How To Select A Top-Notch Software Development Company For Your Project?

 

You have made the decision to use customized software. Now, the motivation behind it might be anything, such as smoothing business operations or growing the organization’s scope and size. From managing transactions to database analysis, a software solution does it all. Every business now uses software to gain a competitive edge over other companies. To fulfill the customer’s demands and make tasks convenient for them, business owners are looking to have the best software in their hands.

However, software development is not as simple as it sounds. You have to decide on several important variables before starting the app development process since they might have a big influence on how your product is developed. The most essential aspects are your preference for the development resources that work best for you, app development methodologies, and targeted platforms. Selecting the ideal software development agency is crucial since it determines how successful your software development project will be. There are many firms out there. Finding the best company for you is like finding a needle in the hay. Don’t worry, though; this post discusses the best practices for selecting a software development partner. A quick read will help you choose the company that best suits your project needs.

Tips To Pick A Software Development Company For Your Next Project

 

 

1. Before Searching, Finalize Your Requirements

The first and perhaps most important aspect of this is to have your requirements crystal clear. It is very important to have an in-depth understanding of your company’s goals and requirements. Finalizing your requirements will help you find the most suitable software solutions company for you. Here’s the checklist!

• Identify the goals.
• Identify the software that you need.
• Figure out the requirement as per the company’s needs.
• What domains will it help?
• Are your needs short-term or long-term?
• What is your economic prospect?
• Which department will benefit from the software?
• Do you just need a website or an application as well?
• Who is the ideal target audience?
• What can users expect from your product?

2. Research And Analysis

The next part of the process is to carry out research and analysis. There are numerous companies out there, with the current infrastructure being built around the IT sector. Researching and analyzing makes it easier to choose the company with the best software developer and other related resources. There are several ways to research companies, from searching on the Internet to getting referrals.

 

Website:

 

The easiest way to get the information as soon as possible is by surfing through various online platforms and sites to find the right software development services company for you. There are various sites that you can use, such as GoodFirms, Clutch, The Manifest, Google Search, and LinkedIn.

 

Reference and Recommendation:

 

Rather than spending time researching, you can ask your colleagues, clients, competitors, and friends for recommendations. As they are in the same industry, you will get honest reviews and opinions from them. Taking suggestions from them will help you narrow down the list.

 

Portfolio and Reviews:

 

You can differentiate between software service providers by analyzing their portfolios. You can review the company’s achievements, products, and services, which will help you scrutinize the company’s potential. You can go through their clients’ reviews for getting feedback on their work, which will be the most unfiltered review that you will get. You’ll find such reviews on their websites and LinkedIn, which will help to highlight the company’s customer feedback and satisfaction.

 

3. Conduct An Interview

After shortlisting the candidates, set up a meeting with the shortlisted software development services. It is of the utmost importance to have an open and transparent conversation between the parties. In the meeting, ask whatever questions you have to get clarity on their services. One-on-one conversations will help you analyze the company’s service quality. These are some of the queries and questions that you can ask your potential candidates.

• Can you give any samples of related projects you’ve worked on?
• How do you assure quality in your software development process?
• How do you handle communication as well as project management?
• How familiar are you with the technology we want to use?
• Can you share references from former clients?
• What are your charges and the pricing models you offer?
• How do you handle maintenance and support post-launch?

4. Look Over The Infrastructure

It is important to know about the company’s infrastructure – the system of the company and how it works. Understanding a company’s organizational structure and the work culture of its development team is essential. You ought to understand how a firm is structured, what functions various team members play, and how they collaborate. If the infrastructure is adequately networked, it can be enhanced to boost production, increase efficiency, and enhance communication. Take a look at some of the key considerations.

• Hardware and software: To operate software development tools and applications, software development organizations need top-of-the-line computers, servers, and other gear. To create high-quality software, they also require the newest programming languages and software development tools.
• Project management tools: Software development firms need effective project management solutions to oversee projects with ease, allocate work to team members, monitor progress, and interact with clients.

5. Transparent Conversation

Each development project must have effective communication in order to succeed. Choose a business that responds to your inquiries and concerns and communicates clearly and regularly. Effective communication is the key to the success of both parties.

 

If communication gaps are there, the company’s expectations are not fulfilled by the outsourcing partner and vice versa. There can be problems such as miscommunications, product requirements not getting fulfilled, not meeting deadlines, not getting constant updates, etc. So, in such cases, it is important for the enterprise and its outsourcing partner to have smooth and transparent communication. Transparent communication brings clarity, optimizes goals and objectives, and minimizes the need for back-and-forth clarification sessions.

 

The smaller the communication gap, the smoother the process will be. Both parties should have regular meetings, updates, reports, and constant communication. Also, you should pay attention to the points mentioned by the outsourcing partner.

• Constructive Criticism: Constructive criticism is essential for the betterment of the company and its success. It helps you analyze the mistakes you made and what the customer wants, which will help you make the essential changes in the services. Constructive criticism is a sort of feedback that provides precise and practical suggestions to help employees succeed. They should be able to handle constructive criticism, and you should too.

6. Work Ethics

Work ethic refers to a system of moral principles and attitudes about what is and isn’t appropriate conduct at work. The corporate world of today is both quick-paced and fiercely competitive. So, possessing a sound work ethic is an added advantage. Team collaboration, timely delivery, and a positive attitude are important qualities to possess since they provide value to your organization.

• Productivity: Maintaining attention and motivation can help workers be more productive. A strong work ethic can also aid employees. This can assist software development enterprises in completing tasks on schedule and within budget, which can boost client satisfaction and encourage referrals.
• Quality: A company’s work ethic might influence the software they develop. Employees who are dedicated to creating high-quality software and who have a strong work ethic increase the likelihood that the business will offer goods that meet or exceed consumer expectations.

7. Keep Delivery Time In Mind

Given that it may significantly affect your firm’s operations, delivery time is a crucial factor to take into account when selecting a software development firm. A lot of things depend on the timely release of the software. On-time assistance is also required as per the project’s requirements. These are some reasons why delivery time matters.

• Meeting deadlines: For your business operations to run successfully, meeting project deadlines is essential. Your firm might suffer serious setbacks as a result of delivery delays, including lost opportunities, lost income, and reputational harm.
• Budget: Your project’s overall cost may rise as a result of delivery delays, including additional development costs and missed income possibilities. You may save money by hiring a development agency that can deliver your project on time and within budget.
• Time-to-market: Getting your product to market quickly might be the key to remaining one step ahead of the competition in the fast-paced business world of today. You may get a competitive edge by working with a software development firm that can produce a high-quality solution quickly.
• Customer satisfaction: Your consumers’ satisfaction with your goods and services can be enhanced by working with a software development agency that can provide a high-quality product on schedule. Customers that are happy with your services are more likely to stick around and refer your product to others.

In a nutshell, delivery time is an important factor to take into account when selecting a software development company. It can impact your business operations, revenue, and customer satisfaction. You can accomplish your business objectives and stay one step ahead of the competition by selecting a firm that can offer a high-quality product within the set deadline.

8. Focus On Concerns About Security And Safety

Companies that build software must prioritize security. Companies should safeguard user data, avoid cyber attacks, keep customers’ trust, and adhere to regulations compliances, by putting strong security measures in place.

• Confidentiality: Confidentiality is an essential aspect of maintaining customer trust. Development companies often handle sensitive user data, such as personal information, payment details, and login credentials. Confidentiality is essential to protect this data from unauthorized access and prevent data breaches. A software development agency that is transparent about its data protection policies and takes measures to keep data confidential can build and maintain customer trust.
• Non-disclosure agreement: A non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is a contract that specifies the conditions of secrecy for any sensitive information disclosed between a client and a software development business. It helps prevent data breaches by outlining the terms of confidentiality and the consequences of unauthorized disclosure.

9. Post-Deployment Assistance

Post-launch support is a crucial component of the software development life cycle since it makes sure the program keeps meeting users’ demands and performs as planned. With constantly changing user needs, bugs cropping up, and the need for updates, it is essential to keep your software updated. Companies should request information about the flexibility of possible post-development support.

 

You have to discuss the scope of support required, including what types of issues will be covered, the level of support required, and the expected response time. After that, establish a support process that outlines how users can report issues, how issues are prioritized, how they are escalated if necessary, and how they are resolved. You have to keep the software up-to-date with the newest security updates and feature additions in order to help ensure that it continues to meet user needs and remains secure. You have to maintain regular communication with software companies to keep them informed about the software’s performance and any updates or changes that you want to make. Hence, you must check with your would-be software development partner, whether the company is going to provide such services.

 

Final Thoughts

Selecting the ideal offshore development business that can meet your unique objectives won’t be easy. The process of hiring a software development service is lengthy and involves planning beforehand. You need to consider and pay special attention to a number of factors, which we have mentioned in this post. These suggestions will assist you in finding the finest bespoke development business that suits your goals and budget and will help you make a clear decision.

All-inclusive Insights on Virtual Event Apps and Event App Development!

Virtual event software solutions entered the market long back, but their popularity reached its peak during the pandemic. During this phase, thousands of personal as well as corporate events got canceled or postponed, affecting numerous businesses. But then, virtual event applications came into the picture. Organizers conducted countless personal as well as corporate events through these apps. As such, several apps got outstanding attention, which was not even known to the masses, and their downloading spiked.

“Downloads of video conferencing applications were recorded to be 62 million, just in a single week of March 2020, after the pandemic,” as reported by TechCrunch, the renowned online newspaper for technology news. Since then, a plethora of virtual event software apps flooded the market and the face of the online conferencing and virtual event industry changed forever. Event-driven applications continued to be popular and this trend is here to stay.

This post throws light on the fundamental steps to creating a next-gen virtual event software solution. We have also spoken about the significant features of such apps and how they prove advantageous to diverse businesses. So, if you are planning to build a virtual event management app, this post answers all your questions.

Virtual Event Apps and Their Potential Advantages

What is a virtual event? Well, the events that one hosts online allowing the participants to participate or view the event from any corner of the world are called virtual events. These events can be webinars, virtual conferences, internal or external hybrid events, etc. Such digital events have some agenda and are usually expected to be collaborative sessions and are streamed online.

Such digital events are hosted using live-streaming platforms. Here, live streaming is an essential functionality of these apps. Zoom, Webex, Google Meet, Vimeo, Digitell, GoToMeeting, Intrado, Evia, etc. are a few examples of popular platforms and apps.

Take a look at the advantages of these applications!

Safety and Security for All

During the pandemic, online mobile event apps ensured the health and safety of the participants, event organizers, and all the involved staff. Without any need for in-person gatherings, the social distancing norms were maintained.

Better Opportunities

All the details like the number of tickets sold out for events, related email marketing reports, etc. are available on a single application. Besides, the participants can access the pre-recorded events, as per their will and availability. Also, they can chat with other users during live events to build business relationships. Such benefits offer extended opportunities to both app owners as well as participants.

Budget-friendly

Virtual events prove immensely cost-effective as compared to offline events. The event organizers only need to spend on the initial establishment cost. Once they develop a virtual event platform, hosting events become budget-friendly.

In offline events, the event planners have to consider a host of other costs like arranging for expensive equipment, booking a venue, etc. They also have to incur expenses like travel, accommodation, & catering for participants. Thus, with virtual apps, the cost of events is drastically reduced. This approach is particularly advantageous for small-sized organizations, start-ups, and ones with budget constraints.

Flexibility and Scalability

Whether it is a simple sales kickoff meeting, a thought leadership meeting, or any event for that matter; all types of events can be flexibly hosted using these virtual platforms. Attendees from any part of the globe can attend virtual events or meetings at the same time without having to travel in person to the event venue. Besides, event organizers enjoy a lot of flexibility while planning events. They can speedily adjust event schedules and programming as per the need of the hour. This can really help organizers in situations when they come across unexpected changes or disruptions.

The virtual event organizer app approach also benefits individuals with mobility issues or other physical disabilities and find it challenging to attend an offline event. Furthermore, several apps provide the multi-lingual feature as well.

Easier Networking & Better Engagement

Participants don’t have to personally visit a particular location to meet new people. Online chatting options make things much easier. Besides, they can conveniently collect details like the name, profiles, companies, etc. of other professionals in the meeting.

Virtual event platforms can offer multiple user engagement tools like Q&A sessions, live chats, surveys, polls, etc. These functionalities play a crucial role in providing engaging event experiences to attendees. They can interact with other attendees as well as the event content in a more meaningful way.

Feedback Collection and Result Analysis

Online event solutions generate valuable data on attendee behavior, engagement, and preferences. Mobile event apps can track data like the number of participants, the timing when they logged in, what amount they paid, and how, etc. This insightful data gathered are quite useful for result analysis.

Also, these apps allow the participants to provide feedback easily through polls or real-time sessions. Event-related data and attendee feedback help organizers and presenters evaluate the overall performance of the event and identify the areas of improvement. This will help them to make future improvements and tailor the content to accommodate the requirements and preferences of their targeted audience.

Top Features of Virtual Event Apps

• Event Registration
• Profile creation of the users
• Event page for details like event topic, date and time of the event, host details, etc.
• Speaker booths for multiple speakers to create their profiles and related details
• Facility to record live sessions and meetings
• Real-time chatting, one-to-one, and group chatting options
• Live video streaming option
• Payment options via PayPal, Google Pay, credit/debit cards, etc.
• Social media integration for sharing event-related data with other contacts
• Integrations like sales tools, email marketing, etc.
• Report generation and analysis
• Screen sharing
• Virtual hand raising
• Mute participants
• Audience polls

Steps To Architect a Virtual Event Application

Here are the crucial steps required for the creation of an online conference app:

Create the Architecture: Create an architecture that supports the requirements of your event management activities. Consider parameters like the kinds of interactions your app will support, the number of concurrent users, and the specific prerequisites related to data storage and retrieval. You can consider choosing a microservice architecture to facilitate modularity, maintainability, and scalability.

Development of Backend: In the initial development stages itself, build a server for running the application. It is always advisable to create the server from scratch rather than make use of any ready-made technologies.

Designing User Interface: UI marks the first impressions for your virtual conferencing application and hence, it is of utmost importance to thoughtfully design a captivating and intuitive UI.

Android and iOS Compatibility: If you want to reach a wider audience range, your event management mobile app must run on both- Android and iOS devices. For ensuring that your video streaming app supports Android, make use of WebRTC and for iOS, use Swift.

Important Factors to consider during Event App Development

Next, let us look into the three most important aspects you need to consider during the development of a virtual event app- cloud network, video architecture, and content management.

Cloud Network

The virtual conferencing applications come with an integrated data center infrastructure that is strictly supervised, tracked, and regularly modified by the development teams. This cloud network is created for providing global connectivity and for enabling users from all across the globe to connect and participate seamlessly. For example, Zoom has more than 15 data centers globally which are going to be expanding in the coming years.

Video Architecture

Now, the app architecture should be optimized to meet the video requirements for which, four important features must be considered, as given below:

Distributed architecture: This architecture enables the participants to share meetings across the network and allows them to easily join meetings via private communication using the nearest data center. Using a distributed architecture rather than a centralized approach will offer the required scalability to the app so that thousands of viewers can simultaneously get a consistent video experience.

Multimedia Routing: This approach offers the users with various streams of videos from other participants. It also reduces the need for computers’ power and thus, makes the app a greatly scalable system.

Video Encoding and Streaming: Your application should be able to encode and stream video content to attendees in real-time. Event app developers use video encoding techniques for compressing videos into suitable formats for streaming videos. The videos are then streamed to the attendees via the Internet. Usually, event apps use Cloud-based services like Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services for handling the activities of encoding and video streaming.

Multi-bitrate Encoding: Every single stream can be altered to several resolutions besides stream routing. Due to this, the need to decode, encode, and optimize the output is removed. This also allows the apps to provide video quality levels depending on the network capabilities and the system.

Service Application Layer: Higher quality of the service application layer ensures optimized audio, video, and screen-sharing for every device and the available bandwidth for offering the best network-wide experience.

Content Management

A virtual event organizing platform requires a content management system for managing the video content that the presenter will display during the event. So, organizers need to upload, organize, and schedule the content for various sessions and track the event. You may also have to integrate the application with third-party systems like registration and payment systems. This way, you can ensure that your attendees can access the content effortlessly.

Concluding Views

Virtual event planning apps help organizers plan and execute events in a more effective way with productive outcomes. At the same time, the attendees also go through a flexible and engaging event experience. However, creating an amazing virtual solution for hosting events is a complex process. You need to plan carefully and follow the correct execution steps. Hence, it’s important to pick the right event app development company and app development resources that are best suited to your use case development needs.

How To Select A Competent Mobile App Development Company For Your Next Project?

You’ve got a phenomenal mobile app idea and cannot wait to start the development process! Sounds great! However, developing a mobile app is not as easy as it sounds. Before embarking on the app development journey, you need to decide on certain vital factors that can impact your product development process considerably. The top factors are the choice of targeted platforms, tech stacks, and most importantly, the development resources that suit you best. Choosing the best mobile app development company is essential; it decides the success rate of your software development project.

Now, the question is how will you know which mobile app development services are competent and worth investing in. Well, this post discusses the factors and standard practices you need to consider while choosing a development agency for your next project.

Factors to consider while picking a Mobile App Development Company

Check their Portfolio and Customer Reviews

The very first step to selecting the best mobile app development company is checking its portfolio and customer reviews. Here are the reasons! It’s important to determine the quality of the software development partner you are going to work with by checking out their past projects. This way, you’ll be able to understand if they were successful in producing top-quality apps for their previous clients.

You should also take into account whether or not the company can meet your project delivery deadline. You can identify it by thoroughly analyzing their customer reviews. If their reviews indicate that customers are satisfied with their services, then you will have confidence in them that they will be able to produce a high-quality mobile app solution that meets your needs.

Happy customers and an impressive portfolio are positive indicators of a good software development agency.

Domain-specific Experience

Review the apps your would-be software development partner developed in the past and check whether they have worked on use cases similar to yours. Look at the years of experience they have in your domain. Always pick an agency with several years of app development experience. This is because developing an impeccable app solution that aligns with the market requirements is not enough. You need something more to be successful. The end product must also be compatible with your business objectives, resolve some problems that other similar apps aren’t able to, and include some USPs.

Software development firms with domain-specific experience can easily identify the operational bottlenecks in your business and understand the needs of your targeted audience during the discovery phase. This will save you from major pitfalls and add optimum value to your project. Experienced development teams will be able to design the app architecture flawlessly and implement the necessary measures related to data security. For instance, they will know the necessary regulatory compliances mandated for a specific software product category.

They’ll be able to effectively handle any kind of developmental challenge and mid-project crisis no matter how complex they are. This minimizes time and effort during the development phase. Moreover, an application development company that has been in your domain for a long time will be able to provide sound advice on the most profitable add-ons and other product-related aspects. For example, you’ll receive expert guidance on which app monetization strategy will work best for your business use case.

Besides, accomplished mobile app development services have experience in developing solutions for iOS as well as Android. A company that has experience in both platforms can bring a lot to the table.

UI/UX Design Capabilities

Examine the company’s previous work to gain an idea about its UI/UX design capabilities. This is because a major part of your app’s success depends on how the app looks and how effortlessly a user can interact with and navigate through it. Aim to create user interfaces that are easy to use and captivating as well. A unique and clean UI that is consistent in terms of text, shapes, color, etc. is most desirable. It’s the first impression your end customers will have about your business brand.

Choose a Dynamic Team over Individual Developers

It isn’t a good idea to have a single developer manage your project. There are a wide variety of elements required during the development process. A single mobile developer who takes up a project might not be aware of all the elements that need to be included in the final product, nor does the resource have time to include everything. Besides, there are times when the app development responsibilities become too much for one person to handle; which is when multiple specialists are needed.

Hence, you need a dynamic team of experienced designers, developers, testers, and project managers who can guide you smoothly through the development process. Each of these resources is a specialist in their respective areas and you get the best quality of work done.

For example, experienced designers will maintain world-class app design standards customized as per the client’s need and the best mobile app developers will write good-quality codes. Professional testers will follow the standard testing approaches and use the necessary tools to ensure that the final product is free of any bugs or technical issues before launch. A project manager will make sure that the sprints are completed on time and that the client is kept informed on the project’s whereabouts. Other resources will be able to help you with app distribution and maintenance. This way, you get every job done smoothly without much ado.

Technical Expertise

The technology a mobile app development company uses determines what kind of project they are best suited for. Most app development companies offer iPhone and Android apps.

Look for sound technical expertise. The firm should have expertise in working with the latest technologies, tools, programming languages, etc., and be well-versed in software development best practices.

The Mobile app Development Company you choose should have resources who have thorough knowledge and expertise in the following technical areas:

• Programming languages such as Swift, Kotlin, Java, Objective-C, etc.
• Mobile operating systems- Android and iOS
• IDEs (Integrated Development Environments) such as Xcode, Android Studio, Visual Studio Code, etc.
• UI frameworks like UIKit and Material Design
• Backend development technologies like Node.js, PHP, Ruby on Rails, etc.
• API integration capabilities
• Cloud Services (AWS & Microsoft Azure)
• Testing Tools like XCTest, Espresso, etc.
• Security best practices to ensure to protect app’s data
• CI and CD tools like CircleCI, Jenkins, TravisCI, etc.

Communication and Transparency

Transparent communication and strong project management skills are must-haves. A competent IT firm must keep its clients updated on the project’s progress at every stage of the developmental cycle. The firm should also be available to answer your questions whenever needed and promptly respond to emails. If a communication gap is there between the client and the development firm, the final product may not turn out as per the client’s expectations.

Also, the company should be open to taking timely action if any issues arise and also should accommodate mid-project modification requests based on the need. Usually, software agencies following the agile approach are able to adhere to the aforesaid prerequisites. Also, your technology partner should be open to innovations for making your app stand out.

The Lowest Price is not always the Best

Some business brands have the tendency to settle down for the lowest available price as they have budget considerations. But, the truth is, low-cost vendors are often unable to provide top app developers. So, if you pick the least expensive vendor, the quality of your end product is likely to be below standard. Also, you might end up spending more in the long run. Incompetent resources may land you in a situation where you may have to redevelop the app with other app development resources because the final product didn’t turn out as expected or there are technical glitches.

Non-disclosure Agreement

Imagine a scenario when your app idea gets leaked and inferior-quality duplicates hit the app stores even before your product development process gets over. Such a situation may arise if the outsourcing agency does not adopt adequate security measures. As such, you need to sign a non-disclosure agreement with your would-be software development partner.

Usually, every top mobile app development company complies with this requirement. A non-disclosure agreement states that the app’s concept must remain confidential before the app reaches the app stores. IT agencies that sign this agreement are bound to adopt stringent security measures to protect the mobile app idea and concept.

Post-launch Support & Maintenance

Remember that developing an app is not just about UI/UX designing, coding, and deploying the app successfully to the app stores. The role of your app development firm doesn’t end after the app goes live. You need technical support during the post-launch phase as well to maintain the app.

After deployment, an app might come across issues that need to be fixed at once. Then, when you go live, users send valuable feedback. It’s important to keep these users happy and provide great experiences for them so they continue to use your app and download it. So, most apps follow the best practice of making post-deployment modifications based on the end users’ feedback and updating the app with the latest features whenever needed.

The company you partner with must provide ongoing support and maintenance for your mobile application after it goes live. Continuous support will make sure that your app functions as expected without any issues and remains updated as per the latest trends.

This is the reason why it’s a great idea to choose app development services that offer an end-to-end mobile app development package right from the app ideation stage to the post-launch phase.

In Conclusion

Mobile apps are powerful tools using which you can provide easy access to your products and services to your targeted customers. It is also an effortless way to establish your brand’s presence. But, you can make the best out of these aforementioned advantages, only if your app functions flawlessly, offers new-age features, provides some add-ons that are lacking in similar apps existing in the market, and stays relevant as per the most recent trends.

This is the reason why it’s important to choose the most competent mobile application development company for your upcoming project. And, the factors mentioned in the post will help you to make the right decision. A professionally sound company will fulfill your specific requirements and deliver a top-graded app that aligns with your business goals. Once done with selecting the best-suited mobile app agency, make sure you have a thorough discussion regarding the product development roadmap and the kind of deliverables expected.

 

How to develop your first React Native Application?

React Native is one of the most sought-after mobile app development frameworks. This Facebook-created framework has React as its base and uses JavaScript to build cross-platform applications. React Native apps share a single codebase for the Android and iOS operating systems. Developers write these apps in JSX and compile them into the native code. You’ll be able to customize this native code to suit specific project development requirements. As such, one could barely distinguish the cross-platform apps built with React Native from truly native apps.

Since React Native development teams can target several platforms and operating systems with the same codebase and development effort, its popularity is sky-high. This framework also comes with multiple other beneficial features. So, if you’ve not yet explored this profitable framework, it’s high time to consider it for your next project. This post provides step-by-step guidance to beginners on how to sail through their first React Native app development project.

Getting Started with Developing a React Native App

There are two options for getting started with the development process. You either employ Expo or the React Native CLI. Let’s explore the offerings and development steps of each of these approaches!

Get Started with Expo

If you are a novice in the mobile app development arena, I would recommend you to use “Expo Go” as it offers an easier and quicker way to build your first React Native application. Expo contains a set of services and tools best suited to the React Native environment. It comes with numerous handy features. Here are the most notable ones!

Using Expo, you get a wide variety of pre-built libraries and components including a feature-packed native runtime with several modules. React Native app developers can speedily prototype, create, and publish applications without having to worry about the underlying native code.

Expo Go speeds up the development process and reduces friction. Developers can effortlessly experiment with their innovative ideas. You only require a mobile phone device or an emulator and the latest Node.js version. You can run the app on a physical device without the need to install Android or iOS native SDKs. Expo Go also allows you to test your application directly on your mobile device when you carry out any modifications.

Expo is a great choice when you are working on simpler projects and need to develop an app quickly. However, with Expo Go, you cannot add customized native code. You can only use the built-in native modules offered by Expo. For using third-party native modules and libraries you need additional development steps.

Here are the key steps for getting started with Expo!

Step#1

Run the command npm install -g expo-cli in your terminal for installing the Expo CLI.

Step#2

Use the Expo CLI for creating a new React Native project; run the code expo init my-app in your terminal.

Step#3

Select your preferable template for the project. Some examples are “tabs,” “blank,” etc. Follow the prompts for setting up your project.

Step#4

After you create the project, run the command cd my-app in your terminal to navigate to your project directory.

Step#5

Run the command npx expo start or yarn expo start to start the development server.

Step#6

Install the “Expo Go” app on your Android or iOS mobile device. Connect it to the same wireless network that your computer is using. Now, use the “Expo Go” app to scan the QR code on your mobile device for viewing the app in development. For iOS devices, you can use the in-built QR code scanner provided by the default Camera app of iOS.

Step#7

Now, try making changes. Modify your app’s code and then save the files. Your changes will be reflected on the Expo Go app in real time.

Step#8

Thereafter, run the command expo build: android or expo build: ios to create a production-ready version of your app.

This way, you’ll be able to create a standalone build of your React Native software solution. You can upload it to the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

Get Started with React Native CLI

If you have some prior experience in creating mobile applications or have more complex development requirements, the React Native CLI is a preferred pick. Using React Native’s command-line interface, developers enjoy more flexibility and control over the development process. One can access the entire React Native API and can integrate the necessary native modules and libraries into the application. This approach proves particularly beneficial for developing complex apps that need advanced features and custom integrations.

Here are the key steps for getting started with React Native CLI!

Step#1: Install Dependencies

Install the React Native CLI and all the necessary dependencies for getting started. The official documentation includes the installation instructions based on your OS. These are the major steps:

• Download and install Node.js and npm on your machine from the official website of Node.js at https://nodejs.org/en. You can use the popular Windows Package Manager “Chocolatey” for installing Node. It’s advisable to use an LTS version of Node. And, if you need to switch between various versions, you can use the “nvm-windows,” one of Node’s version managers for Windows. If you have a Node version already installed on your machine, ensure that it’s Node 14 or a more advanced version.
• The next vital step is installing React Native CLI globally on your system. For this, open your terminal or command prompt and then enter this command:

     npm install -g react-native-cli

•  Also, install a JDK (Java SE Development Kit) via “Chocolatey.” Follow these steps. Open the Administrator Command Prompt and right-click the Command Prompt. Then choose the option “Run as Administrator” and employ the command choco install -y nodejs-lts microsoft-openjdk11. Here, I recommend using JDK11 as issues might crop up if using higher JDK versions.

Step#2: Set a native Development Environment

Install either Xcode (for iOS development) or Android Studio (for Android development) on your machine. Now that you’ve installed Android Studio/Xcode, you need to configure them with React Native. Follow the detailed instructions provided in the official documentation for this purpose.

Create a new React Native project. For this, you need to open your command prompt or terminal and run the following command

npx react-native init MyFirstApp

You need to replace “MyFirstApp” with the name of your project.

Step#3: Run your React Native Application

To begin with, you need to start the JavaScript bundler “Metro.” “Metro ships with React Native. It accepts an entry file and different options and then, generates a single JS file that contains the code and all the dependencies. Then, start Metro by running this command inside your React Native project directory.

npx react-native start

Now, the development server for your project gets started. The Metro Bundler will start and will bundle JavaScript and other assets of the app.

Run your app in a device emulator by opening a new terminal window and navigating to your project directory. It’s necessary to open a new terminal because you need to allow the Metro Bundler to run in its terminal. Run this command Inside the new terminal:

“npx react-native run-android” (for Android apps)

Or

“npx react-native run-ios” (for iOS apps).

This command will launch your app on an emulator or a connected device.

Step#4: Make Modifications

After you’ve successfully run the application, you can make the required changes. This is how you need to do it. Pick a text editor and open App.tsx in it. Then, edit some lines. For viewing the modifications, either click Reload from the “Developer Menu” or press the R key two times.

How to create a basic component in React Native?

Now that you’ve set up your app, open the project directory in your preferred code editor and begin writing the code.

This is how you can create a simple component in React Native.

import React from 'react';

import { View, Text } from 'react-native';

const MyComponent = () => {

return (

<View>

<Text>Hello World!</Text>

</View>

);

};

export default MyComponent;

You can use this component in other parts of your application by importing it. Take a look at this example!

import MyComponent from './MyComponent';

const App = () => {

return (

<View>

<MyComponent />

</View>

);

};

export default App;

How to Style Your React Native Components?

You need to create stylesheets for styling your React Native Components. For this, you can utilize the “StyleSheet” API offered by the framework. With this API, you’ll be able to define styles in a separate file. You can import this and apply it to your React Native components.

Step#1

Create a new file in your project directory. Name the file styles.js. This file will contain your styles.

Step#2

Import the StyleSheet API from React Native in your styles.js file

import { StyleSheet } from 'react-native';

Step#3

Use the StyleSheet.create() method for defining your styles. In this method, an object is taken as an argument. Here, every key represents a style name and its value is an object having style properties.

Here’s an example in which we define two styles- container and text

const styles = StyleSheet.create({

container: {

flex: 1,

justifyContent: 'center',

alignItems: 'center',

backgroundColor: '#F5FCFF',

},

text: {

fontSize: 20,

textAlign: 'center',

margin: 10,

},

});

Step#4

Now, export your styles. For this, add “export default styles;” at the end of your styles.js file.

Step#5

Import your styles in your React Native component

import styles from './styles.js';

Now, use the style prop to apply the styles to your component

<View style={styles.container}>

<Text style={styles.text}>Hello, world!</Text>

</View>

Here, we’ve applied the container style to a View component and the text style to a Text component.

This way, you can create styles and apply the stylesheets to your React native components.

Final Verdict

These steps will guide you in creating a functional React Native environment on your machine, sail through the app development process effortlessly, and also, style your React Native components. Pick the right approach – React Native CLI or Expo – based on your project development requirements. In a nutshell, the React Native CLI provides you more control over the development process and allows customization, but involves a lengthy configuration and setup process. The Expo approach, on the other hand, offers ease-of usage and streamlines the development process, but doesn’t offer the control and flexibility you need for integrating complex app functionalities.

Do not forget to refer to the official documentation of React Native for more detailed and specific insights. It’s also important to partner with the right React Native mobile app development Company. Professional agencies involve experienced resources who can execute the developmental steps flawlessly and get the coding right.

 

 

 

 

 

Top 10 Flutter App Development Tools that enhance Productivity!

                        

With millions of mobile apps in the market, software developers need to make choices before developing a new app. They may develop native, web, or hybrid apps. The development language and framework hold significance in application development. We are going to talk about one such app development framework, Flutter. Flutter comes with numerous advantages and has positively affected every aspect of application development. The Flutter community is growing at a rapid pace, with developers and designers rooting for it. This post explores the Flutter framework and discusses the top ten Flutter app development tools that play a crucial role in improving the developer’s productivity.

Why Use Flutter For App Development?

Flutter is used for Android and iOS mobile app development. It uses the same codebase for application development on different platforms. Even Google is known to have used Flutter in the development of different Google assistant modules. Many successful companies like eBay and Groupon also use it for developing uniform UI on different platforms. Flutter offers many advantages including:

1. Fast development

Code reusability enables the Flutter app developers to use one codebase for developing applications for mobile, web, and desktop applications. This saves time and fastens the development process.

2. Widgets-based technology

Custom widgets can be used to develop attractive UI with ease. This allows you to embrace uniformity in UI across the apps on different platforms.

3. Rich libraries

The Skia Graphics Library is a mature library that promotes fast loading and a smooth application experience.

4. Fast testing

Flutter comes with a hot reload feature that makes app development very fast. The developers can make changes in the app in real time and witness the change in the app. The all-widgets principle strongly advocates for the use of Flutter for application development.

Another positive aspect is the presence of numerous app development tools that streamline and fasten the application development process. Here is a list of 10 Flutter app development tools that every developer can benefit from.

10 Amazing Flutter App Development Tools

1. Android Studio

Android Studio is widely accepted as the official Integrated Development Environment for the Android operating system. Flutter app developers use it to productively develop apps on a large scale. An intelligent code editor, fast emulator, code templates, a wide range of testing tools and frameworks, widget editing support, and many code completion features make it one of the most popular Flutter app development tools. An app compiled using Android Studio can be easily published on the Google Play Store which is one of the main aims of getting into Flutter app development.

2. Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code or VS Code is an open-source trendy editor. Flutter developers can use JavaScript, Node.js, Python, and C++ to code in it. Some of the unique features such as IntelliSense, configurable color schemes, and customizable sidebar make it a worthwhile choice for Flutter app development. GIT control and debugging features are an added advantage. Its fast and lightweight feature is loved by the developers. Developers can easily integrate multiple third-party extensions to boost their productivity. Some of the successful companies such as CRED are using Visual Studio Code.

3. Panache

Panache tops the list of Flutter app development tools. It is an open-source Flutter material editor tool widely used to develop material-design-inspired themes and fonts. Using this tool, a developer can easily apply a theme, generate a theme file, set theme properties, and other things to create and implement attractive material themes. The large range of customization options is welcomed by the development community.

4. Codemagic

Codemagic is a Flutter-based CI/CD tool that simplifies the app development and debugging process, making the app market-ready. The entire process of build, testing, and release can be automated. Flutter developers can integrate it with any build tool to develop and test it. The automated code eliminates the need for any launch configuration. Codemagic achieves this aim by placing the Flutter app in the pipeline of mobile apps for the earliest market release. Codemagic is a popular tool for Flutter mobile app development which simplifies mobile application testing. Codemagic comes with a unique billing model that adapts to the need to save money and easy maintenance of infrastructure.

5. Appetize

The main website advertises ‘running the apps on browser’, which happens to be one of its key features. Appetize is one of the popular Flutter development tools used for Android and iOS apps on the browser. Appetize is unique amongst all the Flutter app development tools as it offers the option to run live app previews, provide training, provide live support for your mobile app, and automate testing, a summary of every component a Flutter developer would require for app development. The developers can use the tool without any extra plugins, downloads, or permission.

6. Supernova

Supernova is a design system platform used by developers and designers to develop collaborative web apps. The designers and developers can work in sync to design the system lifecycle. It connects DevOps and DesignOps. This Flutter development tool enables one to develop mature apps and easily scale the design system. Features like a design token manager, multi-brand design system, theme support, and component tracking dashboard, make it a one-stop destination for Flutter app development. Supernova also supports the designers in maintaining the design, enabling them to effortlessly design the app.

7. Adobe plugins

Flutter developers get to use a series of Adobe plugins that help them design Flutter apps and integrate different features such as voice interfaces and games. Designers are leveraging the functionalities of the creative cloud to use images and text as interactive and functional prototypes. Adobe XD is one of the most talked about plugins that enables developers to embed the design components into the app using .dart code. Any Flutter app development agency can help you identify the complete list of Adobe plugins that can be used for developing Flutter applications.

8. Firebase

Firebase is one of the most sought-after Flutter development tools. It has a wide range of hosted backed services including cloud storage, machine learning, and crash reporting. The Flutter developers can place all the Firebase APIs in one SDK which organizes the app development process. Organizations can hire Flutter app development services to get numerous benefits including cloud messaging, secure web hosting, and Machine Learning APIs. The app developers can use push notifications for target messaging to market themselves and retain customers.

9. RevenueCat

RevenueCat is a development tool that offers a powerful subscription backend without the need for backend code or server management. This sets RevenueCat aside from other Flutter app development tools. The Flutter developers can easily use the SDK to implement subscriptions and purchases in their apps. RevenueCat offers a wrapper around the billing in Apple Store and Google Play to simplify the integration of subscriptions and in-app purchases. You also get the dashboard to analyze different business metrics, and customer transaction histories, along with notifications for real-time events. RevenueCat can be a great tool for all organizations investing in apps with a revenue model based on in-app purchases and subscriptions.

10. Instabug

Instabug is one of the flutter development tools that help you manage the entire app development lifecycle. App performance monitoring, crash reporting, and bug reporting are some of its star features. Flutter developers also get the option to conduct surveys to get a better insight into user behavior and actions. Instabug is a great app development tool for large enterprise applications. It helps companies improve application performance with performance metrics and error prioritization. To summarize, this tool boosts app performance and scalability.

How to Choose the Best App Development Tool?

These factors can be taken into consideration while choosing a Flutter app development tool:

• Usability: The tool must be easy to use and function the way the developers expect. It is best to take a trial of any tool before heading for application development.
• Cost: Application development is a costly affair that involves licensing costs, infrastructure development costs, app deployment costs, and many other expenses. Evaluate the long-term and short-term costs of the tool to make sure it fits into your budget.
• Lifecycle management: Lifecycle management includes an array of tasks such as testing, maintenance, data storage, and app deployment. It would be great to have an app development tool that contributes to lifecycle management.
• Security: Check the Flutter app development tools for the in-built security controls to take care of governance and audibility.
• Integration: The Flutter mobile app development tools should seamlessly integrate with the different services that will be used throughout the lifecycle of the application.
• Expertise: Different app development tools demand different expertise. Go for flutter development tools that match the expertise of your app development resources.
• Application: Rate the Flutter app development tools based on the application type which can be native, hybrid, or any other type.

Conclusion

The Flutter ecosystem holds immense potential for application development. The Flutter app development tools further boost its authenticity in application development. Finalizing one tool for app development can be challenging. It would be a good idea to hire experts for the same. A Flutter app development company can suggest the best app development tool for your requirements and develop a robust app.