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.

Categories
DEVELOPMENT TECHNOLOGY

Factors that Affect Software Development

Software development has been a life-saver for companies and the general public for quite a while now. The global spending on software development in 2021 alone is 517 billion US dollars. Also, a whopping 935.2 billion US dollars is the forecasted mobile app revenue worldwide- needless to say, mobile app development is here to stay for a long while. 

When companies and businesses emerge to build a software, they understand the value it brings and how it can easily automate their tasks and reduce the effort needed.

One point missing here is they lack the skill to play the game and how it works, the fund required and set the expectations to fulfill the vision. They are confused sometimes with ROI and objectives they define. The knack of software development is gained over a long period of time.However, with thorough research and market analysis , new players in the software development market can master software development in a matter of some time dedicated to the same.

In order to achieve successful software development, businesses need to think and analyze the solution a couple of stages ahead. Critical assessment of  work timelines, when they will be able to complete the project to get a focus on the overall budget etc. are important factors to be weighed in.

Key factors that influence the cost of Software development services are:

  1. Complexity 
  2. Functionality
  3. Third Party Integrations
  4. Additional Costs

Each of these factors are explained in detail below:

 

  • Complexity

 

The main important thing which the client should understand is what is the expected outcome from the project. 

  • What kind of software are they planning to build?
  • Do they have well defined requirements in place?
  • Any gaps, uncertainties and unknowns which need to be closed

If the client is not sure on the scope and the cost, it is better to put some effort into analyzing the scope and budget before entering the development phase. 

Also if there is a new technology or design proposed for development it is very important for the team to understand and learn so that complexity of the project can be measured. In addition to this if the software requires a high security element in its design then it will need extra development effort and cost to incur.

 

  • Functionality

 

If the application is having more features and functionalities then the cost will be on the higher side. To work on more complex projects we need to involve more members to the team thus investing more hours into the project. 

Every function of software, especially complex workflows should be completed by the developer and verified. Some specific features require extra effort for development and also testing is a main part. Developers should ensure that the software is working as expected and in alignment with the requirements.

Sometimes building a complex app would require senior developers into the project. So their hourly rates will be much higher than junior developers. This will increase the cost because the more complex the project is it would require more effort and time.

As a client you should know the complexity and consider all these factors before building the desired piece of software. So you can get a hold of the grip on the work and resources allocated to the project.

 

  • Third Party Integrations

 

Third party integration is also one of the major factors that will affect the cost of the software development process. If the client requires integration with multiple third party applications, like CRM or payment solutions and HR tools then it will require additional effort thus increasing the cost of the project.

Some third party integrations can be simple. But others require effort and the dev team needs to spend some time to analyze, investigate and verify the results.

 

  • Additional Costs

 

When a development is started there will be additional costs like:

  • Writing an extra service in completing a functionality that isn’t related to the dev team hourly rate
  • Changes or new requirements based on feedback from Business
  • DB structure change and design
  • License cost when we use specific software
  • Maintenance fees like security updates, small fixes and support
  • Data migration which requires restructuring and refactoring the data.

Outsourcing Software Development to Webdura

At Webdura, client satisfaction is of utmost importance. Our team understands that clients prioritize cost predictability, and time management. Based on this understanding, we usually follow 2 type of contract models in software development: 

  1. TnM- Time and Material
  2. Fixed cost 

If clients and businesses are not sure which one to choose, our team will guide them through the process and help them  understand which is the best path they can choose for software development. Our expert professionals shall explain the benefits of both the models and provide recommendations so that clients can make a wise and optimal software development decision. If you wish to do software development in a transparent, quality-centric and highly professional manner, you can contact Webdura, rest assured that you will get value for your money.

Conclusion:

After the pandemic, the software industry is anticipated to have a rapid growth. Many companies belt-tightened during the economic downturn resulting in smaller budgets allocated for software solutions- this has led to market contraction in the year 2020. Contradictorily, the pandemic has also proved how handy digital mediums can be! Software development is  the motor of digital transformation and the experts ensure that the software industry will play an ever-greater role in the coming years, far more than what is projected for the year 2021.

When you consider the market segment, application software (designed for end users to perform specific functions) occupy most of the software sphere.Industry-wise SaaS takes the forefront and is expected to reach 138.3 billion US dollars in 2022.

As digitalization deepens through such mediums, Webdura is largely allocating our budgets in the field of application development and subscription-based model like SaaS in the forthcoming years. If you are looking for the best software development companies around you, you are looking in the right page!

Categories
DEVELOPMENT TECHNOLOGY

In-House vs Outsourcing Software Development: Which Practice to Follow?

To build a software or application, there are a lot of business and technical decisions involved. The development of an idea after necessary market research itself is a painstaking process. Deciding whether a company should outsource software development or do it in-house can be equally painstaking. Based on our previous project experiences and some research, we present this article to our audience to better understand whether a company doing software development should choose in-house or outsource.

Firstly, let us understand the factors that has to be weighed in before making any decisions:

  • Finding the technical team
  • Time, money, infrastructure and other resources
  • Rent, equipment, software licenses and other administrative expenses
  • Taxes and other costs of software development
  • Hiring team effort and time associated with interviews, onboarding and training

To choose in-house or outsource for software development, all the above factors are resultant from two fundamental factors namely project requirements and objectives. On that note, let us have a brief understanding of the pros and cons of in-house and outsourced software development.

Advantages of in-house development

Company-fit:

Companies will have much more attention-paying teams if they are hired on a permanent basis. Their actions will be more result-oriented and motivation-driven. In-house team can perfectly sync with the company values and objectives.

Clear communication channel:

The communication channels will be unambiguous if the company has in-house development teams. Direct communications will assuredly avoid any misunderstandings and boost potency between the teams.

Change management:

When there are changes in project requirements, in-house teams can quickly pace up with the changes and incorporate it correctly in the project. This will ensure the happening of adding new features and discussing technical backgrounds promptly. Quickly managing changes means quicker bug fixes and better project outcomes.

Disadvantages of in-house development

High cost:

High cost is one disadvantage associated with in-house software development. It costs a comparatively lesser amount to cooperate with the vendor. Like already mentioned, the administrative and hiring expenses can cost you some amount.. Sick days, benefits and other additional perks given to employees are also cost-consuming factors affecting the company.

Workforce instability 

Developers will have the tendency to change their jobs because there is a high demand for skilled professionals in the market. When developers are offered better packages and working conditions, they might go for that option. This will put companies in situations where they have to find new software developers. Until you find the right developers, the project will possess the risk of either getting ceased or sluggish.

Inadequate technical experts:

The IT industry will never be low on the requirements of talented tech professionals. Finding the right talent and hiring them for different projects is a tough task for software industries. Even if companies find the right talent, the next challenge would be whether or not they will fit into their planned budget. This becomes harder due to the tough competition offered by competitor companies.

Some interesting facts:

Advantages of outsourcing software development

Low cost:

Companies will have access to talent pools across the globe and most of them are at affordable prices. There are plenty of skilled teams in the western and eastern countries that companies can rely on to execute their software development process at less rates. 

Access to talent pools:

Comka kes will have access to experienced and talented professionals with global exposure. Hiring them is a plain sailing process for software industries. Your company will have access to limitless talent pools from which the company can filter the most appropriate talents for carrying out the software development process.

Scalability:

You can downsize or upsize the team velocity based on the tasks pending/completed in the pipeline. Scalability is one of the biggest advantages of outsourcing as companies can rightsize teams based on the task status. If there are no tasks, the companies can cut down the outsourced employees without any difficulties.

Quick project completion:

No time needs to be spent on recruiting teams and this is saving companies a significant amount of time. As projects demand, if your company needs faster project delivery, then there is an option to collaborate with more specialists through outsourcing. You pay only for the service of professionals availed. This is contributing fairly towards time to market expenses.

Access to technology pool:

You might be looking for a professional who is knowledgeable in a particular technology. In your region, such kinds of professionals may be lacking. Through outsourcing, you will have access to lots of qualified professionals around the world. This way outsourcing can ensure smooth traction of the software development process.

Why hire software developers at Webdura?

Webdura has offices in India with skilled workforce carrying out projects in different degrees. We have the time, infrastructure and dedicated teams to execute different software development projects. 

We have the following reasons to produce a to why hire software developers at Webdura:

  • Our team is proficient in English and can make the communication channel clearly expressed 
  • We can ensure that you are in perfect synchronisation with us in case if we work from locations of different time zones. The updates regarding the software development process shall be duly communicated by our team.
  • Webdura employees are trained in building applications and websites using futuristic technologies. We ensure that their knowledge and skills are consistently updated through different workshops, induction sessions and conferences.
  • We follow an agile approach for software development for ensuring the products we develop undergo a CI/CD approach. As per the requirement from the client, we also plot different project models like Kanban, and Waterfall among others.
  • Resource augmentation is critical for us and we align our team as per the clients work culture and project complexity.
  • Processes our software developers follow the seven most important components of SDLC namely analysis and planning, requirement gathering, designing and prototyping, software development, testing, deployment and maintenance.

Conclusion:

Choosing in-house or outsourced employees are purely based on company discretion. The nature of projects and technical backup needed are determinant factors of this decision. Outsourced software development services can cut costs, save time and utilise competent professionals. If you feel that your projects need some bail out of Webdura’s outsourced services , you can always contact us here and our team will reach out to you in no time!

Categories
DEVELOPMENT TECHNOLOGY

Mobile App Development: A Step-by-step Guide

Why should IT industries invest in mobile app development? The mobile app development is having a resonating phase in the IT industry. It is one of the reasons that keeps them going with a high ROI. The microprocessing technologies are so progressing that the scope of running mobile applications on various platforms are also progressing parallely. 

What is Mobile App Development?

Developing applications that run on mobile devices is what mobile app development is all about. The apps are either pre-installed in the devices or installed by the user as and when required. Using the internet connectivity, these apps process remote computing resources. 

The mobile app development is about enabling the backend data fetching functionalities through APIs alongside developing the front-end face of the software for installing in devices. These applications are then finally tested in target devices before pushing to market.

What are the factors to consider for developing scalable mobile apps? Screen size, hardware and software requirements are some of the factors to be weighed in. 

To develop scalable mobile apps, you also need to consider screen sizes, hardware requirements, and many other aspects of the app development process.

Which are the Mobile App Development Platforms?

  • iOS for Apple devices
  • Android for OEM/Google manufactured devices

Different SDKs are used for different platforms. While iOS is Apple’s exclusive platform, Android is for companies that meet the specific requirements of Google.

Which are the App Development Alternatives?

To develop Mobile Apps, you have the following alternative approaches:

  • Native Mobile Applications 
  • Cross-platform Native Mobile Application 
  • Hybrid Mobile Applications 
  • Progressive Mobile Application 

Mobile App Development Process:

To build a Mobile App, following are the steps involved:

  1. Strategy 

You have to define the objective of developing an app. A strategy properly formulated will save time and money for the company. Hence, following are the questions that are asked during strategy formulation:

  • Brainstorming session with your team for app idea
  • Do thorough market research and technology stack planning 
  • Define Minimum Viable Product (MVP) for primary feedback of your product and necessary feature upgrading

With these stages answered, we transit to the next stage of mobile app development process:

  1. Analysis & Planning 

Use cases and functional requirements are defined during this stage. Once this is done, product roadmap and delivery milestones are set. On analysis, if you feel concerned about the time, cost or resources, then you can define MVP and make necessary changes before the initial launch.

Based on the app development initiative, you have to set up the team. For instance , based on the platform on which the Mobile app is built, your team should have iOS and Android developers.

Select an app name and make sure it is aligned with domain names. Make enough research to ensure that your app’s name is not already in use.

 

  • UI/UX Design

 

Users have to benefit from different features of mobile apps. In order to create outstanding user experience, mobile development companies should have unique UI/UX design. Your app has to be interactive, intuitive and user-friendly. For a mobile app, UI design will facilitate early adoption of your app and UX design will facilitate user engagement.

Information Architecture and Workflow:

The primary stage of mobile app development is to frame the data your mobile app will display to the users, the data it will collect, user interaction with end-product and user journey within the app. The user roles and privileges are vital information of the mobile app’s information architecture. Through workflow diagrams, you will have a clear-cut idea of user interaction and user journey within the app.

Wireframes:

The app designer team comes up with conceptual layouts to generate a visual structure of the mobile app’s functional requirements. During the wireframing stage, emphasis is given to user experience rather than the visual features (colour, style etc.) of the mobile app. In the design review process, wireframing has profound importance in determining app’s design layouts in an iterative manner. Another factor to take into account while wireframing is the device specifications to make the app all the more attractive with respect to user experience. 

Style Guides:

The design standards on par with company branding principles are documented in Style Guide. This includes text font, color scheme, app design that will reflect company brand etc.This documentation can boost the productivity of the mobile app developers as they are certain of what they should do. To make your app look consistent, it is important that you follow Apple and Google guidelines for iOS and Android apps respectively.

Mockups:

Design team develops a high-fidelity visual design for your app. Mockups are created by applying the style guide on the created wireframe. During the progression of the designing stage of the app, the team will face necessary modifications essential for its information architecture, workflow and other technicalities. At Webdura, we use photoshop for creating mockups for our mobile app development projects.

Prototype:

What is expected from the finished product is what Prototype is all about. It can be very helpful for enhancing User Experience and application workflow. Even though Prototype can consume lots of time, it can enable early testing and validating of the app. This way mobile app designers can make necessary upgrading to the app’s functionalities. 

 

  • App Development 

 

In a mobile app development, there are three important parts namely Backend technology, API and Frontend 

Backend Technology: Choosing database and server technologies that supports the mobile application functionalities is important. If an existing backend platform is chosen, then appropriate modifications are required to achieve the desired mobile functionalities.

API: Certain applications need to communicate with other servers or databases to accomplish functionalities of various mobile features. This is set up through APIs.

Frontend: Frontend is all about what users see and is set up using miscellaneous technologies. Certain mobile applications need API and backend while certain other applications need only databases offered by platforms to function.

We have projects that have various programming languages for building mobile apps. Our team researches the programming language and supporting technologies apposite for each app. Webdura has mobile apps like Lyringo, Wuyers, CurlIQ, Trova and Eat It In built on native apps. We deploy Flutter, Swift programming or React Native for iOS apps and Java, Flutter or React Native for Android apps.

  1. Testing 

Our team tests the app to check the responsiveness of the app to user requests, loading time of app screens, battery consumption and memory leaks if any, network bandwidth leveraging capability etc.

Our team performs testing on various aspects like:

  • User experience testing 
  • Functional testing
  • Performance testing
  • Alpha-Beta testing 
  • Certification testing
  • Security testing 
  • Device and platform testing
  • Automation testing

 

  • Deployment and Support

 

Once the development is done, the apps need to be submitted to the Play/App stores. For this, we create developer accounts for launching the mobile apps. App’s metadata like App Title, Description, Category, Keywords, Launch Icon and App/Play Store screenshots are submitted.

iOS takes a few days or few weeks for reviewing the app submitted. Android will get the review done in a matter of a few hours.

Once the app is live in stores, the performance analytics and KPIs are measured for reviewing the app’s success. To ensure user engagement, we prompt end-user support and frequent upgrading. Mobile applications have to go through the submission and review process each time they release new versions unlike web applications. Our projects are all built on Native Mobile Apps and it is very important for us to stay on top of technological advancements and update our app for new mobile devices and OS platforms to stay ahead.

For mobile app development projects, we follow the Agile model of software development. This can enable the incorporation of changes in the scope of the mobile app in an iterative manner. This way the mobile app development process can keep up with the rapidly changing expectations and standards.

Conclusion 

Webdura has always advertised React Native and Flutter based mobile apps pretty much. We have food delivery app ‘Eat It In’, language learning app ‘Lyringo’, online gig platform ‘Trova’, AI-powered beauty care app ‘CurlQ’ are all outcomes of our interest and investment in mobile app development. Our apps can function on iOS/Android mobile devices and websites.

Each of these apps are made with the intention of making the efforts of businesses and its target audiences simpler and smarter. In the coming days, we hope to give our end users an upgraded version of our mobile apps that run smoothly on both mobiles and desktops.

Mobile app industry is growing and it is important that entrepreneurs, industries, developers and all stakeholders understand the process thoroughly. At Webdura, our mobile app development has certain set goals like minimal uninstalls, delivering best user experience, outperforms the competitors, and attaining financial benefits in the long run. 

Our team puts in every effort to keep our mobile apps meet the industrial needs and ensure customer engagement in every phase and we have a satisfied and growing customer base in the aftermath. 

 

Categories
DEVELOPMENT TECHNOLOGY

How to Implement In-app Purchase in React Native?

The Android and iOS platforms have In-app purchase abilities. This blog is for helping our readers understand the In-app purchase capabilities of Android/iOS phones. In-app React Native can give the basic features needed. However it alone cannot support your mobile app development process. This is why you need implementation of In-app purchase. While implementing In-app purchases in the mobile app, there are two sides involved namely client side and server side. What are the processes involved in In-app React Native? Here is how… 

A Summary of The In-app React Native Process:

  1. Product is created in Play Store/ App console using unique product ID
  2. Using product ID, product subscription details are created
  3. Subscription details (like plan amount, subscription period etc.)  will be displayed on app side using react-native-iap package
  4. Plan chosen by user is updated in App and Play Stores’ using react-native-iap package
  5. Subscription flow is completed as a functionality in App/Play stores
  6. After payment, app is confirmed and user is authenticated
  7. The user should make the necessary updates in the server
  8. The user should update the generated subscription ID from the receipt in the server
  9. After making the updates in the server, the corresponding updates are made in the app side too
  10. After completing the subscription flow, user can make use of the subscribed functionalities in the app
  11. On completing subscription, App/Play Store cancellation is done if required and a notification is sent to the server. If the subscription is cancelled, it needs to be updated in the app side as well.
  12. The subscription gets automatically re-subscribed after the subscription period in auto renewal. NOTE: iOS has previous purchase receipts stored in the system and hence renewal is hassle- free unlike Android.

In-app Purchase Product Creation

Your in-app purchases need to have products like subscriptions that can be presented to the app users. So it is important that you create one or more products through your accounts in App Store Connect for iOS and Google Play Store console for Android.

The implementation of in-app purchase in your application are done using the following steps:

  • Configure in-app purchase in Google Play console/App Store Connect
  • Set up the in-app React Native library in React Native

Configuring in-app purchase for iOS:

  • Log in to the iOS account
  • Fill out paid applications contract from the link available in ‘Agreements, Tax and Banking’
  • Click on ‘Apps’ in ‘My Apps’ section of App Store account to list your app
  • Click on ‘Features’ and you will then land on ‘In-app Purchases’ section
  • Select the in-app purchase product using the ‘+’ button
  • Select ‘Non-Consumable’ type and select Create
  • Select the price corresponding to the specific purchase by entering App Store information 
  • Enter the purchase’s review information and click ‘Save’
  • In App control panel, go to ‘Commerce’ section
  • Copy paste your product ID from App Store Connect to the iOS Product ID field and click ‘Add’ button to save

Configure in-app purchase for Android:

  • Log in to your Google account
  • Select ‘Settings’ from left menu
  • Activate your merchant account from this page
  • Obtain license/ billing key from your Google developer account
  • Select ‘All Applications’ and select the app for which you are going to apply the in-app purchase to
  • Select ‘Services and APIs’ under ‘Development Tools’
  • Copy license key to the section titled ‘Your license key for this application’
  • Upload license key to the ‘Commerce’ section of your app’s control panel and click on ‘App Listing’
  •  Select ‘In-app Products’ from the menu under the ‘Store Presence’ tab
  • Ensure ‘Managed Products’ is selected and click ‘Create Managed Products’
  • Enter Product ID, title and description and then set status as ‘Active’
  • Set ‘Price’ and click ‘Save’
  • To add product ID to your app control panel, click ‘Commerce’ from the left menu
  • Copy paste your product ID from the Google Developer account into the Google Play Product ID field and click ‘Add’

Configure the In-app React Native Library in React Native:

In-app purchases for both Android and iOS platforms, there is a React Native module library. This is done for gaining experience between the two platforms. By running appropriate commands in the project terminal for installing In-app React Native. 

In iOS, developers install pods to complete the linking. Once the purchase for In-app is finished, the code part in React Native should be checked. For this, first we should import React Native In-app and define the product’s Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) separately for Android and iOS. Then the products subscriptions also need to be defined separately for Android and iOS. After this you can proceed and fetch your In-app purchase products using appropriate commands.

Testing In-app Purchases

The functionality of the In-app purchase in the app must be tested. This is done by sample purchase of the product by any user. 

In iOS, sandbox tester is used for testing. Select ‘Sandbox Tester’ under ‘User & Roles’ section in iTunes. Add a new user with some basic details as the tester. With the entered details, any product can be purchased without paying money on iOS. Now the tester can test the functionality of the In-app purchase in the iOS app.

In Android, tester is added in the following way: In the Play Store console, open ‘Settings’ and click the ‘Account Detail’ tab. Under it select ‘License Testing’ and enter the email ID of the user to be added as the tester. This tester account created can be now used to test In-app purchase. To test In-app purchase, make sure that the Android build must be in release mode because it cannot be tested in debug build.

What are the Benefits of React Native for Mobile App Development?

  • Money and time saved because of its Android and iOS compatibility 
  • Improved performance in cross-platform hybrid technologies 
  • Greater flexibility to update and upgrade
  • Moveable to other frameworks 
  • Code changes can be viewed immediately 
  • Faster update publishing for Apps
  • Existing app can be augmented without rewriting the app

Conclusion:

Webdura has always had a positive experience in React Native. We believe it is the best framework for mobile app development. Lyringo, the language learning app that Webdura developed is done with React Native framework. We guarantee this framework is a very cost-effective way and helps in slashing the mobile development expenses by half. This rapid application framework has made our mobile apps reliable, swift and scalable. React Native has supported various other mobile app development projects in Webdura.

Our clients have also shared positive feedback with us for React Native based main ole apps developed. As far as our support team is concerned, the support required for maintaining the apps developed in React Native framework is much less. So what we are implying here is that there is every reason to say yes to React Native mobile development!

Categories
DEVELOPMENT TECHNOLOGY

Quality Assurance: A Key Index for Measuring Product Performance!  

When you use a product the first thing that comes up in your mind is quality. Quality cannot be compromised and the USP for all companies and manufacturers is the quality of their products. Webdura too has various QA tools and techniques for assuring quality in software development that guarantees end-user satisfaction. 

At Webdura, once an application is developed our team ensures that the application is tested with reference to a multitude of aspects by carrying out quality assurance practices. We do QA with the ultimate goal of user satisfaction and shrewd products. Our QA team takes the initiative and thinks in the perspective of the user and sees how quality can be enhanced for each product. 

What is Quality Assurance?

Quality assurance is the process of checking and testing a product before releasing it to the market or the end user. This will ensure that the product is devoid of defects and issues and it is ready to roll.

QA Strategies: The Process of Quality Assurance

QA has different components and the QA strategy at Webdura is executed as depicted below:

  1. Requirement Analysis:

            Analyzing the requirements and defining the    scope 

  1. Test Planning:

            Create Test plan document and define the test cases with traceability matrix

  1. Test Design:

            How the test cases will be executed- Manual or Automation and test scenarios

  1. Environment Setup:

            Setup Dev, QA for stakeholders to test and verify the test cases.

  1. Test Execution:

            Execute the test cases manually and through automation if required 

  1. Test Closure:

             Passing all the test cases and sign off from QA

We carry out testing in multiple phases. It starts with developers testing the software or source codes created. It is called the unit testing phase. During unit testing, our developers ensure that the functionality or feature which is developed aligns with the requirement and working as expected. At this point if there is a need for change in design, we induce it. Once it is done then the code is deployed for peer review. The code review is done by the peer or the lead who verifies the code for assessing whether it is written as per the requirements and the coding standards. 

Once the peer review is done the developer deploys the code into the QA environment for the Tester (QA) to verify the application. 

Our QA will be ready with the test design, test cases and test data to start verifying the functionality or the feature developed. Our QA assumes the role of a product owner who captures and is fully aware of the end to end working and UI flow of the application. There will be a checklist or test data document to mark and confirm on the test cases and confirmed as passed or failed. After QA testing, the tester will provide the percentage of quality on which the application is working. 

Once the QA starts testing, we ensure that the application is working in alignment with the requirements. QA will verify each functionality, UI components, content and integration points. The tester will raise and inform the development team if there are any defects found while testing. QA will include both happy flow and negative test cases in the test design. The quality of a product depends on the skill of the QA who tests the application. 

For us, QA plays a major role in ensuring quality and readiness of the product developed. The product can be released only if QA signs off and UAT is done. During debugging, our QA spots and clears logical and analytical errors spotted. The identified bugs during testing are tracked in a bug tracking system. At Webdura, our QA tracks the bug detected in Jira dashboard.

Which are the Different Types of Testing?

Webdura has different testing strategies for different projects. For example, alpha-beta testing is done for the food delivery app ‘Eat It In’. In case of our online gig platform- Trova- functionality, UI , performance and security testing are done. Since it is an E-commerce platform, there are certain security constraints as we have less control over the third parties in the platform. However, our team makes every effort to keep the app tested and minimize bugs.

There are number of testing levels and the different types of Software Testing includes:

  1. Unit testing
  2. Integration testing 
  3. Regression testing
  4. Smoke testing
  5. User Acceptance testing
  6. Business testing
  7. Performance testing
  8. Unit Testing

Unit Testing

Unit testing is mainly done by the programmer to verify if the loop, method or function is working fine based on an individual unit or a group of interrelated units.

In our online gig platform- Trova, Webdura had frequently updated new features. These new features are added to the product as and when clients demand or as per the latest updates required for the software. During this time, our developers conduct unit testing for already existing features as well as newly induced features to make certain that the features act in perfect sync. Through positive testing, QA double-ensures that the features work without any flaws.

  1. Integration testing

Our team checks and confirms whether the integration request provided is correct and the response received is complete. The APIs will be written and configured properly. Integration testing is very important and our QA checks whether the request and response is correct and the flow is successfully completed.

In Wuyers, the food app, third party integration for making payments with the bank was involved and we did integration testing to check the responsiveness of this feature. We ensure that the testing starts from one point and ends in another system without thereby ensuring there are no gaps.

  1. Regression Testing

When a new module, feature and an enhancement is added to an existing software, Regression testing should be done. This is done mainly to ensure that changes in the software does not affect the proper working of the components.

Trova has daily feature updating and in the process our QA takes care to avoid bugs from getting repeated with the help of regression testing..

  1. Smoke Testing

This is a trial run to check whether there are no major defects and blockers in the application which is planned for a release.

  1. User Acceptance Testing (UAT)

UAT is done prior to release by the Business Analyst/ Product Owner with the QA in order to ensure that all the requirements are covered and checked. UAT is done by the user. The language learning app, Lyringo takes in client satisfaction at every single point of time and issues are resolved with immediate effect.

  1. Performance Testing

This testing is done to know the speed and time taken to complete a flow based on the load given to the application. Performance testing is done to measure the effectiveness of the application and we do it using JMeter.

  1. Business Testing

End to End testing done by Business to ensure that all the expectations are met and in line with the requirements to release to Market.

Manual Testing

Manual testing is a type of software testing in which test cases are executed manually by the tester from an end user’s perspective. QA writes a script and checks whether the functionality is working. If there is a bug, the script won’t be read.

Different types of Manual testing

  • Smoke testing
  • Cross browser testing
  • Acceptance testing
  • Usability testing
  • Device testing

Automation testing

Automation testing is another type of Software testing in which test cases are automated with the help of an automation tool. There will be no human interference and less interaction with the system as the tool will automate the test cases in order to achieve greater speed and efficiency. Automation test is done after ensuring that the functions, keys, features are stable.

Advantages of Automation testing

  1. Reduce testing effort and time
  2. Better quality software
  3. Higher test coverage for large test cases
  4. Eliminate Human error
  5. Better insights
  6. Reusability of test suites
  7. Brings usability to apps

Tools used for Automation testing are mainly Selenium, Cyprees for functionality testing and Appium done using Postman.  Selenium is an open source web based testing tool which provides a portable testing framework for web applications. It automates browsers for automating web applications for testing. 

Appium is an open source automation tool primarily used for Mobile app testing. It helps in automation of native, hybrid and mobile web apps built in both iOS and Android. Through a simulator and emulator, and plugins, application performance is assessed in different environments.

Conclusion:

Webdura has different testing strategies for different projects. Undertaking different types of testing and assuring quality is very important to us. User satisfaction by making intelligent software applications is the ultimate aim of our logical testing and prompt bug fixing. Webdura has a flexible QA practice and takes in feedback at every client checkpoints. Webdura projects are based on agile methodology and hence QA has a vital role to play. 

Categories
DEVELOPMENT TECHNOLOGY

Can Node JS be the Ideal Solution for Your Projects?

You are starting a project and you have reached our blog because you searched for Node JS. We presume that you want to know whether or not Node JS can be applied for your project?! With a downright majority of applications deploying JavaScript environments, we can give you plentiful reasons why you should go for Node JS implementation in your organization.

What is Node JS? 

Node JS is an open-source, cross-platform programming language. It runs on the V8 JavaScript, which makes the crux of Google Chrome outside of the browser. This particular feature adds on to its swift buildability and creating scalable network applications that set the parameters of its core performance areas.

Node JS works on event ridden asynchronous input-output models- this makes it suitable for developing data-intensive applications that can be run across a multitude of devices in real time. It can support multiple connections without the requirement of a large memory track.

At Webdura, we merge Node JS with other application development frameworks and no projects are run single-handedly on Node JS.

What are the uses of Node JS?

It might be surprising when we say that NodeJS is not merely restricted to building website applications, but can also be used for the implementation of various services like:

  • Frontends
  • Backends and servers
  • API development
  • Automation and scripting 

Node JS Architecture

In the IT industry, you will come across various server languages and frameworks like Java, Spring, Ruby, Rails, Python and Flask. But Node JS stands apart in two contexts:

  1. Developers can use same language for web application development as well as supporting services asz it has the feature of standalone JavaScript
  2. It performs excellently as IO intensive tasks like HTTP requests and file system objects interaction 

In both the above contexts, Node JS can run JavaScript outside the browser. In standalone JavaScript is done in a swift and scalable manner. Node JS can execute JavaScript code outside the browser using an open source JavaScript engine and further exploring the performance capabilities of Node JS in quickly handling large amounts of IO tasks using event loops.

How Node JS is Applied for Webdura Projects?

Webdura incorporated Meteor, a Node JS based framework for all our projects namely Wuyers, Curl IQ, Trova and M-App. The customizing capability of Meteor in Node JS is what led to the very execution of these projects in the Node JS setting. Have a look at how Node JS is helping our projects take a smooth runway…

 

  • Node JS in Artificial Intelligence (AI)

 

Webdura has an AI project called Curl IQ. Curl IQ has its target audience ranging from individuals to fashion industries. It has an AI interface wherein the users can try different hairstyles.

The comparatively smaller memory footprints and quick start time of Node JS has been advantageous for Curl IQ. Its AI model processes the images and data are sent to remote servers. We could also dodge data privacy issues by running the model locally on the client which inturn elevated the interactive levels of the application.

 

  • Node JS in Social Media:

 

Trova

Trova is an online gig platform with the properties of a social media platform. It is a Meteor-centric web-based application. Wbedura could build scalable and customizable segments for news feeds and activity logs in the Trova app. Node JS’s asynchronous nature has largely enhanced the performance of Trova. We could see that the app could gain considerable gain in speed alongside lower memory usage.

 

  • Node JS in Food Delivery Application

 

Wuyers and Eatitin are iOS/Android food delivery applications developed by Webdura. The backend application of Wuyers and Eatitin is built on Node JS. Our team starts with installing the Node JS framework and a stack overflow thread that will get us going with the Node JS platform for Wuyers and Eatitin in no time.

Wuyers

With the help of Node JS, we could add many features to the Wuyers app. Searching facilities, information tracking, delivery information management, ordered food description, monitoring customer information and transaction, resource management of food item data, payment records integration etc.

 

  • Node JS in Marketing Applications

 

Webdura developed a customised web-based marketing application called M-App for our clients. It is a single platform in which the source leads and various communication channels (chats, PPC, calls, WhatsApp etc.) are integrated for better transparency and quick business decision making pertaining to the marketing parameters of our clients.

M-App

 

 

  • Node JS in Learning app

 

Lyringo is a language learning app that has a video streaming platform. Videos were displayed with subtitles along with the meanings. These subtitles will be in the language the user prefers to learn. Node JS was used for the project for sending the video content to the frontend in chunks. And yes, we had a good product in hand!

Lyringo

What are Node JS Frameworks?

Application development requires a specific framework for supporting specific use cases in the development process. In Node JS there are 3 major frameworks namely:

  • FeatherJS: This framework supported creating real time applications and REST APIs using JavaScript or TypeScript.
  • KoaJS: AS framework for web applications and APIs that helps in cutting callbacks and improve error handling
  • HapiJS: Helps in making server-side more powerful for Node JS applications
  • Representational State Transfer (REST) API: This framework offers different architectural styles for network applications that helps in building applications faster.

What are the Benefits of Node JS?

  • Scalability remains intact no matter how many extensions are made to single nodes, thereby enhancing the performance
  • Easy learning for beginners and Node JS facilitates the introduction of it in the backend that will require only less time consumption
  • Full stack JavaScript can be used on both the client and server side applications. So there is no need for hiring frontend and backend developers
  • Strong community base who work continuously on developing and improving the functionalities
  • Strong support team who can extend their support for commonly used tools and techniques
  • Caching single modules is possible with Node JS. When there is request for module, it will be cached in the application memory
  • Single threaded working
  • Extensibility benefits based on the requirements thereby making customization possible

Conclusion:

Node JS is beneficial to developers in the fact that it can be deployed for both frontend and backend servers.Webdura has been logically applying Node JS for assorted projects and we are happy with the results obtained. Node JS has pitfalls and sweet spots like any other programming language, but how well you make use of the sweet spots to accomplish your project deliverables determines the success factor of deploying Node JS in your organization.

Categories
DEVELOPMENT TECHNOLOGY

Why Webdura Opts React Native for App Development?

Software development market is amply supplied with plenty of tools and products. There are many website and mobile applications emerging on an everyday basis that helps us in making our daily tasks easily doable!

Why is React Native a very familiar term in the software industry? You might have even heard what Mark Zuckerberg once said, “The biggest mistake we made as a company was betting too much on HTML as opposed to Native”. If you are fence-sitting thinking whether or not you should choose React Native for your forthcoming mobile application development projects, Webdura is giving you the reasons why you shouldn’t opt out of the React Native framework. 

What is React Native?

React Native is developed by Facebook Inc and is an open source mobile application framework. A number of applications are developed using React framework along with Native platform capabilities.

Generally, React Native are used to build applications for :

Android

Android TV

iOS

macOS

tvOS

Web

Windows

Universal Windows Platform (UWP)

So let us understand what exactly React Native is! React Native is a framework used by developers to build Native mobile apps using JavaScript. React Native facilitates the deployment of a single codebase for building applications across different platforms. This is one of the biggest advantages that Webdura sees in React Native framework. Our Dev Team utilizes this easiness of React Native and is currently being applied for three different projects namely Talk2, Wuyers and Lyringo.

Why React Native was Chosen for Application Development?

Lyringo is a learning application developed in React Native platform. In this application, there will be a video display alongside subtitles. The subtitles will be in the preferred language that users intend to learn.

Lyringo

Webdura also has a food delivery app that has been developed in the React Native programming platform. We could come up with an easy-on-eyes UI, component-based food delivery model like Wuyers using React Native.

Wuyers

Talk2 which Webdura developed for communication was yet another app that was plotted on Expo and React Native CLI platforms in React.

For Talk2, Lyringo and Wuyers, React Native has helped in reducing the time for developing the applications and also bringing down the cost for its production. We never had to employ a separate Android team and iOS team for developing Talk2 and Lyringo- it could be handled by a single React Native team due to the single codebase functionality.

Here are the few reasons why Webdura commands React Native for our application development process:

  1. Our team can easily use components like push notifications, location specifications etc.
  2. Earlier we used different codes for iOS (Swift and Objective-C) and Android (Java). However, after inducing React Native, we could build mobile apps that run on both iOS and Android platforms.
  3. React Native written using JavaScript has delivered better user experience for our apps.

What are the processes involved in React Native Mobile App Development?

  • Set up Android SDK and Android Studio. Install certain APIs and then use Emulators for testing apps
  • Run your apps in real devices for assessing how the app will look in the real working environment. This will help you in running and testing the app.
  • With a few exceptions, running React Native in iOS is the same as Android. There will be different devices for testing, there will be different emulators and the same process is repeated in iOS.
  • Debug React Native with other programming languages as well to understand what is happening with our codes. 

What are the Advantages of React Native?

Webdura has the following reasons for plying React Native for our projects:

  • Open source framework

It enables the developers to learn and acquaint easily and can be accessed from anywhere hassle-free. 

  • Single codebase for iOS and Android

Developers need not write separate codes for iOS and Android platforms. A Single codebase can be used to develop both which will help to reduce time and cost for project completion.

  • Excellent performance

Enhancing the performance of the app with the help of native modules and controls. It interacts with iOS and Android native modules without any interference.

  • Code reusability

Developers need to simply reuse the codes for iOS and Android instead of creating separate apps for iOS and Android. This helps in reducing the development cost and can be deployed easily.

  • Simplified User Interface

Apps built with React Native will have a more responsive UI, flawless UX and less time to load the screens.

  • Third party plugins

Developers have access to Third party plugins like JavaScript modules and native modules. Easy and quick plugin with a third party module.

  • Bridging
    React Native provides a bridging feature. Suppose there is a feature unavailable in React Native, then that gap can be bridged with the help of building that exact feature in Native. 
  • Stability and Reliability

Any changes in the code can be done without affecting other components or modules thereby making apps more stable and reliable.

  • Intuitive Architecture

Ability to quickly upgrade the app due to its impulsive and intuitive modular architecture. The modules can also be reused while working with other web and mobile APIs.

  • Cost-effective 

The benefit of Code reusability helps to abate costs for app development to a great extent. No separate codes for iOS and Android app developments. 

Disadvantages of React Native:

Immaturity 

React Native is a new programming language and experts believe that there will be more room for upgrading. 

Debugging Hitches

At the conjoining section of the host platform and React platform, certain debugging issues are usually faced in React Native.

Complexity

New developers will find the programming language challenging, especially the syntax extensions.

Initialization Problems

React Native requires longer initialization time and JavaScript being the reason for the same.

Conclusion:

Despite certain disadvantages, React Native is opted by Webdura for mobile application development pertaining to the scalable and superior mobile apps it can formulate. Our client’s feedback on the superlative user experience and attractive features added to the app makes React Native our preferred mobile application programming language even now.

Our developers find the framework irresistible because of features like code reusability, accessibility to certain pre-made elements and reducing effort and time required for developers to complete projects.

React Native is showing good progress in terms of growing developers community, dodging the drawbacks as an immature software, mounting components set and, overcoming other inadequacies.

At each stage of development the client will suggest feedback to see the working product in each iteration termed as Minimum Viable Product (MVP)  for assessing the product, giving suggestions and feedback and enhancing the product using more features. Developing the mobile application using React Native makes the MVP idea easily doable and that too at optimal time and cost.

Compared to other mobile frameworks like native app development, React Native is a strong competitor. Webdura strongly recommends this cross-platform programming language for everyone who is in the business of mobile app development.

Categories
DEVELOPMENT TECHNOLOGY

Why Wireframing is Inevitable for Your Software Development Process?

Why Wireframing is Inevitable for Your Software Development Process?

Software Development is all about delivering the best possible results in the least possible time. There are no shortcuts, but only smart paths in development process. The absoluteness of the path chosen is determined by the tools, techniques and processes opted.

One such technique that our designers use to make the software development easier is wireframing. The visual designs that explicate the details of how the client expects the software product to be are what Wireframing is basically about. It gives the development team a clear-cut idea of the software to be developed and how the transition of screens and workflow is expected by the Business.

In Webdura, creating wireframes have helped a lot to arrive upon a previously agreed decision regarding an interface. Webdura has developed a language learning app called Lyringo that our teams were able to execute without any huddles during the software development process.

Wish to know more about how Wireframing is presumed at Webdura for different projects? Let us have a walkthrough…

What is Wireframing?

Wireframing is a visual guide that illustrates how different elements can come together to make a viable software product. It basically is the skeletal framework or screen blueprint of a webpage or an application in a two dimensional model.

In Lyringo, our team made a complete repertoire of the following components during the creation of wireframes:

  • Page structure and layout
  • Architectural schematic
  • User flows
  • Functionality
  • Anticipated responses

Wireframes can give a clear picture to the designers regarding how stakeholders expect the software to be. As an end result of wireframing, the client will be provided with a prototype which was developed by designers from scraps to develop a website or application.

How Wireframing is done for Lyringo?

  1. System Analysis Document Creation

At Webdura, as cited in the previously posted editorial we follow the Agile mode of software development. During the itinerary of Lyringo, our team consults clients for basic understanding of the requirements. Based on multiple discussions, our team of designers create system analysis document and is like a guide that our designers follow during the project progression.

  1. Creation of Wireframes

Designers create mockups and user flows using Balsamiq and MockFlow tools. This will give an idea about screen transitions and user flows during the product design stage. In order to avoid any disarrays in the wireframes, the UI/UX designers should have an idea of how many screens are required and how they expect the user to follow. User flow is all about where the user should come from and where they should end up. Lyringo has a perfect architecture that ensures wireframing is done in the best possible way!

  1. Design & Development

In the designing stage, our team determines the following factors:

  • Content creation and organization
  • How the page where the user arrives looks like?
  • What all should be included in the rest of the areas of each pages?
  • What are the buttons to be added and how they are expected to function?

The page wise design is done using Zeplin. The Lyringo team communicates with the client and takes in the feedback of the client regarding the design and wireframe. The team will make the necessary changes in the design as and when communicated by the client. There will be weekly build delivered to the clients.

Through Slack and Trello communication, we ensure that there is no communication gap between Lyringo team and the client. Additionally, Jira tool is deployed for issue tracking and ensuring correct progression of work.

Wireframe & Actual UI

After putting in place the above mentioned design components in our product, we then find answers to the next level questions like what color and which font will be apt for the pages. At the end of each stage, we make sure that our wireframes have done complete justice to the prospective audience.

  1. Testing

The wireframe that we developed is subjected to testing and there will be a qualitative feedback mechanism for testing the different screens and checking the basic user flow. Once the usability testing is done, our team comes up with the functionalities that need to be shredded and added.

  1. Once the code is built and pushed to the QA, the tester and stakeholders can test the application. The stage when the code is ready and pushed to prod, deployment is done. After deployment, the QA tests are carried out, end-to-end testing, business testing, identification of defects  and improvements or enhancements (if any) will take place. On deploying codes, the stakeholders can see the working application.
    • Client Acceptance Testing

    The client will test and verify whether the application developed is on par with the requirements and whether every acceptance criteria are met. If there are any gaps or deviations from the requirement, then this is the stage where our team makes the necessary rectifications. In this phase,we ensure the quality of the product and get the sign off from the clients.

    • Maintenance

    Once the application is released to the business environment , our Applications Maintenance Operation (AMO) team will provide the necessary application and maintenance support. If any defects or issues occur after the release, our AMO team will work towards correcting it.

    What are the advantages of the Wireframe Model?

    • There will be clarity in project execution by providing a clear idea of work flows and layouts
    • Clients will have a clear idea about what the project goals are and which are the areas that need major focus on
    • Team communication becomes easy when you have a prototype and how responsive the designs are
    • The idea of the website can be better conveyed through wireframe so that feedbacks can be initiated and necessary changes made at the early stages
    • The designers will have the basic idea of which are the codes to be launched for putting together the different elements. 
    • Wireframes can aid the designers’ thought process in producing website layouts of different sections and make the whole procedure a little more creative and rational

    Conclusion:

    Wireframe is not merely a checklist but is a standpoint wherein users, clients, designers and other stakeholders come to congruence regarding the way an application or website has been developed. In the long run, wireframes can save a lot of time and effort of the stakeholders in a cost-effective manner.

 

 

Categories
DEVELOPMENT TECHNOLOGY

How Agile Helps Your Software Development Process?

 

In the business of software development, delivering the best results within the optimal time is the best you can do to serve the clients. Quality project deliverance yields satisfied customers that keep the wheels of any business spinning.

Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) circumscribes many Project Management tools and techniques that in essence keep a project running. Projects have different levels of complexity. A lot of factors weigh in when it comes to deciding which process models, tools and techniques are required to accomplish the obligatory upshots.

As far as the process models are concerned, there are basically two to be named- Waterfall Model and Agile Model. While waterfall is a gambling model of software development, Agile is the iterative model that ensures trouble-free, well-timed and section-by-section delivery of a particular project.

Even though Agile and Waterfall models have their own pros and cons, we are going to converse only about Agile Model of Software Development in this article…

What is Agile Methodology?

Agile methodology of software development endorses the ‘continuous iterative model’ of development and testing in the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) of a particular project. There is time-to-time concurrence of development and testing activities that will help the team in finding any possible occurrence of errors in a prompt manner.

Webdura has several prominent projects of which TROVA is one. TROVA is an online gig platform with the conduct of social media. It is an all-in-one platform where people can find a whole lot of business under a single roof. In the TROVA page, the business creators congregate with the prospective customers thus enunciating a virtual commercial space in the web world.TROVA follows the Agile model of software development that ensures a smooth deliverance of the application’s performance with minimal errors at each development stage. As an online gig platform, TROVA is inclined to recurrent updates. There is always a new feature to be added that can be accomplished within less than a sprint. The collaboration of our team with clients in the Agile model has always helped in minimizing errors irrespective of how complex or simple a new requirement is!

Webdura follows the Agile framework for all of its projects. It is our delight to walk you through how TROVA perfectly exemplifies the Agile model of software development in the coming parts.

TROVA follows continuous releases and continuous feedback with iteration of Agile Project Management. TROVA has several advantages like development speed, improved teamwork, fine-tune to the latest market trends etc.

How Workflow is managed in TROVA under Agile Framework?

  1.     Team Communication

Through Slack communications, TROVA team members are always task-coupled. There is frequent communications happening between team members so that the information shared by the client is properly communicated- basically everyone is aware of what the new requirement is!

Topic centric chat rooms, groups and DMs (Direct Messaging) can all be handled through Slack thereby bridging any possible communication gap between TROVA team members. Through a public channel like Slack, our team can find alternate ways of communicating other than mails and texting.

Slack also integrates with other third party platforms like Google Drive, Trello, GitHub, DropBox etc. making the process flow smooth and easy to manage.

  1.     Task Management

How do we manage tasks at Webdura? We have a multitude of techniques that capitulates the best possible results for our software development. Trello is one such digital board through which our team creates lists involved in different processes that can be accessed and managed by our whole team.

TROVA has different lists like Backlog, Up Next, In-Progress and Done whereas each task corresponds to a card that can be moved across the lists in the due course of its progression.

What are the advantages of such digital Kanban boards?

ü  Ease of setting up tasks

ü  Quick sharing

ü  Access to conversations during project development

ü  Traceability despite being asynchronous

Task Management can be managed translucently through digital Kanban boards. Sometimes the project demands for more customizable solutions for managing tasks. For robust task management and incase of a requisite for adding additional functionalities, Webdura switches to even more innovative tools like Jira Software.

So why does Jira supersede Trello? Well Jira enables our team to jump between projects quickly, facilitates workflow and board customization and prioritize tasks as per the sprint planning.

Jira Software allows the TROVA team to manage information, develop workflow and assure CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment).

For guaranteeing CI, Webdura makes use of Jenkins, an open source automation server where plenty of plug-ins are provided to build, deploy and automate software development. With more plug-ins installed, the functionality of Jenkins can be scaled to an advanced level.

The safe guidelines of lean production can be applied to software development too through Amplify. We continuously aim at optimizing the development process through lean development practices. Amplify ensures CI/CD while strictly adhering to the principles of lean production in software development.

Additionally, through Daily Standup Meetings TROVA development team shares daily status, what action plans they accomplished the previous day and what they will be doing the next day. If any impediments are noticed, it will be discussed and elucidated. If the team is unclear regarding any of the stories, it shall be made clear at this point. The Scrum Master will facilitate the Daily Standups.  

  1.     Development

Once the development phase starts, the cross-functional management of design and workflow has to be intact. At this stage, Webdura utilizes Zeplin where the developers, testers, architects and others can access a common workspace to ensure the tasks are assumed precisely, designing is carried out appropriately and the workflow is in accord!

TROVA also has Figma that supports the team in designing together from start to finish. Team collaboration is practiced best through this cloud-based design tool. Figma uses Slack for communications and when there is a design edits occurring, it will be updated through Slacks to the team- this is an advantageous element when it comes to live designing. The simple, flexible and real-time updating features of Figma has helped the TROVA team to be in pace with each other.

Agile Implementation through Kanban Model

Kanban is a technique used to execute agile and DevOps software development. Timely communication and work transparency are what is required for the Kanban framework. The team members can keep track of their work items from the Kanban board at any given point of time. The Kanban board is thus a digital project management tool that visualizes work, reduces work-in-progress and improves efficiency and team productivity.

In the Kanban process, the team should ensure continual delivery whilst making sure that they are effectively achieving assigned tasks and not over imposed to accomplish the same.

Kanban is the ideal framework that TROVA tags along especially for accomplishing projects undertaking Agile and DevOps software development. In TROVA, Kanban is what ensures prompt communication of team velocity and work transparency.

Our TROVA team pins the work items on the Kanban board thereby making sure that the teams are on the same page as far as the tasks- completed , ongoing and forthcoming- are concerned.  

The Kanban board visualizes the entire work spectrum for the easy and systematic understanding of the team catalyzing their daily work routine. The cards, columns and Continuous Improvement (CI) in Kanban board facilitate work execution qualitatively as well as quantitatively.

What are the Advantages of Agile Methodology?

  •         Quick and incessant results lead to customer satisfaction
  •         People interactions (customers, developers and testers) are prioritized than processes and tools
  •         Technical fineness and design distinctiveness
  •         Change Management perfectly handled
  •         Late changes in requirements can be smoothly updated

Conclusion: Choose the A-Factor!

Agile Methodology is not claimed as the perfect flawless approach for software development. There are certain downsides to it like poor effort assessment for large projects, unclear communication from the side of the client etc.  However, these are disadvantages that can be nullified considering the outcomes that the approach can give.

For our project Webdura uses Agile methodology for better management and getting updated with clients more often. For many projects, the A-Factor has always proved to deliver the best possible results and that is why we emphasize on choosing the Agility Factor!