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DEVELOPMENT TECHNOLOGY

GitHub copilot- Your AI pair programmer

GitHub copilot is an AI pair programmer that helps you write code faster and with less work. This AI tool was developed by GitHub and OpenAI and targets assisting users of Visual Studio code by completing codes. It was first announced by GitHub on June 29, 2021.

Developers: 

  • GitHub 
  • OpenAI

Operating Systems: 

  • Microsoft Windows 
  • Linux
  • macOS 
  • Web

As a plugin to Visual Studio Code, GitHub copilot auto-generates codes based on the content of the current file and current cursor location. 

GitHub copilot is very convenient to use and awes the developers with its capabilities. For instance, if you type the name and docstring of a function, then this AI-powered tool will write the codes based on that function. If you wish to add those GitHub copilot-generated codes, simply select Tab on the keyboard to accept those codes and insert them into your code.

How does GitHub Copilot operate?

Based on how you code, GitHub Copilot can suggest complete lines of code or entire functions. By reading the function name you have declared, Copilot can predict your code and assemble codes from user comments. 

The GitHub Copilot editor extension sends your comments and codes to your GitHub Copilot service. It then synthesises and suggests codes using OpenAI Codex. It works after reading through all the open-source codes on the GitHub repos worldwide. From this, it collects the data and tries to find the best possible code on it. Repetitive code patterns are most advantageous in GitHub Copilot as developers can generate the rest of the code with ease. Above all, the AI programmer also helps its users learn new programming languages as well.

What technology is used for GitHub copilot?

It uses a language model technology called GPT-3 which produces human-like text, capable of producing valid computer code. Copilot has trained on public GitHub repositories of any license.

What are the features of GitHub copilot?

Copilot is trained on billions of AI tools. It is like putting knowledge at your fingertips, saving you time and helping you stay focused.

Extends your editor 

Copilot is an extension of Visual Studio Code, which implies it will work wherever Visual Studio code works like a machine or the cloud. The speed is just mind-blowing as it is fast enough to use as you type.

Speaks different languages

GitHub copilot can speak dozens of languages and if almost all you need to find your way around almost everything. It works on a broad set of frameworks and languages and the following languages come in its purview: Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Ruby and Go.

You are in charge 

You are the Copilot who is always in charge while using GitHub Copilot. You can ride through the different alternatives, choose which codes can be accepted or rejected and manually edit the suggested codes.

What are the advantages of GitHub Copilot?

GitHub copilot is powered by Codex, the new AI system created by OpenAI and it is more than just automating codes. It can understand more contexts than most code assistants. 

Based on the contexts provided in a docstring, comment, function name or the code itself, copilot synthesizes matching codes. With the guidance of OpenAI, GitHub Copilot is designed to get smarter at producing safe and effective codes as coders use it. 

What other advantages does GitHub copilot offer? Let us see:

Comments are converted into codes

Simply give a comment describing the logic you need,

and let GitHub Copilot assemble the code for you.

Autofill of repetitive codes

Copilot only needs a few examples to generate codes fast. Repetitive code patterns are auto-filled for generating boilerplate vastly.

Easy and convenient testing 

The testing phase is the most important one in an ideal software project. On importing a unit test package, GitHub copilot suggests tests that align with your implementation codes.

Alternative suggestions

What are the new approaches? Get access to a variety of approaches as solutions with GitHub copilot. You can either use the provided codes as such or edit as you need them.

Confidentiality of the codes

Copilot can assist coders while working on a new language or framework or even while learning to code. This AI-powered tool helps developers in handling bugs or learning new frameworks. This way developers need not dive into the huge piles of formal documents or search the internet.

OpenAI and Stack Overflow Integration 

Generally, if programmers who are not using Copilot bump into a situation in which they don’t know how to do something, they Google for answers. This is where Stack Overflow posts play their role. Stack Overflow posts will have accepted answers that correctly say what can be done.

The Stack Overflow is a forum of programmers’ discussions that help in understanding different aspects. Stack Overflow integration with GitHub Copilot will reduce the need for some of the many Stack Overflow queries that programmers make daily.

Is GitHub Copilot going to be the future of AI-powered coding?

Copilot is a great platform for languages like Go, which are high on boilerplate. It also comes in handy for languages that lack meta-programming functionality. For programmers who are not familiar with a language, Copilot can help in getting basic syntax correctly and point to library functions and common idioms. 

Copilot is currently in the stage of instigation and it is too early to judge the new technology. In the normal course, in a few years, or maybe even months, more competitors will come up with similar ideas. This would push GitHub to revise and ramp up its tool.

GitHub copilot is expected to change over time because, in terms of the design of the product and implementation, it has been done by machine learning researchers. For procuring the right essence of human-machine interaction solution, GitHub Copilot will have to think beyond the currently used language models and integrate a more accurate solution that endorses human-machine communication well.

Endnote: How good is GitHub Copilot?

Copilot helps programmers solve problems, write tests, and find out new APIs without having to go for extensive searches on the internet or sites like Stack Overflow.

It has been tested against a set of Python functions that have good test coverage in open source repos by blanking out the function bodies and asking GitHub Copilot to fill them in. For the first try, it could get 43% of the output right, and after ten attempts the rate improved to 57%. 

If you ask us, we say it is getting smarter all the time!

Categories
DEVELOPMENT TECHNOLOGY

React Native FAQ 2021

React Native is picking up a swift pace than any other mobile app development framework lately. There has been a huge demand from our audience to tell them more about the React Native framework. This is why we have come up with this React Native FAQ article to elaborate on everything you should know about this particular framework. 

Let us now answer questions pertaining to the React Native framework in the coming sessions.

What is React Native?

You probably already know what it i, but still for those who doesn’t know: 

React Native is an open source framework that is created in JavaScript and is one of the best frameworks for mobile app development.

React Native can help your app in gaining an edge in a highly competitive IT landscape and that too in a cost-effective manner. React Native apps generally have outstanding features and are taking the app development industry by storm. 

How much code reuse is possible with React Native?

The rates are 100% for reusing codes between Android and iOS platforms, while it is 60-85% for mobile and web applications Mostly, we can reuse the same components, utilities, functions and services between all three platforms. In most of the projects with divergences, there will always be a smart way to reuse the existing codes.

What are the advantages of using React Native for Hybrid app development?

With React Native, it has become easy and convenient for coders to develop hybrid mobile apps. Following are other reasons for opting React Native for hybrid mobile app development:

  • Same look and feel
  • Shared code base between Android and iOS
  • Programming model same as ReactJS
  • Rich and open ecosystems
  • Part of big global players
  • Reduce and reuse
  • Access to large number of tools and libraries 
  • Favouring mobile apps
  • Low cost and less time
  • Much more animations
  • Hot reloading
  • Large community support
  • Easy integration
  • Easy third-party plug-ins

What is the difference between React Native and Native?

React is used to develop web apps, whereas React Native is used to develop mobile apps. React Native is focussed to make the UI look better and it shares a common logic layer for all operating systems. React Ntaive is the ideal solution for businesses facing issues like development insufficiency, slower time to deployment, and less developer productivity.

React is a library used for web development and React Native is a mobile development framework that uses React as a supporting pillar. If you have the React Native framework, then you have everything you need to kick-start a project. But with React, you have only one of many libraries to build a web application.

Can you name some apps developed using React Native framework?

Some of the big players who used React Native for developing their mobile applications include Facebook, Walmart, Tesla, Uber Eats, Skype, Shopify, Instagram, among others.

In the coming years, the demand for React natve is expected to tower as it is one of the best frameworks that deliver features and provide support that is hard to find anywhere else.

Can we migrate existing apps to the React Native platform?

If your app doesn’t rely on doing heavy computing tasks on the device, then YES, your app can be migrated to the React Native framework.The React Native framework constantly upgrades its capabilities and makes it flexible enough for developing apps with high degrees of complexity. Additionally, React native has only one codebase for both iOS and Android- this makes it easy to maintain.

Which one is better- Flutter or React Native?

Flutter is a well-designed framework powered by Google. It uses native code rather than a JavaScript engine to control native widgets. Even though it is a good alternative to React Native, there are some attributes that make React native more preferable than flutter like:

  1. React.js web:Your web skills can be easily transferred to React native. React Native is an easily learnable language for developers, but Flutter demands a larger learning curve.
  2. Dart Vs. JavaScript: Dart is nowhere near JavaScript in terms of popularity and fineness. Also, there will be resource scarcity for Dart, but for JavaScript developers are available in plenty. 
  3. Flutter does not and never will support CodePush
  4. Flutter is powered by Google. In the case of React Native has Facebook, Microsoft, Amazon and many other big players in the market making it a stronger option with a flourishing open source community.

How much does a React Native app cost?

When you are using it for one platform, expect the cost to be as much as Native app. However, when you deploy it to the second platform, the cost will be another 10% or less, subject to the scope of the product. This makes React native app development more cost-efficient. But with React Native app development company like Webdura, you will have more cost saving options.

What are the pros of React Native framework?

React Native has a bright future and if you wish to get ideas in detail, you can read our blog React Native Vs. Native: Which is better for app development?

  • Higher development speed and lower cost
  • Single framework can build apps for iOS, Android and Windows
  • Can deliver great user experience
  • Faster time to market
  • Massive community to render help on demand
  • Only one codebase to deal with thereby lessening the maintenance cost
  • React native apps can be listed in app stores unlike PWA
  • Can quickly update changes without having to wait for the green flag form Play/App stores

What are the cons of React Native framework?

  • Performance is slightly lower than Native
  • Compatibility issues with complex designs and advanced interactions
  • Hass many custom modules and hence developers should have specific components to begin the build from scratch

Will React Native give my app the same ‘look and feel’ in both iOS and Android?

iOS and Android differ in features and giving both the environments the ‘look alike’ feel is something beyond React Native’s scope. But through React Native, you can access the Native components in iOS and android. If you want to make your app look the same on both platforms with some effort, it is best NOT to do that. The best practice is to stick to the platform guidelines as far as the User Interface is considered. As luck would have it, React Native can provide you with easy ways to adapt the UI to the given platform requirements.

Conclusion: Should I go for React Native? 

Yes, here comes the million dollar question: “Should you go for React Native?”

At Webdura, we have seen many clients switching their app from the Native framework to React Native platform and this is pointing to the virtue of React Native framework.

Having said that, there is one glaring attribute to prefer React Native to Native: the cross-platform story! Using the same code with minimal tweaks to multiple platforms saves your cost, effort, time, and maintenance vexations down the line!

As we always say for resilient, hassle-free React Native web development, Webdura experts are just a call away! 

Categories
DEVELOPMENT TECHNOLOGY

React Native Vs. Native- Which is better for software development? 

React Native Vs. Native- Which is better for software development? 

 

App developers have conventionally used native language for app development, it has been the conventional framework that developers have been preferring. In the now, there has been a positive growth in the hybrid cross-platform framework and the mounting demand for React Native has put the software development companies scepticism: “Should React Native or Native framework be opted for mobile app development?”

In the recent years, React Native grew into a community of more than 2000 members summing to around 300000 weekly downloads through npm.

You would find a long list of giant companies around the world who leverage the resourcefulness of React Native framework. Some of these giant companies include Facebook, Pinterest, Skype, Uber, among others.

So why is React Native so dearly to companies? One of the reasons why React Native is one of the most preferred frameworks these days is its cross-platform attribute and the unique technology approach deployed for accomplishing the requisite.

Even though React Native has received a very warm reception by the developers’ community, there are still a fraction who prefer traditional Native mobile apps. This is because it still has an edge to it with respect to performance and robustness parameters as compared to hybrid substitutes.

While choosing between two technologies, you have to take in well-rounded conditions existing between them.

Let us try to answer this question by comparing and discussing the pros and cons of both React Native and Full Native framework in the coming sessions:

 

  • Development time

 

In Native, the code has to be written individually for Android and iOS due to the technical differences. This will require an Android team and an iOS team to work separately for making your app available in both platforms. Besides, when there is a change in the code, you will have to develop and run the whole project. Therefore, Native approach will consume extra time and effort for building mobile applications. 

In React Native, the same code can be used for Android as well as iOS platforms and the same can be accomplished by a single team of developers. Additionally, React Native’s hot reloading makes project deployment easy without the need to rebuild each time. 

This would imply that React Native provides a more ideal approach if you are looking for mobile market entry, targeting both the platforms.

The score now is

React Native – 1 and Native-0

 

  • Development cost

 

If you compare React Native with Native, the former can reduce the development cost by 35-45% than the latter. Hence, as far as cost is concerned, we can imply that React Native is a better option than Native.

The score now is

React Native – 2 and Native-0

 

  • UI/UX Design

 

When it comes to complex UI like custom views, navigation patterns, seamless transitions and animations among others, React Native framework allows coders to reuse the functionality code and create platform- specific codes separately. In the case of Native apps, Android and iOS will have specific screens designed separately. A better UI/IX experience can be given by React Native rather than Native.

The score now is

React Native – 3 and Native-0

 

  • Scalability

 

React Native has much to offer when it comes to processing larger workflows in app and launching higher functionality updates. Native framework is also scalable and both share credit for scalability. 

The score now is

React Native – 4 and Native-1

 

  • Performance

 

React Native has a single dedicated device thread, which means it cannot perform many asynchronous tasks at a go. Additionally, it does not support many modules and functionalities. 

In contrast, Native apps which are developed using Swift, Java, or Kotlin can execute advanced features and integrate with advanced hardware devices. Therefore, mobile app developers find Native technologies apt for developing any kind of application. 

The score now is

React Native – 4 and Native-2

 

  • Built on Language

 

Kotlin, Java, and Swift are strict- typed and OOPS-oriented programming languages used for Android and iOS in Native framework. It has solid documentation and is easy to learn, even though it might take some time for familiarization. 

React Native framework with JavaScript is a lot easier, however has several flaws and poor documentation. This makes it difficult to comprehend for React Native app developers.

The score now is

React Native – 4 and Native-3

 

  • Suitability in the long run

 

Native framework is supported by Google and Apple, which makes it easy to get tools to implement functionalities, fix errors, and software updating without affecting app usability.

React Native is not attributing updates as a top priority. It is not in sync with Google and Apple However, there is a strong community support for React Native in the long run in case you run into any errors. Suitability in the long run- React Native.

The score now is

React Native – 5 and Native-3

 

  • Interactivity

 

Native apps can interact with other Native apps and have access to their data for improved experience.

React Native is incapable of doing this and relies on third party libraries for communicating with Native apps. This makes it both self-sustaining in its own ways, sharing the credit for interactivity.

The score now is

React Native – 6 and Native-4

 

  • API and third party libraries

 

Native framework has direct access to all types of APIs, unlike React Native. The React Native framework has access to only a few APIs and in order to access complex APIs React Native needs a connection layer powered by Native technologies. Hence, Native has access to a myriad of APIs than the React Native framework.

The score now is

React Native – 6 and Native-5

 

  • Module support

 

React Native has enough cross-platform use cases and limited APIs to cover all native mobile features. This requires the addition of Native modules to access the complex APIs, mandating the React Native app development company’s know-how in both the native languages. This, however, is not a concern for Native framework and is a better option for mobile app development with reference to module support.

The score now is

React Native – 6 and Native-6

 

  • Security

 

React Native is JavaScript based, which is not a strongly typed one. Native app development has OOPS-based language, i.e., Java and Kotlin for Android and Objective-C and Swift for iOS.

As React Native has several third party and APIs, it has several loopholes during development. This is one reason why React Native less secure compared to Native.

The score now is

React Native – 6 and Native-7

 

  • Maintenance

 

Native framework has a tedious app maintenance process because of the attention you need to give to both Native platforms individually. In the case of React Native, it is enough to fix bugs at one platform alone, unless Native app support is involved. Therefore, maintenance is easier for React Native than Native framework. 

The score now is

React Native – 7 and Native-7

Conclusion: Should you choose Native or React Native for mobile app development?

React Native framework can add a unique dimension to your services, and is a perfect way to meet client requirements in a cost-effective and time-effective manner. This framework is an ideal choice for startups and gives them an opportunity to globalise their product.

Choose Native for app development if your mobile app development:

  • Is a complex application 
  • Need regular update
  • Is focused on Native user experience 
  • Include utility app relying on native device features 
  • Involves IoT-based mobile application 
  • Is focused on individual platform

You have the data you need, and the choice is all yours regarding which framework to choose for your software requirement. Have a great mobile app development journey, or you can always ring our experts at Webdura! 

 

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DEVELOPMENT TECHNOLOGY

React Native Final Steps

You built a new reactive native app and are all set to get it rolling by making it available in the app market. What are the final steps to take note of before pitching it to the next level?

We are presenting you with a checklist to cross-check before making your react native app shipped out to the app/play stores.

Here are the final steps to follow before shipping your React Native app:

  • Remove console.logs
  • Remove your images 
  • Remove default android permissions 
  • Enable ProGuard and Hermes engine
  • Quality Assurance through test executions 
  • Evaluate startup speed for performance issues 
  • Secure your app
  • Reenable ATS

Now let us discuss the final steps of React Native app in detail:

Remove console logs

Not removing console logs can slow down your React Native app. Therefore you need to scrub out all the console logs. You can either find or replace, but some of those console logs were created after a long time and can support useful debugging. You might feel like keeping them in your code, but it is best to eliminate it from production builds. 

What are the steps involved in removing the console logs? We provide you with an official way and an unofficial way of removing your console logs. No matter which way you choose, the important thing is to remove the logs and eliminate hold-ups in your production build. 

Here is how you remove the console logs:

The official way:

The React Native app documents suggest using babel transform (npm ibabel-plugin-transform-remove-console–save-dev). Then you have to create a .babelrc to remove them all from your code. This will eliminate all the console logs from the production package. 

The unofficial way:

When you are in the Dev phase, the Dev variable can be utilised to mute logs. It is a simple approach and can provide granular control. The unofficial way has the advantage of using the original log function for something useful. For example, you can reassign the log handler to some 3rd party analytics reporting tool. You should assess ‘usefulness’ of your logs and only then should it be redirected or scrapped.

Remove your images:

Even if you have an automatic asset optimisation system in place, let us make 100% sure that the images are either removed or resized to optimise your package size. Subject your images for visual inspection and verification. This resizing and deletion of images is one of the easiest and fun parts of the final steps involved in shipping your app.

Images are the easy-to-go source of any app. Make sure you minimise and optimise the images using optimizable assets like PDF, AI models etc.

Scale up the performance of your UI by resizing images for app optimisation:

Remove default android permissions:

Your React Native app has certain permissions by default. As you built your app, it will have the following default Android permissions:

  • Internet
  • System alert
  • Read phone state
  • Read and write external storage
  • Licenses

The React Native documents suggest removing these permissions as these are not explicitly listed. It is probably best to remove some of these included permissions.

Enable the ProGuard and Hermes engine

ProGuard and Hermes improve the performance of your app, provided you execute extensive testing.

ProGuard

Optimise, and shrink your Android build by turning on ProGuard. On enabling ProGuard, you must run automated tests to ensure there are no issues. It is important to run the correct ProGuard for fixing new issues. This is a configuration under the release section and is testable in your Android releases. Concoct your Android device with ProGuard to ensure that everything works finely.

Hermes

Improve your startup and byte code using Hermes. Hermes can sometimes get incompatible with your app, but it is good to experiment with it. It is quite easy to turn it on.

Quality Assurance through test executions

Development without testing is unrealistic. In prod, you will come across something no matter how good the application is, which will only turn it into a more perfectualised app. Make certain every aspect of the working of your app before the release and upgrade the app with what you missed in the next stage of dev.

Identify the strong spots and sore spots of the app in different perspectives through QA testing, which will result in perfectualising your app. 

If you turn on ProGuard and Hermes, and adjust permissions, it is important to make a thorough walk-through of each module and screen. Automated tests will help you get deeper into the application. While doing walk-throughs, make sure to turn on the Perf Monitor from your developer’s menu. If you encounter any issues in the Perf Monitor, then you have a problem to solve with profiling. If your app has a 3rd party service provider involved, it is best to make sure  that everything is updating and hitting the production rightly.

It is better to walk-through the app by adding/creating production as possible despite walk-through in staging.

You can have the following walk-throughs for ensuring the integrability of your app:

  • Min and Max Walk-throughs 
  • Internet Issues Walk-through 
  • Accessibility Walk-throughs

Evaluate startup speed for performance issues

While writing codes, the entire JavaScript bundle should be loaded before starting the app, unless you have enabled Hermes. The critical components of your app or if your app has plenty of screens, all the codes need to be loaded before starting it. During the final rollout, this is a very important measure to ensure the performance of your app.

Take note of the following points:

  • Check on bundle size
  • Gather inline requisites
  • Check APK size

Secure your app:

On reaching this stage, we can be quite sure that your app has undergone multiple testing phases and is ready to roll out to the app market. Now we have one critical step to pass which is securing your app.

We are positive that you have App Center or Firebase Crashlytics to alert you regarding app crashes that risk users’ experiences. Hence, to know what app crashes look like is very important.

Your apps will have the elegant outside element, but if there is a production crash, the users are going to be furious and that will be the end of it! The app icon should be clickable by the users and should be persuasive in nature. By securing your app, we mean to make your app appealing to the end-users.

Do a proper search in your code to find the probable areas where issues could happen and patch them with remedies that the user will not see.

Will you believe it if we say it is better to let the user know if there is something wrong?

Yes! For this, you can run some arbitrary code in the library, and if the error was at JavaScript level and not the Native level, you can display a nice UI apologizing. If the error is Native, you can run some JavaScripts, but don’t generate any UI reports.

Enable ATS:

ATS blocks can tamper with the minimum security specifications. React Native projects a builtin by default and hence can read bundles only. Before shipping the app, this exception should be removed. The most unfortunate as[ect of this is you will have to start developing all over again. If you need the easier way, flip this off by simply outing it back with ‘undo’.

Conclusion:

You have reached the end of the blog which means you have a reference document to understand the basics of final steps involved in shipping a React Native app. Just in case if you need the advice of an expert professional to guide you through the process of building, testing, or shipping React Native app or any other technology-supported app, Webdura is always a call away! For your React Native needs, we have the most resilient and effectual approaches and infrastructure.

Categories
DEVELOPMENT TECHNOLOGY

React Native is going to be big in 2021

Planning on developing a mobile application? At this point, there are lots of factors that you should contemplate, like tooling, platform etc. While developing mobile apps, you need to set performance parameters such as faster development cycles, and quick deployment are few of the attributes you will be looking forward to.

The ‘set it up and forget it’ approach does not work for any technology, let alone mobile apps. Mobile app development companies continually update their apps with the latest features and functionalities. Only  then can software development companies ensure robust customer experience for their mobile apps.

Moreover, the mobile application maintenance plays a crucial role in keeping updated with the latest trends, technological advancements, and changes in their own operations. So how can you make your app relevant and user oriented in the long run?

There are many components in mobile app architecture which make an app an effective one. Some of the important components are:

  • Device determination
  • Bandwidth status
  • Right user interface 
  • Navigation approach
  • Real-time updates/push notifications
  • Presentation layer
  • Business layer
  • Data layer

Discussing the mobile app architecture one-by-one will be too vast and is beyond the scope of this blog. Therefore we are limiting our discussion to React Native and how it is going to be big in the coming years.

React Native: The emergence

React Native is an open-source, javascript-based framework that allows you to build natively-rendered  mobile applications for iOS, Android and other OS. It was first introduced by Facebook in 2013 as an internal summer hackathon project. After 2 years in January 2015, the version 2 of React Native was released and the same was launched in March 2015 in the F8  conference. 

React Native is said to have a large community as it is backed by Facebook. This framework is advocated by other giants like Tesla, AirBnB, Skype, Pinterest, Instagram, Walmart, among others. It has a unique edge in this highly competitive market and is advancing through the positive trajectory since its instigation.

React Native and its importance

In a survey conducted in 2020, the most preferred cross-platform used by global developers was React Native. The statistics showed that 42% of the respondents preferred React Native, followed by Flutter 39% and Cordova (29%). While one third of the mobile developers used cross-platform technologies, the rest used native tools.

React Native provides a slick, smooth and responsive user interface, while significantly reducing load time. Building React Native apps is faster and much cheaper compared to building Native apps, with no compromise made on quality and functionality and it gives native-like feel to mobile applications for both iOS and Android. React native apps will have the benefits of both JavaScript and React.JS and is the best platform for developers to write codes in Objective-C, Swift or Java languages.

React Native is important for mobile app developers because of the following key advantages:

  • Image/video editing and processing, can be done with  React Native that is not actually an available option under the scope of framework APIs
  • One-time coding feature that reduces app development time cycles and cost
  • Easy compatibility with third party plugins 

Reasons why React Native is going to be big in 2021:

React Native mobile apps provide seamless,  portable and resilient JavaScript. Instead of using intricate programming languages of each platform, developers can use React Native that supports universal programming language- everyone thus maintaining JavaScript. You can invest in React Native app development with no doubt about business success.

Here are some of the reasons why React Native is going to be the go-to tool in 2021:

 

  • Reduced development time and cost

 

React Native enables easy transfer of codes between different mobile platforms, with minimal changes. Therefore the development time and cost is reduced. Generally, there is as much as 90% code reuse between iOS and Android. This time and cost advantages are especially advantageous for small companies and start-us.

 

  • Effortless maintenance

 

With each native framework developed, the API of these frameworks also grows. Native framework is generally said to be consuming because Android and iOS required updates and deployments to use the latest updates. This doesn’t apply to React Native as it has a very flexible approach to the entire app development process and hence is very cost-effective.

 

  • Reusability of dynamic platform components

 

Branding of an app irrespective of the platform in which it is built, is easy in React Native. The design is changeable to fit into any platform and the components you use for iOS and Android have their equivalents in React Native framework too. This way mobile apps will have a consistent look in the platforms in which it is designed. React Native makes the mobile app development process agile as it can fit best practice libraries into target platforms of choice. In this context, developers can either design over platform or platform over design for suiting the target audience. 

 

  • Enhance cross-device user experience

 

There are a number of devices in which we want the applications to fit into. React Native has flexible and ideal layout designs that are compatible across different devices. The screen size doesn’t matter and is easily adjustable with any screen resolutions. Furthermore, React Native mobile apps support HD graphics and different devices.

 

  • Easy third party plug-ins

 

Third party plugins are easy with React Native apps as its modules are integrable with different third party plug-ins through frameworks. The mobile app developers will be saved from additional integration work because of its internal device programming capability. Most of the features successfully unifies code in JavaScript by keeping free and open source libraries platform-specific.

 

  • Hot Module Replacement (HMR) feature

 

HMR is the ‘hot reloading’ feature that favors the developer in building the app quickly alongside useful feedback. Developers can easily make changes in the source code that can yield instant results. Changes made in the source code are automatically reloaded and React Native app developers will be saved from recompilation. The development cycles will be reduced and it is like building a website on an active device.

End note:

React Native app development is an easy and highly productive framework, with strong documentation. Apps developed using React Native are highly performing. A thorough cross-checking is recommended before opting React Native for your business requirement. In case you feel lost or don’t know where to start from, you can always associate with an experienced React Native app development service provider like Webdura!

 

Categories
DEVELOPMENT TECHNOLOGY

Effective steps to develop your idea into a software product

Do you have a business or a product idea, but a little unsure of where to begin from? If you are a new player in the market, it is better to take guidance from professionals like Webdura. Don’t take chances if your idea is about a specific technology or a product that is supposed to have a digital presence. Most of the players in the market are at this stage of seeking help from professionals and there is nothing to worry about. The bottom line is that no matter what, you will find solutions at the end of the day!

What is the software development process?

Software development is simply the building of software. To make the software development process effective, practical and convenient, you need to find an optimal way of product realization.

Why is the software development process important? If you choose an optimal way of transforming feasible ideas into software products, your business will have plenty of advantages, some of which being:

  • Meeting the ever-evolving business requirements on time
  • Ensuring end-user satisfaction
  • Benefitting from improved ROI
  • Building brand reputation 
  • Pushing the client and customer base thresholds to a larger degree etc.

The idea into the software product development process: Steps to follow

How can you build a software product? Start-ups, medium and large businesses have different requirements  

Based on our experience and prior knowledge in the field, we are presenting this article as a consolidated guide for realizing your software development ideas.

Step 1: Workshop and ideation

At this stage, we start building the foundation of your product concerning the value it will give to your users. The project ideas are discussed with the client, alongside other vital points like potential risks are identified, requirements are understood, and a development plan is created. After this stage, you will be able to explain the product and its value proposition can be determined.

This is the stage when you ask questions like: Where should you begin? Where do you intend to reach? What will you need? What are your goals? Ask questions that will help in realizing your ideas and try to seek clear-cut answers to the questions asked. By gathering such information, you can convey to your team what exactly you are looking forward to. And finally, let us get the ball rolling!

Step 2: Meet with the team to discuss requirements:

Discuss with your team of developers and testers the set of requirements and story points. Make them best understand the project as well as product requirements to ensure that you yield the best software product at the end.

Discuss the use cases and user stories with the team to give them a good idea from the end-users perspective. The team has to understand what the vision of the product is, to come up with the best version of the software product.

While developing, the team has to evaluate the probable defects that users might bump into and how good and useful a feature can be. The team has to treat the product as their own and develop the product with the mindset of the end-users.

Step 3: High-level product design:

The team of developers, testers, architects, product owners and project managers will create a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) at each phase. In each phase, the product will have improved prototypes and at the end phase, we will have a perfectualised product in hand.

The system architecture and design should be structured at this stage. Data flows, flowcharts, data structures are shared with the team to understand how the system should work for the features and functionalities. The HLD will consist of two key elements:

  1. Functionalities and attributes of components
  2. Interactions and relations between various components

The HLD will help the team arrive at a suitable model. The HLD document helps in acquiring operational requirements. This technical documentation will be the reference manual for the team to understand how modules interact and how subsystems and components of the system fit together.

Step 4: Prototyping

Based on the requirements, prototypes are developed during the ideation stage. This way clients will get the ‘look and feel’ of the product. After the prototype is displayed, we gather the client feedback and wireframes are converted into designs. In addition to the wireframes, there will be visual style guides that are turned into detailed user stories. 

Step 5: MVP development and launch

During the product build, a series of iterations focused on specific functionality is executed. In each iteration, there will be drill down activities like analysis, design, construction and user review for specific modules. The programmer analysts will note down the requirements observed during the build.

For each build phases, we utilize different technologies:

  • Project planning applications like Jira, Trello etc.
  • Communication tools like Zoom. Slack etc.
  • Wireframes utility tools like Balsamiq, Mockflow etc.
  • Repositories like GitHub, Bitbucket etc.

A minimum viable product (MVP) with functionalities of the application will give a brief idea of the product for early adopters and investors. The MVP will give a better idea of the product’s market fit. Based on the feedback received from the early adopters and investors, software architecture is updated with necessary modifications.

Step 6: Product development

Based on the feedback received for MVP, a product roadmap is developed. At Webdura, software products, mobile apps and web apps are developed using agile methodology and innovative technology stack. The existing applications and legacy applications are moved to modern operating environments and platforms. During this phase, different processes like product development planning, project setup, project budget, resource allocation, product design, quality approval among others are performed.

Step 7: Testing

After product development, the QA team carries out unit testing of sprint-based deliveries assuring that the product meets the set quality standards. The QA team will make sure that the product is defect-free. Both automated and manual tools are deployed to execute working of the software and system components. Any errors, gaps and missing requirements that are contradictory to the actual ones are immediately resolved, thus ensuring smooth delivery of the final software product.

Step 8: Support and maintenance

Once you start using the software  product in the real world, it will need timely maintenance and support to enable smooth functioning. Such kind of maintenance at times require support services from 3rd party maintenance, OS and server migration, application monitoring and application improvement. 

Idea and into products: The benefits of doing it with Webdura

Choosing a software development company that can understand your software needs and guiding you on how feasible your ideas can be is very critical.

Why should you choose Webdura for converting ideas into products? Following are some reasons why:

  • Faster time to market
  • Cross-platform development
  • Approaches like agile methodology that ensure greater success rate
  • Project prioritization that will make sure that the right resources are working on the right project
  • Comparative analysis between planned and actual specifications
  • Enhanced internal and external collaborations
  • Integrated with social, mobile, and analytics
  • Enterprise integrations
Categories
DEVELOPMENT TECHNOLOGY

A Complete Guide to Hire Offshore Developers

Software development companies are making smart choices in their approach towards executing projects. One such giant leap the companies are making is hiring dedicated software development teams.

By building an offshore development team, the companies will gain access to large talent pools at affordable prices. Software development is having a very high demand globally and the market of proficient offshore software developers are also going to grow exponentially in the future. 

Hiring software development teams requires attention to factors like location, resource quality, accessibility, technical skills, and much more. A recent survey revealed that 72% of the companies preferred software development outsourcing to hiring in-house programmers for software development projects.

Offshore software development companies like Webdura offer access to technology-adept talent pools in a cost-effective manner. Hiring offshore development teams have shown exponential growth in recent statistics.

Why do companies hire offshore developers?

Hiring offshore developers are advantageous to software development companies in a lot of aspects. A few of them are listed below:

Cost efficiency

Surprisingly, hiring dedicated software development teams will cost companies much lesser compared to in-house development teams. On paying a certain amount, the offshore companies shall set up the development team and get the software development going. It will save the company from other expenditures like office infrastructure, salary pays etc. 

Access to skilled resources 

Need access to large technology talent pools? Associate with offshore companies. Companies, particularly startups, often have difficulty in finding experienced resources with sufficient skills. In-house development teams will have limited knowledge on software development projects and this could adversely affect the company operations. Offshore development teams have their skills lying in more than one technology, while managing in-house development teams will have proficiency in a technology or two. Additionally, offshore companies offer you a pool of resources to choose from.

Improved productivity

Can you assume the one factor that improves the employee productivity of dedicated offshore developers compared to in-house teams? The deadline! While in-house teams might lull knowing that their work isn’t going anywhere, offshore developers work hard to achieve the project outcomes within the cut-off point. Additionally, the vendor company will ensure transparency in processes and take care of project management, thus saving a lot more of your time.

Flexible scaling

Say you have in-house development teams. How will you ensure that the teams have flexible scaling? What if you need many developers? What if you need only a few programmers? This flexibility in scaling can be assured in offshore development frameworks. You can increase or decrease the size of your offshore development team as per your requirements. To accomplish project requirements, you can choose the team size and team velocity of offshore developers required for each activity. 

Global expansion 

In a way, you are expanding globally through hiring dedicated software development teams from different countries. The offshore team executes projects under the banner of your company and this is a very cost-effective way of geographical expansion. If you are looking for better market access in a global context, dedicated teams are one of the medium through which you get it. Your choice is not limited to offshore developers alone. You can hire marketing, operations and sales teams for improved product penetration in various markets.

The process of hiring offshore developers 

There are a whole lot of factors to weigh in and meticulously executed before committing to an offshore software development company. 

How is the process of hiring dedicated development teams for your projects carried out? Here’s how…

Establish project requirements > Budget limits > Search the right offshore companies > Contractual agreement

Let us discuss the above points in detail…

Establish project requirements 

The project requirements will encompass different factors like the number of developers required, timeframe and deadline for product launch, what is the team structure and so on. Determining project requirements is important for seamless hiring of offshore developers.

Budget limits

The next step is setting the budget limits. To hire dedicated development teams, you need to decide the budget you are willing to spend on them. The factors that influence the company’s budget allocation are the number of programmers required for the projects and the project timeline. Offshore teams work on projects-basis and hence the spending on such teams is less compared to in-house teams.

Search the right offshore companies

To partner with the right outsourcing company like Webdura which has the experience and expertise in the relevant technologies is very important. Companies either have vast talent pools experienced in different technologies or experts or who are specialised in one particular technology. Based on your project requirements, you can choose the offshore companies that will fit best. You might also want to weigh offshore companies for job posting in different locations and that too within a short period of time.

Contractual agreement

Once you find the offshore company compatible with your organisation, a detailed contract with rules, governing policies and procedures, terms and conditions of the project is prepared and signed. It is best to take maximum recommendations before signing the contract for ensuring a transparent and secure contract with the offshore development company.

Conclusion:

It is very challenging to find an offshore development company. To find the right one among the thousands is painstaking and once you choose the right partner, your software development becomes hassle-free and efficacious. 

You can search the perfect offshore development company through online search or LinkedIn. Make sure that you go through the potential company’s customer reviews before making any direct communications.

You might also find qualified leads through LinkedIn. As a global platform, LinkedIn can be the right place for organisations to cross-verify different offshore development companies.

Categories
DEVELOPMENT TECHNOLOGY

Everything you need to know about healthcare mobile app development

Searching causes, symptoms and solutions to a health problem?  This is the epoch of digitalisation and in a few clicks your phones will display hundreds of health applications. The outbreak of COVID-19 made people largely depend on remote consultation and telemedicine.

Who would have thought that wearables and monitoring devices would keep people away from healthcare centres and hospitals? All diagnosis and medication are available at your fingertips. Technology has so advanced that the healthcare industry is leveraging the maximum benefits.

The demand for mobile apps is skyrocketing and this revolution has attracted investors and entrepreneurs to start and endow in healthcare mobile apps. Healthcare mobile apps are bridging the gap between technologies and people who are benefited within their daily routines and needs. 

The evolution of the internet, smartphones and wearables have paved a new path in the healthcare industry called mHealth. mHealth is a concept of using mobile devices and wireless technologies for healthcare to ensure the healthiness of the people. For example, there are advanced health apps installed on mobile devices and gadgets to monitor the physical condition of a person and  guide them on how to stay fit. There are several main segments of healthcare mobile apps available in the market. Many are intended for diagnosing, monitoring, preventing, controlling and also for treating health conditions anytime anywhere with zero interruption. Medical simulators are also available in markets which have become a main component in the mHealth concept. mHealth apps are expanding and growing daily and the revenue generated by the mobile apps have gone rhapsodically. 

Why do people prefer healthcare apps? 

Nowadays smartphones and wearables act as mobile diagnostic devices. These devices especially help us to stay healthy with the help of advanced technology. The impact these technologies could make during this pandemic times is plethoric. The number of people using these smart health apps have increased immensely because people have become accustomed to using these apps to process their health data on a routine basis.

Healthcare apps and their features

Telemedicine

Healthcare apps are installed on patient’s smartphones to monitor and track health issues. This tracking will help doctors to advise and provide treatment and rehabilitation processes at home itself. Patients can communicate directly with doctors by video consultation or through direct calls. 

Knowledge Acquisition

Mobile has become one of the fastest and easiest platforms to find and browse information. With the help of healthcare apps, people are finding it very easy to search and connect with the healthcare industry, doctors and medical professionals. Doctor’s appointments and waiting at the hospital lobby has now become things of the past. With the availability of healthcare apps and wireless technologies people can connect and talk with doctors from anywhere and get prescriptions updated on their personal dashboards.

Monitoring and Tracking

Using the smartphone or smartwatch we can monitor our daily activities like heart rate, blood sugar, blood oxygen, physical activity and more, and sync it with other medical devices. The data can be shared and transferred to other devices, so that the doctors and medical professionals can track and monitor patient data anytime.

Education and Training

Healthcare mobile solutions support the work of doctors, medical professionals, medical students, and interns of medical universities. Practitioners have to keep a track of a lot of patient information and find it hard to remember all the data stored. Healthcare apps help them to filter and search and manage the patient records effectively and precisely. So it’s not just the patients who benefit from the healthcare app, the healthcare professionals also reap the benefits of such apps.

Benefits of Healthcare apps for Business Owners:

  1. Increased customer loyalty by providing them the best in class experience. Users usually prefer apps which are very user friendly and easy to access the medical data. Make an appointment, view the test results and browse information online at the luxury of their homes.
  2. Create a healthcare app which gel with the customers by offering features like regular notifications about services, news, promotions, special offers, and appointment reminders. This will increase customer retention and convert potential customers to loyal customers.
  3. Attract new customers through app ratings and reviews in the app store.
  4. Save the time of medical professionals by integrating the healthcare app with the clinic’s centralized database. Doctors can track patients’ electronic records, test results and history by reducing the time spent on paperwork and improving the quality of services.
  5. Develop an app that can streamline all the glitches in the medical industry.

Apps for Patients

Healthcare apps for patients are mainly used for scheduling doctor’s appointments, fitness and well being, health management, mental well being, Telemedicine, etc. 

There are apps to:

  1. Reduce anxiety, improve sleep, increase focus and stabilize mental well being.
  2. Stay fit and track the amount of calories to maintain a healthy diet .
  3. Maintain mental health like coping with negative emotions, happiness to enhance life quality and balance work and life to increase productivity.
  4. Monitor weight and improve the overall health of its users.

Healthcare apps-Development process

  1. Design the software
  2. Start software development 
  3. Ideate screen layout
  4. Write code that logically unifies each screen
  5. Provide the interface which connects the front end of the application with the backend where the data is stored. 
  6. Rigorously test the app as it is an important phase in healthcare app development
  7. Integrate points with other systems and services
  8. Test whether data sent/received is correct or not 

Compliance to consider in developing Healthcare app

Healthcare is a vital matter to deal with, so there will be a lot of sensitive information and the audience who uses the app should trust on the safety and security of the app. The developer has to consistently work on every aspect of the app.

Safety and Privacy

Every patient’s medical data is very vital and needs to be secured and preserved. The software developed should be protected against cyber attacks and data breach. The app must comply with international and national privacy requirements and the rules of working with medical data.  

Data encryption

It should be ensured that all patient related data should be shared or transferred through encrypted channels. Developers who work on healthcare app development should ensure that they follow and comply with certain standards. All the data stored in the app should be encrypted and protected from any cyber attacks.

APIs and Integrations

To use wearable technologies the app should be integrated with other devices and tools. When these two components integrate each other the transfer of data should be consistent. 

Multiple devices and channels

Before developing an app we should think about its ROI and growth points. Will it need a website only for marketing purposes or to promote their products. If it is a healthcare app for a clinic or dispensary do we need to integrate with CRM for medical staff and professionals. We need to think over these touch points before developing the app.

Conclusion:

The statistics show some interesting facts about the mobile medical apps market worldwide. In 2017 , the total global market was valued at around 2.4 billion U.S. dollars. It is estimated that the market will grow to over 11 billion dollars by 2025.

So if you feel that it is time to develop a healthcare app, we at  Webdura are all ears! 

Categories
DEVELOPMENT TECHNOLOGY

Top Software Development Trends in 2021

2020 was a year of total uncertainties due to the outbreak of the global pandemic. But it was the period that sped up digital transformation significantly. Software experts are positive that in the coming months of 2021, more of such phenomenal trends in the software development industry can be witnessed.

In 2021, enterprise software development alone had a global spending of 517 billion USD. There are around 23.9 million software developers worldwide. These whopping figures are signs that software industries’ growth will skyrocket in the coming years.

Individuals and businesses depend on software applications to carry out daily tasks- software has a crucial role to play in this Information Age. Therefore it is no wonder that spending on enterprise software had the biggest growth rate in the tech industry in 2020. In 2021, it is expected to grow further. This trend in the enterprise software market has helped in offsetting the pullbacks caused by the COVID-19 outbreak.

Which are the different software development frameworks that helped the IT industry to sustain and further flourish over the last two years? The list is long, but this article limits the depiction to the top trends only.  Let’s have a quick understanding of the software development trends in 2021.

What are the major software trends in 2021?

Cross-platform and Hybrid Development:

Cross-platform development is already a time-saver for a number of industries these days. Studies show that development will be mostly native in 2021. Mobile platforms will have a common back-end code base- thus there will be added functionalities and time to market. 

Cross development engine has back-end code sharing ability as in cross-platform development. This will help businesses achieve impressive results and cross-platform and hybrid development will become businesses’ most-liked  in the coming years.

Cloud Services:

Shifting to the cloud has been one major trend in the IT industry. Of the various cloud services, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform represented around one-third of the overall software market. SaaS has comparatively less total ownership costs. Also, the ease of implementation is very simple compared to the traditional system. For these reasons, the uptrend in the cloud service sector will grow more in 2021 and beyond.

Cloud was the smartest solution to data stockpiling. Businesses are quickly shifting from physical information servers to the cloud. The sooner business becomes a bit of it at the foremost punctual, the better!

AI continues to reign!

AI has supported other technologies in several aspects. Software industry experts opine that the reign of AI will continue as industries are largely into AI adoption.

Forecasts show that AI software will keep up its pace in the software industry in the forthcoming years. AI is a buzzword that will top the technology field and it will become more powerful, and affordable for industries in all levels.

Sectors like E-commerce, healthcare, education, and entertainment apps are expected to integrate deep learning, machine learning, speech processing, and more to ease things up. Looking for solutions that can deliver custom software experiences to your clients? Try AI adoption and see your business progressing in developing custom software cost-effectively for your clients.

Progressive Web Apps (PWA)

What do you prefer? Websites or web apps? Well, websites are easily accessible while web apps have capabilities in terms of functionalities and performance. This is because web apps have the firm support of platform-specific hardware. In this regard, PWA has been gaining attention among the software industries. 

Progressive web apps are still in an infancy state, but have succeeded in becoming a valuable compromise between accessibility and performance. PWA enables users with less data consumption and faster loading time. Web development has been revolutionized with PWA as its app-like features into browser windows.

Internet of Things (IoT)

The internet of things, or IoT, is an advanced computing platform which consists of connected digital devices, systems and objects that are equipped with unique identifiers. 

AI powered devices like Alexa, sensors in cars to alert the driver when the tire pressure is low, and a continuous glucose monitoring system to alert a diabetic patient when the glucose levels are low are a few examples of IoT.

Many organizations in a variety of industries are using IoT to streamline their operations and perform effectively to understand end users in order to increase the value of business and stay as the main players in the market.

An IoT platform comprises smart devices that use embedded systems, such as data processors, sensors and communication hardware which captures, transmits and responds to the data they receive from surroundings.

Continuous Integration and Deployment (CI/CD)

CI/CD is an important technique in software development. It reduces the time cycle of app delivery and ensures frequent and effective bug fixing. By enabling CI/CD in software development models, developers can experiment in software development and find more scope for creating flexible apps. 

Continuous delivery refers to app production for thorough testing and continuous deployment refers to automatic updating. 

Codes have a shared repository that is tested for enabling continuous delivery. Thus developers can improve software functionalities and deliver products faster. IT experts believe that more industries will have stories of CI/CD adoption journeys to share in the coming years. 

Low-code Development

Software development and digital solutions were once under the spectrum of dedicated teams of software developers and architects. As an expensive solution, such services could be leveraged only by large-sized businesses. With low coding platforms, businesses of any size could utilize the simplified version of traditional complex programming languages. 

Low code platform had the capabilities to revolutionize the global software market. How can low-code development fortify the software market? It offers automation and enables developers to deploy simple interfaces for new app building. Also, these development platforms require low operational costs, reduced time and effort for creating intelligent apps. 

Conclusion:

The current trends show that programming languages appearing at the vanguard of software development are on the cards. The software industry will witness new technologies emerging and some of the 2020 buzzwords declining. Software development has always seen high competition impacting a multitude of sectors. It is beyond doubt that it will continue to grow and become more diversified in the approaching years.

Categories
DEVELOPMENT TECHNOLOGY

Biometric Authentication with React Native in Android and iOS

The IT experts are reckoning biometric authentication to be the future of business, especially in industries like digital banking for identity verification. This is totally unlike legacy authentication techniques. 

So what is biometric identification? It is a security process for verifying a particular user’s identity through unique biological traits like retina, fingerprint, facial patterns, voice etc. This technique has tremendous potential to double ensure enterprise security. This ground-breaking innovation provides enterprises instant behavioral biometrics profiles and detailed insight into all activities.

Why is biometric identification important for people and industries?

In today’s world, biometric authentication is a regular thing that people come across. There are various settings in which this technology is deployed. These days, most of the companies have integrated various biometric identification systems to authorize employee entry into their premises- this way the office management can ensure there is no unauthorized access to their assets and infrastructure. 

By 2022, 96.8% biometric verification device users are evaluated to download biometric applications. As an individual, most of you must be doing biometric authentication on a frequent basis because your Android/iOS phones demand for it. If you want your phone to be secure through biometric verification, you can imagine how important it can be for industries handling sensitive data!

Industries that handle highly sensitive information like Research & Development, pharmaceutical laboratories, banking & insurance, and others have the highest demand for such biometric authentication software and systems. Many countries have multi-level biometric verifications implemented for military and defence personnels and is one innovative technology you can count on to protect the entire nation’s security.

Since its instigation, biometric authentication has evolved the way it operates. There has been new technologies and software developed for making biometric authentication as unique and superlative as possible.

Sectors, especially the mobile banking sector, are actively looking for biometric applications to dodge the increasing identity thefts and other illegal crawl-ins to their network.

React Native is one such technology that has been a game-changer in the field of biometric authentication. Here is how biometric authentication with React Native in Android and iOS helped industries and individuals in ensuring security.

Biometric Authentication with React Native

React Native in android and iOS enable different multi-factor authentication (MFA) for security. 

Why is React Native is preferred by developers for biometric authentication? Firstly, this native application development framework allows the re-usage of 95% of the code. It requires the installation of only a single line of  Touch ID. Earlier, Face ID and face recognition had different libraries for different OS. Lately, iOS and Android have common libraries. This way the developers can narrow down their discussions to platform-centric interfaces. 

React Native is resourceful in terms of providing an extensive range of libraries and components for backing React Native mobile application developments. Additionally, the integrating ability of React Native apps with other APIs for carrying out tasks like signing in with Facebook , accessibility to phone gyroscope, access to phone contacts and much more makes it everyone’s first choice.

How to implement biometric authentication?

For iOS:

Implement biometric authentication through access control on stored content of Keychain Services. The process is executed at the hardware and OS level. Hence the exposure to illicit application layers. Also, deploying Mobile Device Management (MDM) technology allows to mitigate probable threats and security risks in iOS.

  1. Use react-native-keychain package and it’s type declaration as your project dependency.
  2. Link the libraries either through automatic linking and native linking.
  3. Temporarily remove Podfile under the iOS folder and run react-native-link and run linking command.
  4. Undo Podfile deletion and add the key value pair.
  5. Rebuild your project.
  6. Check if the user’s iOS supports the capability before user authentication with Touch/Face ID.
  7. After confirming device capabilities, save content in the keychain and set access control flags. This content in the keychain might be the user credentials and is encrypted.
  8. Initiate Touch/Face ID authentication prompt by trying to access earlier stored keychain value.
  9. Once the authentication becomes successful, a user name, password and service will be generated.

For Android and other OS:

For Android and other Operating Systems like Windows, Fire Cloud Messaging (FCM) is the common platform that provides a secure key for peer-to-peer communication. In Android, authentication key generation is done through FCM. Here is the step-by-step detailing of how it is done:

  1. Install/ update the latest Android studio version.
  2. Set project requirements like version. requirements, Gradle files etc.
  3. Set up an emulator to run the app with Google. Play services installed.
  4. Using Google account, sign in to Firebase.
  5. Create a Firebase project
    1. Register app with Firebase.
    2. Goto Firebase console.
    3. Setup workflow by clicking on the Android icon/Add app.
    4. In the Android package name field, add the app’s package name alongside other information.
    5. Click Register app.
  6. Add Firebase configuration file
    1. Add Firebase configuration file to your app by obtaining Firebase Android configuration file and moving configuration file to the app level directory of your app.
    2. Firebase products in your app can be enabled using Gradle files. In the project level Gradle file, add rules for including Google Service Gradle plugin. In the app level Gradle file, apply Google Service Gradle plugin.
  7. Including Firebase SDKs to apps
    1. The dependency for the Firebase Cloud Messaging Android library in app level Gradle file needs to be declared.
    2. Ensure that all declared dependencies have necessary versions by syncing the apps.
  8. App manifest edits:
    1. Extend Firebase messaging service to receive notifications in foreground apps, for data payload reception and upstream message delivery.
    2. Use metadata elements to set notification icons and colour. Default  channels can be created and set with basic settings, if there is a need for creating their own default channel. However these two are optional.
  9. Device registration token 
    1. A registration token for the app is required for the initial setting-up phase of your app. Accessing the device registration token is required for single device or device clusters.
  10. Retrieve present registration token 
  11. Detect token generation 
  12. Look for Google play services: Prior to accessing Google Play services features, check reconcilable Google Play services APK.
  13. Block auto initialisation: To prevent token auto-generation, Analytics collection and FCM auto-initialisation must be disabled 

Conclusion:

To reduce the fear of false identity and intrusion of hackers, enabling biometric authentication is a highly favouring factor. Webdura has projects like Curl IQ that makes excellent deployment of biometric authentication in apps. In case you need a group of techies experienced in biometric authentication projects, you have the communication details right in this page. Feel free to contact team Webdura to avail our outstanding IT/ITeS services.