online stores, forums, and web applications. It is not as popular as other Content Management Systems, such as WordPress, but what it lacks in popularity, it makes up in ease of use and functionalities.

Of course, there are both advantages and disadvantages to using Concrete5 Content Management System, so it is important to know about them before deciding whether it will be a good fit for your needs and is it worth investing. Read on to find out the pros and cons of using Concrete5 CMS to make an informative decision.

Pros of using Concrete5 Content Management System

It is open-sourced: Because Concrete5 is open-source, you can easily modify and distribute code without having to worry about licensing fees.

Provides native content blocks: One of the unique features of Concrete5 is the ability to drag and drop content blocks within a template, which makes organizing and editing extremely easy and effortless.

Easy to learn and use: Since Concrete5 is very easy to install and use, it is a great choice for people with little to no experience in coding and web development. There is no steep learning curve – actually, it is known as one of the best Content Management Systems for absolute beginners.

Flexible and customizable: Concrete5 can be easily customized to suit the requirements and meet the needs of any small to medium-sized business.

Good for Search Engine Optimization: It provides plenty of SEO tools that will help you to ensure that your website is optimized and Google-friendly.

Multiple website permissions: You can assign different permissions with different admin levels and control what different people can edit or not on the website.

Cons of using Concrete5 Content Management System

Small community: The community behind Concrete5 is significantly smaller than other platforms which means that if you encounter an issue or have any questions it might be more difficult to find an answer.
More commercial add-ons: Even though Concrete5 comes with a variety of nice features, more of the additional add-ons are available for purchasing.

Concrete5 is definitely a content management system to consider as it offers ease of use and high functionality. It simplifies website management and allows you to add pages, content, and media without the need for coding and web development knowledge. It is especially good for content-focused websites such as blogs, marketing sites, online stores, and so on.

But consider your personal needs and requirements before you decide whether it is the best fit or maybe another platform might be better in the long term.

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6 Reasons Why You Should Use Craft Commerce For E-Commerce Websites

October 2, 2020 Comments Off Roxana read

Craft Commerce provides everything you need for modern e-commerce – a great way to build intuitive, powerful, and user-friendly eCommerce solutions. It is customizable and flexible so you can build exactly the store you need. And the best thing is that it is equally intuitive for both developers and store managers.

If you are looking into a made-for-you eCommerce solution – here are the best reasons why you should use Craft Commerce for your eCommerce website.

Easy to use and intuitive

When you need to make changes to your eCommerce website, everything is really easy with the admin control panel of Craft Commerce. It allows you to make changes and update the content without any additional efforts or need to ask a developer for help – a great way to save both time and money.

Great customer support

With Craft Commerce, you can always rely on super helpful, fast, and easy to access customer support. This can make all the difference when you manage your eCommerce store by yourself which is the case with a lot of small business owners. Having reliable customer support will ensure that you can tackle most of the issues and problems you encounter in your everyday site management.

Easy to integrate

Because Craft Commerce does not have themes, it provides the opportunity to build something unique and exactly according to your needs. You can just pick the features that will serve your business best without the need to redo a whole theme that does not fit your requirements exactly.

With multiple plug-ins that are very intuitive to integrate, you can create check-out flows, optimize for SEO, or add payment gateways easily.

Natural behaving websites

You want your website to be responsive and to behave naturally – but you do not need to code to achieve that. Because Craft Commerce uses Twig coding language, websites respond naturally and behave the way they should. This means that your website will provide a better user experience and increase your conversions.

Perfectly bridges content with the eCommerce store

Having content as a part of your eCommerce strategy is a great way to strengthen the relationship with your customers, build authority, and achieve a significant advantage in front of your competitors. With Craft Commerce, you can structure long-form content and create super flexible and customizable pages – a great way to include quality and added value to your eCommerce website.

Offers flexibility and scalability

Being flexible and easily scalable is important for every eCommerce website that is supposed to grow – which is what you are aiming for. Growth and implementation of changes can turn out to be a challenge with most eCommerce platforms though. This is where you will appreciate the flexibility provided by Craft Commerce – applying changes and making adjustments is easy so you will not feel limited and can focus on growing your business. Create discounts, add new programs, offer a subscription option – whatever you need to improve your customer experience and increase your sales.

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7 Best Reasons to Use ASP.NET for Development

September 29, 2020 Comments Off Roxana read

Created by Microsoft, ASP.NET is a development framework that is used for the creation of dynamic, robust, and rich web applications and pages. It is built on CLR (Common Language Runtime) to host powerful and complex websites on Windows servers. ASP.NET comes with Visual Studio as an integrated development environment and provides a rich toolbox for code writing, compiling, and debugging.

ASP.NET offers three frameworks – ASP.NET MVC (provides full control over markup for the creation of complicated web applications), Web Forms (used for dynamic and data-driven websites), and ASP.NET Web Pages (lightweight framework for the creation of HTML pages with dynamic content).

Because of the server-side ASP.NET development, there are significant contributions to the web. Read on to find out which are the 7 best reasons to use ASP.NET for development.

Makes it easier to build larger applications

ASP.NET makes the development of larger apps much easier and provides freedom for developers with a serious reduction when it comes to the amount of coding. Its feature ADO.NET disconnects the access to the database which means better performance and improved scalability of applications.

Applications are safer and more secure

Because ASP.NET comes with a built-in Windows authentication option, it is much easier to make applications safer and more secure. The web-based script does not access local resources and security is handled by the CLR by default settings or as configured from the system admin.

Provides better performance

Because of the just-in-time compilation and early binding ASP.NET provides, it allows for better performance through caching services and native optimization. The smart client application model it employs can run with no server or network interaction, or it can fetch data from the server only when it is needed. As a result, the user experience is much more dynamic and the use of client-server infrastructure is more efficient.

Simple and straightforward task execution

Tasks such as Client authentication and Form submission are much more simplified with ASP.NET. It provides infrastructure and a set of controls that makes web application development easier. ASP.NET also enables deployment performance and website configuration easily. It powers mobile websites and native mobile apps with its responsive design frameworks and web API based on JSON.

Comes with a powerful IDE

Microsoft Visual Studio IDE (Integrated Development Environment) tools allow designers and developers to edit, drag and drop server control, and so on. It [rovides the option for creating web services and websites seamlessly and can be personalized so that it supports different development requirements and styles.

Provides language Independence

Developers have the freedom to choose the language that applies best to the application and furthermore, has the opportunity to split the app across several languages. Objects and classes can be accessed without the need to knowing the language that was used originally for writing the application.

Easier deployment

You do not have to register components because of the built-in configuration information which makes the deployment of ASP.NET applications much easier. When it comes to deployment, most tasks are automated thanks to the Microsoft IIS (Internet Information Services).

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4 Creative Ways Tech Startups Can Compete for Talent

September 25, 2020 Comments Off Roxana read

Today’s job market is pretty competitive and you need to get creative if you want to attract the best candidate for your company’s open positions. As a tech startup, you are probably far from offering six-figure salary and luxurious perks, like most of the technology giants.

Even though, you can still score top talent – you just need to adopt different strategies and recruit creatively. Read on to find out how to attract the best candidate for your tech startup.

Do not rely solely on the CV

Think about the fact that a lot of coders do not come from traditional sources such as universities. And less than half of them have 8 years of professional experience. Most of the programmers learn their skills informally and enjoy coding as a hobby. So as a tech startup you should not look for years of professional experience in the candidates’ CVs but rather find new ways to validate skills and capabilities.

Look for people that are active in the open-source community, that are critical thinkers, and have a strong sense of curiosity and purpose. These are qualities that can prove to be far more valuable even with a lack of professional experience.

Start the recruiting from the top

You know the saying, talent attracts talent. So as a tech startup, consider leveraging high-profile hires to attract a high-class team.

Invest in a senior executive and then mine their network for candidates with the help of a recruiting agency. Use your world-class manager’s reputation as a reference to attract top tech talent.

Spotlight your company culture

Yes, salaries are important, but today as much as important is company culture – especially for millennials who want to work where they feel valued. Highlight your company culture, mission, and values so that your potential employees can appreciate the opportunity to be working on something they actually believe in.

Millennials are looking not only for work with a mission but care about the social values of the business as well. Spotlight the ways your tech startup is making a social impact to ensure that you catch the attention of talented candidates.

Offer flexibility and autonomy

Working at a tech startup has a lot of benefits and one of that is the opportunity to be a part of a hands-on collaborative work environment. Make sure that you live up to the reputation – provide your team with autonomy and trust your team to do their job.

And do not wait until after you have hired – start at the onboarding. Give the candidates the opportunity to have a say in what work they can start taking on and what teams they can join. This independence and freedom can be the ultimate factor that makes them decide which offer to accept.

As you can see, it all comes down to the simple fact that when you believe in your new hires, they will be loyal to you. So you will not only rely on having top talent working for your tech startup but also reduce turnover and decrease the need to go back to the hiring process in the near future.

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5 Reasons to Use Node.js for an App Based on Microservices

September 22, 2020 Comments Off Roxana read

There are a lot of benefits to using microservices for your next project. Even more, if you connect microservices and Node.js.

But before we dig into how this can help you enhance the workflow and achieve your business values, let’s first take a look into what exactly are microservices.

Microservices are a software design pattern that breaks larger applications into smaller and simpler applications that are much easier to maintain, test, and update. Essentially, this is one approach to software development that is more business-oriented.

The main benefits of using microservices for application development include:

Better structure

An app that is well-structured is easier to understand so any new features will be also easier to design and implement. This means less time – and less money – will be spent on analysis and more on the actual development.

Easier development of complex projects

Complex apps are difficult to build and maintain but when they are broken up into smaller bits they become more manageable.

Seamless scalability

Scaling a monolithic app can turn out to be a nightmare because a lot of time needs to be spent on figuring out what is going on the inside – something that can be easily avoided with microservices.

Fewer errors

Because microservices are smaller pieces of technology, it is easier to keep them without errors.

Better performance

Each microservice does only one job, so it is easier to be optimized to work efficiently.

Node.js is created exactly to make the development of applications based on microservices much easier. Read on to find out what are the benefits of apps based on microservices build in Node.js.

Performance and reliability

Because of its single-threaded asynchronous architecture, apps built with Node will be stable, snappy, and scalable to infinity – the only limit being your budget.

Data replication

This feature that is required for microservices is extremely easy with Node. Also, there are numerous NoSQL databases available on the market, and most of them are free of charge.

Cost control

Microservices – which are the main focus of Node – allow you to replicate only these parts of the app that are required to deal with the higher additional traffic. This means you will save quite some money, once you start scaling the app.

Easy maintenance and updates

Lacking monolithic code means that when you write a new feature, the process will be much easier. The same is applied to updating – you will not need to invest in a large rewrite that costs a lot.

Streamlined development workflows

One of the main strengths of Node is that the app is actually made of multiple smaller apps, meaning that developers can work the respective parts of the app without getting in each other’s way.

Overall, microservices offer various benefits: ease of development and updating, cost control, effortless scaling. And Node.js and microservices are a great combo for complex applications with high traffic which otherwise would have been very difficult to maintain.

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8 Best Reasons Why You Should Consider Vue.js For Your Next Development Project

September 17, 2020 Comments Off Roxana read

What is Vue.js? A progressive JavaScript framework you can use for the development of modern apps, without the need of a lot of resources. While most of the popular frameworks are supported by big tech companies, Vue.js is built and maintained by the developer community. It is very adaptable and easy to integrate with the main focus on the view layer.

Read on to find out the 8 best reasons why you should consider using Vue.js for your next development project.

Flexible and scalable

Vue.js can be used both for big SPA projects (Single Page Apps) and for smaller parts that have to be integrated. So basically you can use it to build whole products but also as a library for your existing project.

Offers functional conventions

With Vue.js you can use all the built-in solutions to save a lot of time and effort. You will find native support for a lot of things, including animations and state management.

Easy to update

When working on a project, you focus mainly on the development but future maintenance is also to be considered. With Vue.js any additional updates that will need to be made are easy so you will always be able to be up to date with new features, bug fixes, and improvements.

Great to work with

Vue.js is not only great technology but as it is created with the developers in mind, it is no wonder why it is preferred from the community. It offers handy tools and preconfigured settings that will help you with your development project immensely. Plus, it comes with well-written documentation that makes learning it easy and very user-friendly even for beginners.

It is newer and better

As it is newer than other major frameworks, Vue.js had the opportunity to learn from their mistakes and offer a better tech solution without the illogical and clunky issues that were present in its predecessors.

Smaller size and performance-focused

Apps built with Vue.js are smaller in size so they load faster and perform better than apps built using other frameworks. It also takes care of many of the optimizations so you don’t have to worry about scaling the app as it grows.

It is progressive

You can use Vue.js to rewrite a project that needs a performance boost as you will not have to rework everything at once. You can go one component to another and introduce the framework into the codebase step by step.

It is a popular choice

Because of all the benefits it offers, Vue.js is becoming more and more popular and often is the framework of choice by some of the best developers. As it is easy to learn, it is suitable even for beginners so its popularity will continue to grow. And with the solid community behind, you can always find support and help in case of need.

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Your Guide to Hiring a Xamarin Developer

September 16, 2020 Comments Off Roxana read

It’s not easy interviewing and assessing software developers, especially if the technology isn’t your thing. A Xamarin developer will be able to build cross-platform apps for iOS and Android, but how do you know what to look for? Let’s take a closer look at what Xamarin is and some interview questions that you should be asking candidates.

What Is Xamarin?

Typically, apps will be developed using a platform such as .NET, which has its own

Set of tools and programming languages. Xamarin will extend this platform with even more tools and libraries that have been designed to enable the development of apps not only for iOS and Android but also for Windows, tvOS, watchOS, and MacOS.

What Are the Advantages of Hiring a Xamarin Developer?

Native Performance

Users are able to access apps on iOS or Android and still have the experience they would expect from the preferred operating system. Xamarin developers can also take advantage of native APIs, specifically those with platform-specific capabilities like iBeacons and Android Fragments.

C# Development

For cross-platform apps, a developer will need to know Java, as well as either Swift or Objective C. Xamarin developers only, need to know C# to build Android and iOS apps. C# has other advantages over other programming languages. It is responsive, requires less code, and lambdas are easier in C#.

Speed

As your Xamarin developer only has to develop one app with code logic for iOS and Android, the process is faster. As there is less code, your developer can also often save time with fewer bugs to fix. When it comes to testing, they will also need to write fewer tests.

What Skills Should a Xamarin Developer Have?

Experience with C# and MVVM

We have mentioned above the importance of C# knowledge. Model-View-View-Model is a software design pattern that is often used for cross-platform app development frameworks and candidates should be able to explain the importance of MVVM.

API and Third-Party Libraries

It is essential that candidates have experience working with APIs and third-party libraries as Xamarin offers plenty of support for this. Check work history for this skill.

Reusing Code

Candidates must be experts at reusing code as they will need to take code from one platform to use on the other.

The ability to keep learning

Good qualifications are a start, but the environment is continuously changing, and the right candidate will be willing to keep learning and staying up to date with new solutions.

What Interview Questions to Ask a Xamarin Candidate?

It is more than likely that you will have some questions that are specific to your own business but below you will find some questions that are ideal to find out more about the candidate’s Xamarin knowledge.

What different ways can you create a Xamarin app?

The candidate should be able to talk about the traditional method that provides direct access to certain APIs. This will entail platforms using Xamarin.iOS and Xamin.Android. Alternatively, they can use Xamarin.forms with either Portable Libraries or Shared Projects.

Can you describe the Xamarin.form’s lifecycle?

The lifecycle of Xamarin.form is the complete process from start to finish. The most important thing a candidate can talk about are calls like On Start, OnSleep, and OnResume.

What are Jagged Arrays in C#? How can you initialize it?

As an expert in C#, your candidate should be able to tell you that a jagged array if an array of arrays. For an example of how to initialize it, you could ask them to show you or at least write it down.

What are boxing and unboxing?

While both are types of conversion in C#, boxing converts value data type to the object or interface data. Unboxing extracts the value type from the object or interface.

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5 Reasons Why You Should Hire a Meteor Developer

September 15, 2020 Comments Off Roxana read

A full-stack JavaScript framework, Meteor.js uses Node.js for the development of web, desktop, and mobile apps using JavaScript. It is one of the most promising frameworks that offer the entire creation of mobile apps.

One of the main reasons Meteor.js is so popular among developers is that it can be used for both server-side and client-side web development. The entire application can be assembled on the server and sent to the client thus minimizing the loading times and providing smooth and quick running.

Meteor.js allows cross-platform development as well and supports various devices. It can be used for native mobile and desktop applications with minimum effort when it comes to deployment. And since it is open-source, the codebase of Meteor.js is readily available to use and the community is available to provide feedback, help, and bug fixes.

Read on to find out which are the five best reasons why you should hire a Meteor developer for mobile apps development.

Supports multiple platforms

Meteor is cross-platform so that the developer will only need to write one application that can be deployed for iOS and Android without many if any modifications. As you will not have to hire different developers for web, iOS, and Android, you lower the cost for development significantly.

A full-stack framework

As it is a full-stack framework, with Meteor the developer can create all the layers of the application without the need of using different layers and techniques. This means that the development process can be much quicker which can lead to more savings and lower time-to-market.

It is open-source

The codebase of Meteor is accessible to the public and the developer can always rely on advice from its active and engaged community. So if there are any issues that need additional support, they could find help and feedback in a fast and reliable way.

Hot code push

Hot code push – a Meteor’s feature – allows developers to update their apps instantly without the need of going through the process of submission and review. This useful feature makes the maintenance of mobile applications very neat and easy as the developer will not have to submit a new version of the application to the store every time they have to fix bugs or do modifications.

Reactivity in real-time

Meteor has a tracking system that allows data-binding from the client to the server so any database changes will reflect immediately on the application. This reactivity means that the development of a real-time application is much easier with Meteor.

Why You Should Use Meteor JS For Your Mobile App Project

In summary, the Meteor framework makes the development of mobile applications much easier and straightforward – one of the main reasons why its popularity among the developer community is steadily growing. Hiring a Meteor developer for mobile app development can lead to faster results and lower time-to-market, save you money, and result in a great cross-platform app.

Developer Employer

7 Best Reasons Why You Should Use Ember.js

September 10, 2020 Comments Off Roxana read

As a developer, you value your time so the tools you use need not only to be enjoyable but also help you spend your time wiser and boost your performance and productivity. This is where Ember.js comes – it will help you do better things and save you time in the process, no matter the size of the project.

Read on to find out the 7 best reasons why you should use Ember.js.

Best practices are built-in

You do not need to learn everything the hard way – instead, take advantage of the best practices accumulated by the software community and benefit from the experience of others.

Ember.js collects internally all the best practices and they are built into the framework’s structure. You still have enough freedom to make changes but in general, it is very easy and simple to keep up with best practices – something very valuable especially when you work in teams.

Easy to integrate with large teams

Ember.js can save you a lot of time if you need to bring someone new to the team by lowering the time needed for training. Since the structure and style and basically the same as any other Ember app, you can quickly become familiar with larger codebases.

It is also easier to move developers between projects with Ember and in the end, it can help your organization be more agile and ease the process of handling changes.

Offers amazing benefits

Even though JavaScript evolves pretty quickly, sometimes you can still feel like you are generations behind because of the legacy browser support. There are tools to help you with that though – one of them being Babel.js. You do not have to worry about browser support percentages and use some of the amazing features integrated into Ember.

Productivity-enhancing tools

By using the official line interface ember-CLI you can access a lot of free tools that will boost your productivity. One of them is Broccoli.js which allows you to have faster compile-times and make it easier to transpile, concatenate, and minify your code. Then you have JSHint and LiveReload with which you can place libraries right in the building process and see the results in a second. You can also have automatic test runs, write your custom helpers, switch testing frameworks by using just one line, and more wonderful built-in features.

An awesome framework

There are other features in Ember that set it apart and make it so awesome to use. FOr example, you can get a working back button and URL with every created route. And the object system that Ember is based uses the best of Ruby objects but with a built on the top framework.

Huge ecosystem

With an extensive selection of addons, you don’t have to build anything from scratch. And the best part is that most of these addons can be installed in just one single line.

Stability without stagnation

There are so many ways Ember can help you – with the productivity benefits and dev tools it offers, and the features in the framework. And if you think ahead and consider the long term, you will not be disappointed as well – rest assured that you will not be left behind. The framework will continue to evolve and you will be able to upgrade to a major version without risking anything to break.