May 2018 - Page 2 of 2 - Redbytes Software

Posted on May 9, 2018 by rbsupadminnextjssite

The mobile application development has seen such a great paradigm shift that we have a user interface that is optimized for fingers and not for mouse cursors, not anymore.

In addition to that, there are bandwidth restrictions that most of the smart devices have and that is why mobile app developers ought to stay ahead in this challenging world and come up with some of the finest solutions in the form of excellent functional mobile applications.

Mobile platforms such as Android, Windows, and iOS use different programming languages. For example, an Android mobile apps is coded using Java language, the iOS mobile application is coded using Objective-C, and a Windows mobile application is coded using .NET.

Just like on web application, does JavaScript have a similar effect on mobile application development as well? Nevertheless, with sound knowledge of JavaScript, CSS, and HTML, mobile application developers can develop some of the best apps. Today, in this post we will discuss some of the best JavaScript frameworks for mobile apps development.

1. jQuery Mobile

With too many smartphones available in the market, it is essential to take care while developing a mobile application that not only can load faster but also customized and functional across various platforms.

When compared to other frameworks, jQuery Mobile comes number one in the list when you have to develop an app that loads faster.

Create cross-platform applications faster.
Cost-affordable hybrid mobile app development.
HTML5 and CSS3 for a better touch-optimized UI.
Lightweight Framework for faster loading.
Ajax-powered navigation with animated page transitions.
Uniform user interface for all platforms and devices.

2. PhoneGap

Otherwise known as Apache Cordova, PhoneGap is a widely utilized framework, especially for cross-platform mobile application development.

It is highly recommended for projects that have budget issues. just by utilising a single codebase, multiple versions of the application can be created by PhoneGap.

Single code base for multiple platforms (iOS, Android, and Windows).
Simple rapid testing and deployment of the application.
Tapping into device’s hardware such as camera and geolocation will be easy.
No need for additional knowledge of development.
Needs less time and efforts.

3. Mobile Angular UI

An HTML5 framework, Mobile Angular UI utilizes Bootstrap 3 and AngularJS to develop highly interactive mobile applications.

If you are a huge fan of angular, then this is the right Framework for you. not only does it provide important mobile components such as overlays, sidebars, and switches But also developers can bring the website two smartphones in the form of an application.

Faster and simpler data binding.
Modifications will be instantly displayed in the model
Minimizes burden from server CPUs by supporting caching and other processes.
Faster application prototyping.

4. Sencha Touch

By adding a variety of features, Sencha Touch lets customization exactly how users will interact with the application as per their wish.

Sencha Touch is one of the popular HTML based frameworks that Is used to create applications that work amazingly on all platforms without having to change the code for every operating system.

Provides a high-level responsiveness for applications.
It is compatible with all the latest versions of Android, iOS, and BlackBerry.
Loads the application as fast as possible.
Creating a native application would be easy.

5. Titanium

One of the old frameworks for hybrid mobile application development, Titanium Provides a simple and transparent access to most of the native functionalities.

Using web technologies like JavaScript and CSS, developers can seamlessly develop native applications along with hybrid and web apps.

Can easily develop applications compatible with Android, iOS, etc.
Functional entities let you create high-performance applications.
Build quick prototypes as it comes with an integrated environment.
Extremely cost-affordable open-source option
Simplified coding structure as it supports powerful web technologies.

6. Meteor

A free and open-source platform, Meteor is utilized for building modern mobile apps. Not only does this JavaScript framework let rapid prototyping and gives cross-platform code but also gives you the control over your application.

Lets you update JavaScript code without any development skills.
Gives mobile to server data communication and synchronization functions.
Known for Speed and quick deployment.
Eliminates bugs that most of the new applications seem to have.
Offers great flexibility across platforms and devices.
External libraries and several plugins can be utilized.

7. Ionic

Ionic is a commonly used open-source framework to build hybrid mobile applications. This framework provides useful tools and services which developers can utilize for creating native and progressive web application seamlessly. With Ionic, developers need fewer efforts and also can minimize maintenance expenses.

Code works across platforms and devices.
Single programming language for all operating systems.
Variety of Cordova plugins available.
Utilization of well-known web technologies.
Application testing is easier.

8. React Native

If you are a big fan of native mobile apps then obviously one of the few options you will be left with is React Native. As it is an Open source framework, react native app developers in reprocessing the same code on the web and mobile.

Developers can seamlessly copy half the code to build apps on other platforms.
With native components, users can get native app experience.
Revamping complete code is not required.
Developers can easily run the code everywhere by putting fewer efforts.

9. NativeScript

A creative hybrid application development framework, NativeScript is extremely useful in building native cross-platform applications with super performance.

In addition, NativeScript allows developers to reutilize skills from Angular, JavaScript, and TypeScript. Its holistic approach lets developers write once and run it everywhere.

Single code base and then develop it for Android or iOS.
Gives faster access to native libraries.
Team Native Script welcomes feature requests to enhance.
Developers can learn Native Script using JavaScript, XMS, and CSS.

10. Backbone JS

An old JavaScript mobile app framework, Backbone JS is highly lightweight and capable of handling current requests. It is extremely helpful when developing the one-page application.

Also, the developer can effortlessly keep an application logistics separated from user interface so that both can be easily modified and updated whenever needed.

Due to its lightweight, downloading speed would be faster
Framework includes loads and loads of small libraries which are suitable for specialized needs.
The models in Backbone JS can be simply tied to the back-end.

11. Ember JS

Designed to develop complex hybrid mobile applications, Ember JS lets developers utilize future JavaScript standards and transpile them for utilization in browsers for later use. It is an excellent option for all the writing web applications.

Two-way binding method makes it easy
High-performance applications
It has its own debugging tool
Faster development with Ember CLI

Closing Thoughts:

Other than the above-mentioned frameworks, the mobile application development market is flooded with hundred other creative JavaScript frameworks and choosing the right JavaScript framework should be never about the number of innovative features it can provide.

Instead, it should be about the real functionalities of the framework and how those can be applied within the application. Now, all the best with your final choice.

Posted on May 8, 2018 by rbsupadminnextjssite

By the end of 2020, the mobile gaming industry is estimated to value around $130 billion. Thanks a ton to the innovative technologies like AR, VR as it has taken mobile gaming industry to the next level. With the rise of mobile internet and smart phone usage, more people have started playing mobile games. And that is the reason why professional mobile game developers have been creating more games to meet user requirements and preferences.

Certainly, without the help of game development tools, developers would not be able to meet the growing demand for games. With the help of tools, anyone can create a game prototype without a single line of coding. And the impact of game developing tools has changed the needs of the users and thats why its virtually impossible to create an indie game without mobile game development tools.

Of course, there are varieties of mobile game development tools but to help with your game development needs; we’ve rounded up a set of 10 key game development tools in this info graphics to ensure that you get the most out of your game. Take a look!

Posted on May 7, 2018 by rbsupadminnextjssite

Mobile app developers across the globe will agree with the fact that the development of user friendly mobile apps calls for a lot of forethought. It is through this farsightedness that you can create apps that can rank high on their user experience. Here is a rundown of do’s and don’ts that you must consider while designing your mobile app. Once you keep these pointers in mind, you will be able to attract the attention of app users in more ways than you can imagine.

Firstly, let us shed light on what you should do to churn out a user-friendly and appealing mobile app.

The Do’s

1. Research – A Data Collation Spadework

Most of the apps fail because the developer does not research before designing them. Hence you should resist the temptation of skipping the most important task of researching and abstain yourself from jumping straight to the designing process. Researching includes that you spend time conducting a competitive analysis.

Researching supports you to work in the direction of a blueprint that you have come up with, keeping user experience as your mission statement.

2. Enlist Crucial Mobile App Characteristics

The next thing that you should do is to come up with priority features. It is a matter of excitement for developers to add many features to their apps. However, this clogs the basic intention behind a clean user experience.

You will have to decide and stick to important features that will better impact your users while doing away with such features which are good-to-have.

3. Support Every Click With Feedback

For every user input, it is important that you provide some feedback so as to direct your users to a state of process completion. Only when your app provides feedback will your users be rest assured that the desired action was performed. Without feedback, your app will keep your user guessing whether the intended process is complete or unsuccessful.

4. Do Away With Unnecessary Clutter

Too much information can spoil and complicate user experience. Cluttering does more harm to mobiles with smaller screen space when compared to desktops which have wider screens. Here, your aim is to stick to minimalism. It is best to include content that can impact your users, discarding all those elements (unnecessary images, buttons and texts) which clog the mobile screen.

5. Legible Text Drives Usability and Readability

Content is what drives your users to pick your app. The text that appears on your app is part of the content that demands attention. You should hence ensure that your text is legible so as to come up with a user-friendly mobile interface. Choosing a legible font size is a recommendation that should be given serious thought.

6. Navigation Should Be An In-Built Feature

The compelling content in your mobile app should be evident so that users locate it without any additional efforts. In view of this feature, it is important to come up with navigation patterns that are familiar to your target audience.

7. The Lesser the Typing, The Better It Is

You as a mobile user will agree with the fact that, typing on a mobile is a tiring and error-making process. Hence, the smartest tip is to minimize the typing on a small mobile screen. Removing unnecessary fields will be an intelligent move in the direction of allowing users to give you the information that you need to know.

8. Offer A Seamless User Experience Across Multiple Devices

You should not go by the idea that mobile apps offer stand-alone experiences. For a user handling multiple devices including tablets, desktop or mobile phone, he/she expects your app to provide a seamless experience across all devices.

9. The Use of Finger-Friendly Taps

It should be your objective to come up with ample touch targets for all interactive mobile desiogn elements. By doing away with smaller touch targets which lead to mistaken taps, you will be able to address the most common problem faced by mobile app users. Thus it is recommended that you include targets that are big enough for users to tap.

10. Test Your Design

A real world implementation of your mobile app will help you come up with unseen flaws that were masked during app development. Hence the trick is to test your design with multiple real users so as to work on their feedback. Their pointers will thus become your guiding light to come up with an app that only appeals to users but is also effective.

Let us now move on to the don’ts that dampen the mobile app user experience.

1. Don’t Strive to Get It Right The First Time Around

Try and try till you succeed. In line with this common adage, it is important to keep in mind that it is difficult to come up with a perfect experience with your first attempt. Even after meeting all you mobile design requirements, there is every possibility that you will step on a new set of requirements that have emerged after testing the app. Hence it is advisable to adhere to an iterative designing pattern and test your app early on.

2. Don’t Drift Away from Customer Needs

Once you start focusing on meeting customer needs, you will not get carried away by an idea that looks lucrative on the face of it but fails to deliver any benefit to users. Only when you spend time validating your design theories based on what your target audience wants, you will be in a position to work around a feedback loop that permits a solid mobile app design.

3. Jargon – A Big “No”

User interface which is devoid of jargon appeals to users. When your app starts conversing with users in the language they are comfortable with, the interaction between the interface and the users is simplified. Here, you should abstain from using words that are beyond the understanding of users.

4. Avoid Seeking User Permissions Right At The Start

It is a common phenomenon with many apps that were just downloaded to seek user permissions in the beginning itself. Such questions can discourage and confuse users who will in all probability deny such a request.

5. Abstain from Using Custom Gestures As a Primary Means to Interact With Your App

Instead of offering custom gestures to interact with your app, it pays to come up with standard gestures for shortcuts. Since users are familiar with standard gestures, they need not expend any effort to learn or recall them.

6. Users Should Not Be Kept Waiting for Content

Users’ reactions like unrest and frustration will set in when they are kept waiting for content. A black screen that pops up when the content is loading can dampen the user experience, giving an impression that the app is stalled.

7. Dead End Pages Are Best Avoided

You should be mindful of the design flow concerning user experience. Your app, with every action should move in the direction of accomplishing a goal. In this regard, you should avoid creating dead-end app pages that hamper the user flowassuch pages not only confuse users but also lead to unnecessary actions.

8. Avoid Tagging the Web Experience on Apps

If you noticed, web browsers work through links. On the flipside, it is buttons that drive mobile experiences. In line with what users expect with regard to interface elements and interaction patterns in mobile apps, you should avoid underlined links in mobile apps.

9. Don’t Lead Users to a Browser

It can be terribly frustrating for a user if the app leads him/her to a web browser, during instances requiring to either complete a task or those that seek additional content. Such an occurrence will reduce conversion rates.

10. Seeking User Feedback During Their First Experience – A Strict “No”

Notwithstanding the fact that user reviews and ratings are the important data points for the success of your app, it is through such feedback that users will either choose to download or skip an app. At times, the frequency with which the app seeks user reviews can also annoy the users when they are interrupted while performing an important function.

Closing Thoughts

With new mobile apps mushrooming with each passing day, the expectations about user experiences are increasing manifold. In an attempt to sustain competition and meet the varying needs of users, you should come up with an app that is not only useful but also valuable and relevant to your target audience. Hence, the above 10 do’s and don’ts will help you attain the objective of a promising mobile app that ranks high on usability and user experience.

Posted on May 4, 2018 by rbsupadminnextjssite

Objective-C has gained a predominant place as a primary language in the world of mobile app development for many years. Used extensively for developing successful iOS and OS mobile applications, Objective-C is a compound of C language with object-oriented features and efficient runtime. Objective-C run its regime before Apple launched a unique programming language in 2014 called Swift.

Swift is safe, concise and more sophisticated than Objective-C and encourages interactive development system. It offers several commendable features like generics, short syntax, closures and type interface that further simplify the coding and eliminate complicated patterns experienced in Objective-C.

Despite all new capabilities of Swift for app development, developers are still in dilemma as to which one is better for iOS app development.

The discussion below penetrates the subject in more depth:

Swift at a Glance

Introduced by Apple, the main purpose of Swift was to liberate developers from excessive efforts involved in Objective-C coding format and provide maximum agility, faster run time and simplicity. It has combination of C and Objective-C without legacy constraints and challenging conventions often faced in Objective-C language.

Swift has enough potential to act as a logical alternative to Objective-C and can work alongside Objective-C while using Cocoa and Cocoa Touch frameworks in iOS, WatchOS, OS X and tvOS. Therefore, iOS developers can go confidently go for Swift.

Due to its potent benefits, developers are compelled to run analogy between Objective-C and Swift and think of Swift to build highly engaging iOS apps. Let’s compare both languages technically to make the decision as to which language is better.

Swift vs. Objective-C

Apple’s claims that Swift is better, faster and smarter than Objective-C have made the language a famous point of discussion among world’s community of developers. Swift has also gained the reputation of being more direct and able to establish smooth connection between iOS developers and consumers.

The following points elaborate on the comparison:

1) Readability and Concision

Arguably enough, Swift is more advantageous when it comes to enjoying the clarity of syntax while coding iOS mobile apps. Due to ease in writing and reading, developers find it much more convenient to develop apps with complicated functions. With Swift, same action can be implemented in limited code lines compared to Objective-C. This means concise codes and reduction in legacy practices that earlier involved semicolons and parenthesis while forming conditional if/else expressions.

2) Intuitive Language and Cleanliness

In Swift, unlike Objective-C, method and function calls do not create confusing mess and look more organized due to the list of parameters elegantly separated by comma. This ability of the language results in clean, simplified syntax.

Moreover, as Swift looks like plain English, developers find written codes more natural and light, and they don’t have to spend much time searching error-ridden codes. Due to intuitive coding experience and enhanced readability, any programmer with expertise in JavaScript, Python, C++, Java can adopt it for fast-paced programming.

3) Ease of Maintenance

Objective-C is greatly dependent on C when it comes to absorbing changes and evolving the language. This implies that Objective-C will require programmers to maintain two code files to boost efficiency and reduce build time. Swift, however, is free from such interdependencies because it eliminates two-file requirement with a single code file (.swift) which combines Objective-C header (.h) and implementation file (.m).

Therefore, Swift is comparatively easier to maintain. In Objective-C, method names and comments are synchronized with human efforts. Swift allows developers to avoid this hassle and spare more time for more important aspects of programming such as code quality, features and app logic, etc.

4) Rational Code With Minimal Strings

Objective-C provokes issues that create errors or app crashes. Swift language has less scope of error because it allows programmers to manipulate text strings. Objective-C makes combining two strings lengthy whereas Swift enables joining two strings with ‘+’ sign.

Furthermore, Swift involves less code density when writing repetitive statements. In Swift, classes are not divided into interface and implementation. This eventually depletes the number of files through the development process, increasing ease of handling it.

5) Safety and Security

Developing a secure app is not just a necessity, but to emerge successful in the tight market competition and ensure impressive user experience, security should be a first priority. Swift language has syntax that is free from common mistakes as possible with Objective-C. In the event of nil code, Swift indirectly alerts programmers with compiler error suggesting that a bad code is written.

Thus, programmers can avoid mistakes while writing iOS apps. Less amount of mistakes and problematic code means high stability and low app crash incidents and high quality of iOS app.

6) Speed

Speed is an essential factor in determining the adoption of any programming language in mobile app development routine since any business would benefit the most from high speed programming. Swift enables any complex object to run 3.9 times faster than Python and is way faster than implementation of code in Objective-C. Swift has proven to be the language swimmingly faster and consistent in its performance than Objective-C or any other language used for iOS app development.

7) Dynamic iOS Libraries

Dynamic iOS Swift libraries are flexible to allow apps to update to newer, evolved version of Swift language. The dynamic libraries are executable codes. In Swift, dynamic libraries are loaded directly to the memory, optimizing the original size and performance of the app.

Such dynamic updates ensure the applications built with Swift are most updated and the language receives updates faster than iOS platform.

8) Open-Source

Swift was made open source in 2015, which allows programmers to use the full potential of the language with various platforms. The open-source also indicates that Apple will be able to come close to the community of independent developers and process their feedback in order to implement meaningful improvements consistently.

Although Objective-C has its own success stories, Swift as a fresh revolution in iOS app development can have impactful support from developers. Thus, Swift as an open source phenomenon has better scope to convert suggestions into superior actions and create much more evolved code architecture and mobile apps design.

9) The Promise of Consistent Performance

Swift as Apple has implied is likely to imbibe more changes and show improvements in terms of language performance, speed and time consumption. Based on tests run on Swift so far, it could be said that app logic can be fast-processed with clean Swift code lines. Swift is also believed to exhibit performance that appears close to C++ while running certain arithmetic algorithms, which is not achievable in case of Objective-C.

Additionally, developers can leverage the fact that Swift is a young, flourishing programming language by Apple, which implies that programmers can expect it to get better in near future.

Major Drawbacks of Swift Programming

Even though Swift is widely seen as one of the respectable and convenient programming languages for iOS app development, it has the following drawbacks:

Due to limited compatibility, Swift imposes on iOS developers frequent rewriting of language, making it difficult to write an app that functions perfectly with new version demanding heavy rewrite

There is a chance that without a stable version, developers may compromise proper functioning of certain iOS app functionality

Developers often encounter the vague problems due to lack of IDEs and proper Swift support

Should You Learn and Opt For Swift in iOS development?

After considering both pros and cons of Apple’s Swift in comparison with Objective-C, we can say that developers have little to lose when it comes to adopting Swift for their next iOS app development project. Opting for Swift will not only enhance the learning curve, but the awareness of Swift programming language can put developers in the most competitive spot for future iOS projects.

Due to its burgeoning popularity, a lot of reference tutorials and online resources are generated for Swift programmers to develop iOS mobile apps. Some of the big names that have leveraged Swift for building iOS apps are Lyft, Clear, Sky Guide, LinkedIn, Yahoo Weather.

The scenario for Swift looks positive in 2018. Hence, we can argue that Swift may replace Objective-C in future.

Concluding Thoughts

There is no doubt that Swift is built with the futuristic vision to enhance the iOS app development process for iOS developers. From above comparison, it is also evident that Swift surpasses Objective-C in so many ways frequently winning the debate in the giant domain of iOS mobile app development. However, the ultimate choice between Swift and Objective-C depends on the app size, team strengths, technical awareness and project deadline.

Posted on May 2, 2018 by rbsupadminnextjssite

Are you looking to set up your first ever Angular 5 application? Getting such a project up and running is a lot easier than you think. Angular version 5 is quite new in the industry with amazing features and this version was rolled just a few months ago. Ahead of Time compiler, optimization with boosted speed and smaller bundles, and lighter and faster Http Client module are among the notable updates with the new version. Setting up an Angular 5 project has become the dream of many programming enthusiasts now. Adding the other technological advancements of the time, Bootstrap 4 and Firebase to the project can really make a difference in the final outcome.

Here you can see an overview of how to set up an Angular 5 Project with Bootstrap 4 and Firebase.

Set up Angular 5 Project

First let us see how to set up an Angular 5 project without much hassles:

The very first step is to setup an Angular project which is performed using Angular CLI. See that the installation of command line interface is done in case Angular CLI is not available in your system.
Now you can use the ‘ng’ command to commence a new Angular project. An application that works already will be created then. A single command generates components, services, routes and pipes.
The command line parameter ‘new’ has to be used and the new project’s name should be specified.
The development web server can be launched by executing the command ‘ng serve’ in the project folder.
Following this, the server will get started and you can now access the application. You can see a ‘welcome to app’ screen with some support links to help you with the journey.

Set up Firebase Project

Once you set up the Angular 5 project, you can move to the phase of setting up the Firebase project.

In the Firebase back-end, you are supposed to create a new Firebase project. After that the related project settings need to be transferred inside the Angular application.
Followed by that, the Angular project and Firebase libraries need to be linked to the project
Now you can visit the Firebase website in order to set up a new Firebase project
There you can easily set up a new account and use your Google credentials to sign in.
Once you have logged in, the link ‘Go To Console’ has to be clicked for getting the Firebase back-end.
In this place, the ‘Add project’ has to be clicked to link a new Firebase project or simply choose from your existing projects.
Now you can see the project console. There the link ‘Add Firebase to your web app’ can be clicked.
Now you will see the JavaScript code that guides you to the initialization of the Firebase project for the particular website.
However, for making this Firebase configuration a part of your Angular project, only a section of that code snippet is required. The key-value pairs within the config object has to be copied at first and those pairs has to be inserted within the file.

How to Add Bootstrap 4?

Finally, you can add the Bootstrap 4 to the already set up Angular 5 project. See the steps:

Use the NPM command for the installation of Bootstrap 4 into the project folder
Include the Bootstrap CSS file also in the project folder in order to access Bootstrap CSS classes for the project components
Use the Bootstrap Starter Template to include a Bootstrap user interface in the project application.
A starter template website gets opened in another browser window when you click on Starter template.
While opening the source code view of the browser, the starter template’s HTML markup code can be accessed.
The necessary code parts can be copied and then paste into your project application.
Use the Angular CLI again for including a new component to the project as you need to add the starter template’s navigation bar now.
Use Bootstrap 4 Angular directives in order to give Angular framework the complete control for updating DOM elements.

This is just a rough idea for building an Angular 5 project from scratch and adding Bootstrap 4 and Firebase to it. However, for a comprehensive project that has an unparalleled performance, you have to bring in advance features and customize it to your actual requirements. A dedicated effort from an enthusiast with a sound knowledge about the technical whereabouts is needed to set up a final project that is error free and that meets the specific requirements.

In fact, Angular 5 was designed with people’s need in mind and so utilizing its possibilities in the right way is the key. Unlike conventional options, offline experience and push notifications are far better with this latest version. By avoiding unnecessary run time code, the application has now become faster and lighter. With Angular 6 and 7 expected to get released in the upcoming years, the technology world have a lot to hope for. This amazing JavaScript framework was built with the aim to satisfy both users as well as developers.