Android App Development Tag

Demystifying the No-code Development Myths in 2024

No-code development is a boon for software development. It is an exciting approach to software development that empowers people without extensive coding knowledge to build applications. Consider this like a visual playground for building software, rather than writing lines of code.

Even with its impressive capabilities, there are still some misconceptions about its usage. Is it just a fad? Can it handle real-world complexity? Is it secure? Let us begin our journey in bursting the myths of No-code development and reveal its transformative potential.

Myth #1: No-code is just for citizen developers and simple apps.

Gone are the days when no-code was used just to develop basic prototypes and internal tools. In today’s era, No-code development is upgraded to enterprise-level configurations, empowering developers to build sophisticated applications with complex logic and integrations. Leading brands like Uber, Airbnb, and Spotify leverage no-code to optimize internal workflows and enhance user experiences.

Myth #2: No-code apps can’t be secure or reliable.

Security and reliability are must for any software, and no-code platforms prioritize them. They employ industry-standard encryption, secure data storage, and regular vulnerability assessments to ensure app integrity. Additionally, continuous updates and patch deployments keep your applications running smoothly and securely.

Myth #3: No-code locks you in.

There are some platforms which restrict data portability, but many offer strong export options and API integrations. When we opt for open-source platforms while focusing on data ownership, it minimizes vendor lock-in, allowing you to migrate applications seamlessly if needed.

Myth #4: No-code restrains creativity and innovation.

Creativity thrives in freedom, and no-code provides just that. By leveraging the drag-and-drop interface of No-code development, you can focus on your creativity rather than getting stuck in tedious coding. It has a vast library of pre-built components which helps you in designing stunning UIs, implement unique workflows, and personalize experiences.

Myth #5: No-code kills the need for developers.

Consider No-code development as a strong ally, rather than a replacement. Though it empowers non-technical users in software development, developers and their skill set remains crucial for complex logic implementation and platform customization. No-code complements traditional development, enhancing and accelerating the overall development process.

Exploring Advantages Beyond The Myths

As we have cleared the misconceptions, let us look into some of the commendable advantages of No-code development:

• Democratization of software development: Break free from the dependency of complete domain knowledge, No-code empowers everyone to build, innovate, and solve problems through software.
• Faster time to market: No need to wait for months-long development cycles. With No-code development, you can build & launch MVPs initially with no-code, allowing for rapid iteration and market validation.
• Reduced costs and resources: No-code platforms require less technical expertise and infrastructure, making them significantly more cost-effective than traditional development methodologies.
• Increased agility and responsiveness: Adapting and iterating on applications is much easier with No-code.

No-code development is not any “Easy Replacement”, but it’s a process to democratize software development and empower individuals. By breaking free from the barriers of coding myths, we can explore the power of No-code development where anyone can build, innovate, and shape the digital landscape.

For more information, please head over to our Technology page. To develop Android Application, visit our Hire Android Developer page & to develop iOS Application, visit our Hire iOS Developer page. At HK Infosoft, we are destined to provide you with an innovative solution using the latest technology stacks. E-mail us any clock at – hello@hkinfosoft.com or Skype us: “hkinfosoft”.

Content Source:

1. Google

Low-Code Development Takes Center Stage in Application Building

How Low-Code Development is Shaping The Future of Application Building?

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, businesses are constantly seeking ways to streamline processes, enhance efficiency, and gain a competitive edge. Traditional software development methodologies are powerful,yet can be time-consuming, expensive, and often requires a team of highly skilled developers. This is where low-code development emerges as a transformative force, democratizing application development and empowering businesses to innovate faster.

Demystifying Low-Code Development

Low-code development, as the name suggests, involves building applications with minimal coding. It utilizes visual tools, drag-and-drop interfaces, and pre-built components to streamline the development process. This approach makes application development accessible to a wider range of users, including those with limited or no coding experience.

Benefits of Low-Code Development

The adoption of low-code development is on the rise due to its numerous benefits, including:

• Accelerated Development: Low-code platforms enable rapid application development, reducing the time-to-market for new software solutions.
• Reduced Costs: By minimizing the need for extensive coding, low-code development significantly lowers development costs.
• Empowered Employees: Low-code tools empower non-technical users to contribute to application development, fostering collaboration and innovation.
• Business Agility: Low-code platforms facilitate faster adaptation to changing business needs, enhancing organizational agility.
• Reduced Shadow IT: Low-code platforms provide a controlled environment for application development, minimizing the risk of shadow IT.

Applications of Low-Code Development

The versatility of low-code platforms extends to a wide range of applications, including:

• Mobile Applications: Low-code platforms can be used to build native and cross-platform mobile apps with ease.
• Web Applications: Low-code tools can efficiently create web applications for internal and external use.
• Business Process Automation: Low-code platforms can automate workflows, streamline processes, and improve operational efficiency.
• Data Management: Low-code tools can manage and integrate data from various sources, providing valuable insights.
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Low-code platforms can streamline CRM processes, enhance customer engagement, and improve customer satisfaction.

Trends in Low-Code Development

The low-code development landscape is constantly evolving, with emerging trends that are shaping the future of application development:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) Integration: AI-powered low-code platforms are gaining traction, providing intelligent recommendations, automating tasks, and enhancing development efficiency.
• Cloud-Native Development: Low-code platforms are increasingly cloud-native, enabling seamless deployment and scalability of applications.
• Citizen Development: The rise of citizen developers, non-technical users who create applications, is driving the adoption of low-code platforms.
• Integration with Existing Systems: Low-code platforms are becoming more adept at integrating with existing enterprise systems, facilitating seamless adoption.

The Future of Low-Code Development

Low-code development is poised to revolutionize the software development landscape, empowering businesses to innovate faster, enhance efficiency, and gain a competitive edge. As low-code platforms continue to evolve, they will become increasingly sophisticated, accessible, and integrated, further democratizing application development and driving digital transformation across industries.

For more information, please head over to our Technology page. To develop Android Application, visit our Hire Android Developer page & to develop iOS Application, visit our Hire iOS Developer page. At HK Infosoft, we are destined to provide you with an innovative solution using the latest technology stacks. E-mail us any clock at – hello@hkinfosoft.com or Skype us: “hkinfosoft”.

Content Source:

1. Google

Kotlin Vs Flutter – The future of Android Development in year 2024

Introduction

Kotlin and Flutter are two popular technologies for Android app development. While Kotlin is a native Android development language, Flutter is a hybrid app development framework based on Dart. Both have their own respective pros and cons, which you should analyze before starting the development procedure. In short, there is no clear answer to the Flutter vs. Kotlin question, and the choice depends on your specific needs and preferences.

Here are some key factors to consider when choosing between Kotlin and Flutter for Android app development in 2024:

1. Popularity and Community Support

Both Kotlin and Flutter are free and open-source technologies with active communities. Flutter has a larger dev community, active forums, and is constantly expanding. It is backed by Google and has a growing and vibrant community, with a wide range of packages and libraries available.

Kotlin, being a language primarily used for Android development, has a strong community and ecosystem specific to Android app development. It has also gained popularity, particularly in the Android development community, with many companies transitioning from Java to Kotlin for Android app development.

2. Learning Curve

Kotlin is interoperable with Java, and its syntax is quite simple and easy, showing many similarities with the existing languages such as Java and Swift for Android and iOS, respectively. This makes it easier for developers to learn and use Kotlin.

Flutter, on the other hand, has its own UI rendering engine and offers a rich set of customizable widgets, providing more control over the app’s look and feel. This can make it more challenging for developers to learn and use Flutter.

3. UI/UX Development

Flutter provides a variety of widgets, which makes platform-specific designing quick and efficient. It has a unified user experience on all platforms as it is a widget-based cross-platform framework with terrific options to customize the app.

Kotlin, being a language, doesn’t have a direct impact on UI/UX development. Developers have to use other tools and technologies to design the app’s user interface.

4. Code Sharing

Flutter allows for code sharing between different platforms, enabling developers to write once and deploy on multiple platforms. This can save time and effort in the development process.

Kotlin, being primarily used for Android development, doesn’t have the same level of code sharing capabilities.

5. Performance

Kotlin offers its users a plethora of advantages such as high-speed animation, the same language for both high and back-end needs, and a lot more. But when we compare it with Flutter, it surely lags.

Flutter is known for its hot reload functionality, thus, making it users to change easily and accordingly. Flutter goes over the edge by dint of its efficiency in the cross-platform frameworks’ efficiency race.

6. Testing

Flutter has various testing features and a unique widget testing feature. In comparison, Kotlin’s primary focus is to deliver backend development services and uses Firebase as a secure backend option.

Conclusion

In conclusion, both Kotlin and Flutter have their own strengths and weaknesses. Flutter is a better choice for cross-platform app development, provides a variety of widgets, and allows for code sharing between different platforms. Kotlin is a native Android development language, has a strong community and ecosystem specific to Android app development, and offers a simpler learning curve. The choice between the two depends on your specific needs and preferences.

For more information, please head over to our Hire Android Developer page and to develop a web application using Android, Hire Android Developer at HK Infosoft – we are destined to provide you with an innovative solution using the latest technology stacks. E-mail us any clock at – hello@hkinfosoft.com or Skype us: “hkinfosoft”.

To develop Android Mobile Apps, please visit our technology page.

Content Source:

1. Flutter Official Documentation
2. Kotlin Official Documentation

Android: Most Popular Mobile Operating System in the World

Android is a mobile operating system developed by Google. It is based on the Linux kernel and is designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Android is the most popular mobile operating system in the world, with over three billion active users. The Android source code is open, so anyone can use it to build any kind of device.

How is Android helping?

Android is helping people in many ways. It is making it easier for people to stay connected, learn new things, and be entertained. Android devices are also becoming increasingly affordable and accessible, making them available to more people than ever before.

Here are some specific examples of how Android is helping people:

• Staying connected: Android devices make it easy to stay connected with friends and family through social media, messaging apps, and video calling.
• Learning new things: There are millions of educational apps available on the Google Play Store, covering a wide range of topics. Android devices also make it easy to access online learning resources.
• Being entertained: Android devices offer a wide range of entertainment options, including games, movies, music, and TV shows.
• Improving productivity: Android devices can be used for a variety of productivity tasks, such as checking email, creating documents, and managing presentations.
• Making payments: Android devices can be used to make payments through contactless payment systems such as Google Pay.

Benefits of Android

There are many benefits to using Android devices. Here are just a few:

• Affordability: Android devices are available in a wide range of prices, making them affordable for people of all income levels.
• Customization: Android users can customize their devices to their liking, including changing the home screen layout, installing custom launchers, and using widgets.
• Choice: There are thousands of different Android devices available, from budget-friendly phones to high-end flagships.
• Open Source: Android is an open source operating system, which means that developers are free to create apps and games for it. This has resulted in a huge ecosystem of Android apps and games, many of which are free to download and use.

History of Android

Android was first released in 2008. It was developed by a company called Android Inc., which was acquired by Google in 2005. Android quickly became popular, and it is now the most popular mobile operating system in the world.

Latest version of Android

The latest version of Android is Android 14, which was released on October 4, 2023. Android 14 includes a number of new features and improvements, such as:

• Personalized UI with Material You: Material You is a new design language for Android that allows users to personalize their devices with their favorite colors and themes.
• Improved privacy and security features: Android 14 includes a number of new privacy and security features, such as the ability to choose which apps have access to your location and camera.
• New productivity features: Android 14 includes a number of new productivity features, such as the ability to use your phone as a webcam for your computer.

Upcoming update in Android

The next major update to Android is expected to be released in 2024. This update is rumored to include a number of new features, such as:

• Foldable phone support: Android is expected to include better support for foldable phones in the next update.
• Improved battery life: Google is working on ways to improve battery life for Android devices.
• New AI features: Android is expected to include new AI features in the next update, such as improved machine translation and image recognition.

Conclusion

Android is a powerful and versatile mobile operating system that is helping people in many ways. It is affordable, customizable, and offers a wide range of features and apps. Android is also the most popular mobile operating system in the world, so there is a large community of developers and users who can provide support and assistance.

For more information and to develop Android Mobile Apps, Hire Android Developer from us as we give you a high-quality product by utilizing all the latest tools and advanced technology. E-mail us any clock at – hello@hkinfosoft.com or Skype us: “hkinfosoft”.

To develop Android Mobile Apps, please visit our technology page.

Content Source:

• android.com

How to improve the performance of your React Native App

React-Native(RN) apps suffer huge performance issues as compared to native apps. During initial development days, such challenges are ignored but as soon as the app grows developers find it difficult to improve. Sometimes, extreme calls to dump the RN app happen. We can escape such steps and you can easily improve the RN app performance, just with little effort.

There are multiple ways to improve RN app performance:

Basics of RN performance:

Hermes: A JS engine to optimizes app start time, reduce APK size, and memory footprints. Follow this guide to setup for your app.

Remove Arrow functions: Every render creates new instances of these functions. When passed to children, it will re-render the child components even when nothing has changed in them.

Simple Reducers: Reducers are just to dispatch store changes, not for complex code logic, avoid that as much as possible.

Use native driver: Enable useNativeDriver=true for all the animations that you use in the app.

Memoization:

React.PureComponent: This works for class components. It does a shallow comparison for the previous and new props, re-renders if they are not equal.

React.memo: Only functional components can leverage this functionality, and works similar to React.PureComponent. React.memo comes with an option to use a custom comparison function, to provide more control over it. For the child functional components use React.memo export const ChildrenMemoComponent = React.memo(ChildFunctionComponent) to memoize.

Whenever parent component props change children’s components are also re-rendered causing huge performance issues. This can be avoided either by using shouldComponentUpdate(), React.PureComponent, React.Memo. Memoization breaks if React creates new functions instances when child component is passed with callback functions from parents. New function instances are created with inline function calls, arrow functions, functions calls inside render. For function component use useCallback hook and for class component define functions outside render and pass references to children.

Memory leaks:

Debugger warnings and errors: You need to get rid of them, just enable debugging, remove (console.disableYellowBox = true) and fix all the warnings, promise rejections, key errors and other errors too.

Android Studio Profiler: Great tool to find memory leaks in the app. In the below image, the bottom section has lots of bin icons(white color icons) that when android running its garbage collector and repeated icons indicate memory leaks. Perform actions in your app, debug them and fix asap.

Android Studio Profiler
Pic courtesy: medium.com

React-DevTools: React Profiler provides in-depth component-level leak detection, though it supports RN version ≥ 0.57. Profiler API helps in optimizations like memoization, cost of rendering, sluggish code, re-renders. Go through the docs to check how to integrate it with your app.

Inspecting using React-DevTools
Pic courtesy: medium.com

Inspecting RN bridge: RN Bridge works asynchronously and converts javascript queries as JSON, finally calling the natives modules. We are leaving for you to check out how to do this, there are numerous great articles on this, We will write more on this later.

Stay updated:

Keep your libraries, React version updated to the latest stable versions:

React-native upgrade helper: RN community provides awesome documentation for upgrading RN versions. Major updates are between v0.60.0 and v0.63.0, there will be more errors you will need to fix. Do check out what’s new with v0.64 here.

Upgrade libraries & dependencies: A time-consuming process, during RN update also keep React in mind and upgrade accordingly, v17.0.0 has major changes. For every dependency you upgrade follow the below process:

• Package.json: Segment out the major and minor version upgrades using npm website, “^”(^2.1.2 will use releases from 2.1.2 to <3.0.0) and “~”(~2.1.2 will use releases from 2.1.2 to <2.2.0). For minor version just replacing the version name will do the work. For Major version upgrades check out the version release documentation for breaking changes.
• Code changes: After upgrading the version inside package.json make suitable code changes using Github document and release notes.
• Remove junk: This is also the right time to clean your app code. Try to remove unused codes, folders, files, and dependencies from package.json. Also, to reduce your assets, there is a great tool that does lossless compression, ImageOptim.

That’s 90% of your whole performance improvement job. There are other ways like amalgamation of native code and RN code but we will leave that for some other time.

For more information and to develop mobile application using React Native, Hire React Developer from us as we give you a high-quality product by utilizing all the latest tools and advanced technology. E-mail us any clock at – hello@hkinfosoft.com or Skype us: “hkinfosoft”.

To develop a custom mobile application using React Native, please visit our technology page.

Content Source:

1. medium.com

Pros and cons of React Native development in 2021

React Native, next to Flutter and PWA, was called a revolution in cross-platform app development and delivering great mobile experience.

Code repository that’s shareable between platforms? Reusable components? That definitely sounds tempting.

React Native has been praised for its “Learn once, write anything.” objective which means you get a native look and feel of your app for both iOS and Android, and you may also include platform-specific modules.

For a developer with an experience in JavaScript, and React itself, it is easy to take up React Native and start building on it right away.

Some time ago one of our React Native apps, Guild, went public. (Update: Guild has been recognized by Red Herring’s 2019 Top 100 European Startups.)

We’re extremely proud of how the app is turning out and we just can’t wait to write more of them. Our devs and some of our clients are fully aboard the React Native train and in this post, we will tell you exactly why is that: from a perspective of a business owner and a JavaScript developer. As well as some React Native advantages and limitations.

Is React Native the pick for your next app?

Build a product your users will love to use. Get a highly performant, native app for Android, iOS, and even the Web. Work with our developers and designers to squeeze the most out of your app idea and React Native.

Business Perspective on React Native

Unlike other cross-platform frameworks like Ionic, the Facebook team stresses they acknowledge the differences between different platforms and React Native reflects that. Therefore, you can still include modules specific for iOS and Android like status bars, navigation, or access to native elements like camera and contacts are built according to the platform.

Using libraries such as React Native for Web or ReactXP allows a developer to build a cross-platform app that runs on the Web too, so there’s no need to build separate apps at all. We used ReactXP in one of our projects and it really felt like we’re getting the Web version for free. That’s pretty amazing.

Note that using React Native DOES NOT mean you will not need any help from a native developer. If your app includes many different native features, some work on their side may be required.

Now, when it comes to a team building…

Your front-end web developer can actually become a mobile developer without a need of learning iOS’s Swift or Java/Kotlin for Android. With some knowledge about native UI elements, React, and some platform-specific patterns, React Native is easy to pick up. That is a game changer in terms of building a team as your app will require just one instead of two (or even three if you’re also to conquer the Web).

You can hire JS developers who will be able to deliver for all platforms. Therefore, it is much easier for them to exchange knowledge, conduct a code review, and understand the code. What a difference it makes in terms of time and cost! Not to mention that React Native is all about bringing agility of web development to cross-platform development, with native results.

About the performance…

Some may argue that nothing will surpass the performance of native apps. It may be even true, but products written with React Native are almost identical in how they perform. Sometimes even better. In his great article comparing Native iOS and RN, John Calderaio says:

"(According to) the data we collected through measuring both of the application's CPU, GPU, and Memory during the tasks in each of the four tabs, the apps are also almost identical in how they perform. (…) React Native, winning two out of three categories, comes in first place as the better performing platform."

Wrapping-up: Pros and Cons for Business

Pros:

• Time and cost efficiency
• Native look and feel of your apps
• Sharing the codebase for iOS, Android, and the Web (with ReactXP and React Native for Web)
• One team for multiple platforms
• Awesome performance

Cons:

• Need for an expertise from a native developer for some platform-specific modules
• It’s not fully cross-platform, single-codebase approach

If you’re looking for a framework that will let you build a great cross-platform mobile app, check out Flutter.

Pic courtesy: medium.com

Bloomberg is a great example of preformant app written with React Native. Image source belitsoft.com.

Developer’s Perspective on React Native

When you start working with React, typically you go with a bundler like Webpack and spend some time considering the right bundling modules for your app. React Native is different, and yet it works similarly to React. It comes with everything you need to just sit down and start writing your code.

Hot/Live reload (similar to Instant Run on Android) is a beloved, killer feature that allows a developer to see introduced changes right away without complete rebuilding of the app. You don’t have to constantly check the results of actions you take which greatly boosts productivity and saves time on compilation.

When it comes to scroll, animations, buttons, text inputs and others, React Native gives an efficient recipe that allows developers to conduct basic tasks easily. Component usage is heavily simplified in comparison to native development and it’s huge.

Adding native modules may not be a piece of cake though.

Whereas there are countless libraries to choose from for iOS and Android, React Native does not exactly shine here. The list of third-party libraries and components is quite long, but in many cases they leave a lot to be desired. When working on modules like device sensors or push notifications, there is a chance you may need some help from a native programmer.

Truth to be told, the Facebook team together with outside collaborators and thriving population of active users constantly work on React Native making it better every day with over 2500 commits from 500 contributors last year.

According to Sophie Alpert, Engineering Manager on React:

"We're working on a large-scale rearchitecture of React Native to make the framework more flexible and integrate better with native infrastructure in hybrid JavaScript/native apps."

Even if it may happen that you’ll need to hack some existing solution or write something from scratch, this will happen more and more rarely.

Wrapping-up: Pros and Cons for a Developer

Pros:

• You’re web AND mobile developer!
• Great productivity
• Easy setup
• Simplified usage of styling components
• Hot/live reloading feature

Cons:

• Need of hacking some existing solutions or creating new ones from scratch
• Documentation still needs an upgrade

For more information and to develop web application using React JS, Hire React Developer from us as we give you a high-quality product by utilizing all the latest tools and advanced technology. E-mail us any clock at – hello@hkinfosoft.com or Skype us: “hkinfosoft”. To develop custom web apps using React JS, please visit our technology page.

Content Source:

1. medium.com