Posts in "Developer"

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Shopify Or WooCommerce – Which One Is Better?

November 24, 2020 Comments Off Roxana read

If you are starting an online store, you are probably wondering which platform to choose. Shopify and WooCommerce are the two most popular eCommerce platforms currently, and each of them has its own pros and cons.

Shopify is an eCommerce platform with which everyone can set up an online store, manage inventory, and accept payments without having to worry about tech aspects such as security, hosting, caching, and so on.

WooCommerce is an open-source plugin for WordPress with which you can use the biggest content management system to run and customize an online store and build custom extensions.

You need to choose the right eCommerce platform according to your skills, business needs, and requirements. Read on to find out the advantages and disadvantages of Shopify and WooCommerce to help you decide which one is better.

Cost

You need to evaluate the cost for the development and maintenance of your online store and take into consideration additional add-on services and software.

The basic plan for Shopify starts at $29 per month. It offers enough features to start – unlimited products, unlimited file storage, 2 user accounts, and of course, SSL certificate, hosting, and domain name. This price does not include additional third-party tools, and you also need to consider payment processing fees – Shopify Payments solution costs 2.9% + 30 cents per transaction.

WooCommerce is open-source, which means it is free, but you will need hosting, domain name, and SSL certificate to start your online store – which can be costly, especially if you are starting out. Several companies, such as Bluehost, offer bundles that can significantly reduce the cost – starting at $6.95 per month. WooCommerce does not charge a transaction fee, but you will need to integrate a payment solution and pay for additional extensions.

Ease of Use

As a business owner, you probably are not familiar with web development, so user-friendliness is important when choosing a platform.

With Shopify, you do not need to install, maintain, or update any software. You also do not need to think about security, backups, performance, and compatibility. With an intuitive interface and drag and drop system, it is easy to add and manage products, sales, and inventory.

With WooCommerce, you will need to install the plugin, manage updates, ensure that the website is secure, and keep backups. There is a lot of flexibility in terms of customization, but it comes with additional costs, a learning curve, and requires more management.

Payment Methods

You need to provide multiple payment options to your customers, and the two platforms provide different payment integrations.

There are plenty of payment options in Shopify – its own solution Shopify Payments, as well as third-party payment options. You need to consider the transaction fees – an extra 2% on third party payment gateways. And credit card fees start at 2.9% plus 30 cents per transaction for the basic plan and lower for the other plans.

There are PayPal and Stripe payments offered by default in WooCommerce as well as other popular payment gateways. WooCommerce does not charge transaction fees, which is useful for bigger stores as it can save you a lot of money.

Integrations and Add-ons

Third-party services and tools are important for your online store’s growth – things like analytics tools, email marketing software, outreach services, lead generation tool, and so on.

There are numerous third-party add-ons in the App Store for Shopify, which cover every feature you will need for your store. There are both free and paid apps you can integrate for product reviews, SEO, countdowns, discounts, and so on.

With WooCommerce, you will have access to more than 50,000 free plugins for WordPress and many more paid options. You can also use a web developer to build an integration or plugin for your website. There are many options to easily customize WooCommerce, and the process of submitting a plugin for WordPress is significantly easier.

Support Options

Even though both platforms are relatively easy to use, you might need additional help.

Shopify offers 24/7 support via phone, email, live chat, and Twitter. There is also extensive documentation, knowledge base, how-to guides, and video tutorials you can use to fix your own issues. Keep in mind, though, that there is no support offered for third-party apps or themes.

The official website of WooCommerce provides extensive documentation, guides, and tutorials with which you can help yourself. There are also support forums where you can ask questions and get help from other WooCommerce users and experts.

WooCommerce vs. Shopify: Which is the Best eCommerce Platform?

In conclusion, which platform to choose depends on your personal skills and preferences. Shopify is generally a lot easier to use and start your online store, but your costs can become higher with transaction fees, integrations, and add-ons. WooCommerce gives more control over your website and costs less to start, but you will need to maintain the software.

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React Native vs Native App Development

November 17, 2020 Comments Off Roxana read

React Native is a popular open-source development JavaScript framework that helps to develop near-native mobile apps. It is created by Facebook and can be used for Android, iOS, and web apps.

Although being relatively new, React Native has been gaining a lot of popularity because of the advantages it offers – optimal performance, cross-platform development, UI design, 3rd party plugins, and vibrant community being some of these.

But can you build a native app with React Native? And what are the similarities between using React Native and native mobile development?

Read on to find out how native is React Native compared to native Android and iOS development.

Similarities between React Native and native Android development

For the development of a native Android app, you need to use Java or Kotlin programming languages, and Android Studio – the IDE for native Android development.

Some of the similarities React Native has, including building blocks, similar UI, and almost the same speed and responsiveness as a native app.

Similarities between React Native and native iOS development

For the development of a native iOS app, you need to use programming languages like Objective-C or Swift, and use Xcode – the IDE for native iOS apps.

React Native is quite similar to native iOS development – it uses the preferred UI toolkit, the tools for even dispatch, and can deliver similar responsiveness and speed as a native app.

Differences between React Native and native development

React Native might be very similar to native app development but there are several differences, for example:

React Native can access native APIs, but not as much as native development
The UI of native apps provides a more natural feel and look than React Native apps
React Native is based on dynamically-typed JavaScript, which means that the chance of making coding errors is higher
Since React Native uses JavaScript, any bugs can lead to security vulnerabilities
The native development programing languages work better with the native operating systems and provide better speed
Native development can better handle complex modern technologies like VR, AR, and IoT
Native apps interact better with other native apps
App stores prefer native apps rather than React Native apps

React Native or native development – which one to use?

Knowing the main similarities and differences between React Native and native app development, you are probably wondering which one to choose.

Use native app development if you need to provide:

Great UI and speed
More security and strict privacy regulations
Frequent interaction with native apps
Complex features that use specific hardware for the device
Features that involve modern tech like VR, AR, IoT
Frequent updates

Use React Native when you need to:

Quickly launch an app on both iOS and Android
Find developers easier
Launch an app that does not require heavy security or process sensitive information
Provide medium complexity
Stay within your budget

In conclusion, React Native will provide cost and speed advantages but there are features that it can not provide. It is a popular choice for cross-platform mobile development but consider its limitations and whether using React Native or native app development will benefit your project more and fit within your requirements.

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6 Reasons To Choose PrestaShop for Your Online Store

November 12, 2020 Comments Off Roxana read

PrestaShop is one of the many eCommerce platforms available on the market. What makes it stand out and what features distinguish this platform from the other online store engines? Read on the find out the best reasons to choose PrestaShop for an online store.

Open-source eCommerce platform

The eCommerce platform was created in 2007 in France. And since it is open-source, this means not only that it is not only available for free but also that you can tweak the code any way you need.

You get a powerful tool to start or expand your online business and provide the best experience for your customers – as PrestaShop is famous for its flexibility, user-friendliness, and reliability

There are two types of PrestaShop – PrestaShop Cloud and self-hosted PrestaShop. With PrestaShop Cloud, you get a pre-installed engine and hosting. You can either connect your own domain name or use the provided sub-domain name. But with PrestaShop Cloud, you can only use official plugins and extensions and you will not have access to the source code and database.

On the contrary, with a self-hosted PrestaShop, you can download the software, install it on your hosting, and connect to your domain name to create the online store.

Easy to use

PrestaShop is very easy to use with multiple tools, features, and settings. It combines important instruments for eCommerce with a very intuitive and user-friendly interface. There is also the option to access the admin panel on a smartphone or tablet so you can make adjustments, edit your inventory or check the status of your orders on the go and from everywhere you are.

If you want to see if PrestaShop is the best choice for you, you can first test the admin panel without the need to download and install the engine.

Great functionality and features

There are several great functionalities and features you get with PrestaShop. Some of these include:

Responsive design so that the layout adapts to multiple mobile devices
Various languages to choose from – both for the admin panel and the front end
A catalog mode with which customers can see the products but without the checkout option
A multi-store option so that you can connect different stores and manage them from the same admin panel
Extensive analytics to track average order value, real-time visitors, conversion rate, and other important KPIs
Marketing tools such as social media integration, newsletters, and affiliate management.
In-built SEO functionality for easy customization of meta titles and descriptions to create SEO-friendly URLs.
Easy and complete store management including products, inventory, shipping, customers, payment, prices.

Low requirements

Unlike some of its competitors, PrestaShop has low requirements – there is no need for dedicated hosting or VPS. Check out the requirements first but a good shared hosting plan would be sufficient. And since you are getting an all-in-one solution, there is no need to worry about system requirements.

Multiple themes and plugins

Being one of the most popular eCommerce platforms, there are a lot of themes and plugins available for PrestaShop. If you can not find what you are looking for in the official features, you can find a lot of PrestaShop approved themes and plugins, both free and paid.

Active community and support

When you need an answer to a question or you are facing some issues you do not know how to tackle, you can rely on the PrestaShop community, support, and documentation. In the documentation, you will find archives for all the versions and tutorials for each one, with multiple guides.

The community includes more than 800 000 users and developers who can help you find an answer to all your questions in the official community forum.

The official PrestaShop support is paid with different plans and levels – Essential plan, Premium plan, Deluxe plan, Starter plan, and more.

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Is Kotlin Better than Java for Android App Development

November 5, 2020 Comments Off Roxana read

Kotlin and Java are two of the most popular programming languages for Android development – mainly because of their higher level of practicability, depth, and user-friendly nature. Over the past few years, Kotlin has been eclipsing Java in Android app development. More and more developers prefer the more elegant Kotlin – but is it really better than the good old Java?

A general-purpose programming language, Java is class-based, object-oriented, and platform-independent. It provides flexibility so that developers can write code that runs on all platforms supporting Java without the need to rewrite and recompile. The syntax is very similar to C and C++ but with the depth of lower-level programming languages.

Even though Java is considered to be the official language for Android application development, Kotlin is fast becoming the second most preferred programming language. It runs on JVM and is fully interoperable with Java, and you can utilize various Java frameworks and libraries to be used in Kotlin programs. Kotlin programs are generally more readable and concise as they are 30-40% shorter than Java equivalents. Because of the simplified syntax, enhanced features, and interoperability of Kotlin, it has been adopted by Google as an official Android development language.

Kotlin code can be seen as a simplified version of Java as, generally, it removes the syntax involved in variable classes, methods, and declaration. And since the use of Semicolons is eliminated, the code comes out much cleaner.

Classes in Kotlin can easily be declared in one line so that the code can be much shorter and simpler compared to Java. There is also an additional layer of security because nulls are illegal.

With a well-developed and active community, Kotlin provides great support and easy to access documentation and libraries online. The official community website of Kotlin is a great place to start and a place where developers share and support each other with plenty of talks and events. The website and the resources are maintained by the community, and there are many relevant news articles and relevant links to projects and libraries.

There is a dedicated section in the tutorials on how to use Kotlin as a dynamic library and how to publish Kotlin libraries. Some of the most popular libraries include Glide, Retrofit 2, Dagger 2, and Realm databases.

On the official website, beginners will find the right tools to start with Kotlin’s documentation and learn about basic syntax rules, how to start with Kotlin functions, packages, string templates, and variables.

In conclusion, Kotlin is the best option for both beginner and advanced developers when it comes to Android app development. It provides simplicity and additional depth. Because it is already being accepted by major leaders in the Android development space, it is reasonable to expect that Kotlin will take over Java in the future. Of course, Java can not be entirely written-off for the moment as it provides many features that are not supported by Kotlin currently.

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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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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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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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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.

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Developing a Desktop App? Here’s Why You Should Opt for Electron

September 8, 2020 Comments Off Roxana read

An open-source framework, Electron helps you develop amazing desktop apps using technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It is revolutionary as it allows you to build on hybrid platforms – real web developers’ dream come true.

Because of frameworks like Electron, desktop apps are making a comeback these days and it is no wonder why so many open-source developers and organizations of all types prefer Electron. It allows the development of cross-platform desktop apps with unique functionalities and features. And if you are still not convinced – read on to find out which are the four best reasons to use Electron for desktop app development.

You do not have to learn new languages

Using Electron have plenty of advantages and the fact that you do not have to learn new languages is one of them. It is a huge time saver as developers can re-use your skills, knowledge, and experience. The result is that you will not have to hire new developers to work on different systems, which leads to reduced time and cost for the desktop app development.

It updates automatically

AutoUpdater allows you to launch a multi-platform release server using Nuts (uses GitHub as a backend), Electron-release-server (full-featured self-hosted server for Electron apps), and Squirrel-release-server (utilizes GitHub releases for Squirrel).

Can be used on different browsers

Users can easily use Electron applications on various browsers such as Chrome, Safari, Edge, Firefox, and Internet Explorer. And just like that, the framework can also work in all, no matter the specific operating system.

Offers native notifications and menus

There are several static methods in the Menu class with which you can:

set the menu as the application – Menu.setApplicationMenu(menu)
return – menuMenu.getApplicationMenu()
send the action to the first responder of the application – menuMenu.sendActionToFirstResponder(action)
return the menu with reference to the template properties – Menu.buildFromTemplate(template)

Desktop apps built with Electron

There are a lot of desktop apps built with Electron but these are a few of the most popular ones that are still being used widely today.

WordPress Desktop App: offers minimum load times and uses the framework to offer a no-hassle cross-platform experience. Users can easily change the design or focus on content without being disturbed by browser tabs.

WhatsApp Desktop App: the most popular messenger app, thanks to Electron.

Pexels Desktop App: it allows designers, writers, and social media managers easily to post images and use them for social media posts or infographics.

WebTorrent Desktop App: thanks to Electron, torrents have seen a major comeback and they are no longer seen as an outdated way to download files.

Slack Desktop App: one of the most popular apps for remote teams that are looking for organized communication.

In conclusion

You should definitely consider using Electron for desktop app development. It allows you to build beautiful applications that are easy to use without much of a hassle, saves you time, and does not need any major new skills.

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Everything You Need to Know about Socket.IO development

September 3, 2020 Comments Off Roxana read

What is Socket.IO and what are its features and applications? It is a JavaScript library that is used mainly for real-time web apps. It allows users to enable real-time communications between web clients and servers. The main two parts of Socket.io are client-side and server-side and they have identical API.

This bidirectional communication can run on every platform, device, or browser, and its main focus is speed and reliability. The development of real-time applications using old languages or PHP is really hard, as it requires a lot of changes and different functionalities to be taken care of. All this slows the development time – something that can be avoided with Socket.IO.

This is the main reason why Socket.IO is the preferred solution for most of the real-time system architecture as it allows easy communication between client and server. It is one of the most powerful and trusted JavaScript frameworks on GitHub, and it is preferred by a lot of big organizations. And since it comes with a very large, active, and engaged community, you can always find a solution to a problem or answer to your question, if the need arises.

What are the main features and applications of Socket.IO

Socket.IO provides great reliability in terms of communication. This is very important because having a reliable service when you have communication between two ends is a must. Also, the connection is established in the presence of both load balancers and proxies, and anti-viruses and personal firewall.

It also allows the developer to create two implementations – Namespaces and Rooms. Namespaces offer the ability for the creation of socket connections with different paths or endpoints, which turns up with minimizations of resources.

Another advanced feature of Socket.IO is the auto-reconnect service – in case a disconnection occurs, users have the auto-reconnect facility to re-connect the server again.

In case a disconnect has been detected, Socket.IO has a dedicated mechanism that locates whether the system is not responding from the client-side or the server-side.

A very useful feature of Socket.IO is that there is no need for reloading of refreshing the app or web page if the user wants to receive instant messages from chat apps such as Facebook Messenger or Whatsapp.

Socket.IO can also be used for push notifications so that users can receive instant notifications on their mobile devices or systems. It works for collaborative applications such as Google Docs and online gaming.

It s a great tool for developers that are looking to set up bidirectional real-time socket connections. With Socket.IO the implementation of simple applications like live chat is much easier. It is fast and reliable and since it is based on WebSockets, the app can call the server anytime without the need to reload the page. Socket.IO can be used for live chat but also for everything else that needs immediate communication between the visitors of the website or application.