4 Ways to Make Your Mobile Website Feel like a Native App

With more and more users accessing the web on their mobile devices, it has become essential for webmasters to optimize their website for popular mobile devices. Many organizations even launch a distinct mobile version of their website to deliver improved user experience. But may reports have highlighted how mobile users expect an app-like experience while accessing websites on their smartphones and tablets. In comparison to web applications, native apps are faster.

Further, the buttons respond to users in an instant, along with rendering the images and animations. So the speed and performance of a mobile website must be optimized to deliver app-like experience. However, the developers also have to incorporate certain features to make the website look and feel like native mobile applications. At the same time, they also need to use innovative technologies like XML and HTML5 to make the website accessible to the user regardless of his choice of mobile web browser.

4 Ways to Provide a Native App-like Feel to Your Mobile Website

1) Include Momentum Scrolling
Most developers find it a daunting challenge to create scrollable container on the mobile site that is both fast and responsive. But the iOS 5+ and Android 3+ make it easier for developers to create an efficient scrollable container using the overflow-scrolling property. As the momentum scrolling feature is native, it will make the mobile website feel like a native app. Also, the property can be enabled simply by adding it to a scrollable container. However, the property needs to be adjusted according to the version of iOS or Android. It also needs to be tested thoroughly to identify and fix performance flaws.

2) Make the Buttons More Responsive
Often the buttons of a mobile website affects app-like experience negatively. Most developers leave the default touch state of buttons and hyperlinks unaltered. It results in the mobile website requiring more time to respond to the initial tap of the user. So the performance of a mobile website can be optimized simply by activating state on mobile devices. The state will further contribute towards the button responding to the visitor tap in an instant, while indicating visually that the some action is being taken. At the same time, the mobile web browser will not put timeout, and ensure that the action is being executed by the user’s initial tap.

3) Use Innovative Hardware-Accelerated Animations
The use of animation also affects the responsiveness of a mobile website. Most native apps are designed with features to take advantage of the device’s hardware graphic acceleration features. But the websites often use JavaScript-based animations that make them slower. The latest mobile web browsers allow developers to use hardware-accelerated CSS3 animations. With the innovative option, developers can easily add animations to deliver an app-like experience. However, it is also important to check the CSS3 animations thoroughly to ensure that they are not affecting the speed and responsiveness of the mobile website.

4) Harness Natural Gestures
The native mobile applications are also effective in harnessing the natural gestures associated with the usage of touch devices. Most app developers take advantage of these gestures to optimize user experience. But mobile website developers often fail to capitalize on the natural gestures. Instead of relying only on tapping objects, the website developer must implement these natural gestures like pull to refresh, side to side swiping, and long press. Most mobile web browsers implement the gestures in distinct ways. So the mobile website must be tested to ensure that it is availing the full advantage of gestures.

An enterprise can also consider launching hybrid mobile apps to bridge the gap between native apps and mobile websites. The hybrid apps can avail some of the features of the native as well as web applications, while taking advantage of device features. Further, these can be downloaded by the users from the app stores, and accessed using the browser embedded in the app.

You can hire developers from top mobile app development companies in India who can help you build mobile apps within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide mobile application development services. If you would like to hire mobile app developers from us, we would be glad to assist you at Mindfire Solutions.

Why Are Mobile App Developers Avoiding Windows Phone 8

Many experts considers Windows Phone 8 as a solid mobile operating system that possesses all the features, functionalities and qualities required to compete with the popular mobile platforms launched by Apple and Google. But many reports have highlighted how the popularity of the Microsoft mobile operating system is being affected due to lack of adequate apps. There are also a number of reasons because of why mobile application developers are avoiding the new mobile platform. It is time for Microsoft to identify these reasons to encourage more developers to build mobile apps by targeting Windows Phone 8.

5 Reasons Why Mobile Application Developers Avoid Windows Phone 8

1. Popularity and Market Share of the Mobile Operating System
Each enterprise wants to get the maximum ROI by launching apps by targeting the right mobile platform. Mobile application always developers choose a mobile platform according to its recent popularity and market share. Despite a steady increase in the Nokia Lumia line of smartphones, the market share of Windows Phone 8 has increased by less than 2%. So the Microsoft mobile operating system will take some time to challenge popular mobile platforms like IOS and Android. The lower market share also discourages developers to build apps by targeting Windows Phone 8.

2. Lack of Powerful Development Tools
Most developers use customized tools and frameworks to rapidly build robust applications. The popularity of Android and IOS has encouraged many third-party companies to launch and update mobile application development tools. But the Windows Phone 8 developers have options to choose from a limited number of development tools. Microsoft has launched Visual Studio 2013 with a set of smart features and tools to help developers. So the developers now have options to use features like performance diagnostics and power usage monitoring to build apps rapidly. However, the developers still look for more innovative tools and frameworks.

3. Flaws in OS Design
Many reports have also highlighted a number of flaws in the design of Windows Phone 8. For instance, the mobile version of Internet Explorer lacks a forward navigation button. Further, the user does not have any option to set Google as his default search engine. The inefficient GPS navigation option provided by the operating system also makes it complicated and time-consuming for the users to find a place. The mobile OS also does not send effective notification about mails and other message. As most apps use the inbuilt features of the smartphone to optimize user experience, the minor flaws often discourage them to develop apps for Windows Phone 8.

4. Additional Security Considerations
Most mobile applications use third-party apps and interfaces to deliver improved user experience. Similar to other mobile operating systems, Windows Phone 8 also comes with large collection of security controls. But the programmers have to exercise additional care and caution to ensure that the third-party apps remain fully secure and inaccessible. There are always chances that the third-party apps will be exposed to higher risk due to minor mistakes and lapses. As the Microsoft mobile platform is comparatively new, developers do not have option to access a large collection of documentation and resources. So they have to put some additional time and effort to ensure the security of the third-party applications.

5. No Support for Widely Used Technologies
A constant increase is noted in the enterprises launching several versions of the same app by targeting different mobile platforms. Most developers explore options to develop the apps rapidly by using some of the most popular and widely used technologies. They can develop apps for Windows Phone 8 by using either native languages like WinRT or C++, or managed languages like C#. But currently developers do not have any option to develop mobile apps for this platform by using widely used technologies like JavaScript and HTML5. So developer must learn how to build feature-rich applications for Windows Phone 8 using platform APIs. They also need to access the large developer documentation to understand and use the APIs correctly.

Despite many app developers avoiding Windows Phone 8, nobody can deny the fact that the mobile operating system is still capable of challenging iOS and Android. There are also chances that developers will start developing apps for this platform after a substantial increase in its share in the smartphone market.

You can hire programmers from top mobile app development companies in India who can help you build mobile apps within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide mobile application development services. If you would like to speak to one of our expert iPhone app developers, please reach out to us at Mindfire Solutions.

What Analytics Can Do for Your Mobile App?

Enterprises often explore innovative ways to keep its consumers engaged. With more and more companies investing in mobile application development, the apps can, nowadays, be used as a medium to evaluate and deliver user experience. Similar to websites, the performance and usage of the mobile apps also needs to be constantly monitored to deliver the experience expected by consumer. Each business also has option to track the performance of its business app using several mobile app analytic tools.

Along with free tools like Google’s Mobile App Analytics, and paid tools like Adobe Analytics Suite, an enterprise also has option to opt for specially designed analytic tools like Playtomic, Localytics and Flurry. However, it is also important for a company to evaluate the pros and cons of different analytic tools, and choose the one that complements its application’s requirements and usage. If you are planning to monitor, measure and evaluate the performance of your mobile application using these analytic tools, it is time to understand how the tools can contribute towards making your business application popular.

What Analytics Can Do for Your Mobile App?

Check the Actual Usage of Your Mobile App
Most enterprises evaluate the popularity of their apps based on number of downloads. But it is also important to a business to understand if the apps are actually being used by customers. The analytic tools will help you in understanding if the app is actually being used, along with the nature of the usage and the number of customers uninstalling it. As the usage of the app is essential for retaining customers, you can use the analytic data to engage users, and convince them to download the updated version of the application.

Optimize the Mobile App Marketing Strategy
Each enterprise chooses the feature and functionality of the app according to the latest trends in user demand. But there are always chances that some of the features need improvement to deliver better user experience. The mobile app analytics will help you in identifying the features that must be improved to make your app more popular. Further, the information will help you promoting your application properly by identifying the bottlenecks that prevent a user from downloading it. You can even modify your mobile app marketing strategy, and eliminate the ineffective promotional techniques.

Identify the Features that Keep the Users Engaged
An enterprise also needs to learn what feature or aspects of its app are having a huge impact on users. By identifying the strengths and weaknesses of its app, a business can easily explore options to deliver improved user experience. Along with the features that need improvement, the mobile application analytics will further help you in identifying the features or aspects of the app that get more response from users. The understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of your app will help you in releasing its updated version.

Keep Track of Your Competitors
Some mobile app analytic tools are designed with specific features to offer market data. However, an enterprise has to incur some additional expenses to avail these analytics providers. The market data provided by the analytics tool will make it simpler for the user to understand performance of similar applications in the app store in terms of number of downloads and price. An enterprise can further evaluate the market data to identify the strengths and weaknesses of competitors’ marketing strategies. It can even consider offering discounts to make the app more popular by beating competition.

Calculate Return on Your Investment
Each business has to invest some amount of time, effort and fund to build and promote a mobile application. So each enterprise needs to track the ROI, along with exploring options to get higher returns. The mobile app analytic tools help users in taking informed decisions based on a wider view of the mobile application’s performance. In addition to measuring the performance of your mobile app, the analytic data can also be used to manage the application efficiently. The timely availability of the detailed and significant information will further help you in implementing the right strategy to get higher ROI.

The mobile app analytic tools are also effective in tracking and evaluating the performance of your application across different mobile platforms. So it becomes easier to build a popular brand by delivering consistent user experience across multiple mobile operating systems.

You can hire mobile app programmers from top mobile app development companies in India who can help you build mobile apps within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide mobile app development services. If you would like to speak to one of our expert mobile app developers, please reach out to us at Mindfire Solutions.

7 Beautiful Mobile UI's for Your Prototyping Needs

The rapid advancement in communication technologies has made mobile devices an inseparable part of modern lifestyle. But the rapid technological developments and frequently changing user choices have made it a daunting challenge for enterprises to launch applications that will become popular within a very short span of time. Along with exploring fresh and innovative mobile application development ideas, it has also become essential for a business to evaluate its prototyping needs.

Before investing in a project, the developers must create mockups to check and optimize the interaction between end users and their designs. A proper mobile prototyping strategy can further contribute towards both time and resources. The developers also have options to pick from a large collection of Mobile user interfaces (UIs) based on specific mobile operating systems and their prototyping needs. Some of these UIs further make it easier for programmers to avail the advantages of the latest technologies like HTML5 and Cloud computing.

7 Widely Used Mobile Devices Prototyping Uis

1) Prototyping on Paper (POP)
Many developers still prefer UI sketches on paper. The simple yet powerful application for iOS enables such programmers to capture the UI sketches using their iPhone cameras, and add touch links to the captured sketches in an instant. Further, the sketched prototype can be published within the app, while receiving feedback from others. The free app also makes it easier for designers to avoid complexities by adopting a lean UI process.

2) Solidify
You can use Solidify to create clickable prototypes from your wireframe, sketches or mockup. The tool further enables you to carry out user tests in person to validate user flows on specific mobile devices. Also, you have options to carry out the test remotely, and receive the required feedback from testers. Along with conducting a variety of user tests, the tool further complements your prototyping needs by validating interactions and providing unbiased results.

3) InVision
The prototyping and collaboration application is designed to meet the prototyping needs of a distributed team. InVision comes with a set of tools required to share a single mockup in an instant, or to demonstrate a complex mobile app. The tools further make it easier for you to connect your digital wireframes, UX sketches and high-fidelity designs, in addition to sharing the details with you team. At the same time, you can use these features to create and make presentations.

4) Proto
It is one of the most advanced prototyping tools that support animation. So you can use the tool to optimize your designs, mockups or wireframes by incorporating touch events, animations and rich media. At the same time, the prototype can also be tested thoroughly by simulating exact user behaviors by rotating, tapping or swiping the app. Also, you have option to share the prototype easily with other members of your team, and receive their feedback.

5) AppCooker
The paid tool can be used by developers to create mockups, while making their applications ready for Apple App Store. Along with integrating with Box.net and DropBox, you can further import icons and user interface assets directly into the prototyping tool. Further, the tool enables you to access the complete collection of default Apple UI controls. However, the tool is currently available only for iPad. You have to use its companion app called AppTaster that is designed for iPhone and iPod touch.

6) FluidUI
Despite being designed as a multi-platform web app, FluidUI is still simple and easy-to-use. You can use the prototyping tool to rapidly design, develop, test and share mobile user interfaces. It also comes with the tools and elements required to develop applications for popular mobile platforms like iOS, Android and Windows phones. Also, you have option to use the Google Chrome version of the tool to avail these features offline.

7) MakeAppIcon
Many reports have highlighted how the popularity of an app can be impacted by its icon. Along with designing a high resolution icon, you also need to ensure that it complements the specific requirements of the mobile device. As a web script, MakeAppIcon enables you to optimize an icon with the maximum resolution of 1024×1024 according to Apple’s guidelines related to retina and similar features of the devices. Despite being simple and easy-to-use, MakeAppIcon is still effective in saving the amount of time required to resize the icon manually according to Apple’s specific requirements.

In addition to the mobile UIs, the developers also have option to use a wide variety of templates and tools. They can further explore options to use a single mobile user interface technology that works seamlessly across multiple mobile platforms and devices.

You can hire programmers from top mobile app development companies in India who can help you build mobile apps within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide mobile application development services. If you would like to speak to one of our expert iPhone app developers, please reach out to us at Mindfire Solutions.

The essence of Value-Based Care

That healthcare is changing at a fast pace is a reality all the stakeholders are coming to terms with. Irrespective of their preferences, they are left without a choice but to adapt. The transition taking place is evolving it from being proficiency-based art to a data-driven science. Physicians are shifting from being freelancers to being employed by hospitals. The delivery methods are changing from being one-size-fits-all community hospitals to vast hospital networks which are organized around centers of excellence. There is however, a certain level of criticism from the provider community towards this demand for change – almost to the extent of being reluctant to accept it. This could well be the result of their realization that the shift will finally result in better care outcomes for patient and less inflow of money for them. This is where the fraternity needs to take a step back and look at what lies at the core of their profession – that of helping people overcome their health related ailments. One cannot deny the fact that the profession has a certain degree of nobility attached to it. As much as it is important for physicians to gain financially, the overriding factor which draws people to take up this profession is expected to be a deep desire to serve humanity by curing people of their health related problems. Infact the ones who have realized it and connect to it are eagerly looking forward to days where they would have satisfied patients with lower expenses and they would be proud of their work. The tension which now exists between patients and physicians does not please the majority of the people in the profession and they would expect the new model to give way to trust and happiness for the providers. This is not to say that physicians are expected to lead lives of monks with no desire to gain financially from their services but to let money play the most important role in the system would be going against the core tenets of the profession.

In order to emphasize on this shift in focus from a volume to a value based care, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) incorporated value-based purchasing rules which tied acute care Medicare reimbursement of hospitals to quality performance starting in the year 2012. To give this approach a push, 1% of the payments under Medicare for 2012 was put aside and later given away as bonuses to those hospitals which scored above a certain score in some identified measures. Patient satisfaction was the determining factor for about 30% of the incentive payments while the rest 70% was based upon improved clinical outcomes. Noticing the positive difference the approach brought about, a further modification was brought in that resulted in enhancing the payment under the hospital value-based purchasing program (VBP) starting October of 2013. As per the new rule, there was an increase in the payment rates to general acute care hospitals by 0.9 percent, after allowing for other payment and regulatory changes. Although it was suppose to result in increasing the Medicare spending by approximately 175 million, its real benefit was the thrust it was expected to provide towards the adoption of a value based model. There are also penalties in place for hospitals for excess readmission for certain ailments like heart attack, heart failure and pneumonia unless they are planned ones. Also, moving forward there are likely to be more such rules in place to penalize hospitals for conditions acquired during the course of treatment. These steps are intended to bring about more focus towards infection control and prevention.

As much as the reasons appear compelling for moving to a value-based model, early experiments have shown mixed results. The success of value-based approach is hinged on making everything measurable and quantifiable and this is precisely where the hurdles start. Each patient is unique and so the impact of the same disease on a population is not going to be similar. With some patients, things might get a bit more complex resulting in higher expenses. Regardless of whatever incentives are created to make it move faster, a complete shift to this new model will take time. This is going to be driven primarily by the need to bring about some changes in the overall setup. For instance, it has to first and foremost start with getting the buy-in from physicians who are willing to embrace this approach. Furthermore, a successful transition from volume to value will require investment in advanced analytics and clinical information to evaluate performance data, as well as holding all stakeholders - clinicians, staff and patients, accountable for quality improvements.

We provide healthcare application testing & healthcare software development services. If you would like to speak to one of our certified software developers, please reach out to us at Mindfire Solutions.

Everything a .Net Developer Wants to Know about VS2013

The Visual Studio 2013 has been incorporated with a number of brand new features with the intention of enhancing the productivity of this integrated development environment. The features, some of which are absolutely new and others- extensions of the productivity power tools- are meant to save time and efforts on part of the developers too. Now, using the VS2013 and deriving the maximum benefits out of it requires the .net developers to stay aware of certain aspects of this development environment introduced by Microsoft.

Here is a thorough overview of the features that have been newly introduced and that the developers should be aware of:

Introduction of CodeLens

CodeLens is often considered to be one of the best features introduced in the Visual Studio in the last few years. Being an altogether new feature, CodeLens demands the developers to learn about it in details. CodeLens can be enabled from the options dialog while one can also enable specific information offered by this innovative feature. Useful information including that of the reference counter is aligned with the code editor. Now, each of the class contains information such as that of the reference number, code changes, test methods, time changes and so on. It has to be remembered in this respect that the CodeLens can also be combined with the CodeMap for more effective use.

Enhancement of the Scrollbar

The enhanced scrollbar has now been made a part of the Visual Studio 2013. This feature, which had initially come up as a popular productivity power tool extension, provides developers with visual cues about the file on the vertical scrollbar. The scrollbar markers, on the other hand, allows viewing of the location of errors, bookmarks, breakpoints, warning and so on right on the file. The idea is to make information easily accessible for all as, one does not need to move away from the present position to gather information about the various other parts of the files.

Incorporation of Peek Definition

Clicking on some type brings the developers to a new option, called 'Peek Definition' and this offers them with another window while also displaying information about the chosen type. The incorporation of the Peek Definition was with the purpose of letting the developers stay in context of the respective codes even at the time of browsing through definitions.

The feature saves a lot of time as, the developers can now go through the definitions without losing track of the particular code, on which they happen to be working at the moment. You are also not required to leave the original file. The Peek View in the VS2013 is read only although attempts are being made to enable editing of this feature too.

Auto Brace Complete Option

The auto brace complete feature enables automatic addition of quotes, braces, brackets and closing parenthesis just as the developer types the code in the Editor. The auto brace complete option is yet another feature that worked as the productivity power tool and is now included in the VS2013. Alongside, specialized completions for the various languages like C++ and so on have also been added.

While the above-mentioned ones are the features that the developers must be conscious about when it comes to using the VS2013, there are few more that adds to the efficiency of the integrated development environment. These are

• JavaScript navigational dropdowns
• EcmaScript 6 Support
• New HTML editor
• Browser link
• URL rewrite intellisense in web.config
• Open sourcing web essentials
• Few CSS/Less trics

Keeping all these features in mind certainly would help developers during .Net web development.

We provide asp.net application development services. If you would like to know more about the expertise of our certified .net developers, please get in touch with us at Mindfire Solutions.

How to use the new CORS support in Web API 2

Many exciting new features have been enabled in ASP.NET Web API 2. This framework enables easy building of HTTP services which will reach many clients across a broad spectrum including mobile devices as well as browsers. The addition of several features has idealized this platform.

Some of the most remarkable features are attribute routing(on top of convention-based routing), Open Web Interface for .NET or OWIN self hosting, Web API Odata, IhttpActionResult and the most significant is the Cross Origin Resource Sharing which has taken the cyber world by storm.

CORS is the short form of Cross-Origin Resource Sharing; this standard allows web pages the ability of making Ajax requests to other domains. Same-origin policy which has been implemented on browsers is relaxed; previously this policy limited calls to be just within same domain with cross-domain calls not being allowed. CORS defines the interaction of the browser along with server so that cross origin calls can be made. API supports this in its 2nd version and it is compliant with standards of W3C.

CORS is already supported by majority of modern browsers. But if we want to enable support for API services, first of all we will be needing a few assemblies to ensure that this is done smoothly. We will need System.Web.Cors.dll which is not dependent on System.Web.Http.dll or System.Web.dll and contains core CORS library; System.Web.Http.Cors.dll which contains CORS enabling library on Web API which is dependent on System.Web.Http.dll as well as System.Web.Cors.dll.

When upgrading and installing the package from nightly builds, the first thing that you have to do is create new API project by starting with new template.

Since you do not need Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.FixedDisplayModes package, the second step is to uninstall it. In fact uninstalling this is necessary as you will be prevented from updating to recent nightly build.

The 3rd step is installing Microsoft.AspNet.WebApi.Cors package from nightly builds. Set the package source and it will enable you to see CORS package.

After that, the 4th step is to fix binding redirects that are there in web.config, otherwise there will be errors. which is existing must be replaced which will enable the smooth running of the applications.

After that you can try it out by browsing test clients available on some sites and making a fast cross-origin request. You will find Test APIs and all you have to do is click there and paste the URL on your API. Click “Send” and it will show request failed since CORS is not enabled on API by default. Now you have to enable CORS by calling config.EnableCors (new EnableCorsAttribute()). Now you have enabled CORS for all controllers and all origins will be allowed.

While we enable this a few scenarios should be considered. While enabling this, HttpConfiguration has a new method of extension added to it which will enable global support per action or per controller.

When calling EnableCors, global settings can be defined. For example we can enable the sharing globally which will allow all headers, origins and methods. EnableCorsAttribute has many settings which are easy to configure. The controller can be scoped with the support as well. You just have to call EnableCors without the provision of a global setting. Then the EnableCorsAttribute can be declared so that the controller is enabled with the support. It can also be enabled on single action in a similar manner.

An action or controller can be excluded from EnableCors as well simply by using DisableCors attribute. Custom IcorsPolicyProvider can be implemented as well so that policies or settings related to the support from other sources can be loaded dynamically.

One thing to remember when testing this with IE is that the port is not considered by IE as part of Security Identifer or the origin which is used for enforcement of Same Origin Policy. So test clients and Web API on different local hosts will hinder cross-origin requests.

You can hire asp.net developers from top .net application development companies in India who can help you build ASP.NET applications within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide .net application development services. If you would like to discuss with an expert .net web developer from our team, please get in touch with us at Mindfire Solutions.

Difference betweeen WebForms and MVC – CodeProject

ASP.NET MVC and ASP.NET WebForms are the two existing essential development models that highly contribute to the technology enhancement of today's hi-tech era. Both these models have some pros as well as cons which will be discussed here in the light of comparison.

What are WebForms?

ASP.NET WebForms were first brought out by Microsoft from ASP. It solved a number of problems by creating abstraction of higher level over simulated stateful model and stateless web for web developers.

• WebForms introduce applications like self postback (post to same page form data) or ViewState (during postbacks maintain control values).
• The most interesting part lies in the fact it is not required to even a single line of code. With the emergence of Web Forms, Microsoft attempted to bring forth the Visual Basic model into web.

What is MVC?

For sometimes now the concept of MVC has been around after Microsoft introduced it. It is actually an architectural pattern and including Java it is also used by a number of developers. ASP.NET MVC is an important model required for web applications and this pattern is a solution to a context related problem. This application offers input logic, UI logic and business logic. It allows you to develop an application loosely coupled between each of such elements.

The main purpose of this pattern includes separation of concerns. It makes UI ignorant or presentation of user interaction and business logic. According to this pattern, system is divided as Model (M), View (V) and Controller (C).

• Model, considered as smart is meant to handle the logic or data as well as Business rules and will remain independent of the other MVC parts like Controller or View.
• In short, controller receives as well as dispatches the request while handling the user interaction or input logic. It knows everything about View or Model.
• A view is regarded as dumb and it is the output representation of a model data. It can be a web page or an excel sheet, showing just a simple text or list of records. View only knows about Model.

Difference between WebForms and MVC

Here are some of the very basic differences between these two major applications responsible for website development.

• WebForms use the page controller approach for the purpose of rendering a layout. Whereas, MVC offers a model which has no connection with the View, hence it becomes easier to maintain or test the applications.
• For all the pages, Web Forms use the front controller pattern in order to process the web application requests. It is also used to generate routing architecture. Where as, MVC has the View which is called before the controller that is used to provide the View, based on the action as there is interaction between user and the interface.
• Web Forms use the server based controls along with view state for managing the state of the model. MVC does not record state information unlike Web Forms.
• WebForms are basically event driven whereas, MVC is test driven.
• In case the development team is small, Webforms are mostly preferred for Rapid application development. MVC is best suited for larger project where more priority is given to testability or maintainability.
• It is easy to learn Webforms development in comparison to MVC development.

Irreplaceable depending on certain requirements

ASP.NET MVC or ASP.NET WebForms, each could be the best choice for any particular solution. Depending on the requisites of an application along with the background of the team professionals involved, both the technology can serve the best purpose for your business prospective. Hence, one application can never replace the other.

You can hire developers from top .net application development companies in India who can help you build ASP.NET applications within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide .net development services. If you would like to discuss with an expert asp.net developer from our team, please get in touch with us at Mindfire Solutions.

How are 2nd hand markets turning apps into money makers

Most app makers are always on the lookout for ideas on which they build their apps and these ideas should be personal to the makers and they should be confident as well as comfortable enough to work with it, so that the ultimate result is mind-boggling. But nowadays the concept of flipping or selling through second hand or flea markets have become very popular. Most people can relate to this concept while trying to sell some of their used things. The idea in case of mobile applications works almost on the same principle. The creators of some app who do have the inclination or time to monetize or service the apps sell them at fixed amount of money. The applications are then tweaked if needed and monetized or resold to some other party.

This concept has found much popularity due to the fact that it is not only easy to buy or sell apps but also for the fact that this concept makes quite a bit of money. Suppose the developer has spent some amount of money for the development but its popularity is not as much as he had hoped to be and he could find no apparent reason for that. The best solution for him is not to drag the weight and sell it off instead and make a neat profit. For the buyer also, this means a profit as he did not have to spend time and energy for the development. The buyer had plenty of time to gather info and input from outside, the users and he utilizes that to revamp the application at an extra cost that is not too much. If he is successful in fixing the glitches then it turns to be a money-maker for him.

Many a times, being too close to the project, the actual developers cannot really find the flaws, but the buyer can. In fact, there are many times when after the revamping the buyer again sells the app to its original creator for a neat profit. In a way both the parties are gainers.

This secondary market of mobile apps is a thriving one with many people opting for it and why should not they, given the win-win situation and simple as well as easy way of doing this. You do not need to resort to fancy sites for the bidding or selling; a blog or even a Facebook page is suffice. In fact, many prefer Facebook as its social aspect helps the fast build-up of the business. Besides this there are other sources as well like Apptopia, which allows you to leverage work done by someone else through license or purchase of source code. Apptopia allows you to get the app to store immediately, even before beginning the revamping or re-skinning procedure. Any other marketplace for source code does not allow you that liberty; the game has to be re-skinned before being launched, which adds up time.

While opting for such apps by purchasing the source code, it is better to buy code engines which have many number of levels or is “endless” in other words. The reasons for opting for this are:

• More opportunities for advertising which is the most important
• the user can be made happy
• few In app purchases can be sold
• re-skinning of multiple versions becomes a whole lot easier.

However, while on the re-skinning process it is best to note that the content should be left alone. The only thing that you should be re-skinning is the graphics. Also the theme that you choose for the app is very important; so opt for popular trends and flashy designs that can attract users.

You can hire mobile app programmers from top mobile app development companies in India who can help you build mobile apps within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide mobile app development services. If you would like to speak to one of our expert mobile app developers, please reach out to us at Mindfire Solutions.

Why should you consider 8 Types of Testing?

Software testing methodologies are in fact different approaches to testing, including procedures like unit testing, system testing and much more. So far as the methods of software evaluation are concerned, there is no formally recognized body present, and there is hardly any uniform set of definitions. However, there are certain common categories of testing. Before we learn about them, it is good to take a look at the five elements that are essential for software testing.

The five necessary things for software evaluation

• Test strategy: This is important for guiding you on the categories of evaluation that should be conducted, the sequence for performing as well as executing them, along with the optimal effort that needs to be put into every evaluation for deriving maximum effectiveness. An ideal strategy is usually based on the major requirements or information regarding what is significant to the clients.
• Evaluation plan: It involves the testing tasks, dealing with who will be conducting which tasks, along with the starting and ending time as well as the effort required. The plan provides a comprehensive list of the evaluation requisites, including the preparation done during each testing phase.
• Test cases: These are designed depending upon the strategy which confirms the amount of each evaluation that should be done. The development of the cases is based on the prioritized requirements along with the software's acceptance criteria. The quality and risk assessment parameters are also kept in mind.
• Test data: Along with the steps for test case execution, you are also required to systematically arrive at the test data to be used. This might often incorporate sets of product orders, addresses or names, or any other information the system leverages. Development of valuation data is usually carried out along with development of test case.
• Test Environment: The evaluation process definitely calls for the right place and the right equipment. Evaluation environments might be scaled down editions of the real scenario, but every part is required to be present so that the system can run efficiently.

Kinds of software testing to be considered

Considering the five essentials of software testing, let us now take a look at the different kinds of evaluation that can be taken into account. Broadly the process can be divided into two categories: Manual Testing and Automation Testing.

Manual testing involves evaluating the software without any kind of automated tool or script. The tester assumes the role of the end-user and evaluates the software for identification of any unanticipated bug or behavior. On the other hand, in automation testing, the evaluator composes script and makes use of another software to test the software in question. This procedure is often utilized to re-run the evaluation scenarios that were done manually, repeatedly as well as quickly.

Apart from these broad types, the process of software evaluation may also be categorized into the following major types:

• Black Box Testing: These evaluation procedures are based on functionality as well as requirements and not on the knowledge of coding or internal design.
• White Box Testing: This depends on the knowledge of internal logic pertaining to an application's code. The evaluations revolve around coverage of code statements, conditions, paths as well as branches.
• Unit Testing: This is in fact 'micro' scale of evaluation involving particular code modules or functions. The programmer and not the tester usually does this, as it calls for extensive knowledge regarding the internal program, code and design.
• Functional Testing: This category revolves around functional essentials of an application, and should be carried out by certified software testers.
• Integration Testing: Herein the combined components of an application are evaluated to determine whether they are functioning in unison appropriately. The components may be individual applications, code modules, server and client applications across a network, and so on.
• System Testing: Based on the requirement specifications as a whole, this procedure takes into account all of a system's combined components.
• Load Testing: This involves evaluating an application by subjecting it to heavy load, for instance, checking a website against load ranges for finding out under what condition the response time of the system fails or degrades.
• Usability Testing: Carried out to determine the 'user-friendliness', this subjective procedure depends on the client or end-user.

All these categories have one common aim- to ensure that the software runs effectively and renders the desired output. When all the five testing essentials are in place, the different evaluation types can be leveraged appropriately leading to organizational success.

We provide independent software testing services. If you would like to hire software test professionals from us or would just like to speak to one of our expert software testers, please reach out to us at Mindfire Solutions.

Predicting mobile app & software development trends for 2014

Technology is evolving and changing at a rapid pace. It is more evident than this seems to be in the mobile phone market as well as the applications. Every year sees innovations alongside new trends in phones as new apps are being developed to make it easier and seamless for the end users, wherever and whenever they are, to have access to all the information. As a matter of fact, enterprises are trying to employ the existing technology besides software in order to offer a number of new programs.

The latest trends of mobile application as well as software development do not focus on just individual customers, rather they target new businesses as well. In the present world of hi-tech sophistication, there is a sharp spike in the demand for smartphones, hence it has increased the requisite for new programs along with developers. Nonetheless, the trend has created a pool of new talents next door. With rising demand for offshore mobile application development, here are some of the upcoming trends that users can expect to see in 2014.

1. Demand for Mobile Apps

Demand for social networking or gaming applications is on the rise. There are various platforms relating to different fields present for the mobile app market ranging from IOS to Android applications, Blackberry and many more. To keep pace with the ever growing market demands while balancing the curve for consumer satisfaction, tablet and android application developers consistently deliver their services so that more and more customers start using these.

The focus is on the content sharing that adds a great deal of variation in the user experience. Apart from sharing pictures, songs or videos over the cellular internet as well as mobile phones, the process of content sharing also extends to information sharing, study media as well as notes sharing app.

2. Billing will Go Mobile with Progressive Software Development

Mobile Payment applications are gaining prominent grounds too. Mobile wallet is the service that has overtaken conventional operation of payment. It is a far better and more secure way that is now found to be commonly used in banks. Banking sector is getting into this market to provide the customers with mobile payment options.

This trend is expected to overtake the debit as well as credit card payment methods. With this amazing app technology and software development, just a single click on the mobile screen will help users pay their bill. It will also help a lot in decreasing the chances of theft. Therefore, with the development of such apps around the corner, billing will certainly go mobile.

3. Latest Business Strategy for App Stores

Across the board, app stores are seeing the most advanced products being offered to businesses along with individuals. A number of small scale businesses are not only purchasing apps which assist in streamlining their industry, they are also customizing them. Customization helps you promote sales as this trend focuses on combining special offers or coupons.

4. Role of Cloud Computing Technology

Cloud Computing constantly changes the way information is stored. Due to the increased market demand, cloud based applications are enhancing with rapid popularity. The eventual trend is intended to encourage industries in order to switch over to a cost effective and efficient way of doing business. With evolution in this technical field, security issues are also being worked out.

5. Location Plays a Major Role for Providing More Context Aware Services

Location is one of the vital factors and it helps in bringing forth services and information based on context to the users. Information such as the user’s location, gender, age and preferences are all taken into account for providing a more context aware service.

All these cutting edge future trends are some of the biggest expected evolutions in the mobile app and software development industry. Winning mobile applications will have unique features which also cater to the mobile environment instead of acting only as the cellular extension of the online peers. Companies, technologies as well as service providers, consistently stay abreast of the current app developments to make innovative market products while enhancing brand images and retaining user loyalty.

We provide mobile app development services. If you would like to speak to one of our expert mobile app developers, please reach out to us at Mindfire Solutions.

How Much Does a Mobile App Cost? It Depends on What You Need

Mobile applications have been growing increasingly popular and these are being used for numerous purposes today. Be it with respect to business, fun or entertainment, businesses are increasingly realizing the need to develop the mobile apps and use them essentially for marketing or promotional purposes. However, while developing a mobile app is a necessity, the cost involved in designing the same is a major point of concern. Now, the cost of developing an app is dependent on a lot of factors that most importantly include the individual choices and necessities. So, the cost that you will have to incur will be determined by the kind of application you are looking for. Here is a detailed overview:

The Type

The type of the app is the predominant factor determining the development cost. Now, those with the simple and basic functionalities are less expensive while the complex ones are costlier. If you feel that your business needs one of those dynamic applications, you must have a higher budget range. The gaming based apps, incorporating 3D effects and so on, are naturally the most expensive of all.

The Design

The designing as well as the coding of apps require quite a lot of efforts to be put into the same. Now, web and graphic designers work on the design once the programming along with the functionality part is done. The overall design, which often determines the success or failure of the app, includes splash screens, tab icons and several other assets that automatically involve considerable costs.

Functionalities of the App

The kind of functionalities that the application will include, the category under which it will come and many other factors are taken into consideration. As such, the desired set of functionalities that you want your app to include will determine the price of the same to a significant extent.

The Engagement of a Developer

A qualified or skilled developer is must when it comes to developing a mobile application. Hiring a developer involves costs that the company has to bear. Again, the cost varies depending upon whether an in-house developer or someone on an hourly basis is hired.

Allowing the App to Go Live

After the app is built in the xCode, the developer can help get the same in the store. Now, if the store is iTunes for example, an iTunesConnect account needs to be set up and all the necessary information needs to provided. These are technical tasks that not only need to be handled by the experts but also require a great deal of financial resources.

With the application ready in the store, all the analytics can be monitored on the back side by means of the iTune Connect. Entrepreneurs try out several ways of deriving revenue from the applications such as that of advertising inside the app and so on. The PPC or SEO campaigns can be facilitated as well and this would involve costs in the initial stages to lead to the desired revenues in the long run.

Submitting the Applications

Submission of the applications is yet another essential factor determining the cost of developing an app. The popular application stores have to be targeted to get the highest- possible revenues from the applications. If professionals are being hired for submitting the applications, the cost will definitely go up to a certain extent.

With the above-mentioned factors playing crucial roles in determining the prices of the applications, it is always wise to devise a budget well beforehand. However, with the mobile applications turning out to be a dire necessity, it is obvious for entrepreneurs to be ready to spend some extra bucks to get much more in return.

You can hire mobile app programmers from top mobile app development companies in India who can help you build mobile apps within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide mobile app development services. If you would like to speak to one of our expert mobile app developers, please reach out to us at Mindfire Solutions.

Businesses Start Playing Nice with Enterprise Apps -Here is Why!

The wide ranges of Smartphones, tablets and various other devices have indeed changed the lives of the people to a great extent. It is but obvious for the businesses too, to opt for the different enterprise applications that actually help in a better accomplishment of the business goals and objectives. Researchers, enterprise owners and other tech publishers categorize the different kinds of apps depending upon their desired use and functionality.

Various Categories of Enterprise Apps

• To begin with, there are apps that are meant to enhance the overall productivity of the business enterprises. These applications pave the way for a smarter work environment in general.
• The business social networking apps, on the other hand, help in staying connected with everyone working within a particular organization.
• The Calendar or To-Do applications allow for an easy plus proper organization of projects.
• The applications meant for facilitating better communication help in a hassle-free connectivity while those that are for job hunting, allow people find their next big opening.
• There are applications based on finance, scanning as well as security too and these apps help in the better accomplishment of the official paper works. The security apps, on the other hand, perform the essential task of keeping the outsiders out of the business.

Tracing the Rise and Preference for Enterprise Apps

After having considered the varying categories of enterprise apps, let us look into the rise of the enterprise applications in the last few years. The list of the top ten apps was led by Email, Calendar, Contacts app and this was undoubtedly because email is certainly one of the most important mobile corporate applications. This was followed by the mobile- optimized corporate intranet access, something that the employees in any organization would make the most use of, irrespective of whether they are mobilized or not. The field service- based location applications, on the contrary, were not much prevalent mainly because it is considered to be an area of internal business operations.

While arranging the internal facing mobile applications built during the last year, 2012, business intelligence was found topping the list. Enterprise Resource Planning, also popularly referred to as ERP, was given special attention. ERP is basically the process of integrating the internal and the external management to facilitate a better flow of information.

After this, comes the top external facing mobile apps. While the applications facilitating the business- consumer relation appear to be the most important one, the second in line is social networking, which is quite closely related to the B2C applications. The rest of the apps in the list include mobile- optimized internet access to customer accounts, business to business, custom real time marketing tools, location based services, video streaming, mobile optimized internet shopping purchases, mobile optimized internet shopping research as well as real time consumer business intelligence.

The fact that the real time consumer business intelligence comes at the last is mainly because the mobile consumers first need to be aware of the B2C applications that affect the operations of the marketplace. It is after this that they can analyze and derive benefits out of the real time consumer business intelligence.

Enterprise mobility is gradually turning out to be a major point of concern these days, urging businesses to try out and implement the different enterprise applications. As such, the use of the same is being increasingly recognized as well as preferred by the enterprise mindsets. Consequently, there is a high possibility that in the coming years, businesses will focus more on using the existing apps while also developing newer ones for smoother and more effective operations. The higher the enterprise mobility, the better will be the productivity of the organization and hence, profits will soar in the long run.

You can hire mobile app developers from top mobile app development companies in India who can help you build mobile apps within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide mobile app development services. If you would like to speak to one of our expert mobile app developers, please reach out to us at Mindfire Solutions.

10 Things You can Do to Let People Know about Your New Mobile App

If you have developed a new mobile application, it is obvious for you to expect numbers of downloads per day. Unfortunately, such is not the case always and a lack of marketing and promotion of the applications is one of the major reasons behind their unpopularity in the long run. Now, it is for this reason that marketing an application in the proper way is as necessary as creating it in the desirable manner. So, what are the ways that you can market an app and most essentially, create it in a way that automatically draws the attention of the users? Here is a list of them:

1. Go for App Store Listing and App Store Optimization

The application stores work well in driving downloads of a variety of apps. Optimizing the application requires you to follow three steps. First, you need to understand the particular keywords as well as the amount of competition that each of them has. This should be followed by the creation of a professional logo, screen shots, effective descriptions along with keyword rich titles to enable the application grab the instant attention of the people. Lastly, allow it to be as engaging as possible. Getting good reviews for the same is also an essential part of app store optimization that ultimately leads to an effective marketing of the same.

2. Articulate a Story

The story behind any application or product is of particular interest for the people. Emphasize upon telling a story and this will help the prospective users to get involved in a greater way. For the gaming based ones, the background story is extremely important while for the non- gaming ones, delineating the reasons behind their creation can be an effective way of marketing the same.

3. Using the QR Codes

When you are creating mobile apps, it is obvious that your target audience would be the Smartphone generation. Consequently, the QR codes come up as one of the best as well as the most recognized means of advertising. The codes can be added to the websites, business cards, brochures, storefront window and so on.

4. Choose the Right Timing

The time of the launching of the app is very crucial. To let the application get the maximum exposure, you should launch it at a time when there is high possibility of a momentum getting started. Synchronizing the PR, banners and blog posts is important in this regard.

5. Social Sharing from the Application Itself

Any application will include features that the users would like to use as well as share with the people they know. Enable those features that allow the users to share content, play games and so on. Social sharing is bound to affect the number of downloads of the application.

6. Build a Website for the Apps

A website for the app is like a home for the same and the advantage is that you can explain so many things about it in the page without the necessity of getting restricted to the specified description or marketing page. While the website you create should be unique and with a desirable landing page, site promotion techniques like SEO, link exchanges and so on can be facilitated to lead to a higher exposure.

7. Go for Efficient Public Relations Management

Effective PR is necessary not just with respect to the marketing of the applications but in every field. Enlisting the assistance of a public relation professional can be of real help. A press release can be drafted and it should include all the essential information about the app. Also consider sending emails to the blog owners.

8. Go for Premium Apps

The reason why most applications in the app store is free is that these are easier enough to be promoted. Eventually, the paid apps are never found to have a good ranking in the app store. Making the application free to download allows it to be more competitive in search and attract higher number of downloads.

9. Consider Mobile Advertising

Mobile apps can be advertised by means of PPC campaigns too and for this, you need to put the ads on the mobile devices. Even Google allows target users to see mobile ads while they are searching from their mobile devices.

10. Hire the Assistance of the Mobile App Marketing Agencies

There are various recognized mobile app marketing agencies accessible out there to help you gain the desired exposure for your application. You can certainly consider hiring their services for the best results.

Following the above- mentioned tips for marketing the mobile applications goes a long way in promoting the app among the target market and beyond in the best- possible way while also justifying the efforts put into the creation of the same. While speaking to top mobile app development companies, it does not hurt to have a vendor who is aware of app-marketing as well.

Expert mobile app development India teams can help build mobile applications for you. If you would like to speak to one of our expert mobile app developers, please reach out to us at Mindfire Solutions.

5 Things to Keep in Mind While Designing a Mobile App

With the population across the globe getting increasingly mobile savvy, organizations are rapidly realizing the fact that developing a mobile app is more of a necessity than a luxury. However, a large gap exists between wishing to have an app and designing or building one. Even brands or companies having a powerful online presence find it a challenging task to optimize their mobile applications.

It is to be understood that an ideal app is a delicate blend between prudent engineering and skillful design, offering a great user-experience that ultimately leads to widespread adoption. Taking care of the beauty aspect is one of the crucial elements to consider while building a mobile application. Let us discuss 5 important things that a designer should consider while designing an app.

• User Interface: It should be remembered that people prefer intuitive, simple as well as beautiful interfaces. A great idea backed by a poor design is sure to make a negative impact among the target audience. To come up with great designs, companies should hire the best UI/UX designers. It is also advisable to download some effective apps from the AppStore. By studying these, one can get well-versed with the best tactics and become capable of providing significant guidance to the developer. Moreover, it should be taken into account that mobile apps have tailor-made UI conventions. Going for the consistent methods always helps to catch the attention of the end-users.


• Consider the touch aspect: In a majority of cases, mobile apps would be used by holding them in hand. Therefore, it would be good to consider the ergonomics and touch parameters. Just think of how the cellular device would be held in the hand and especially how the thumb would be positioned. That is the reason why a number of applications come with selectors and main menus at the bottom of the screen with content close to the screen's top. It is a great idea to make use of visual cues to reveal that a particular item is touchable or has been subject to touch.


• Keep in mind the various screen sizes: First of all it should be remembered that mobile interfaces are much smaller when compared to their desktop counterparts. So, while developing a mobile app, avoid interfaces that are suitable for bigger monitor screens and also keep away from loading great amount of information on a single screen. Given the same mobile platform, resolutions and screen sizes may also differ according to the device type. As a result, to develop an application that offer a consistent look and feel so far as the targeted devices are concerned, graphics as well as other user-interface elements should be scalable.


• Leave some thought for the battery: It is a proven fact that users avoid apps which take a toll on their phone battery. To ensure optimal use of battery, it is advisable to keep away from unnecessary animations and background tasks, as well as minimize the use of location services. Make sure that you are using location services that leverage GPS. Moreover, do not include background tasks until and unless they are an absolute necessity, because apps running in background usually consume large amounts of battery power.


• Customization for the end-user: It is crucial for a mobile app designer to keep the user in mind. Take into account the context within which the end-user will interact with the app. To reach effective customization, consider getting the creation tested by the least tech-savvy person you know. It is good to consider things like whether the font operates across manifold languages, if there are loads of white text against a dark background leading to poor readability, and so on.

A well-designed mobile app always makes a mark in the minds of the audience. Following the above-mentioned guidelines will definitely help organizations as well as developers come up with successful and attractive apps.

You can hire developers from top mobile app development companies in India who can help you build mobile apps within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide mobile app development services. If you would like to speak to one of our expert mobile app developers, please reach out to us at Mindfire Solutions.

Why Do You Want ColdFusion 10?

ColdFusion was originally launched in 1995 as a rapid web application development platform. But the platform is being updated on a regular basis by Adobe to meet the ongoing trends in technology and web development. Nowadays, it is being used widely by developers across the world to build websites and intranets driven by data. Also, its features make it easier for programmers to easily generate Flash remoting, SOAP web services and other remote services.

However, Adobe has released the latest version of ColdFusion with a set of features to enable programmers to build, deploy and maintain a variety of enterprise web applications at a rapid pace. ColdFusion 10 further offers a set of features to make web applications more dynamic and interactive using Java Enterprise Edition (EE) platform. If you are yet to adopt the server-side technology, it is time to understand some of its main features and benefits.

5 Reasons Why Web Application Developers Need ColdFusion 10

1. HTML5
HTML5 is widely used by developers to build a variety of websites and web applications including social networking, ecommerce portals, online games, podcasts and online collaborative projects. Adobe has designed ColdFusion 10 with built-in support for HTML5 web sockets. The features makes it easier for developers to execute multiple data push commands, while publishing data to multiple clients and getting real time server response. Also, the latest version of ColdFusion allows developers to access and manipulate HTML5 charts by through the CFCHART tag. The inbuilt HTML support further helps programmers in improving user experience by building robust and engaging websites.

2. Tomcat Application
Adobe has further designed the latest version of ColdFusion with an inbuilt server that is the modified version of Apache Tomcat application. The modified version of the application also has a nifty cache tool that can be used as a real time web server. The application helps users in staying tuned to the latest web development standards and security updates, while availing the active support of seasoned developers. The feature enabled developers to optimize the performance and efficiency of the applications by quickly creating cache portions of the pages that are not updated frequently. Further, the feature makes it easier to update, mange and modify the websites by processing the internet code at a much faster pace.

3. Language Improvements
ColdFusion 10 also comes with enhanced scripting support, along with improved quality and readability of code. Along with increasing the pace of internet application development, the language improvements further allow programmers to have better control over the entire or portions of the project. Also, developers can use the feature to aggregate and divide large amount of tasks and code into smaller and easy-to-manage projects. The option to create small projects further makes it easier for programmers to rapidly build scalable Java EE applications for enterprises.

4. Create and Publish Web Services
Along with rapidly developing a variety of websites and web application, programmers can further use ColdFusion 10 to create and publish web services. The updated version is further designed with support for SOAP 1.2, WSLD 2.0 specifications and document lateral wrapped style. At the same time, the developers can also use the revamped AXIS2 engine to avail web services support without putting any extra time and effort. On the whole, the feature help programmers in converting existing ColdFusion components into RESTful web services simply by adding a set of simple attributes.

5. Mobile App Development
With more and more people accessing websites on their mobile devices, it has become essential for enterprises to optimize their online portals to target popular mobile operating systems. The updated version of ColdFusion makes it easier for developers to build robust mobile applications supporting the out-of-the-box Representational State Transfer (REST). The REST web services along with JSON and XML serialization and de-serialization enable programmers to build web applications by targeting major mobile technologies. At the same time, HTML5 web sockets make it easier for them to facilitate smooth bidirectional communication.

Adobe further allows developers to choose from the enterprise, standard or developer edition of ColdFusion 10. At the same time, the server-side technology is also available on Amazon Web Services. So a user can always pick SharePoint 10 edition according to the needs of his project.

You can hire developers from top coldfusion development companies in India who can help you build your website within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide coldfusion web development services. If you would like to speak to one of our expert coldfusion developers, please reach out to us at Mindfire Solutions.

What is the Best Test Case Design Method in Software Testing?

There are multiple test case design methods that are implemented and used by the software testing companies all over. The two most important ones are the Equivalence Class Partitioning and the Boundary Value Analysis. The methods imply that the evaluation case design managers must elaborate the required set of test cases. It has to be remembered in this respect that the conventional methods are not always used during the course of website testing and mobile application testing. However, prior to looking into the other methods and analyzing as to which one is suitable, let us delve a little deeper into understanding why sample evaluations are important and what is the procedure of writing the effective ones.

What are Test Cases?

Sample tests basically include components that elaborate on inputs, actions, events or an anticipated response. The components are meant to find out if the features of the application are working in the right manner. Now, the primary objective of writing the sample tests is to approve the testing coverage of the particular application. These are written down for the purpose of bringing certain standardization while also minimizing the solution- centered approach in testing. The stipulated standards are strictly adhered to by those working in the CMMI QA testing services companies.

Procedure of Writing Test Cases

Writing test cases is a matter of much skill as well as expertise. Various things have to be kept in mind and these include the test case id, the unit that has to be tested or verified, the assumptions, if any, the steps to be executed along with the expected results.

For any application, a variety of test cases need to be included such as negative, boundary and functional test cases. Simplicity is the most important thing when it comes to writing these validation cases.

The Cause-Effect Graphing Method

As already mentioned, the traditional methods are often not used for mobile application testing or website testing. It is here that the Cause Effect Graphing Method comes to play. The method was proposed by Bill Elmendorf. He formulated the question of why the evaluations were needed by making use of the related software. The software elaborates on the required set of test cases that facilitates the entire functionality of the system. The very same procedures that are implemented in hardware logic circuit, are utilized by the cause-effect graphing method too.

The method paves the way for finding both kinds of faults, one that cancels the other as well as those that are made invisible by the other right things. Requirement document is what is most important in the initial stages of this particular procedure of evaluation. The method implies that every input in the requirement is a condition, which can be true or false.

Quality of Software Testing

Any kind of software evaluation, done by means of the different methods as well as techniques, is meant to ensure the quality of the software. Considering the importance of quality testing, it is essential to look into the ways that lead to the development of quality software.

• To begin with, the developers should be entrusted with the responsibility of evaluating the quality. The lesser involvement of the developers often call for issues arising in the code and these issues are often quite difficult to fix as well.
• Engaging the users is one effective way of allowing an impressive flow of code from the developer to the user base. Users get the chance to provide feedback on the software and hence, steer further developments in future. Quick response to the feedback is equally important.

Software testing has an importance of its own and there is no possible way in which this task can be eliminated. The importance of the test engineers is increasingly realized by one and all. Alongside, a software test strategy also needs to be created while this should necessarily include the automated, exploratory and manual evaluations that are particularly helpful in reducing risks.

We provide software quality assurance services. If you would like to hire software test professionals from us or would just like to speak to one of our expert software testers, please reach out to us at Mindfire Solutions.

The Publisher Mobile Surge By The Numbers - A Report

The surge in the mobile devices and Smartphones is noticeable right from the year 2006, which was also held as the “the year of mobile”. However, for the prominent publishers, the present year 2013 is actually the mobile year with the numbers of non-desktop traffic showing a steady increase. As such, publishers realize the need to cater to the mobile traffic with greater intensity compared to what they did even a few years back.

A Comprehensive Report

Here is a comprehensive report on what the important publishers had to say regarding this particular surge along with the way this phenomenon influenced them.

• To begin with, BuzzFeed, one of the most recognized publishers, confirmed that 50% of the total traffic to their properties comes from the mobile users. The percentage of overall traffic from non-desktop users, which was only 31% in April last year, has almost tripled. The rapid growth of the mobile audience is obvious.
• Forbes, another important publisher, on the other hand, revealed that more than 35% of the visitors to the properties of Forbes came from the Smartphones along with other smart devices. The percentage was less than 25 even a year back, which again, recorded a significant surge.
• The non-desktop web traffic to Huffington Post showed an immense growth of 20% between just two months, July to September of the present year, 2013.
• Though not a publisher, the prominent video site, YouTube recorded about 41% of its total traffic coming from non-desktop users. The percentage, which was just 6 in 2011, effectively points out to the surge.
• SheKnows revealed a significant figure of 42% page views coming from users of mobile instead of desktops only. A growth rate of 56% year-over-year could be deduced from what the publisher had to say. A major portion of the traffic from non-desktop users comprised of people using tablets as well as Smartphone devices too.
• The Awl' sites have more than 30% of the traffic coming from tablets and phones, recording a 39% increase when compared to the same period last year.
• About 38% of the total page views of yet another publisher, Complex.com, came from mobile users. A 58% increase was noticeable when the statistics of the last year was considered.

Factors Contributing to this Immense Surge

While the above-mentioned reports point out sufficiently well to the surge in usage of mobile, let us look in details at the possible reasons behind this phenomenon.

Brands Like Apple are continuously on the lookout for introducing newer and more user-friendly technology. For instance, the version 7 of the iPhone operating system brought about a lot of changes and certainly increased opportunities for the device users as well as the publishers.

Mobile devices have significantly influenced the lives of business professionals and consumers. Today, it represents 15% of the total global internet traffic and needless to mention, the rate is consistently on the rise.

Apart from mobiles and Smartphones, tablets also play an important role in occupying the market. An increased use of tablets further leads to a growth of the non-desktop users and urge the publishers to devise strategies to serve the smart device users better.

Apps come up as yet another reason behind the growing usage of tablets and Smartphones. As such, the promotional efforts put by the publishers and the digital newsstands are also driving substantial growth in paid digital subscriptions. To top all these, advertisers are adapting to the shifting paradigm in consumption of content and driving funds from desktop to the mobile platforms. Consequently, by 2017, it is expected and estimated by the eMarketer that mobile will take up about 36% of the total digital ad spend.

You can hire developers from top mobile app development companies in India who can help you build mobile apps within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide mobile app development services. If you would like to speak to one of our expert mobile app developers, please reach out to us at Mindfire Solutions.

7 Important Traits of a Great Mobile Learning App

With the growing popularity and increased use of the mobile hand held devices, these are being used for a number of purposes. These days, the devices are being implemented for delivering corporate and academic training, performance based applications, simulations- based learning as well as game- based learning solutions. Now, to execute these tasks with care and effectiveness, one needs to develop some excellent mobile learning applications.

So, what should be a great mobile learning app like or what must be the essential features of such a learning application? Here is a list of the 7 most important ones:

1. High Interactive Quotient

An ideal application should be such that interacts with the target audience in the best- possible manner. When it comes to a learning app, the content that it puts forward is of utmost importance and hence must incorporate the following features:

• It should be synthesized well
• It must be presented in an attractive and functional manner
• The content must be accurate while also being without any possible flaw
• It should be relevant to the extent of catering to the exact learning requirements as well as fulfilling the learning objectives.

High level of interactivity justifies the development of the app.

2. Easy and Hassle-Free to Modify and Personalize

Making the content interactive is not just enough. Modifying and adjusting it as per the needs of the learner is essential to ensure high level of engagement. The users should be able to personalize the app and this is particularly true for the gaming applications. Kids love apps that keep them engaged and help them acquire new knowledge. This new knowledge is often applied to real- life scenarios too.

3. Eligible of Prompting Positive Feedback

A learning app for a hand held device must have all those attributes that pave the way for positive feedback from the learners. Now, the app makers keep the essential areas of concern of the learners in mind while being in the design process of the application. An appropriate application is one that not only receives proper feedback but also makes the learners get rid of their doubts, if any.

4. Facilitates Skill Development

An ideal learning app should have features that allow the learners to develop their skills. Now, skill development, in this respect, means acquiring the tools as well as techniques that can be used to gather resources to solve particular problems. The apps must contain activities and elements that urge the users to engage in high- order thinking.

5. Inter-generational Aspects

This feature is incorporated by the gaming apps that are particularly meant for the children. These applications are made to include traits that involve scopes for the involvement of the parents too. This way, the apps are made to have a greater appeal on all.

6. Usability and Functionality

A mobile learning application should be functional more than anything else. Users must not only be able to use it properly but also perform the required tasks once they have gained enough expertise in using the app. In the design procedure of any kind of application, the memorability of the same, that is, how much the users remember it even though they are not using it for some time, is also taken into consideration.

7. Incorporation of Social Interactions

Apps, these days, facilitate social integration, as this allows learners to engage in social interaction. This is something they just love doing. An excellent application would definitely be one that keeps the users excited and motivated all the time, whether by enabling them to be a part of the community or by some other ways.

A mobile learning application, in short, must have a combination of all the above- mentioned features to lead to an overall satisfactory experience of the users cum learners.

You can hire developers from top mobile app development companies in India who can help you build mobile apps within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide mobile app development services. If you would like to speak to one of our expert mobile app developers, please reach out to us at Mindfire Solutions.