When it comes to software testing, there are many different methods that you can use. Each of them has their own advantages and disadvantages, so it’s important to understand the pros and cons of each method before using them. Testing software is a necessary part of the development process in order to ensure that programs are user-friendly and have few or no bugs.

The right software testing approach can help you find errors faster, reduce the cost of fixing defects and prevent bugs from reaching users. However, there are various ways you can test your software; here’s a brief overview of some common testing methods.

8 Key Software Testing Methods

White-box Testing

White-box testing is a type of software testing that relies on the understanding of the program code and design to determine how the software program operates. Therefore, the test cases are created based on the architecture of the application, requiring more programming skills.

With white-box testing, the tester has access to the source code and understands the functionality of the application through and through. This allows testers to check both the functional and non-functional requirements of the application by executing the program and following its logic.

White-box testing is commonly used for testing integrated systems, web applications and large databases.

When to use white-box testing? White-box testing is ideally suited for applications that are already tested and are ready for the final phase of software testing. The testing phase is the best time to conduct a white-box testing.

White-box testing can be particularly useful for:

• Identifying design or logic issues
• Verifying that the application is using the correct data
• Determining if the application is processing data correctly

Black-box Testing

Black-box testing is a type of software testing that attempts to determine whether a program meets its intended objectives without knowledge of its internal programming or design. This is a form of functional testing that validates the functionality of the application and checks if the application is ready to be deployed.

Black-box testing is widely used in software testing, and it’s primarily used when the application is almost or completely ready to go live. It’s best to use black-box testing for testing the functionality of a system and also for validating requirements that are not yet integrated into the system.

Black-box testing can be particularly useful for:

• Testing the user interface
• Validating the requirements
• Identifying software defects

Scripted Testing

Scripted testing is done by following a predefined sequence of steps to conduct testing and is normally applied to functional testing. It’s important to follow the sequence in order to avoid missing any parts of the application that need to be tested.

Normally, a tester will follow a sequence of steps to test a particular feature of the application, such as clicking on a “Buy Now” button that leads to the checkout screen. The tester would then follow the sequence of steps again and perform a series of actions on the checkout screen, such as entering some personal information, selecting the payment method and clicking “Complete Purchase.” This will conclude the testing of that part of the application.

Testing the same feature over and over again can become monotonous, so it’s important to come up with different ways to approach testing. You can break up your testing process and perform several different types of testing together to keep it interesting.

Exploratory Testing

Exploratory testing is a software testing method where the tester or the team follows the “explore” part to identify defects or areas of risk. The tester uses their expertise and the application’s functionality to determine what the program is supposed to do and what it isn’t supposed to do.

Exploratory testing is normally done in the early stages of testing where a tester follows a process to follow their instincts and discover any potential issues with the application. Testing the same feature over and over again can become monotonous, so it’s important to come up with different ways to approach testing. You can break up your testing process and perform several different types of testing together to keep it interesting.

Automated Testing

Automated software testing is meant to simulate the actions of a real user on the application and performs some testing activities automatically. This type of testing is normally performed by a computer system or program.

Automated software testing is designed to execute a series of tests and check the results. If a particular test case fails, it’s programmed to retest that particular test again until it finds the cause of the problem and corrects it.

Automated testing can be particularly useful for:

• Reducing the time you spend on testing
• Finding defects faster
• Covering the functionality of the application that’s difficult or impossible to test manually

Manual Testing

Manual software testing is done without the aid of any software or devices, and it’s normally done by a human being. Manual testing is normally done to test the usability of an application and follows the typical user experience.

This type of testing is normally applied to check the user interface and navigation of an application and also validates if the application has any issues with the navigation flow or the workflow.

Manual testing can be particularly useful for:

• Testing the user experience
• Verifying if the navigation and workflow are correct
• Identifying defects that automated software testing might miss

Waterfall Testing

Waterfall model is a sequential software development process where each phase of the process depends on the outcomes of the previous phase. It’s the most common methodology used in organizations and is typically used in large-scale software projects.

Manual testing with the waterfall model begins after the requirements analysis phase is complete and ends when the project is ready to be deployed or go live. This type of testing is normally performed by the business analysts and the software testers to check the software is user-friendly, completely functional and ready for deployment.

Manual testing can be particularly useful for:

• Testing the software for defects
• Testing the functionality of the application
• Ensuring the application is ready for deployment

Agile Testing

Agile software development is a project management approach where teams work together to create the best possible product. Agile software testing follows the waterfall model, but it’s used to test the software throughout the life cycle.

Agile software testing can be particularly useful for:

• Testing the software throughout the development process
• Testing the functionality of the application every few weeks
• Finding defects early on in the development process

Which Software Testing Strategy is Right For Your Business?

That all depends on the type of business you have, the type of software you’re developing and the resources you have available. Regardless of the software testing strategy you choose, it’s important to understand that it can’t catch everything.

Manual testing, for example, will never be able to catch every defect in a program. Automated testing will catch some of them, but there will still be issues that will need to be checked by a human. Manual testing is the most expensive type of testing and therefore isn’t ideal for businesses that want to keep costs down. Automated testing is more cost-effective, but it’s only as good as the system you use to test the software.

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Agile vs Waterfall Model: SDLC

Top 10 API Testing Tools

What is Manual Testing?

Manual testing is a process in which tests are performed manually by a human tester. This is done to identify any bugs, errors, or deficiencies in the software application. Manual testing is mainly used to check the functionality, usability, and compatibility of the software.

When performing manual tests, the tester will use a test script, which is a document that contains instructions on how to test the software. The test script can include instructions on what data to enter, which buttons to click, and what results to expect. The tester will then use their experience and knowledge to determine if the software is functioning correctly.

Manual testing is a labor-intensive process, and is often used to verify the results of automated tests. This is because manual tests can provide a more detailed and accurate picture of how the software is functioning.

What is Automated Testing?

Automated testing is a process in which tests are performed using specialized software. The purpose of automated testing is to quickly and accurately identify any problems in the software. Automated tests are usually written in a scripting language such as Java, Python, or C++, and can be run multiple times with different inputs to ensure that the software is functioning correctly.

Automated tests are typically more efficient than manual tests, as they can be run quickly and without any human intervention. However, automated tests can be more difficult to set up and maintain, and require a greater degree of technical expertise.

Comparison between Manual Testing and Automated Testing

When comparing manual testing and automated testing, the main difference between the two is efficiency. Automated tests are much faster and more efficient than manual tests, as they can be run multiple times with different inputs to ensure that the software is functioning correctly. Automated tests are also more precise than manual tests, as they can identify bugs and errors that would be difficult to detect manually.

However, manual tests can provide a more detailed and accurate picture of the software’s functionality. Manual tests can also be more effective at uncovering usability issues and compatibility issues, as they are performed by a human tester with experience and knowledge.

Pros and Cons of Manual Testing

PROS

• It can provide a more detailed and accurate picture of the software’s functionality.
• Manual tests can also be more effective at uncovering usability issues and compatibility issues, as they are performed by a human tester with experience and knowledge.

CONS

• Manual testing is a labor-intensive process, and can be time-consuming and costly.
• Manual tests also require a greater degree of technical expertise, as the tester must be familiar with the test script and be able to interpret the results.

Pros and Cons of Automated Testing

PROS

• It is much faster and more efficient than manual testing. Automated tests can be run multiple times with different inputs to ensure that the software is functioning correctly.
• Automated tests can also be more precise than manual tests, as they can identify bugs and errors that would be difficult to detect manually.

CONS

• Automated tests can be more difficult to set up and maintain, and require a greater degree of technical expertise.
• Automated tests also tend to be less effective at uncovering usability issues and compatibility issues, as they are performed by a computer with no experience or knowledge.

When is Manual Testing Preferred?

Manual testing is preferred when a detailed and accurate picture of the software’s functionality is needed. Manual tests are also more effective at uncovering usability issues and compatibility issues, as they are performed by a human tester with experience and knowledge.

Manual testing is also preferred when there is a need for rapid feedback, such as when testing a new feature or bug fix. Manual tests can provide immediate feedback, which can be used to quickly identify and fix any issues.

When is Automated Testing Preferred?

Automated testing is preferred when speed and accuracy are of the utmost importance. Automated tests can be run quickly and without any human intervention, and can identify bugs and errors that would be difficult to detect manually.

Automated testing is also preferred when there is a need for repeatable tests, such as when testing the same feature or bug fix multiple times. Automated tests can be run multiple times with different inputs to ensure that the software is functioning correctly.

Conclusion

In conclusion, manual testing and automated testing each have their own advantages and disadvantages, and it can be difficult to decide which approach is best for your needs. Manual testing is preferred when a detailed and accurate picture of the software’s functionality is needed, while automated testing is preferred when speed and accuracy are of the utmost importance. Before making a decision, it’s important to consider your needs and the resources available to you.

Manual testing and automated testing are both powerful tools for software testing, and can help you ensure that your software is functioning correctly. By understanding the differences between these two approaches, you can make an informed decision that is best suited for your needs.

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Exploratory Testing vs Scripted Testing: Software Development

8 Key Software Testing Methods

In this article, we will give you a brief guide on how to make a website and all the things you need to consider. 

Steps you need to take when creating your website

Below steps will give you the answer to the question. “How to make a website?”

Understand the goal of your website 

You must be aware of the purpose and build a strategy for your website. The more clearly you understand why you are creating your website, the simpler it will be to fit the pieces together and create a successful website. For example, if you are creating an online store, your approach to building your site will be different compared to a personal blog. 

Choose a domain name and hosting

After you have planned out how to achieve your website goal, the next step is to choose a domain name and purchase hosting. 

When it comes to a domain, keep in mind that it is hard to change once you have picked one. So, before you choose a domain name, make sure you take these things into consideration : 

• Easy to find – Choosing a domain name that includes the keywords visitors would enter in a search to locate a website similar to yours will ensure that internet users will find your site. This is an excellent SEO technique that will help you rank higher in search results.  
• Select the appropriate extension – Be aware that each extension has a different purpose and meaning. For instance, “.edu” is definitely preferable to a “.com” if you’re creating a website for a college or institution. Additionally, a “.com” is typically preferred over an odd extension like a “.brb,” so try to pick an extension that suits your website’s purpose. In most cases, “.com” is the best option.

Picking a platform 

There are many options that you can choose from when it comes to building a website. One is to design the entire UI & UX and then write the code from scratch. This will be difficult for someone who is not tech-savvy.

Luckily there are many platforms that will enable any user to create a well-designed website. The most popular platform is WordPress. Keep in mind that if you plan on using WordPress, it will be best to have WordPress-optimized hosting. 

Now let’s take a look at some reasons why you should choose WordPress as your building platform:

• User-friendly – This means the platform gives you a variety of templates to select from in order to create your website as user-intuitive as possible. WordPress makes it simple for you to add, remove, and change information from your website. 
• Budget-friendly- WordPress allows you to create a website without spending any money. You will never run out of free plug-ins because there are so many available.
• Good for SEO – Creating a website that cannot be found online has no use at all. Luckily WordPress is compliant with Google’s SEO rules and can work in your favor ho have a high rank.
• Various plugins – There are various plug-ins at your disposal that you can use to customize your website to your liking. Additionally, you will be able to add different functionalities such as payment methods and so on. 

Popular choices include Yoast and SEMrush for SEO, and accessiBe for accessibility.

Test Your Website

Once you have figured out your goal, picked a domain and platform, you can create and test your website. It is important to test your website each step of the way before you are fully ready to launch it. 

Here are some ways you can check if your site is functional: 

• Make sure your website is mobile-friendly and readable for your users by viewing it through different browsers and devices. 
• Check if your website’s forms and pop-ups function as intended, and fill out the info they request.
• Test the speed of your website. Users shouldn’t have to wait an eternity for your website to load.

Conclusion

Hopefully, this article has given you a better idea of how to build your site. There are several steps that need to be taken in order to have a successful online presence. But most importantly, make sure that the design of your website is eye-catching because, after all, human beings are visual creatures. 

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Types of Web Developers

8 Types of Web Hosting

What is Exploratory Software Testing?

Exploratory testing is a form of software testing that is done when no specific requirements or acceptance criteria are defined. Exploratory testing is done to understand the software better and identify potential issues, problems, or risks.

In exploratory testing, the tester does not follow any specific test cases or scripts. Instead, the tester is given a high-level overview of the functionality of the system and allowed to explore the system by clicking around and trying out different functionality.

During exploratory software testing, the tester is expected to keep track of what functionality is explored, what issues were identified, and what recommendations were made.

Users with programming experience may prefer exploratory software testing because it allows them to use their computer skills and explore the software as if they were actually using the software.

Exploratory Testing Pros and Cons

Pros

• This type of testing is very flexible and allows you to quickly identify issues and risks.
• You can use exploratory testing to do a quick check of the user experience and the overall functionality of the software.
• Exploratory testing doesn’t need a predefined test plan and can be done at any stage of the testing process (even after all the test cases have been executed).

 Cons

• If you don’t document the issues and risks, it will be difficult to track testing progress.
• If your tester is not familiar with the software, he or she might not identify important issues and risks.

What is Scripted Software Testing?

Scripted testing is a form of software testing where the entire test process is defined in advance and is usually documented. A test plan provides the tester with a clear overview of the entire test process, the number of test cases, and the testing environment.

It usually includes the testing approach, any preconditions, and the expected outcome. The tester follows the test case and executes each step as documented. The test cases will come with an expected result, which the tester has to verify.

This makes scripted software testing suitable for testing functionalities that are already well-defined and for which the expected outcome is already known.

Scripted Testing Pros and Cons

Pros

• This testing method is great when you want to ensure that all the functionalities are covered by the tests and want to be sure that the testing approach is repeatable.
• You can use the same set of test cases for every tester and get consistent results.
• This also allows you to easily compare the results of different testing phases or team members.

Cons

• If you don’t document the test cases properly, there is a risk that the test cases will get out of date.
• If you don’t have a clear understanding of what the expected outcomes are, it can be difficult to track testing progress.

How to decide which type of Software Testing to use?

The best way to decide which type of software testing to use is to determine the main objectives of your testing activities.

• If your main objective is to identify issues, problems, and risks, then exploratory software testing would be the better choice because it doesn’t require a specific test plan or test cases.
• If, on the other hand, your main objective is to check if the software meets the criteria and to ensure that all functionalities are covered by the tests, then scripted testing would be the better option.
• If your project contains a mix of functionalities, and you want to test both functionalities, then you can also use a combination of both testing methods.

In a nutshell, if you want to test functionality, use scripted testing. If you want to explore functionality, use exploratory testing.

Key Differences between Exploratory & Scripted Testing

The key points of differences between the two software testing methods are:

Testing approach – Exploratory testing allows testers to explore the software and use their creativity during testing. On the other hand, scripted testing forces testers to follow the test case exactly as documented.

Test cases – In scripted testing, all test cases are documented. In exploratory testing, test cases are not documented and each test case is usually recorded in a testing spreadsheet.

Test environment – In scripted testing, the testing environment is predefined. In exploratory testing, the testing environment is expected to change depending on the functionality being explored.

Comparison Table: Exploratory vs Scripted Testing

Below table summarizes the differences between the two methods:

Download the comparison table: Exploratory vs Scripted Testing

Conclusion

Both testing methods have their merits and can be used in different scenarios depending on your needs. If you want to test functionality, use scripted software testing. If you want to explore functionality, use exploratory software testing. If your main objective is to identify issues, problems, and risks, then exploratory software testing would be the better choice.

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8 Key Software Testing Methods

Agile vs Lean: Software Development Methodologies

Low-code software is great for users who want to perform complicated tasks quickly and efficiently. In this blog post, you will learn about ten best low-code platforms that you can use for your next project. These solutions are all designed to help users access complex data, complete tasks quickly and efficiently, and simplify development processes.

Read on to see why each of these solutions might be right for you!

List of Best Low-Code Platforms

Below is the list of some of the best low-code platforms available in the market:

Appian

Appian is a flexible, full featured low-code platform that can help businesses build powerful applications quickly. The platform comes with built-in connectivity to a variety of data sources, a library of pre-built components, and a user interface builder, so developers can get up and running quickly with little needed effort or training.

Some other features of the platform include

• an intelligent process engine,
• built-in security features, and
• an advanced analytics and reporting engine.

What makes Appian unique is its “adaptive” approach to development, which means that the platform adjusts to the needs of the business, regardless of how the application is being used. Appian also comes with built-in integration with many popular business tools and features, including JIRA, G Suite, ServiceNow, and Salesforce.

Mendix

Mendix’s low-code platform helps businesses create custom applications quickly and easily. With the platform, users can create applications based on a drag and drop user interface, and they can connect to a wide range of data sources, including databases and APIs.

The platform is also highly scalable and can accommodate high volumes of traffic and large numbers of concurrent users.

Other features of the platform include

• built-in collaboration and version control,
• real-time analytics, and
• a robust user experience.

What makes Mendix unique is its emphasis on user experience. The platform includes design tools that help developers focus on the design of the application while letting business users take charge of specifying the functionality. Mendix is also integrated with other business tools, including JIRA, Salesforce, and G Suite.

OutSystems

OutSystems is a robust, full-featured low-code platform for building enterprise-grade mobile and web applications. The platform comes with built-in connectors that allow businesses to connect to a variety of data sources and a drag and drop user interface builder that lets users create applications quickly.

Other features of the platform include

• a “visual programming” environment,
• real-time user interface design,
• a responsive template library, and
• an integrated testing and debugging tool.

What makes OutSystems unique is its visual programming environment, which helps developers create complex applications quickly and efficiently by snapping together components like Legos.

The platform also includes pre-built components that help developers get started creating applications quickly. OutSystems is also highly scalable and can accommodate high volumes of traffic and large numbers of concurrent users.

Quick Base

Quick Base is a full-featured low-code platform designed for businesses who want to create custom applications quickly and easily. The platform is easy to use and lets users create applications based on a drag and drop user interface.

Plus, the platform is fully customizable and comes with built-in integrations to a variety of business tools and data sources. Other features of the platform include

• real-time collaboration,
• built-in security, and
• a robust API platform.

What makes Quick Base unique is its emphasis on security. The platform includes numerous security features that help businesses protect sensitive data, including role-based security, user permissions, and auditing tools. Quick Base also includes collaboration tools that let multiple users work on projects together.

Visual LANSA

LANSA’s visual development environment lets users create custom applications without writing code. The platform is designed for people who don’t know how to write code and want to create simple applications or automate simple tasks, as well as for developers who want to create more complex applications.

LANSA’s visual development environment allows non-technical users to create application “widgets,” which are essentially pre-built components, and to connect the widgets together to create their applications.

The platform is available in both

• on-premises and
• cloud-based versions.

What makes LANSA unique is its flexibility. The platform comes with pre-built widgets that users can combine to create simple applications, and it also allows developers to create more complex applications with custom widgets. LANSA also comes with built-in integrations to a variety of data sources and business tools, including SAP, Salesforce, and Microsoft Dynamics.

Salesforce Lightning

Lightning is Salesforce’s visual development environment that allows users to create custom applications without writing code. This platform is also designed for people who don’t know how to write code and want to create simple applications or automate simple tasks, as well as for developers who want to create more complex applications.

What makes Salesforce Lightning unique is its similarity to Salesforce’s user interface builder. Developers who are already familiar with Salesforce’s UI can easily transition to Lightning and create more complex applications without having to learn a new coding language.

Lightning also comes with built-in integrations to a variety of data sources and business tools, including QuickBooks and Microsoft Dynamics.

Zoho Creator

Zoho Creator is a robust, full-featured low-code platform that allows businesses to create custom applications quickly. The platform comes with pre-built components that users can snap together to create applications, as well as a library of templates that users can use as a starting point for their applications.

Other features of the platform include

• built-in collaboration features,
• real-time user interface design, and
• built-in security.

What makes Zoho Creator unique is its rich feature set. The platform includes a wide variety of tools and features, including real-time collaboration, advanced security features, and application monitoring tools. Zoho Creator also comes with built-in integrations to a variety of data sources, including Salesforce, Google Sheets, and Dropbox.

Kissflow

Kissflow’s low-code platform allows businesses to create custom applications quickly and easily. The platform comes with pre-built components that users can snap together to create applications and a library of templates that they can use as a starting point for their applications.

Other features of the platform include

• a drag and drop UI builder,
• built-in collaboration features, and
• a robust API platform.

What makes Kissflow unique is its drag and drop UI builder, which lets non-technical users snap together components to create their applications without writing code. The platform also includes pre-built components that users can snap together to create their applications.

Kissflow is also scalable and can accommodate high volumes of traffic and large numbers of concurrent users.

Nintex Workflow Cloud

Nintex’s workflow platform allows businesses to automate processes and simplify workflows. The platform comes with built-in integrations to a variety of data sources, including Salesforce, Office 365, and Google Drive, and a library of pre-built components that users can snap together to create workflows quickly.

Other features of the platform include

• drag and drop functionality,
• real-time collaboration,
• and built-in security.

What makes Nintex Workflow Cloud unique is its robust feature set. The platform includes a wide variety of tools and features, including real-time collaboration, built-in security, and workflow monitoring tools. Nintex is also scalable and can accommodate high volumes of traffic and large numbers of concurrent users.

Microsoft PowerApps

Microsoft PowerApps is a visual development environment that lets users create custom applications without writing code. The platform is designed for non-technical users who want to create simple applications or automate simple tasks, as well as for developers who want to create more complex applications.

PowerApps’ visual development environment allows users to snap together pre-built components to create their applications, as well as to select a “control flow” that determines which components are triggered when.

What makes Microsoft PowerApps unique is its simplicity. The platform is designed to be easy to use, even for people who have no experience with development. Plus, the platform includes pre-built components that users can snap together to create their applications.

PowerApps is also scalable and can accommodate high volumes of traffic and large numbers of concurrent users.

Conclusion

Low-code platforms are great for users who want to perform complicated tasks quickly and efficiently. In this article, you will learn about ten low-code software platforms that you can use for your next project.

Continue Reading:

Top 10 No-Code App Builders

Low-Code vs No-Code Platforms: Detailed Comparison

What is a No-Code App Builder?

A no-code app builder is software that lets non-technical users create their own mobile apps or web widgets without needing to write any code. These tools simplify app creation by guiding users through a visual interface with pre-built templates, allowing them to create fully functional apps almost instantly without needing technical knowledge or experience.

This is great for non-technical founders or product managers who want to build their own app but don’t know how to code, don’t have the budget to hire developers, and/or just want to test out their app idea quickly and cheaply before investing more time and money. Not all no-code app builders are the same, though. They vary significantly in terms of features and functionality, so it’s important to find the one that best suits your needs.

Which no-code app builder is the best?

It’s difficult to say which one is the “best” since they have different use cases and target different users. It’s important to find the no-code app builder that’s the best fit for your specific needs. That said, there are a few leading no-code tools that are worth keeping an eye on.

Some of the most popular no-code app builders include Appy Pie, Airtable, Quixy etc. Some of these have raised tens of millions of dollars in venture capital and are growing rapidly. Others are smaller and growing more organically.

Which no-code platform is the best for your needs?

Before you choose a specific no-code app builder, it’s important to take into account the type of app you want to build. Some no-code tools are better for simple data collection or tracking tasks, building marketing assets like quizzes, or creating interactive widgets. Others are better for building fully functional apps that can be installed on an app store and used for purchases.

Additionally, you should also consider the platforms you want to target with your app. Some no-code app builders make it easy to build your app for iOS, Android, and the web, while others focus on one specific platform.

How to choose between no-code tools?

When you’re comparing no-code app builders, the first thing you’ll want to do is decide which features you need. Do you need to build a full-featured app with a backend? Or will a simple, single-page app be enough? Do you want to create a web widget, or are you looking to build a mobile app? You’ll also want to investigate each tool’s pricing model and support options.

Some no-code apps are free to use, but others charge a small fee or/and have a freemium model with paid upgrades. Some also have paid PRO or Enterprise plans with added functionality. After that, you’ll want to look at each no-code tool’s user reviews and see how they compare. It’s important to read the comments and try to see if the issues raised are fixed or if they still exist. You’ll also want to see if any no-code app builders are missing from your list.

List of Top No-code App Builders

Appy Pie

Appy Pie is a no-code app builder for web and mobile apps. The platform has grown immensely since launching in 2011 and now supports over 300,000 customers from over 170 countries globally. The app builder makes app development easy with its drag-and-drop visual interface builder. You can build your app by simply dragging and dropping pre-built app elements onto the canvas.

Appy Pie features an integrated app store (with distribution capabilities) to launch your app. It also has a full-featured user management system and other features like analytics, user tracking, push notifications, and more. Notable features:

Airtable

Airtable is a no-code app builder and database platform. The app builder enables businesses to organize their data, build apps, and collaborate with team members. Airtable has two products:

• Airtable, its no-code app builder, and
• Table

but the apps are run as separate entities. Airtable also has a database that allows users to edit data through a web interface. The database is designed more for visualizing data in charts and graphs, rather than editing it. Airtable has a free plan with pricing for larger teams. Notable features:

Adalo

Adalo is a no-code app builder that lets you build customized apps for iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS. The app builder is designed for education, healthcare, enterprise, retail, and other industries.

Some of the features available in the app builder are

• photo, video, location, and facial recognition.
• Adalo also offers device management and analytics.
• The app builder is priced based on the number of devices and data storage.

Glideapps

Glideapps is a no-code platform that lets you build web and mobile apps quickly and easily. You can use their visual interface builder to create your app. You can also customize your app with JavaScript, HTML, and CSS if necessary.

The app builder features a drag-and-drop editor which makes the app-building process simple. You can create apps for iOS, Android, and Windows. Glideapps provides a visual app builder, integrated app store, and app analytics.

Quixy

Quixy is a no-code app builder that lets you create and publish apps for iOS and Android. Quixy is designed for businesses, teachers, and individuals. You can create your app with their drag-and-drop editor or use their API if you want to customize your app further.

Quixy has a free plan, but it limits you to only one app and one user. The plan also integrates with Google Drive and Dropbox.

ServiceNow App Engine

ServiceNow App Engine is a no-code app builder designed for creating mobile apps for Android and iOS. The app builder connects to your ServiceNow instance to pull and store data. You can create your app with the app builder’s visual drag-and-drop interface builder.

Once you’ve created it, you can publish your app to the Google Play store or the Apple Store. The app builder is meant for organizations using ServiceNow for their business.

ClickUp

ClickUp is a no-code project management and collaboration tool. It’s designed for small businesses and remote teams. The platform lets you create tasks, assign them to team members, and organize progress.

You can use ClickUp to track your project’s progress, collaborate with your team, and stay on top of your to-do lists. The platform has integrations with other apps like Jira, Slack, and Zapier. You can use ClickUp free for up to 5 users.

Bubble

Bubble is a no-code app builder that lets you build apps for iOS, Android, and Windows. Bubble takes care of hosting your app’s backend, so you don’t have to worry about it. This allows you to focus on building your app.

The platform has a drag-and-drop UI builder and lets you bring your visual designs to life. Bubble has a free plan, but it limits your app to only 10 users.

Quickbase

Quickbase is a no-code app builder for creating web and mobile apps. Quickbase also offers a database solution for organizing and storing data. The business app builder is designed for organizations that want to create their own apps without hiring developers to do so.

The platform lets you create your app with its visual drag-and-drop interface builder.

Bravo Studio

Bravo Studio is a no-code app builder that lets you create apps for iOS, Android, and Windows. The platform lets you create your app with their visual interface builder or use their API if you want to customize your app further.

Bravo Studio has a free plan, but it limits you to only one app and one user.

These are some of the top no-code app builders available today. If you’re looking to build an app quickly or prototype an idea, consider one of these app builders. Are you ready to make your next app idea a reality? Let’s go!

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Low-Code vs No-Code Platforms: Detailed Comparison

Low-Code Platform: The New Way to Build Software Applications

No-code and low-code software are both ways of building apps with limited coding experience. But they each have their own advantages and disadvantages. Choosing the right one for your team and project can help you create an app faster and with less hassle.

No-code platforms allow users to build apps by dragging and dropping pre-built modules that have simple menus and prompts that guide users to build an app quickly. Low-code platforms take this a step further by allowing programmers to set up functions in pre-made blocks of code that can be dragged and dropped into place, which means less code is needed overall.

Let’s look at how low-code vs no-code software solutions compare:

Low-code Platforms

Low-code platforms are designed for users who know how to code and have programming knowledge. These platforms have pre-made blocks of code that can be dragged and dropped into place to create a desired app. Many low-code platforms also have pre-built modules that allow users to save time by reusing pre-existing code. Low-code platforms are great for people who already know how to code but need an easy way to manage and organize their code.

Pros of Low-code Platforms

• Customizable flexibility – Low-code platforms allow users to create custom apps that can be as simple or complex as needed. This means you can add custom code as needed, but you don’t have to start from scratch.
• Shorter app building times – If a user reuses code from a previous project, the app building process can be quicker. If a user creates a brand new app, low-code platforms may be even quicker than no-code platforms.
• Wide platform scalability – If a user creates a platform and saves the code, that code can be used on other devices and platforms. This means a user can simply copy and paste the code into a different platform to use it again.

Cons of Low-code Platforms

• Higher upfront costs – Low-code platforms can be more expensive than no-code platforms since they require programming knowledge.
• More time to learn – Users with low-code platforms need to spend time learning how to code and how to use the pre-made code blocks. This means more time is needed to build an app compared to no-code platforms.
• Limited to the platform – If a user has to build a brand new app and has no code to copy and paste, they’re limited to the options available on the low-code platform.

No-Code Platforms

No-code platforms are the simplest form of app building software. A user simply chooses from pre-built modules that represent parts of a desired app, such as a video feature or a contact form. The modules can be dragged and dropped in place to create the desired app. The app can be saved, edited, and added to a server for use by different users.

No-code platforms are great for people who want to build an app but don’t want to learn how to code. Alternatively, some no-code platforms can be used for people who know how to code but want to speed up their app building process.

Pros of No-code Platforms

• No upfront costs – No-code platforms are usually free to use. Costs may be incurred if there’s an option to export the app to a server and make it accessible to others.
• Easy beginner-friendly process – No-code platforms are designed with basic technology in mind, meaning they are designed to be easy to understand and navigate through.
• Shorter app building times – Since no-code platforms are designed to make app building quick, they can save you time and effort compared to low-code platforms.

Cons of No-code Platforms

• Limited flexibility – No-code apps have pre-built features that may not fit the needs of your app exactly. This means more time may be spent editing features to fit your needs.
• Fewer control options – With no-code platforms, you’re limited to the features and modules that come with the platform. This means you can’t include any custom code or make changes to the platform itself.
• Limited scalability – No-code platforms are built to be easy to use, which means their apps may not be as scalable as low-code platforms. Scalability in this context refers to how an app can be used on different platforms and devices.

Low-code vs No-code Platforms: The Difference

• No-code platforms are great for people who don’t know how to code. Low-code platforms are for people who know how to code but want an easier way to manage their code.
• Low-code platforms have pre-built code blocks and modules that can be dragged and dropped into place. No-code platforms allow users to create apps by dragging and dropping pre-built modules that have simple menus and prompts.
• No-code platforms are designed to be easy to understand and use. Low-code platforms let you include custom code, but they are still designed to be easy to understand and use.
• No-code platforms are best for apps that don’t need to be highly customized. Low-code platforms let you create apps that are highly customized and meet unique needs.

Comparison Table: Low-code vs No-code

Download the comparison table: low-code vs no-code

Bottom line

No-code platforms are great for people who want to create an app but don’t want to learn how to code. Low-code platforms are best for users who know how to code and want an easy way to manage and organize their code. With no-code platforms, you can build an app with no experience or knowledge of coding. Low-code platforms require at least some knowledge of coding and programming.

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What is a No-code Platform? Will it replace Experienced Developers?

Low-Code Platform: The New Way to Build Software Applications

To meet this need, low-code software development platforms are increasingly being used. These platforms allow coders and non-coders to build, test and deploy apps with less code. Let’s take a closer look at what low-code platform software is and why you should use it in your next project.

What is a Low-Code Platform?

A low-code platform is an application development platform that enables businesses to create custom applications without writing any code. They are used to build business applications like sales and marketing automation apps, Human Resource Management systems, supply chain management software, etc.

These tools have features that make them easy to use, even for non-technical users. Low-code platforms provide a visual way to develop applications by dragging and dropping elements in a visual interface. With these platforms, you can create apps by dragging and dropping elements from a visual interface.

You don’t need programming knowledge to create functional software applications. You just need to know the business requirements of the application. Most of these platforms support multiple programming languages, so if you know one programming language, you can use this platform to build apps in any language.

Features of a low-code platform

User onboarding:

To get new employees up to speed with the company’s processes and systems, many businesses need to build custom-made training and onboarding solutions. With low-code platforms, businesses can easily create user onboarding apps that guide new employees through the necessary steps to get up to speed on the job.

Integrated analytics:

Data is the new currency of business. To drive more revenue, better customer satisfaction and higher overall performance, businesses today are heavily investing in analytics tools and software applications.

However, analytics tools often require significant time and effort to create, making it difficult to meet the increasing demand for more data-driven insights. With low-code platforms, you can build analytics apps without having to code.

This allows you to accelerate the development of your analytics apps, so you can get the data you need to make more strategic business decisions faster.

Integration:

While investing in custom-made software is essential for businesses to keep pace with their growth and remain competitive, this is often a costly and time-consuming process.

Low-code platforms make it easy for businesses to build applications that integrate with existing systems, making it simple to plug new applications into your existing infrastructure. This reduces the time and cost associated with building custom apps from scratch.

Benefits of Low-Code Platform

Reduce upfront investment:

In the long run, investing in a low-code platform will help you reduce the upfront investment required to build applications. This is because these platforms allow you to create apps without writing any code. This means you don’t have to hire an army of developers to build and deploy new applications.

Faster time to market:

The time taken to build an application is directly proportional to the amount of code required. If you want to build an application faster, you need to minimize the amount of code required in the development process.

With low-code platforms, you can build apps with a few clicks, as opposed to coding them from scratch. This means you can reduce the time taken to build the application and get it to market faster than with a custom-built app.

Easy collaboration:

Although custom-built applications can be easily integrated with existing systems, integrating those applications often become a challenge. The integration process can be painstaking and difficult, especially when it comes to building a large, enterprise-level application.

With a low-code platform, there is a central server that hosts the application. This makes it simpler for teams to share and collaborate on the application.

Limitations of Low-Code Platform

Security risk:

While low-code platforms make it very easy to create business applications without writing any code, they also come with some significant security risks. If you don’t follow the right security practices while creating and using these applications, you might leave your data vulnerable to attacks.

Lack of functionality:

While low-code platforms allow non-coders to build fully functional apps easily and quickly, they also come with limitations. For example, if you want to build an application that requires specific functionality that isn’t available on the platform, you won’t be able to create it.

Hard to scale:

Low-code platforms can be a great option for businesses that want to create applications quickly and without hiring developers. However, if you want to scale your business and build more applications, or want to integrate the application with your existing systems, it will be difficult.

How to choose a Low-code platform?

There are many low-code platforms on the market today, making it difficult to choose the right solution for your organization. Here are some tips to help you select the right platform for your business:

• Type of application you plan to build: Before you go shopping for a low-code platform, make sure you define the type of application you need to build. This will help you narrow down your options and make an informed decision.
• Integration: When you are building an application, you want to make sure it integrates with your existing systems, like your CRM, ERP, etc. This will help you get the data you need to make strategic business decisions quickly.
• User onboarding: New employees are the lifeblood of any organization. If you want to get new employees up to speed with your processes and systems, you need to build custom-made training and onboarding solutions. With a low-code platform, you can easily create user onboarding apps and get new employees up to speed quickly.
• Programming language: If you know one programming language, you can use low-code platforms to build apps in any language. This makes it easier for you to create apps using low-code platforms.
• Cost: Before you choose a low-code platform, you need to understand your business requirements and whether the platform you are considering is suitable for your organization. You also need to consider the cost associated with the platform.

Key takeaway

The low-code platform is the new way of building software applications. These platforms allow you to create applications without writing any code. They are used to build business applications like sales and marketing automation apps, Human Resource Management systems, supply chain management software, etc.

They provide a visual way to build apps by dragging and dropping elements in a visual interface. With these platforms, you can create apps by dragging and dropping elements from a visual interface. You don’t need programming knowledge to create functional software applications. You just need to know the business requirements of the application.

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What is a No-code Platform? Will it replace Experienced Developers?

Programmer vs Coder

What Is A No-Code Platform?

A no-code development platform is an application that allows users without programming skills to create and deploy software applications. Essentially, no-code applications are user interfaces that use drag and drop tools or visual programming languages to create apps and business processes without needing to write code.

To build an app, you can select from a pre-built library of components or create your own components using visual tools like widgets and graphs. No-code is not the same as no-code if you are talking about a full-blown software development lifecycle. No-code only refers to application creation, not the development and deployment of an application.

Features of No-code Platform

The best no-code platforms offer the following features: –

• Real-time user collaboration – No-code platforms are designed to allow teams to work together in real-time. This collaboration feature means each member can see and edit the application, making it easy to work together in a centralized location. –
• User-friendly interface – Successful no-code platforms have intuitive and user-friendly interfaces that don’t require any programming skills.
• Built-in integrations – To ensure your application is connected to other important systems, no-code applications have built-in integrations. You can also create custom integrations if the pre-built options are not sufficient.
• Pre-built app templates – Most no-code platforms provide pre-built app templates that you can easily customize and deploy in the software. These templates give you a head start towards building your application.

Examples of No-code Platforms

No-code development platforms are designed for a wide range of users, including business analysts, project managers, business owners, etc. You don’t need to be a developer to use a no-code platform. Some of the examples are:

• Wix Business Apps – With Wix Business Apps, you can create, customize and publish apps without writing any code. You can also integrate your existing apps with Wix by using their app connectors.
• icanmakeapps – icanmakeapps allows you to create customizable apps without writing a single line of code. You can create apps for iOS, Android and Web for free.
• AppBox – AppBox is a cross-platform tool that allows you to create custom apps from scratch. The tool includes visual, drag-and-drop application builders and third-party integrations.

Pros

• The barrier to entry is low – You don’t need to have any coding experience or specialized skills to create an app. This makes the no-code approach suitable for business owners, project managers and other non-technical users.
• Quickly create simple apps – You don’t need to spend months learning a new software language and programming framework to build simple apps with a no-code solution. Instead, you only need to spend a few hours to create a basic app.
• Collaboration is built-in – No-code platforms are designed to allow users to work together on a single app. You can also invite outside users to view and edit the application.
• You can try before you buy – Since you don’t need to write code to create an app, you can try out different no-code platforms to see which ones best fit your needs. You can also use a trial version of an app to make sure it’s suitable for your organization.
• No-code apps are easy to scale – You can easily add new users to your app, add new features, and integrate your app with other systems once it’s deployed. This makes it easy to scale your app as your business grows.

Cons

• Not suitable for all organizations – If your business is data-heavy or requires a strict level of security, a no-code solution may not be sufficient.
• Less customizable – As you don’t have direct access to the code behind an app, you cannot modify it as easily as a code-based app. You may also find it difficult to integrate your app with other systems.
• Requires design and functionality expertise – If you don’t have design or functionality expertise, you may not be able to create the right app for your business. It’s important to choose a no-code platform that is suitable for your business.
• Limited features – Some no-code platforms are basic and don’t have all the features you need for your app. You will need to choose a platform that has the appropriate features for your business.
• No-code apps are static – With a no-code solution, you cannot write code to respond to user actions. This means your app will be static in nature and may not be suitable for certain use cases.

Will no-code software replace experienced developers?

No. No-code development platforms do not fully replace experienced developers. While no-code platforms make it easy to create basic apps, complex apps may require more programming skills.

This is because no-code solutions are designed to be user-friendly, while programming languages require technical skills. Moreover, some apps may require a customized solution that cannot be created with a no-code platform.

Still, no-code platforms are useful for organizations that require a single custom app. They are also suitable for businesses that need to deploy multiple apps for different departments or use cases. As such, no-code solutions make it easy for businesses to create and deploy custom apps with limited resources and no technical know-how.

Key Takeaway

No-code development platforms allow users to create custom apps and business processes without writing code. If your business needs a single custom app, a no-code solution is suitable.

However, if your organization requires a more complex app, you may need to hire experienced developers to write code. No-code solutions are designed to be user-friendly, making them suitable for businesses with limited technical resources.

Continue Reading:

Programmer vs Coder

Software Engineer vs Programmer: Key Differences

We no longer use Command-Line, after the introduction of graphical systems all the computers started to use GUI as the primary interface. And now a successful application is defined by the simple and easy-to-use user interface. 

So if you are planning to develop a user-friendly application, then you should make the wise choice in selecting a programming language. In this article, you will get to know the top programming languages for GUI Development. 

Okay without further ado let’s get started. 

List of Top Programming Languages for GUI Development

1. Python 

Python is often used for developing and testing program prototypes because of its ability to do quick testing and rapid development. And it makes it the best choice for GUI development. Most new developers choose Python as their GUI development tool because of its GUI library.

Python supports various types of programming sectors like – Object-oriented, imperative, functional, and procedural. Python is an interpreted language and all written in code, thus it will be hard to build a GUI using python, however, the large GUI library makes it simple. 

The GUI library is like a pre-build template or program which can be used by new developers for creating their applications. It has widgets and frameworks that can work on 30+ platforms. 

Some of the well-known frameworks are as follows – 

i) Tkinter 

It is a tool that can render and run python scripts in a GUI format. It is compatible on most Unix platforms like macOS and Windows Systems. 

ii) Flexx

It is a python language written in other languages such as C++, thus it will be easy for you to use if you’re familiar with C++. 

iii) Dabo and CEF Python

The former targets WxPython and later targets Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. Both of them are a framework that is best for cross-platform applications. 

iv) Py-Series ++

And there are many other GUI frameworks that start with ‘Py’, so they are shortly called Py – Series. It includes Pyforms which encourages code reuse, PyGObject best GNOME project applications and there is GTK+ scripting writing option.

v) PyQt

PyQt, a cross-platform framework is fully C++ written with many tools for API development. And there is also a noncommercial version called PySide. And last we have PyGUI which easily fits into the python ecosystem. 

2.Java

Next on our list is Javascript, which is also an object-oriented class-based programming language. And Java focuses more on the cross-platform thus the GUI packages are mostly available on Java-enabled devices. Java also has a library for graphical routines, which renders both 3D and 2D graphics. 

One demerit of developing a GUI using Java code is its speed. And that is the reason not many 3D games or interfaces are not created using Java. For example, Minecraft is created using Java and you can see that it doesn’t perform well on low-range or Mid-range computers. 

But using an IDE like eclipse, in Java you can easily design a GUI graphically which can save a lot of time. 

3. C/C++ GUI 

As Computer enthusiasts C and C++ are the programming languages you will learn first or at the start. C and C++ are best for GUI development and graphics rendering. But you may not use them because of their compiled nature. 

However, if speed is a prime focus for application then C/ C++ is the best option for you as the original machine code offers high speed. But coding C and C++ is not easy due to their complex nature and you get only a few options to edit and design. 

Conclusion 

And there are many other options for GUI development like C#, and VB.net with visual studio. Thus the best programming language for your GUI depends on your expertise and needs. If graphics and design are your prime focus Java is the best option for you and if speed is your focus then it’s C/C++. 

Java is best for web applications and Python is best for mobile or desktop applications. So If you have any questions regarding the above languages please leave them in the comment section below. 

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Code Refactoring vs Rewriting

Top 10 Programming Languages

Wait, are you saying they differ? Yes, in this article you will get to know about the difference between them and their uses in today’s computers. Okay, without ado let’s see what they are. 

What is Multi-tasking OS?

Multi-tasking allows you to execute various tasks or run different applications simultaneously at the same time using the time-sharing concept. Let’s see how this works-

In early times, you wouldn’t be able to run two different applications at the same time. But now you can work listening to your favourite music, this is because of the multi-tasking ideology used in the operating system. 

The Operating system acts as a bridge between your software and the hardware of your computers. It assigns a small-time quantum for each task based on the time-sharing technology. 

So your CPU will run the first task for a specific time and start processing the next task for the text quantum period, then again it will come back to the first task. Like this, it will go on a cycle between multiple tasks. 

Advantages of Multi-tasking OS:

Here are some advantages of the multi-tasking or multi-tasking Operating systems –

• It gives a shorter response time
• Increase the CPU utilization 
• Helps in parallel working different tasks

Disadvantages of the multi-tasking OS:

There are two disadvantages in the multi-tasking-

• It can’t be implemented in the old processors that are very slow to make use of quantum time. 
• It requires large memory storage than another Operating system like multi-programming OS. 

What is Time-sharing OS?

Time-sharing is the extension of Multi-programming and Multi-tasking concepts. The time-sharing operating system allows multiple users to access the computer resources for a specified time slice. 

It works like multitasking, but the difference here is that it allows multiple users to access the computer resources whereas multi-tasking focuses on running different applications at the same time. 

It is an integration of multi-tasking and multi-programming. Multi-programming operating systems allow the CPU to process multiple jobs by monitoring their status and switching between them. In the time-sharing operating system, the same switching is done for each quantum period as in multi-tasking. 

Advantages of Time-Sharing Operating Systems

Here are the few benefits of the time-sharing operating systems –

• It reduces the CPU ideal time
• The response speed of the CPU is increased
• All the users and task are given a specific time
• Tasks run in parallel
• Maximizes the total job output of a computer. 

Disadvantages of Time-Sharing Operating Systems 

• Might consume more resources
• There are some security and integrity concerns
• You should have a high level of hardware to handle these complex workings
• There is a small room for data communication problem
• In short, it has a problem of reliability. 

Difference between Multi-tasking and Time-sharing OS

There is no difference between them, time-sharing is just the next stage or further developed multitasking operating systems. Today all the operating systems adopt both multi-tasking and time-sharing concepts so it is hard to differentiate them. Here are some differences among the similarity. 

Parameter	Multi-tasking Operating System	Time-sharing Operating System
Definition	The operating system that can run more than one task at a time is called a multitasking operating system.	Time-sharing Operating systems are the further extension of the multi-programming system with the time-sharing concepts.
How it works	The processor time is shared between different tasks based on the time-sharing concept.	The processor time is shared between multiple users by integrating multi-programming with multi-tasking.
Nature	It is a type of time-sharing Operating System	It is an operating system that runs more than one program in a single CPU parallel.
Efficiency	It is less efficient than the time-sharing operating system	It is comparatively more efficient
Memory Storage	It requires large storage to work on a time-sharing basis.	Integration of multi-programming reduces the storage need but still, it is high.
Cost	The cost of a multitasking operating system is lesser than a time-sharing operating system.	It is comparatively expensive.
Next stage	It can be further developed into a time-sharing operating system.	It can further be developed into a real-time sharing operating system.

Download the comparison table: Timesharing vs Multitasking

If you have any further questions about these operating systems or any other Operating systems, please share them in the comment section below.

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What is MS-DOS ( Microsoft Disk Operating System)?

Linux vs Windows Operating system

Most organizations are adopting agile methodology to enable better collaboration between customer and the IT. With Agile the power of teamwork is unleashed. Agile is an iterative approach which concentrates on a continuous delivery framework. The focus is to start small and get timely and constructive feedback from customers. Many terminologies are circulating around Agile methodology such as DevOps , SecOps, Cloud OPs and so on. 

Today we look more in detail about SecOps and DevOps methodologies, their advantages , and use cases etc.

About SecOps 

SecOps is a combination of two separate concepts. SecOps meant ‘Security’ into ‘Operations’. SecOps aims to automate security tasks by combining security teams and ITOps teams together. Security is injected into the entire Lifecycle of a product from the starting and not at later stage. Objective is to ensure each and every member of the development team is aware of the security responsibility. 

Goals:

The goals of SecOps are :

• Increased security by prioritization of cybersecurity at all stages of development 
• Keep security dynamic process which is constantly improving and adopting
• Spread responsibility for security to all parties involved in production and securing a given application 

Benefits of SecOps

• Improvement in productivity
• Enhanced usage of resources
• Increased return on investment
• Application disruptions are reduced
• Reduction in cloud security threats
• More efficient auditing processes 

About DevOps

DevOps is the first and original methodology which blends two focuses of computer science. ‘Dev’ means software development and ‘Ops’ means information technology operations or services. Hence Dev+Ops = DevOps or software development operations / services. DevOps methodology is designed to improve quick software production and improvement using constant collaboration, automation, combination and intelligence.

DevOps practises throughout the development cycle developers are able to have more control over product infrastructure and prioritize software performance over other tasks.

Goals

The goals of DevOps are :

• increase speed of software delivery enablement using automation and collaboration,
• increased control over production infrastructure,
• prioritization of efficient and consistent software delivery,
• streamlining the integration of software architecture and systems into future products 

Modern DevOps cycle is different from traditional software development approach and look something like below:

• Plan software or application or patch for either of them
• Built patch or software
• Test the software or application in extensive manner
• Release the software to customers and end users
• Monitor customer feedback 
• Begin planning for next iteration of software or application

DevOps methodologies include key components such as Microservices , IoC or infrastructure as a code, PaC or policy as code. 

Benefits of DevOps

• More strong collaboration and communication within teams
• Achieve greater agility and speed for security teams
• Early detection and mitigation of code vulnerabilities
• Enhanced quality assurance testing 

Comparison Table: SecOps vs DevOps 

Below table summarizes the difference between the two terms:

FUNCTION	SecOps	DevOps
Definition	Collaboration between IT security and operations team	Collaboration between software development and IT operations team
Approach	Focus on security aspect of software or application	Focus on strong collaboration and communication with teams to ensure agility in software or application delivery
Scope	Building secure application or software	Development, remodelling and faster delivery of applications
Goal	Security in focus from start till end	Continuous and faster application development
Way of processing	Combination of manual or automated tests	Mostly automated or driven via AI
Implementation of changes	Changes are applied onto servers and applications	Changes are applied onto code

Download the Comparison Table: SecOps vs DevOps

Continue Reading:

DevOps vs NetOps: Detailed Comparison

Devops vs Sysops: Understand the difference

DevOps Engineer vs Software Engineer: Know the difference

In this article, you are going to see the top 10 programming languages that are widely used and important in current technological trends. So without further ado let’s get into the article. 

List of Programming Languages:

1.JavaScript 

Many languages have emerged and submerged in the past years but javascript is one of the long-lasting languages. It has been listed in the top 10 programming languages for several years. And it is used by major companies like Google, Facebook, Microsoft, etc… 

Though it is primarily used for web pages now it has a wide range of applications from web development, game development, mobile application development, and so on. 

2.Python

It is always a clash between python and JavaScript. Some lists rank python as the first and others go for JavaScript. Like JavaScript python has also been in usage for many years. And more than 19,000 job opportunities are for a python expert. 

Python is not suitable for mobile apps, other than that it is widely used and famous among startups. 

3.Java 

It is a programming language in client-server applications and infrastructure. It is a loosely coupled programming language thus the application created by java can run on any server or platform that supports Java. 

There are 29,000 more jobs for Java experts. The great drawback is that advancing the development of cloud infrastructure is reducing the need for Java language. As they are not ideal for cloud applications. 

4.C and C++

C and C++ are like old wine, their value keeps on increasing as time goes. Though python has been replaced to do major C languages roles still C and C++ are in the top 10 list. Another advantage is that it is an easy language to learn.

C language is often used to program hardware and embedded devices. However, the C language is not suitable for websites and mobile applications. 

5.R Language

It had an expositional rise in recent years because of the wide usage of big data and data computing. Various big companies are using the R languages to deal with their data and machine learning purposes. 

R language is mostly used in statistical products. The drawback is it doesn’t have strict programming guidelines. 

6.PHP 

There is a misconception about PHP that it is dying, but it’s not true. It is still a large and widely-used programming language in the world. Large companies like Facebook, Wikipedia, WordPress, etc… are dependent on it. 

If you are looking forward to getting into website development then PHP is a great choice for you. 

7.C#

It is developed by Microsoft as the most secure and faster variant of C#. Thus there are still large job opportunities for you if you learn C#. And they also support windows, browser, and mobile plugins. 

The major drawback is that they are used mostly on the Microsoft.Net services and are less flexible than C++. 

8.Go

It is also referred to as Golang. It is a language created by Google to use as an efficient and readable, secure language for system-level programming. Though it is not an overhyped language now companies like Google, Uber are using them. 

And it is expected to reach large heights in the upcoming years. The drawback is not widespread out of Silicon Valley. It does not include a library for Graphical Interface. 

9.Kotlin

While talking about the top programming languages you cannot miss Kotlin. Whenever a developer plans to develop an android app the Kotlin is always the first choice. Even Google has named Kotlin as their preferred programming language for Android Applications. 

It can be used for Android development, web development, desktop applications. It is used by companies like Uber, Netflix, and Pinterest, etc… 

10.Scala

Tech giants like Netflix, LinkedIn, eBay, Twitter, etc… are using Scala as their major programming language. It is originally developed to resolve problems faced by the developers while using Java. It supports both object-oriented and functional-oriented programs. 

Worth mentioning here is CNC programming language that is a prominent machine programming language which uses  G-code and M-code.

Other than the languages listed above there are many more important programming languages out there. If you have any other questions please share them in the comment section below.

Continue Reading:

What is JSON? Why JSON is better than XML?

What is Pylint? Python Programming

This technology approach is shift from CLI; Intent based networking (Apstra) operates as a Network-as-a-service (NaaS) meaning it is end to end networking which seamlessly manages all devices on one interface in the networking domain. Intent based networking adds DevOps, and allows network operators better control over the running network.

In this article we will learn more about Postman tool, testing APIs with Postman, testing automation and much more.

Apstra (Intent based networking)

Apstra is intent based networking which is used to automate all aspects of the network design, build, deploy and operate phases. It leverages intent-based analytics, continuously validates network, eliminates complexity, handling vulnerability and outages to build a more resilient and secure network.  Apstra provides automated management of data center leaf spine network services, real time closed loop validation using advanced data analytics, seamless cloud scale network deployments.

Features of Apstra (Intent based networking)

Apstra is delivering Intent based networking since 2014, founded by Mansour Karam

• Validates intent objects before apply them to network. Intent objects represent high level view of desired properties required to be achieved in actual networks.
• Instantaneous rollback or roll-forward
• Limit impact and scope of failures during new intent rollout using well defined policy
• Intent based fallback. As desired out come is known it can maintain those outcomes and reconfigure devices to simulate same results
• Break down operational tasks into simpler elements and automate them
• Eliminate human error in the flow from expressed intent to create and deploy specific configurations
• Operations running under 24*7 window makes maintenance schedules tough to create however with IBN they are performed in production without any impact
• Standardization of network segments is achievable
• Reduction in mean time to repair and SME workload by simplification of operational analytics and free more skilled resources in improving and innovating
• Extraction of more knowledge by collecting and storing less data. It is only collects what it is looking for and let run infrastructure in efficient manner and remain cost conscious
• Automate complex workflows by enabling automation of context rich troubleshooting workflows
• Enable zero maintenance touch in the presence of change as it is in constant sync and automatically responds to changes and saves huge costs associated in maintaining data

Architecture – Apstra (Intent based networking)

Apstra is based on distributed state management infrastructure which can be defined as data centric communication fabric with horizontally scalable and fault tolerant in memory data store. All functionalities are implemented via stateless agents. Agents communicate with each other using logical publish-subscribe-based communication channel and implement the application logic.

There are three classes of agents as under:

• Interaction (web agents) to interface with users, taking user inputs and feed users with relevant context from data store
• Application agents are responsible to perform application domain specific data transformation, subscribe to input entities and produce output entities
• Device agents reside on a managed physical or virtual system such as switch, firewall, load balancer and used for writing configuration and gather telemetry using device specific interfaces.

Web agents take user inputs such as links, resource pools to use etc. Build agent subscribes to this intent and perform validations to ensure completeness and correctness, allocate resources from resource pools. Assuming validation is completed the build agent publishes that intent along with resource allocation into the data store.

Agents communicate via attribute-based interfaces by publishing entities and subscribe to changes in entities.

Conclusion

The inability to make reliable changes in IT infrastructure is a major challenge to growth and business innovation. Intent based networking eliminates that and makes it possible to remove the dreaded ‘Legacy network infrastructure’ forever and empowers to make changes in reliable way.

Continue Reading:

Introduction to Postman: API Development Platform

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In this article we will learn more about an Array formula in Google Sheets, which is a specific type of formula that performs an operation on multiple values rather than on a single value, we will learn how to apply array formulas, its use and functionality.  

Array formula in Google sheets

An Array formula is a specific type of formula which can perform multiple calculations on one or more items in an array. Array can be a row or column of values, or a combination of rows and columns of values. We can use array formulas to perform complex tasks such as quick creation of sample datasets. The final output of an array formula will be either one item or an array of items based on what formula was applied. For e.g., below formula is an array formula which returns the sum of all characters in a range: – 

 {=SUM (LEN (range))} 

The structure of an Array Formula has 2 parameters

• A range 
• A mathematical expression using ranges of the same size
• A function that returns a result greater than one cell 

An array is a collection of one or more items, a normal formula results in a single value, array formula outputs a range of cells. Let’s look at one example to understand how the array formula works in Google Spreadsheets. 

To calculate the price of all products one way is to apply a sum formula in Column E and multiple values in Column C to Column D and arrive at the final result. Other way is to use an array formula and get straight to answer like this 

=ArrayFormula (SUM (C2:C5 * D2:D5))

When we use the multiplication (*) operator in a spreadsheet we give it two numbers or two cells to multiply together. Here in this array formula, we are giving two ranges or two arrays of data as input 

= C2:C5 * D2:D5 

In normal circumstances if above formula is put it will give an error as #VALUE error however, we need to tell Google spreadsheet that this will be an ArrayFormula and this can be achieved in two ways. 

Either we type word ArrayFormula and add and opening / closing brace to wrap formula or just hitting Ctrl+Shift+Enter (Cmd + Shift+Enter on a MAC system) and Google sheets will add ArrayFormula wrapper 

For each row Google will do the calculation and present the result in output as below.

Quick bits

Array formula only works if the size of two arrays match as in above case where each row has four numbers 

Array formula with IF function used below in a non-array function being used with array it works when we designed IF formula as array formula. 

A standard IF statement to check if value in column A is over INR 10000 or not:

=IF (A2>10000, “Yes’, “No) 

This formula can be copied into each row to get output, we can change this into a single Array formula at the top of the column and run the IF statement across multiple rows in which we have values. 

Single Array formula will produce an output array which fills row 2 to row 10 with Yes and No. 

Features of Google Sheets Array Formula

• Even for a huge dataset it is a single formula 
• It is expandable in nature and a change in one place will expand down in the entire data range
• It is dynamic so when a new row is introduced in dataset the formula will automatically be applied to 
• It is consistent so if we click on one cell within a multi cell array formula we see same formula 
• We cannot overwrite part of a multi cell array formula 
• They sometime use less memory
• Eliminate the need for intermediate formulas
• We cannot create an array that uses a whole column or multiple columns of cells

Limitations of Array Formulas

• Error prone if we forgot to use Ctrl + Shift+Enter for array formulas 
• Debugging an array formula is difficult
• Array formulas are complex
• Using complex array formulas sometimes slow down the spreadsheet recalculation time

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Today we look more in detail about two important terminologies in the software domain – code refactoring and code rewriting. This article will give insight into the major differences between the two, its purpose , which one to choose from and so on.  

What is Code Refactoring?

Functional enhancements is a key start point and to decide what rewrites and refactors are not. Which strategies will improve functionality of an application? Fixing defects, delivering new features, or cleaning up of user interface is call of enhancement. It is all about what an application does for users and a normal state of development. Sometimes the scope of functional enhancements is large. Like having an app server which is user based but features all require overhauling. This kind of effort requires building all new functionality , a new system required to be developed from scratch. 

Refactoring is a discipline for restructuring an existing body of code , altering its internal structure keeping external appearance intact. Refactoring is all about making code maintainable by decomposing long or complex functions, fixing inconsistent naming conventions, adding unit tests, class hierarchies restructuring, data structures or schema revamp. There is nothing visible to users but internal code structure is modified to make it easy to work for developers and hence improves productivity. Refactoring is an iterative change and makes minor tweaks to application, deliver them and then rinse and repeat.

Benefits of Code Refactoring 

• Easy to start as developers already working on code and know it well
• Ideal for all kind of software architecture be it monolithic or modular
• Adds more flexibility as developer can choose to fix selected segments only 
• It sticks to one code base and there is no need to create two code bases hence maintenance costs are low 

What is Code Rewriting?

Rewriting has a simple and basic goal to improve the non-functional nature of the application. It is about blowing up and building new. Rewrite involves major changes to the system in order to make fundamental improvements in the quality attributes of an application. If a legacy application is crippled due to technical debt it is impossible to add new features, then we may choose to rewrite and build a new base to improve maintainability and extensibility and add in new features which business demands. So, it is being rewritten with enhancements.

Rewriting is building the same functionality which exists in legacy applications but using a different coding language / framework, maintain new code repository and deploy and entire new platform e.g., servers, hardware, server less, client etc. 

Benefits of Rewriting code

• It has wide range of possibilities as you are not limited to use previous structure .
• Acquisitions are easier as people who developed legacy code are not there it is better to have code rewritten.
• More future oriented as you will be able to avoid mistakes already identified in legacy systems and recreate everything from scratch.  

The below diagram represents the blend of major and minor changes. So, the re-implementation is proposed with a modern set of technologies , but keeping the exposed APIs and underlying structure same. 

Comparison Table: Code Refactoring vs Rewriting 

PARAMETER	CODE REFACTORING	REWRITING CODE
Definition	Restructuring existing code without impacting its external interface	Re-implementing a large code of existing functionality without re-use of its source code or writing inscription
Costs	There is no need to maintain two code bases hence costs are lower	There is a need to maintain two code bases both the new and old one and this generates additional costs
Characteristics	Iterations are fast Same underlying technology / architecture Requires a lot of expertise as developers need to deal with complex patterns and ambiguities	Long term commitment Freedom to choose new framework or programming language
Effort estimation	The effort required to refactor is less provided developers are well aware of legacy application code	Creating new systems from scratch takes a lot of time
Examples	Extraction of variable, renaming a function, consolidating statements or moving code from one place to another etc.	New technology to do same thing in better way, replacement of a legacy that is difficult to work with (e.g., complex methods without tests) etc.

Download the comparison table: Refactor vs Rewrite

Conclusion

The usual standard is 40% refactor and 60% rewrite. Do you refactor or rewrite, would depend on a few crucial factors as under ?

Your obligations towards your investors – if you are bound to pay back some investments then these can greatly influence how you’re looking at the code.

UI/UX designs – If there are major changes from version to version. It is better and easier to start from scratch rather than refactor the current codebase.

Environment changes – want to migrate from one hosting solution to another, you may find some issues in a full exchange resulting in the requirement of refactoring or rewrite.

Continue Reading:

What is Code Refactoring?

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Introduction to Postman: API Development Platform

In this article we will learn more about a discipline or technique called ‘code refactoring’ and will understand how it works, why it is used , its advantages and use cases. 

Code Refactoring 

Code refactoring is a discipline technique to restructure existing code alteration in its internal structure without making any modification in its external behaviour. It comprises a series of preserving transformations and each transformation is referred as ‘refactoring’, sequence of these transformations produce significant restructuring . The unit of transformation is so small that it does not impact the functioning of code and there are very bleak chances of system breakdown during restructuring.

Refactoring is not taken up as  a separate activity but it is part of day-to-day programming activity. While adding any new feature to source code then it is analysed to understand whether existing code is structured in a way that making new change would be straightforward, if not then refactor required to existing code first to make way for adding new functionality in an easier manner.

Sometimes during modification code is checked to see if what we need is encoded in the program and if code has functions which can be easily called then refactoring is done to use that functionality in an easy way next time. 

Advantages of Code Refactoring  

• Simplified support and code Updation is easier
• Saves time and costs in future incur on technical glitches
• Reduction in complexity helps new developers to comprehend code and make required alterations faster 
• Maintainable and scalable code 

How to perform Code Refactoring?

Best time to consider code refactoring is while adding new updates, new features to existing code. There are different techniques to perform code refactoring some of the most popular ones are described below:

Red-Green-Refactor 

One of the most widely used techniques for code refactoring is red/green process used in Agile test-driven environments. Developers break refactoring into three steps:

1. Stop and consider what needs to be developed [RED]
2. Pass the basic testing in Development [GREEN]
3. Implementation of improvements [REFACTOR]

Refactoring by abstraction 

It is useful when a large amount of data needs to be refactored. Abstraction involves class inheritance, hierarchy and extraction. The objective of this is to reduce duplications. 

One example of such refactoring is the pull-up/push down approach. There are two opposite forms of refactoring involving classes. The pull up pulls code into superclass in order to remove code duplicity. Push down takes it from superclass and moves is down into subclasses.

Composing method 

It involves streamlining of code to reduce duplicity. This is done using various methods such as extraction and inline methods. 

• Extraction involves breaking down code into smaller parts to identify fragmentation. Extraction may involve class, interface, and local variables.
• Inline is a way to reduce the number of not so important methods to simplify code. 

Simplifying methods 

With the code getting older more complex and garbled it is. Objective is to make it simple by consolidation of conditional fragments and expressions and replacement of conditional with polymorphism. It involves tweaking between class interactions. Addition, removal, and introduction of new parameters along with replacement of parameters with explicit methods.

Moving features between objects requires creation of new classes and moving functionality between old and new classes. When one class has too much to perform then some of the code needs to move to another class or if a class is not doing much then code can be moved to another class and this one can be deleted. 

Preparatory Refactoring 

When a developer notices that there is a need for refactoring before adding a new feature. Code needs to be updated at that moment to reduce future technical debt. 

Conclusion

You can think code refactoring is similar to keeping your house clean and tidy. Where things are easy to locate and the same analogy applies here for code. Code also requires spring cleaning to ensure a better product and more productive environment. 

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Web development work comprises skilled personnel who work on developing a website for the Internet or an Intranet (Company website). Web development may involve a simple single static page development in HTML to complex web applications such as e-commerce sites, social networking services , client and server-side scripting, network security configurations and so on. 

Large organizations and businesses could have web development teams comprising hundreds of web developers which follow Agile practises to develop web sites. Web development work is a collaborative effort between departments and requires web developers of varied skill sets. In the modern times web developers are in high demand. 

In this article we will learn more about various types of web developers , their skill sets and what type of work is suitable for which developer and key differences between them. 

Types of Web Developers 

Web developers are categorized into three types as under – Front end developer , Backend developer and Full Stack developer. Let’s understand the key difference among these. 

Front End Developer

Front end developers are responsible to ensure smooth functioning of a website from its visual appearance.  These developers convert UI (Under interface) look and feel into code. Front end developers usually use HTML , JavaScript , cascading style sheets. Every web developer initially learns web development using HTML language and it provides a basic framework for the website. JavaScript is most commonly used programming languages nowadays , it is a high medium, multi-paradigm and just in time compiled language. 

Backend Developer

Backend Developer is responsible for server-side functionality of an application. The user interacts with the website UI which is developed by the front end developer. They are least concerned about how sign in works, how we place an order, how payment functionality works etc.

A backend developer handles this kind of issues and focus is on databases , the APIS and scripting languages etc. A backend developer work is very crucial as it adds life and meaning of usage to tools created by front end developers. Backend developers use languages such as Java, Ruby, .NET, Python, PHP. APIs such as REST and SOAP, databases such as MYSQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL, MongoDB.  

Full Stack Developers

Full Stack developer manages both client and server side. They are also referred to as “Jack of all Trades” . They are skilled with multiple frameworks of front-end development and experienced in all web development layers from managing databases to solving missing critical requirements. They have experience and exposure to business logic and user experiences. They act as consultants and provide guidance.

Full stack developers work on different categories of development such as MEAN Stack (MongoDB, Express, Node and Angular) , MERN stack (MongoDB, Express, Rest and Node), Django stack (JavaScript, Python, Django and MySQL), LAMP (Linux, Apache, MYSQL and PHP), LEMP stack (JavaScript, Linux, Nginx, MYSQL and PHP), Ruby on rails (JavaScript, Ruby, SQLite and Rails) 

 Front End vs Backend vs Full Stack Developer 

Below table summarizes the differences between the three types:

FEATURES	FRONT END DEVELOPER	BACKEND DEVELOPER	FULL STACK DEVELOPER
Development work	Manage and develop front end part of website Creation of user-friendly web pages, visual appealing functionality, creative way to handle user centred issues	Manage and develop backend part of website Building and Maintaining web server, application and database , ensuring front end operations run smoothly	Handles both frontend and backend development Majorly involved in backend work but also work on frontend languages to manipulate sites look and feel for users
Client/ server side	Focus on client side	Focus on functionality	Focus on both client and server side
Functionality	Visual look and appearance is of prime importance	Backend functionality is of prime importance	Visual appeal and accurate functionality of database is prime focus
Salary /Compensation	Average salary is $72000	Average salary is $114,255	Average salary is $105813
Languages used	Popular programming languages used are HTML, CSS, JavaScript , Bootstrap and jQuery etc	PHP, Python, Ruby, Server Programming , SQL/Oracle.	Uses both frontend and backend programming languages including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, NodeJS, Python, Java, PHP etc.
Skills required	Creativity, imagination and innovation skills	Analytical, fast, logical, detail oriented and composed	Multi-tasking, innovative and discipline oriented

Download the comparison table.

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Application programming Interfaces (API) are all over the Internet and they play a significant role in the day-to-day life of end users and we use it even without realizing it. Right from checking weather reports, booking hotels, login to google or social media accounts, choosing online payment methods while shopping on ecommerce sites everywhere APIs are used to create a better experience for us in the digital world.

Although APIs are making our lives easier, developers need to test them before using them on real time data. And at that point in time Postman was introduced, it is used by more than 7 million developers worldwide every month.

In this article we will learn more about the Postman tool, testing APIs with Postman, testing automation and much more.  

What is Postman?

There are a number of ways in which APIs can be created, a web API is usually made using the REST (Representational State Transfer) framework. The REST framework sets a set of guidelines which should be followed while developing APIs. API is created to enable other applications to use the services, every stage in API development process involves testing, testing for functionality, handling exceptions, and security.

The Postman tool is much more than a simple API testing tool. Postman tool allows you to organize your API requests into collections and folders that share common values across requests with environment variables, script tests with built-in-node.js based runtime, and automate them with Newman – the command line runner for Postman. 

It is a complete testing tool and a complete API development platform having various built-in tools which support every stage in API lifecycle. Postman tool allows to design, mock, debug, automate testing, document, monitor and publish APIs from a single place. Postman can be accessed via native apps for MacOS, Windows and Linux operating systems. 

Evolution of Postman

The initial Postman was a Postman chrome App and used along with the Postman interceptor Chrome extension. The Google Postman extension was more widely accepted.

Pros of Postman

• Creation of test suites with ease – to ensure that API is working as required, Postman tool allows to create a collection of integration tests and for each test which runs in a specific order, an HTTP request is made and assertions written in JavaScript are used to ensure code integrity. It gives freedom to manipulate data which you receive from Postman application 
• Supports testing on different environments – the local environment is usually configured in a different way than test server, test collection which runs perfectly in test environment, may give issues in actual environment. The Postman tool allows you to store certain information about the different environments that you can use and automatically insert the correct environmental configuration for the test collection which you are running. 
• Data Storage – Postman tool allows to store data from previous tests into global variables, and these can be used in a similar fashion as environmental variables. We can either store the response or some portion of the response and use it for calling subsequent APIs.
• Better integration – it is a unique interface which allows easily running a collection of tests right from the command line. Newman’s Postman command line interface (CLI) enables running the tests on systems not having GUI interfaces. It gives the ability to run a collection of tests from within most build tools. 

Features of Postman

• Accessibility – is at ease one can login to their account and access files anytime
• Collection usage – it allows users to create collections of API calls
• Combination – collections and environments can be imported with ease or exported to share files
• Establishing environments – multiple environments can be setup to reuse same collection for different environment
• Creation of test cases – multiple test cases can be created to ensure complete test coverage
• Process automation – use of the collection Runner or New man, tests can run in multiple iterations to save time for repeat tests
• Data debugging – Postman console check what data has been retrieved to make debugging simpler
• Continuous integration – development processes can be maintained with continuous integration support

Using Postman to Automate API testing 

It has a user-friendly interface which allows it to send API requests. We can create a new request or collection. HTTP requests such as POST, GET, DELETE etc. are listed to be chosen as per the need. In the Request URL tab you are required to enter the endpoint URL and click the Send button to send a request to the intended URL and receive a response.

Authorization is one feature which is required when we deal with a URL which is not open publicly and should have a username, token or password to use. As per the requirement Header with content type as JSON can be set. 

Import function allows you to import an existing collection when Runner allows to execute automation tests.

Automated API testing is divided into four steps starting with manual testing of the APIs, then API response is received, based on previous two steps one can write test suites and execute these test suites from different endpoints and gather the results.

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With a huge shift and transformation in business communications, virtual business presentations are more popular and more in demand. While selecting which virtual presentation software to select pose a challenge for presenters – which platform to select for delivering a presentation in an engaging manner?

With many presentation software available in the market the two most popular presentation software are Microsoft PowerPoint and Google Slides. Choosing one out of these two could be an individual choice. 

Today we look more in depth about Microsoft PowerPoint and GoogleSlides, their features, advantages etc.

About Google Slides

Google Slides was developed and released by Google LLC in 2006 within its Google Drive Service. It is available as a desktop application on Google’s Chrome Operating System, mobile app for iOS, Android, Windows, BlackBerry, and as a web application. It comes as part of the G Suite package and free for individuals. 27 templates are available with GoogleSlides. GoogleSlides is a cloud-based software which supports online mode and can also be accessible in offline mode.

GoogleSlides gives a seamless collaboration and can easily edit and do comments in presentations which can be viewed in real time. GoogleSlides have limited transition and animation effects and have restricted scope to make slideshows. All Google fonts are supported by Google slides. All slides are saved in Google Drive so it is not required to save it every time. Google Slides can be converted into different file formats (.odp, .pptx, .pdf, .txt, .svg, .jpg, png). It allows linking text and images to other slides or URLs in the presentation. 

Features of GoogleSlides

• Presentation stored in the cloud allows you to access it anytime
• Multiple people can see and/or edit the document simultaneously
• Compatible with other Google applications
• It has instant auto saving feature
• Creating an account is free in GMAIL 

About PowerPoint

Microsoft PowerPoint has been ruling the presentation market since its launch in 1987 and has changed the way presentations are made and delivered. PowerPoint was developed by Robert Gaskins and was released by a software company named Forethought, Inc. Realizing its potential Microsoft purchased the PowerPoint for $14 million within three months of its launch.

PowerPoint is part of the MS-Office package and requires a license to use it. The price of a license is based on one time subscription or annual subscription. Microsoft PowerPoint has plenty of creative and customizable templates; it has more than 150,000 pre-designed customizable slides in its store. 

PowerPoint can be accessed via online web-based application or office 365. Offline access is also supported. PowerPoint doesn’t provide collaboration however collaboration is possible in PowerPoint 2010 where you can collaborate with a team using PowerPoint online. PowerPoint offers many special effects such as fanciful transitions, 3D reflections etc. Locally installed fonts are used by PowerPoint.

Latest version of PowerPoint required or subscription of office 365 to save presentations automatically. PowerPoint presentation formats supported are .ppt, .pptx, .odp, .potx, .pdf, .ppsx, .pot, .pps, .potm, .ppsm, .pptm. PowerPoint allows you to link some parts of a presentation so that you can quickly move to the web, other presentations etc.

Features of PowerPoint 

• Quite intuitive and ease of use
• It has multiple customization options such as trim pictures, add filters and effects to them, adjust their brightness, contrast, saturation and transparency etc.
• PowerPoint allows you to import and export different file formats and compatible with multiple formats
• Compatible with other Microsoft Office programs

Comparison Table: Google Slides vs PowerPoint 

Below table summarizes the difference between the two software:

PARAMETER	POWERPOINT	GOOGLE SLIDES
Access	Microsoft office application is required to be installed on system. One time fee or monthly/annual subscription	Gmail account is required (Free for usage) for individuals and for business entities it comes as part of G Suite package
File format supported for import	.pdf, .mp4, .wmv, .odp, .jpg, .png, .gif, .bmp, .tif,.emf,. rft	.pptx, .pdf, .txt, .jpg, .png, .svg
Collaboration	Multiple users allowed via OneDrive	Multiple users were allowed provided they have Gmail accounts
Animations supported	Yes, about 50 effects	Yes, 30 animations and 40 effects
Audio insertion supported	Yes	Yes
Video insertion supported	Yes	Yes
Offline access supported	Yes	Yes (the application must be installed)
Available on system	Yes	Yes
Available for MAC	Yes	Yes

Download the comparison table: Google Slides Vs PowerPoint

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In this article we will learn more about Darwin OS, its features, advantages, and limitations.

Definition: Darwin OS

The OS X kernel is an open source project. The kernel along with core parts of OS X are together referred to as Darwin. Darwin is a complete operating system based on many technologies however Darwin does not include Apple proprietary graphics or application layers such as Quartz, Concoa, Carbon or OpenGL.  Darwin has a BSD command line application environment.

Origin of Darwin OS

Darwin is from Apple and the operating system for Mac OS X. Darwin is a Mac OS X without user interface. Darwin is compatible with FreeBSD distribution and emerged having efficiency and stability of UNIX with simple usability of Mac OS. Developers of Apple and the open source community worked together for PowerPC and x86 operating system versions, modifications, and developments flow back to the public, after a free registration of source code was made available for download from Apple website. Standard format supported for applications in Darwin is Mach-O and Linux applications can be ported.

Architecture of Darwin OS

Darwin technology is based on BSD Mach 3.0 from Apple technologies. It is an open source technology having developers’ full access to source code. Same software forms the core of both OS X and Darwin, developers can create a low-level software which runs on both OS’s. Majorly the technology is derived from FreeBSD, a version of 4.4BSD which offers advanced features like networking, performance, security, and compatibility features. Most part of the OS is platform dependent and it provides a clean set of abstractions for dealing with memory management, interprocess communication (IPC), and other low-level operating system functions.

Architecture components of Darwin:

• Mach components : Manages process resources (CPU usage and memory) , handles scheduling, memory protection, messaging center for entire OS , support for low level functions (Remote procedure calls, scheduler support for SMP , real time services support, virtual memory support, paging etc.)
• BSD – provides OS ‘Personality’ services such as file system, networking, FreeBSD Kernel API, kernel support for threads, support for syscall, security policies such as user IDs and permissions
• Networking – Modern features for BSD network capability, network address translation and firewalls, provides support for both IP and AppleTalk, multihoming, routing – multicast support and packet filtering , server tuning, socket-based AppleTalk, Mac OS classic support , open transport APIs
• File system – File systems support (HFS, UFS, NFS etc), The default file system is (HFS+), Mac OS X boots (and ‘roots’) from HFS+ , enhanced virtual file system (VFS) file systems are stackable ,UTF-8 (Unicode) support, increased performance over previous versions
• I/O Kit – simplified driver development Framework, modular and extensible, object oriented I/O architecture , true plug and play, dynamic device management, on demand drivers loading and multiprocessor capabilities , power management of desktop systems as well as portables
• Network kernel Extensions (NKE) – Without interruption and re-compilation Add/remove kernel modules for networking

Characteristics of Darwin OS

• Layered architecture
• Improved reliability and performance
• Enhanced networking
• Object based systems programming interface
• Industry standards support

Darwin OS Pros and Cons

Pros

• Reliable and good performance
• Virtual file system design
• Foremost networking features

Cons

• Distributed under open source hence security threat
• Not extensible like windows OS
• Slow loading and execution of classic applications
• Shortcoming and support in software compatibility

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We will learn more in detail about MATLAB and know about its history, why it was developed, what is MATLAB framework and its benefits and use cases.

Definition – MATLAB

MATLAB was initially developed to implement a simple approach to matrix software developed by two projects namely – LINPACK (Linear system package) and EISPACK (Eigen system package).

It is a modern programming language environment and a software environment having refined data structures including built in editing and debugging tools for programmers and supports object-oriented programming functionality.

History 

MATLAB was developed in 1970s by Cleve Moler, the chairman of Computer science department at university of New Mexico. Cleve wanted his students to use LINPACK & EISPACK (software libraries for numerical computing, written in FORTRAN), and without knowledge of FORTRAN. In 1984 Cleve Moler with Jack Little & Steve Bangert re-written MATLAB in C language and founded MathWorks. These libraries are known as JACKPAC and later were revised in year 2000 for matrix manipulation and renamed as LAPACK.

MATLAB System

MATLAB has five elements each of them described in detail in above diagram.

1. Development environment – it has set of tools and facilities which help to use MATLAB operations and files. This comprises of many GUI based tools – MATLAB desktop and command window, command history, editor and debugger, browsers , workspaces, reports, and search path.
2. MATLAB Mathematical Function Library – has basic functions like sum, since, cosine, and complex mathematical functions like matrix inverse, matrix eigenvalues, Bessel functions, and fast Fourier transforms.
3. MATLAB language – high level matrix/array language with control flow statements , functions, data structure, input/output and object-oriented programming interfaces. It allows both programming in the small and large to develop quick throw away programs to create large and complex application functions.
4. Graphics – it has capabilities to display vector and matrices as graphs, as well as annotations and printing of graphs. It contains high level structures for two dimensional and three-dimensional data presentation , image processing, animation. It also has low level structures to customize the display of graphics fully or build complete graphical user interface on MATLAB Applications.
5. MATLAB External interface/API – This is a library which allows to write C and FORTAN programs which interact with MATLAB and contains facilities for calling routines from MATLAB (dynamic linking) , calling MATLAB as computational engine and reading and writing MAT format files.

Features and Capabilities 

Characteristics/Features of MATLAB

• Supports both symbolic and numerical computing
• High level language mainly for engineering and scientific computing
• Works within desktop environment and provides full features for problem solving, iterations and design
• Can create custom plots for data visualization and tools using built in graphics
• Specific applications are designed to work on specific problems such as data classification, control system design, tuning, and signal analysis.
• Several add on toolboxes to build a wide range of engineering, scientific, and customized user interface applications
• Interfaces are available to work with other programming languages such as C, C++, Java, .NET, Python, SQL, and Hadoop.
• Optimize complex processes and distributed systems
• Real time testing of test control systems and signal processing algorithms
• Development of embedded systems using model-based design
• Develop embedded code for prototypes or production
• Perform parallel computing with large scale systems
• Import or access data from other sources
• Work management by automation of processes
• Working with multiple cloud platforms – MathWorks cloud, AWS, Azure etc.
• Capable of mathematical modelling of complex systems

MATALB Pros and Cons

PROS

• Metrices and vector handling efficiently
• Quick analysis and plotting
• Extensive documentation available
• Lots of inbuilt functions FFT, Fuzzy logic, neural nets, numerical integrations, OpenGL etc
• Multithreading support and garbage collection for parallel execution of algorithms
• Best mathematical package libraries to support all fields of mathematics , simple to complex computations
• Fastest IDE for mathematical computation of matrices and linear Algebra
• 2-D and 3-D data visualization ,image processing and animation of high quality

CONS

• Slow in comparison to other languages like C or java

Application of MATLAB

• Computational Biology – Biological data computation for analysis, visualization, and modelling
• Control systems – design , testing and implementation
• Data science – Data driven insights to improve designs and decisions
• Deep learning – Design, build and visualize neural networks
• Machine learning – Discovering new patterns to develop predictive models
• Wireless communications – design and testing of wireless communications
• Image processing – Image and video processing
• Internet of things – insight into data by connective embedded systems to Internet
• Data exploration and test automation
• Power electronics – Providing digital control for motors, power converters, and battery systems
• Biotech and pharmaceutical – data analysis for drug discovery, development, clinical trials, and manufacturing

And the list is never ending ….

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What is JSON?

What is Pylint? Python Programming

Well, because it is the first thing you should learn when you are serious about Data Science. In this article, you will get a full understanding of it and a basic introduction to its workings.

Okay without further ado let’s get started.

What is JSON?

The word JSON refers to the JavaScript Object Notation. It is just a way of representing the data in the text form which is independent of the platform. The Exchange of Data between the server and browser can only be in text format.

So the Data is stored in the JavaScript Object is converted into JSON, a text format, and send to the server from the browser. And then server converts them back to the JavaScript Object and undergoes the further process. Are you still confused? Then take it this way.

The JSON file is like a PDF file (different but used for the same purposes). PDF files are used universally because the alignment or presentation won’t change in the transfer. JSON also stays the same irrespective of the platforms. It is not corrupted and can be used across all platforms like Android, Mac, and Windows, etc…

PDF files are denoted by the file extension .pdf and JSON files are noted by the extension .json.

Working in JSON:

You can use it to transfer tons of data between the companies on the daily basis. Like the name says the coding of the JSON is more similar to the JAVA Script, so if you have experience in JAVA script then it will be easy for you to work on the JSON. However, JSON is an independent format that can be accessed in all types of programming languages.

The Syntax and structure of the JSON are very simple. It is stored in the Key-Value format. Here is a simple example of the JSON –

{

    “first_name” : “Sammy” ,

    “last_name” : “Shark” ,

    “Followers”: 987

    “online” : true

}

You can see the JSON is entered between two curly brackets in the Key-value format. The key is entered before or to the left side of the colon with double quotes (“first name”) and the string or value is entered to the right side of the or after the colon with double quotes (“Sammy”).

If the value is a number then the double quotes are not added to help calculations. And the doubt quotes are not added for the Booleans like true or false also. The JSON Values can be formed from the following 6 types –

1. Strings
2. Numbers
3. Objects
4. Arrays
5. Booleans
6. Null

Why JSON is better than XML?

The XML (extensible mark-up language) file format is considered as the alternative for the JSON file; however, JSON has many advantages over the XML format.

Before the invention of the JSON, XML is widely used throughout the world for open data interchange. But now it has changed here are the advantages or uses of JSON.

• In JSON the use of verbose or words is lesser than the XML.
• JSON is cost-efficient than XML. You will need a lot of memories and energy to process that is for parsing the XML software. However it very faster and accurate in JSON.
• The data structures or model is the best matching. The JSON Data model is like a map where the XML is like a tree.
• JSON is limited in terms of what the object can be modeled. Well, most people see it as a bad thing, but it is a good thing. This limitation makes the code simpler, predictable, and easy to read.
• The objects are represented in the same way in code, so you can go from objects to objects in the JSON code which is not possible in the XML.

Conclusion

In short, JSON is easy to read and write lightweight text-based language-independent format.

• It is used while creating JAVA script-based applications like a web browser or extensions.
• It is used to transmit data between servers and web applications.
• It is used to serializing and transmitting structured data over the network.
• It can be used in any type of modern programming language.

Leave your thoughts on the article in the comment section below.

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JSON vs SOAP: Detailed Comparison

Understanding SOAP Web Services

Creation of web services uses either JSON or SOAP. SOAP is a standard protocol which has is used for sending messages. It has rules and security features and complex in nature. JSON was developed to overcome SOAP limitations and it is an architectural style. It supports developers to implement communication as per their choice and requirements.

We will look more in detail about JSON and SOAP, and understand its functionality, use cases, advantages, and disadvantages.

About JSON

JSON is short for JavaScript Object Notation is format for data sharing. JSON is derived from the JavaScript programming language and available for use for many languages – Python, Ruby, PHP, and Java. JSON uses the .json extension as standalone and when it is defined in other file format such as .html it will appear inside quotes as a JSON string to make it easier to transmit between web server and client or browser. It is very readable and lightweight and offers good alternative to XML and require less formatting. This will speed up data which can be used in JSON files and general structure and syntax of this format.

History of JSON

Douglas Crockford given JSON format in early 2000 and the official website was launched in year 2002. Yahoo! started offering its web services in JSON in Dec 2005 and JSON become an ECMA international standard in 2013. The most popular and format standard published in 2017.

How JSON works?

Pros and Cons

PROS

• Provides support to all browsers
• Easy to read and understand
• Ease to create and manipulate
• Fast to Parse
• Allows to transmit and serialize structured data on network connections
• It can be used with modern programming languages
• JSON library is open source and free for use

CONS

• JSON is not as robust as data structure in XML
• Information sets from different systems can’t be combined
• Does not support extension of base times
• No namespace support hence poor extensibility
• No support for formal grammar definition

About SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol)

SOAP was originally defined as S-Simple O-Object A-Access protocol and stands for Simple Object Access Protocol. It is the oldest web focused API protocol which is used widely. SOAP was one of the oldest protocols designed to handle different applications or services to share resources in systematic manner over the network. To make calls XML documents need to be created and it relies on standard protocols like HTTP and SMTP for transport. It is a ‘State-full’ protocol and more secure (supports web services security using SSL [Secure socket layer]) when compared to his other counterparts.

 History of SOAP

In 1997 early days Microsoft looked at developing XML based distributed computing. The objective was to enable applications to communicate via RPC (Remote procedure calls) using HTTP. The name SOAP was derived in 1998. In 1999 Microsoft worked on adding support for namespaces in XML products and SOAP 1.1 was submitted to Worldwide Consortium (W3C) in May 2000 with IBM as co-author.

SOAP Elements

SOAP has following elements:

Envelop – (Mandatory) it is the top element for XML document which represents message. It encapsulates all details in SOAP message. This is root element of SOAP message.

Header – (Optional) this determines how recipient of SOAP message should process the message. It adds feature to SOAP message such as authentication, transaction management, payment, message routes etc.

Body – (Mandatory) – Information exchange intended for recipient of message. A body element contains all call and response information – this element contains actual data which sends between web services and calling applications.

Fault – (Optional) – When request is made to SOAP web service the response can be either successful or unsuccessful.

SOAP messages are generated by web server it calls automatically.

Pros and Cons

PROS

• SOAP is platform and language independent
• SOAP provides simplified communication via proxies and firewalls
• Ability to leverage transport protocols – HTTP , SMTP etc.

CONS

• Slower compared to its counterparts as it uses verbose XML format
• Limited to Pooling : one client can use services of one server
• Firewall latency do exist because they don’t understand difference between use of HTTP over web browser or within SOAP
• SOAP support on Python and PHP is not strong enough

Comparison Table: JSON vs SOAP

Below table summarizes the difference between the two:

FUNCTION	JSON	SOAP
Definition	JSON is short for JavaScript Object Notation is format for data sharing. JSON is derived from the JavaScript programming language and available for use for many languages – Python, Ruby, PHP, and Java.	SOAP was original defined as S-Simple O-Object A-Access protocol and stands for Simple Object Access Protocol. It is the oldest web focused API protocol which is used widely. SOAP was one of the oldest protocols designed to handle different applications or services to share resources in systematic manner over the network
Features	Not a very efficient way to describe the serialization pattern SOAP packet parsing and mapping which reduces performance Relies on HTTP and doesn’t implement security	SOAP based calls can’t be cached It is ‘Stateful’ protocol More bandwidth required Use HTTP which is widely scalable Can be used for RPC Supports WS security and SSL
Applications	Helps to transfer data from server Helps to transmit data between web server and server Widely used for Java script-based applications including browser extensions and websites Web services and Restful API use JSON format to fetch public data	Web services in enterprise environments Gathering massive data, calculations etc. Applications involving Bank transfers , flight bookings, billing, navigation etc.

Download the Comparison Table: JSON vs SOAP

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SOAP vs HTTP

Understanding SOAP Web Services

Today we look more in depth about two popular application layer protocols SOAP and HTTP , their functionality, advantages , limitations and use cases.

About SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) 

SOAP was originally defined as the S-Simple O-Object A-Access protocol. SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) is a network protocol to exchange structured data between hosts. XML format is used to transfer messages. It works on top of the application layer for notification and transmission. SOAP allows communication across platforms , languages, and operating systems as it uses HTTP for transport which is already available on all platforms.  SOAP is used for Passing documents, Electronic Document Interchange (EDI). and Remote Procedure Calls (RPC).

History of SOAP

SOAP development started in 1998 with no standard scheme for XML and supported limited data types. SOAP was announced in 1999 by Dave Winer and Microsoft. SOAP ver 1.1 was announced in 2000 by MFST & IBM based on XML 1.0. SOAP 1.2 was introduced in 2007 by the XML protocol working group. It has better interoperability, extensibility, and has better support for web standards and internationalization. 

SOAP Elements

The SOAP specification presents the messaging framework and defines rules for processing model defining the rules for processing a SOAP message, rules for defining a binding to an underlying protocol that can be used for exchanging SOAP messages between SOAP hosts.

The SOAP message construct defining the structure of a SOAP message which is an ordinary XML document comprises of : 

• Envelop – identified the XML document as SOAP message 
• Header – contains header information
• Body – contains call and response information
• Fault – contains errors and fault message 

Pros and Cons of ‘SOAP’

PROS

• SOAP over HTTP allows easier communication thru proxies and firewalls
• Versatile to allow use of different transport protocols 
• SOAP is platform independent
• SOAP is language independent
• SOAP is simple and extensible 

CONS

• Slower compared to its counterparts 
• Only one party can use service of the other
• Not all languages offer appropriate support such as PHP and Python which offer weaker support 

About HTTP 

HTTP is an application layer protocol majorly used for most data transfer on the web. It is the foundation of data communication using hypertext files on the world wide web. HTTP is responsible for the action the server must take when information is sent on the network. HTTP works on the URL concept and when we type a URL in browser, protocol sends HTTP request to server and then HTTP response is sent back to browser. HTTP is connection oriented – few or no packets exchanged to set up / maintain sessions and it is usable over firewalls.

History of HTTP 

HTTP 1.0 was published as RFC 1945 in 1996. HTTP 1.1 standard was defined in RFC 2068 which was officially released in 1997. HTTP 2.0 was released as RFC 7540 in May 2015.

How HTTP works?

HTTP communication involves two important components – Client and Server. Client is the one who makes the HTTP request such that the browser is the client. 

Server – Server is the one who receives the request and sends the response. Server is a piece of code which is responsible for accepting the request and sending the response back. 

Pros and Cons of ‘HTTP’

PROS

• Lower CPU and memory usage due to less simultaneous connections 
• Enables HTTP pipelining of requests / responses
• Reduced network congestion due to fewer TCP connections 
• Reduced latency in subsequent requests
• Errors can be reported without penalty of closing TCP connections

CONS

• If client don’t close connection when all data is received by receiver , server will be unavailable for other clients / requests 
• It does not offer reliable exchange
• It does not have push capabilities 
• It is not optimized for mobile 

Comparison Table: SOAP vs HTTP

Below table summarizes the difference between the two:

FUNCTION	SOAP	HTTP
Definition	SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) is a network protocol to exchange structured data between hosts	HTTP is an application layer protocol majorly used for most data transfer on the web. It is the foundation of data communication using hypertext files on world wide web
Technology	Works over HTTP	Works over TCP and IP
Features	XML based to send / receive messages Supports web socket or WS-addressing, WS-security, SWA Supports runtime checking against WSDL (MTOM) Message Transmission Optimization Mechanism is supported Data centric design Lightweight protocol SOAP has logical tree format which are independent of bitstream format SOAP is a data exchange protocol, SOAP message inside HTTP body in protocol	Used to transfer information over web Web socket or WS-addressing, WS-security, SWA not supported Don’t support runtime checking against WSDL Support MTOM but use MIME message domain Document centric design Not a lightweight protocol HTTP uses standards such as REST or XML-RFC

Download the Comparison Table: SOAP vs HTTP

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Understanding SOAP Web Services

Understanding REST and REST API

HTTP vs TCP : Detailed Comparison

There are several protocols available in OSI layer model and they are used at different layers for multiple functions such as data transfer, messaging, encryption etc. They give a uniform way of doing communication or exchange of information.

Today we look more in detail about SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) an XML based messaging protocol for exchange of information among computers.

About SOAP Web Services

SOAP is evolved as an object access protocol and released as successor for XML-RPC in June 1998.

SOAP is an acronym for Simple Object Access Protocol is a network platform used in web services for exchange/ communication of data between two different hosts on a network. XML format is used for data transfer over HTTP protocol. In web services SOAP let the user interact with other programming languages and provides a way of communication between applications running on diverse operating systems such as Linux, AIX, Windows and so on. SOAP acts as an application of the XML specification.

SOAP can be used with different variety of messaging systems and can be delivered using variety of transport protocols such as SMTP and HTTP, but initial usage focused via HTTP which is most popular method of data communication on Internet. SOAP may also be used with HTTPS with either simple or mutual authentication.

Features of ‘SOAP’

• Open standard protocol used in web service to communicate using Internet
• SOAP extends HTTP for XML messages
• It provides data transport for web services
• Used as broadcast protocol over Network
• Used to call remote procedures and complete document exchanges
• Platform independent and supports many languages (Hence language independent too)
• SOAP structure comprises of a header, envelop and body element
• Enables client applications to connect to remote services and invoke remote methods

Pros and Cons of ‘SOAP’

PROS

• Recommended by W3 consortium for web services and application programming interface to communicate with client.
• Lightweight communication protocol
• Platform independent operating system which can run on Linux, Windows and MacOS
• Use of default protocol to send message over network which is supported by all web applications
• Easy to build no toolkits needed

CONS

• Uses only XML format in web services and don’t support lightweight formats like JSON etc.
• Slow parsing speed of XML and payload is high
• No security features supported
• No state interface for remote object in SOAP client
• Limited to pooling and no event notifications . one client can use service of one server typically
• Tend to firewall latency when firewall is analysing the HTTP transport

SOAP Message Structure and Working

SOAP message is a simple XML document having below elements:

Envelop – start and end of message is defined using envelop and it is a mandatory element and contains detail of SOAP message.

Header – it has optional attributes such as credential information (authorization) , authentication etc of the message used for processing message either at end point or in between. This is an optional element.

Body – XML data comprising message to be sent and mandatory element and contains request and response information in XML format. (Actual content of message to be sent)

Fault – errors occur during processing captured here an optional element. It holds status of SOAP messages and errors.

Sub elements of Fault:

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Understanding REST and REST API

REST vs SOAP

Today we look more in detail about REST (Representational State Transfer), its features, constraints etc.

About REST

REST is an architectural style. It is described as a set of formal and informal guidelines to create architecture – also known as ‘Constraints’. It was introduced and defined in year 2000 by Roy Fielding during his research in PHD program. REST is used to describe web architecture to identify problems and compare alternatives solutions to ensure that protocols should not violate the core constraint which make web successful.

Constraints of REST architecture

Uniform Interface – This defines interface between client and server. It simplifies and decompose the architecture to enable every part to be developed. It has four guiding principles:

• Resource based – individual resources defined using a unique resource identifier known as URI. The resources are different from representations sent back to customers. Server represents some database records expressed to HTML, XML or JSON based on server request and details of implementation.
• Resources manipulation by representation – Information on servers to be modified or deleted while client represent a resource associated to metadata.
• Self-descriptive messages – message contains all details to indicate how it is processed
• Engine of Hypermedia Application State (HATEOAS) – State by response code, response headers and body content

Stateless – request itself contains state required to handle the request. The URI defines the resource and the state of the resource. The in between state is not maintained, updated, or communicated during the session.

Client-Server – this separates client from the server. Servers and clients are independently placed and developed until there is a change in interface.

Layered System – Directly connected to end server or by some intermediately which client can’t tell. The scalability is improved using intermediary servers by enabling load balancing and providing shared cache.

Cacheable – On World Wide Web customer responses are cached. Responses clearly define themselves unacceptable to prevent clients from reuse of stale or inappropriate data for further requests.

Code on demand (Optional) – servers temporarily moves or optimize functionality of client by logic in execution. Examples are Java applets and client-side scripts.

Features of ‘REST’

• REST is an architectural style
• REST uses SOAP web services
• REST uses URI to represent business logic
• REST uses less bandwidth
• RESTFUL services inherit security measures from underlying transport protocol
• REST permits different data formats such as plain text, HTML, XML, JSON etc.
• REST is platform and language independent
• can easily be used in the presence of firewalls

Pros and Cons of ‘REST’

• Lightweight and simple interface (URI based)
• Uses HTTP service methods
• Can leverage cache to obtain better performance
• Less dependency on tools
• Human readable
• Easy to understand and learn
• Ability to organize complicated applications and makes it easy to use resources
• Point to point communication
• Tied to HTTP
• Lack of standards
• Security relies on HTTP authentication
• Lack of state
• Lacks metadata standard and tools support

What is REST API?

As we all know that an Application Program Interface (API) is a code which allows communication between two machines or two software. An API basically accepts a request from application and returns the desired data as response. APIs usually work in REST style and hence also called RESTful API or REST API.

How does a REST API work?

The key components of REST API model are:

Client: It is a software running on the device of the user and is responsible for initiating conversation.

Server: It offers an API as a means of access to its data

Resource: It is any kind of information that can be provide to the client by server.

The client sends HTTP REQUEST to get access, and the server generates HTTP RESPONSE with encoded data on resource. Both the REST messages (request and response) contain information on how to interpret and process them and are thus self-explanatory.

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REST vs SOAP

What is Pylint?

In this article we will look at top 10 ServiceDesk softwares and their features and functionalities.

Top 10 ServiceDesk Solutions

SolarWinds –

Its value lies in its IT management capabilities. It can handle local area network or setup IT security without a glitch. Solarwinds was previously known as Samanage Service Platform and fully integrated cloud-based service desk and IT asset management solution. The system allows natural flow of tickets into problems, problems into changes and audit trail. API is easy to integrate with Sharepoint system and automate tasks like creation/ separation etc.

Its auto discovery feature aims to accurately and in cost effective manner map and manage technology assets. It enables to consolidate asset information from multiple repositories , provide real time intelligence on assets and flexible in collecting and managing data. It eliminates manual burden of managing tickets and uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to help to streamline IT support services and enhance employee self-service.

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus–

Freshservice –

It is a powerful tool with full suite of IT support tools and offers flexibility when it comes to ticketing system. It is a cloud hosted service desk software having built in CMDB functions and fully ITIL ready. It has several solutions to manage tickets, problems, changes, releases, and service catalogue. With this software we can track, prioritize  and automate resolution process. Resolved tickets sent via email, self service portal, phone or in person , setting multiple SLA policies, converting solved incidents into knowledge base , user friendly catalogue , elimination of manual tasks with automation functions and collaborate better with teams using built in chat feature.

Processes can be standardized as per ITIL framework that can isolate problems, perform root cause analysis, plan and rollback changes and document   build and test plans. Individual and team workflow can be streamlined and facilities collaboration with team members in real time, project progress monitoring, and complete visibility into project details and milestones.

Its asset management feature allows to take complete control on IT and non-IT assets. Inventory management , asset repository maintenance, assets lifecycle monitoring , asset information Updation etc. are supported. It is accessible from Internet connected device and integrates with other 3^rd party services and applications.

Jira –

It is a comprehensive and ideal solution for developers, managers, and support roles. It simplifies and automates service support tasks via intuitive features including self service which allows customers to find helpful details, automation of repetitive tasks, SLA management, reporting of metrics, and real time collaboration etc. The self-service feature based on AI engine recommends the right service and learns from interactions.

Jira software integration let link IT tickets to dev team backlog to identify root cause of a problem proactively. Customizable service desk with 350 compatible apps. The solution is self-hosted or on cloud having preconfigured IT and customer service templates, business processes and automation rules, built in email support.

SysAid–

It is an integrated helpdesk, asset management, ITSM solution which provide all essential tools for analysing and optimizing IT performance. It uses a modular approach and start with single module and add others as team and operations require it. Top brand companies like Coca cola, Ikea, and adobe use SysAid solution having core modules for helpdesk, ITSM, asset management and analytics. Helpdesk module has platform which includes ticket management tool, IT asset management, self-services portal, mobile device management, chat, password reset, mobile apps, industry benchmarking etc.

It can automate tasks like logging tickets , management of issues, resolve IT problems from anywhere using software remote control capabilities. SysAid let you manage incidents, problems, changes, SLAs, knowledge base. Gives full control and insight over IT assets – hardware, software, licenses , mobile assets. It can be deployed on local machines or on cloud and ideally suited for small and medium segment organizations. It comes with three main features namely BI analytics, team viewer and GFI software for patch management.  It can be integrated with dozens of 3^rd party applications, supports multiple languages, and runs on OS and mobile devices.

Splashtop SOS –

It is a best value remote support software solution for IT and support teams. It can securely connect on demand to users’ desktops and mobile devices with simple session code or with unattended anytime access. On demand support access to Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android . Unattended anytime access to Windows , Mac, and Linux systems , screen sharing for collaboration, remote view of iOS screens in real time, file transfer – remote reboot and reconnect, chat , user management , customer branding – integration with PSA tools, are some of features of this product.

Hornbill Service Manager –  

It is a SaaS and IT service management solution with capabilities like self service portal which is intuitive and highly configurable , service catalogue to define services across different internal service providers , Knowledge management contains traditional knowledge articles and also captures knowledge from conversations, CMDB database to support incident, problem and change management processes.

It is designed in line with ITIL framework. Have strong reporting and analytical capabilities which allows customers to create reports using measures, widgets, and scorecards and a native report designer tool with filtering, sorting, and publishing capabilities. It offers asset management, document management, timesheet management and project management capabilities as well.

BMC Helix ITSM –

It has cognitive service management enabled with automation, AI, and ML and provides high degree of efficiency and productivity. The software can perform proactive and predictive tasks with the help of repetitive help desk functions. It offers virtual agents and chat bots to work on L1 tickets and users can interact with system and submit tickets via email, mobile and social media such as Facebook and Twitter.

ServiceNow IT Service Management –

It is a PaaS which provides infrastructure to manage, deploy suit of applications. Their SaaS component runs on top of platform and supports ITSM to automate business workflows and processes. The software is designed inline with ITIL best practices and support large size organizations. It has modular applications and accessed via browser or mobile application.

It offers service management modules like incident, change, request, problem management, performance analytics, application portfolio management, discovery and service mapping, cloud and event management , license, HR asset management, security incident and vulnerability response , compliance , customer service management, agent workforce, multiple channel , self service portal, employee service center, document management etc.

Spiceworks Help Desk–

It is 100% free cloud-based IT helpdesk and ticket management tool. It is fully supported by ads. The software is free and offers unlimited ticket service system, and support from developers of community. It deploys helpdesk on cloud or in premises infrastructure. It comes with ticket management, alerts, self-service portal, email integration, IT asset management etc. reports can be generated of tickets update and their priority.

GoToAssist –

Its remote support helps service and support people to resolve technical issues related to customers, employees, unattended systems, and servers. It has desktop and web-based application for agents to choose the interface for support. Unattended installer supports devices access and allows to view details about it such as operating system, version , DNS name, IP Address and MAC address.

Session reports let view detailed description about past sessions within specified date ranges, session recording feature allows storage of support session recordings for 90 days. Sharing of documents, chat sessions , shared screen viewing are some of the additional features of the product. Other technicians can be invited to support sessions and even transfer remote support sessions to other agents.

Summarized Table: Servicedesk Solutions

SERVICEDESK SOLUTIONS	DEPLOYMENT TYPE	FEATURES
SolarWinds	Cloud hosted	-Versatile customization and automation features -Service catalogue -ITIL ready -Vast knowledge base -Integration with 200+ applications
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus	Cloud or On Premises	-Ease of usage -User friendliness -Codeless customization -Smart automation -Powerful integrations with IT management apps
Freshservice	Cloud hosted	-Intuitive user interface and require little training -Software operates via various channels -Powerful automation capabilities -Incident and asset management add on -24/7 self-service portal -Integration with 100+ 3rd party apps
Jira	Self-hosted or cloud hosted	-Multi-channel ticketing system -Self service portal -Robust documentation and knowledgebase -Service desk expansion with 500+ apps found on Atlassian Marketplace -Repetitive tasks automation
SysAid	Local machine or cloud hosted	-Employee and customer self-service portal -Strong documentation and knowledgebase -Automatic discovery of IT assets -Automation and service Orchestration with apps
Splashtop SOS	On Premises	-Access with session code -Unattended remote access and control -Custom branding -Robust security
Hornbill Service manager	Cloud hosted	-Quick to deploy -No coding required and ease of configuration -Visual drag and drop management of work -Track timelines, history, and progress of projects
BMC Helix ITSM	Cloud hosted	-Execute proactive and predictive tasks -Virtual agents and chatbots -ITIL aligned processes -Useful reports and visuals -Multi cloud and mulit device (IoT) support
ServiceNow IT Service management	Cloud hosted	-Highly flexible solution -Easy to customize -Real time analysis and reporting -Data confidentiality and integrity -Improved operational tracking
Spiceworks Helpdesk	Cloud hosted or on premises	-Help desk mobile app -Ticket submission via multiple channels -Self-service user portal -Add on apps 150+ -Active directory supported
GoToAssist	Cloud hosted	-View iOS devices -View and control Androids -Unattended access of Android devices

Download the table: ServiceDesk Solutions

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Top 10 Helpdesk Software Solutions

What is a Helpdesk?

Helpdesk software are designed to provide customers information and support on company’s product and services. Customer can inquire or submit requests for information or support via multiple communication channels be it email, mobile, phone, social media etc.

Helpdesk software providing a ticket management system for organization staff to organize and respond to customer queries in an efficient manner and create information portal on company website. Helpdesk software are being used by customer service teams to streamline support process and perform analytics into customer services across multiple communication channels.

In this article we will look at top 10 helpdesk software and their features and functionalities.

Top 10 Helpdesk Software Solutions

ManageEngine IT Help Desk Software –

One of the best Helpdesk software solution that deserves mention is the “ManageEngine IT help desk software”. It has earned its place in list of some of the top names due to its powerful and seamless integration with other IT management apps, avant-garde automation, extensive reporting proficiency, customization without code and flexibility to have on-premise or Cloud deployments. You may download a free trial of ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus Now!

ManageEngine has also been recognized by Gartner for two consecutive years for its completeness of vision and ability to execute.

Zendesk Support Suite –

It has all elements of an efficient helpdesk system, comprising flexible ticketing management, multi-channel support, and advanced reporting and analytics. It also has knowledge base feature which allows to build communities. It fits for small businesses but scalable too for large enterprises. Standout feature is ability to host communities to enhance the self-service portal, customers can share and exchange answers to queries and self-service module also has smart search tool and 24/7 access to support guidelines and FAQs. It can be used both by internal and external users. Other features also include mobile support, off shelf integrations, group rules, macros, and processes automation. Unique features of Zendesk are: Communities, out of box integration and multi-channel support.

Zoho Desk –

It is a powerful support desk platform having all tools required for customer support processes to improve reporting and productivity. Powerful reporting features generates are useful in monitoring agent performance, make data driven decisions. It has automation capabilities, multi-channel support, allow user to deliver timely and accurate support to customers. It allows customer to post queries via social media. Agents can choose what system to use in handling issues related to ticketing or live support. It gives ability to create knowledge base that customers use to find solutions and address their own concerns. Unique features of Zoho desk: context aware AI, powerful reporting, social media channel support, knowledge base creation.

Fresh Desk –

It is a comprehensive yet simple to use helpdesk solution which can fit any business size. There is a free trial plan also available to try out key features in advance. Its mobile apps for Android and iOS are very robust. The user interface (UI) is simple and smooth with features like ticket management automation to social media integration and self-service, a unified email with smart sorting and automated routing and powerful analytics features to benchmark agent performance and KPIs related to ticket volume, resolution time and repetitive customer complaints. Unique features of Fresh Desk are:  Mobile apps, unified mail, self-service portal, time tracking and configurable ticketing information.

Intercom –

Supports both chat and email. Intercom has detailed filters and customer profiles which make it easier to find any tickets. It watches customer interactions on the site and keeps track of pages they visit. Its support interface gives ease of navigation between emails and reply chat style messages. Support center can be integrated into mobile app with Intercom iOS and Android core and respond directly while moving. It can send automated messages and marketing messages to customers. Unique features of Intercom are:  engagement and adoption, outbound email and product messaging, push messages, custom bots, Banners etc.

Service Hub –

Free live chat software for small and medium businesses. The platform enables companies to build self-service solution and delivers exceptional experiences to customers. Agents are empowered to respond to user queries in real time, promotes instantaneous communication. Some of its key features are: – ticketing, live chat, shared inbox, conversation tools, meeting scheduling, NPS survey, and HubSpot CRM tools. Managing contacts, deals, requests, and scheduling appointments are easier to manage. Customer interactions and details are centralized to make it easy to monitor sales pipelines activities progress.  Unique features of Service Hub are:  Deliver real time personalized response, powerful feedback and advocacy tool, self-service solution.

Salesforce Service Cloud –

Solution is designed for all size businesses. Service cloud helps to provide world class customer support. Unification of client data across several departments gives 360-degree view of customer. Data access from single platform facilities quick response to customer with right information. It also offers a branded self-service support site so customers can find out answers of their queries. Cases can be handled more efficiently via an intuitive console saving lot of time in clicking, scrolling, switching between different tools to get information as required. Process automation tool allows to eliminate repetitive tasks. It has AI tools like Chabot, and automatic triaging to reduce agent handling time in person. Unique features of Salesforce service cloud are: complete customer service solution, pre-build business apps, industry best knowledge management solution.

Front –

Its interface is more like email apps. Team email inboxes can be monitored with a three-column design to show accounts, list of messages, and selected message in one view. Mails can be assigned, snooze message until later, adding tag to emails to find them in future, add comment to get more information from other team members. It works great for support on anything else as well apart from emails on same inbox with your team members. It can work on more than one email too and includes a built-in twitter and Facebook integration which allow users to view mentions and messages and reply them right in front. Or connect to Twilio, Truly or Intercom to add an inbox for SMS messages, phone calls, and chat. Unique features of Front are:  Unified inbox, auto reminders, auto responders, multi-channel management, real time analytics, social media integration etc.

LiveChat –

It is a premium helpdesk software for businesses. It is designed and built to deliver exceptional customer services and ideal for small, medium, or large businesses. Livechat helps both agents and sales teams. Chat widgets can be added to website and multiple communications channels can be managed from single dashboard which include email, chat, SMS, and website. Livechat offers integration with other common software platforms such as salesforce, Facebook messenger, shopify, HubSpot, Pipedrive and WhatsApp. It makes it easier to manage messages, offers sneak peeks, customer details, and agent groups. Allows to share announcements Unique features of LiveChat are:  proactive chat, chat rating, chat routing, operator monitoring, canned responses, and mobile optimization etc.

Live Agent –

It is a top-notch solution having wide range of feature set including multi-channel support. Live chat, email and social media together gives customer choice to choose the way they prefer to reach out. It is designed for small businesses but scalable to enterprises with features of gamification, web embedded contact forms and collaboration space. With unified inbox and smart automation small teams can handle volumes of tickets with ease. Application ingrates with Social media pages – Facebook, twitter etc. it has rich documented API for 3^rd party apps to align functions with workflows. Unique features of Live agent are: – Multi channel support, unified inbox, social media integration, custom workflows.

Hiver –

First kind of platform created for Google workspace. It empowers Gmail inbox with features like workflow automation, workload distribution, collision alerts, activity timelines, and collaborative options. Existing inbox can be transformed into fully functional helpdesk without any additional requirement to learn a new tool or software. It connects business communication platform to slack, and ingrates with 3^rd party systems using Zapier. Data import /export can be streamlined, and Hiver can be accessed using both Desktop and mobile devices. Hiver is a certified Google partner and SOC 2 Type II compliant and ISO 27001 certified. Unique features of Hiver are: Google based helpdesk, simple collaboration tools, deep insight on performance.

Summarized Table: Helpdesk Solutions

HELPDESK SOFTWARE	DEPLOYMENT TYPE	FEATURES
ManageEngine IT Help Desk	Cloud or On Premises	-Ease of usage -User friendliness -Codeless customization -Smart automation -Powerful integrations with IT management apps
Zendesk	Cloud hosted	-Highly flexible ticket management system with automated workflows and multi-channel support. -Strong knowledge base portal and community forum with customer facing web interface -Robust reporting and analytics with open API -Both public and private forums with good mobile support for iPhone, iPad, Android, etc.
Zoho desk	Cloud hosted	-Omnichannel ticket management -Highly configurable and ease of management -Simple and intuitive UI design
Freshdesk	Cloud hosted	-Convert emails to tickets -Intuitive reporting system to track team performance -Intelligent automation feature to automate ticket assignment -Inbuilt knowledge base o have quick response to an issue
Intercom	Cloud hosted	-Audience segmentation -Behaviour triggered messages -Customer user profiles -Creation of Email campaigns
Service Hub	Cloud hosted	-Creation of helpdesk by adding routing and tickets automation -Resolution of critical issues faster by prioritization -Gather feedback to build better customer experience -Features like team mail, conversations, knowledge base etc.
Salesforce service cloud	Cloud hosted	-360-degree view of customer with lead contact management and task management process -Good hold on activity feed, activity tracking and collaboration tools for ease of use -Flexible customization process for customer to create own custom profile -Good user interface with features like auto assignment, trailhead, lighting app builder etc.
Front	Cloud hosted	-Unified inbox support -Features like auto reminders, auto responders -Real time analytical capabilities -Seamless social media integration
LiveChat	Cloud hosted	-Powerful integration and capable of seamless integration with 130+ tools -Simple and easy to learn -Agent application to remotely manage customer desktop -Good statistics and analytical features to support information about pre-chat surveys, agent’s availability etc.
LiveAgent	On Premises and cloud hosted	-Transforms all incoming queries into tickets -Built in call center with IVR and unlimited call recording storage -Social media interactions with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Viber. -Vast knowledge base and customer portal with FAQs, artifacts, forums etc.
Hiver	Cloud hosted	-Auto assignment to assign queries to agents in round robin fashion -Leverage workload and distribution to get 360-degree view of team member’s work -Agent collaboration with one another using internal notes -Customizable automation to save time on repetitive tasks -Leverage advanced analytical dashboard to track key metrics

Download the Comparison Table: Helpdesk Software

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What is a Helpdesk?

What is Service Desk?

Today we learn more in detail about Helpdesk, its services, models, or structure, benefits etc.

What is a Helpdesk?

Helpdesk is a centralized information center or a one stop point of contact which provides centralized information and support management services to handle organization’s internal or external queries related to its products and services in offering. Helpdesk solutions enable organizations to resolve customer grievances in a faster and more effective manner. Sometimes responses are automated also with the help of IVR and ticket management systems.

Helpdesk applications provide first level support and guidance to customer to aid in immediate troubleshooting. Application also maintains a library or repository of common compliant and issues with suggested solutions for quick resolution of customer queries.

A standard helpdesk offers a single point of contact for end users and customers usually the helpdesk requests are handled using help desk software, or issue tracking system which enable helpdesk operators to keep track of user requests using a unique ticket number. Large helpdesks might have multiple levels of support if first level technician is not able to resolve the issue, the problem is transferred to second level having more trained and experienced staff to handle complex issues.

History of Helpdesk

The history of helpdesk dates to early 1960s. In year 1967 1-800 numbers were given to customer to call companies as toll free number.

In year 1970 invention of Interactive Voice Responsive (IVR) had bought major change in the way helpdesk services were operated

By the end of year 1980s the trend of call centres boomed, and companies started out sourcing helpdesk services to them to bring down the operating costs.

Now the emerging self-service model and the technology which supported helpdesks is improved , businesses made systems more efficient by offering self-service where customers are empowered to help themselves thus freeing their own staff and cut off support costs.

Types of Helpdesk 

Size of companies and their function needs determine the type of helpdesks and software’s being used:

Basic Helpdesk 

It is a basic ticketing system for customer complaints and additional features can be added at additional cost such as chat, knowledgebase, reporting, additional point of contacts, and mobile contacts etc. Some examples of basic helpdesk are Zendesk, LiveAgent, Freshdesk etc

Web Helpdesk

Cloud hosted and software as a service solution can be rented to companies to reduce and track expenses such as Paldesk.

On Premises helpdesk

Companies which want total control over helpdesk and their software go for this sort of model, but this means bearing the responsibilities of its support and operate.

Enterprise helpdesk

Enterprise helpdesk offers more features as compared to basic helpdesk and it addresses internal issues like IT assets. It has advanced features such as more extensive support database, multiple contact points, escalation levels and services like IT asset management, SLA management, and account management.

Open source desk

It is free and allows users to change the source code to customize solution as per requirements. Vendors of open source helpdesk offer cost based or free technical support for robust features customization.

Functions of Helpdesk 

Centralized information center – It is a central point of contact for customer and end users for all their queries and issues

Tracking of support agents – Helpdesk enables to keep track of responses and customer queries. Calls are recorded to analyse the agent service quality and major support performance.

Customer behaviour analytics – The real time data and analytics help to understand customer preferences better. This also enables to improve operational efficiency and enhance customer experience.

Companies provide a helpdesk through multiple channels such as websites, email, toll free numbers or instant messaging.

Helpdesks may consist of one or more persons that people contact. The person is trained to handle problems or issues and interface customers.

Good knowledge base – Well organized information for iterative questions removes any ambiguity and help customers by providing better response to customer queries. For specific queries customers can reach out to support agents directly

Task automation – Helpdesk automation helps in maximizing resource utilization and reduce manual efforts for e.g. ticketing systems helps in automatic allocation of tickets.

Ticket prioritization – High number queries can be prioritized and queued for better services

Enhanced workflows – Helpdesk helps in understanding the trends and which can help in streamline the process and improves customer satisfaction level

Features of Helpdesk

• Web based application interface can be accessed locally or globally
• Centralized compliant management and resolution
• User login authentication
• User / compliant categorization
• Instant solution and escalation matrix
• Complaint tracking and history management
• Advanced search capabilities

Benefits of Helpdesk

• Service agility – Helpdesk helps in organizing resolution of issues in more fast and effective manner. The optimized management of tickets help to fasten the resolution, minimize communication between customer, end user and support staff.
• Improves process and task management – Helpdesk assign ticket to experienced technician for its solution.
• Improved productivity – Helpdesk services provide faster and efficient services thus improving the productivity.
• Efficiently information management – Helpdesk manages information effectively and prevents loss of important data. Support team have access to information already gathered thru earlier incidents which will help for quicker resolution of issues.
• Improves company image – Helpdesk represent company’s image and highly valued by customers.
• Increased employee satisfaction and efficiency – teams have organized system that facilitates the processes, receiving only required emails, automation of redundant tasks and easier access to necessary information required for resolution of ticket.
• Improved customer satisfaction – Helpdesks make customer experience more satisfactory and increase their loyalty.

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What is Service Desk?

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