Building Modern Web Apps with ASP.Net

ASP.NET is often considered as ASP or Active Server Pages' next version but it is more than that. A unified model for web development is provided by the platform which includes necessary services that can aid developers in the building of web applications. ASP.NET and ASP are quite syntax compatible and new programming infrastructure as well as model is provided by the former so that stable as well as scalable applications may be developed which will also provide better protection. So this ..NET based compiled environment helps in authoring of applications in any kind of language that is .NET compatible including .NET, Visual Basic, JScript .NET and C#.

ASP.NET applications can be built with the aid of XML Web Services or Web Forms or in combination with both. The very same infrastructure supports both and you can customize the application’s configuration or use authentication schemes. Windows XP Professional, 2000 and Server 2003 family supports the framework in case of both server as well as client applications. You also need some other software for the development of the server applications like

• Advanced Server or Windows 2000 Server with Service Pack 2, any of the family of Windows Server 2003, Windows 64-bit edition or XP Professional
• Internet Information Services or IIS
• MDAC 2.7 for Data.

In fact before distributing the application IIS roles as well as ASP.NET must be enabled. For deployment of such applications first a root directory must be created; then directory structure must be created under the root so that the application files may be contained. The app files then should be copied to the directory structure.

Root directory for ASP.NET application with IIS- For this a new directory has to be created and then the MMC or Microsoft Management Console must be opened for IIS. Then simply a virtual directory must be created. Then the root directory has to be marked as an application. The process of virtual directory creation is almost the same across the different platforms. You just have to make adjustments to the settings and follow the procedure as it runs. Even in case when you want to mark existing directories as web applications you need to open the MMC and adjust the properties.

Creating directory structure- For this open the created root directory at Windows Explorer or command prompt. Create new directory, naming it bin. Other directories, if required by the app can be created. The directory called bin is the app's default assembly cache. For modifications in the app's default configuration, web.config file can be created as well as required modifications made to save in root directory.

Deploying app files from command line- Click Start, then Run. There will be a dialog box of Run which will have a Open text box. Enter cmd there and press OK. Type a command with destination path and source path. If you get questions about the copying directory or files, answer them.

This is also a good framework for the building of responsive and modern web apps, especially if you want your app to load single HTML pages and then update the page dynamically while users interact with the application then SPAS or Single Page Applications may be used as well. HTML5 as well as AJAX are used by SPAs for the creation of responsive as well as fluid apps. This can be easily created with the help of open source JavaScript based frameworks. For that create Visual Studio Project, Service Layer, Web Client, MVVM and MVC patterns, web client with help of Knockout.js and view model one after the other. Data bindings must be done; records must be made editable.

ASP.NET helps you reap the maximum advantages of features like inheritance, type safety, versioning as well as language interoperability. In fact the existing ASP applications can be augmented through addition of this functionality.

You can hire programmers from top custom .net development company who can help you build dynamic web portals within allocated budget and time schedules.

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10 Killer Apps For Your iPhone

iPhones come up with an array of value added features that make these devices almost indispensable in modern life. These user-friendly applications or apps as they are called help in performing a wide range of activities. There are quite a number of apps that people find extremely handy. Let us pick up 10 out of them which are voted best by the users.

1. Box.net

Box.net is one of the most popular service that helps in online storage of files. Now, iPhones come up with the updated version of this feature that only makes life of the users easier. With the help of this feature, users are able to share individual files or entire folders that are stored on Box.net. Users are also able to open files by using file viewer that the modern iPhones come up with. It also gives them the option of leaving comments on these files. There is also the option of uploading images from the Camera Roll. It comes up free of cost though the individual account comes up with a storage capacity of 1 GB while the 10 GB version is available at a monthly cost of $9.95.

2. Soonr

This is another feature, that is a bit different from the rest of the lot. Soonr helps in integration of document sharing, review and publishing into another backup application. However, for using Soonr, one will have to install a Mac or a Windows Desktop client. It helps in automatic backing up of designated folders whenever a file is changed.

Once the files are saved in Soonr Cloud, users can log in through any web browser and browse. Users can e-mail, send faxes, comment as well as restore files if and when needed. It is also handy for creating projects, adding files and editing them. Another extremely important feature of Soorn is that users can have a look at the revision history.

3. Tripit

It is yet another extremely popular feature that is considered by many as by far the best in terms of utility! The app is powered by some wonderful back end systems. Users will simply have to forward the confirmation email for booking flights, bus or train tickets, hotel rooms and so on. It can also be done automatically by using Gmail plugins. Once the mail is sent, the feature will automatically organize them with all the relevant details along with the confirmation number.

4. Instagram

The camera and the iphone photo apps come up with state of the art technology that has sent the conventional 'point-and-shoot' camera to back end. Instagram can be used to upload family photos to Flickr or family albums as well as for uploading everyday photos. The feature is quick, and extremely simple to use.

5. Evernote

This is an iPhone feature that is great when it comes to taking notes. It has striking similarity to Dropbox as it can save data as well as information locally though it syncs the data across all the devices.

6. Huddle

This application comes up with several value added features that help in meeting scheduling, web conferencing, document editing that can be integrated into the web version. With the help if this app, one can organize projects into workspaces and put more emphasis on workflow though Huddle mainly deals with task management.

7. TED

This app comes up with the feature that helps users to snap videos from conferences as well as uploading them to be viewed on the web for free. The app also provides a fantastic way to access those videos on mobiles and releasing TED talks.

8. Pano

This app helps users to take startling panoramic shots with iPhones as well as line up the shots and correct them automatically.

9. RedLaser

This app is mainly for helping those who like shopping. It can turn an iPhone into an effective barcode scanner and the app is pretty flawless. All the user needs to do is to scan the UPC code of a particular product. The app will do the rest and will find the product for the user from Google Product Search as well as TheFind. The most important thing is that it is lightning fast.

10. Twitter

Last but not the least, Twitter is still considered the best as well as the most popular app for the users of iPhone. It is a magnificent app that also happens to be one of the most popular social media sites.

You can hire developers from top iPhone app development company who can help you build highly engaging and addictive iPhone apps within allocated budgets and time schedules.

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

Using SQL Server Resource Governor To Optimize SharePoint 2013 Performance

When first introduced, SQL Server did not quite had the number of value added features that it boasts of today. Some of the features that have been added include Query Editor T-SQL debugger, schemes for alternative keyboard shortcuts, Query Editor Snippets, advisor for Database Recovery, GUI for Extended Events, Query Editor IntelliSense, and so on. Resource Governor, which was a new addition to SQL Server 2008 provided internal mechanism for management along with control of resource consumption through processes and connections. To control management of resources, previously we had to resort to Windows System Resource Manager but Resource Governor has made the job easier.

Resource pools, classifications along with workload groups comprise of the Governor. The server's physical resources are collected by the pools and then they can be used for workload group assignment. Groups of connections that are classification based are known as workload groups and they belong to a single pool which is limited by the intake of physical resources that it can perform. This results in exertion of a holistic control over the impact level of user connection on server.

With the enhancements made to Resource Governor you will be able to govern performance effectively, especially in case of machines that have many CPU cores. The following are the enhancements that have been made:

• A new option called CAP_CPU_PERCENT for pools that will allow means for setting limits on usage of CPU resources, providing greater predictability.
• Another option called AFFINITY meant for resource pools that will allow mechanism for affinitization of resources to NUMA nodes as well as schedulers, providing better isolation of resources of CPU.
• Support for almost 64 resource pools which is far more than the 20 which was previously supported so that larger machines can be better partitioned between increasing workloads.

The Governor can be implemented very easily. First, enable it by right clicking and selecting 'enable'. This will create two default resource pools along with two default groups of workload. The workload groups are assigned to the resource pools; so configure them properly and the feature of the Governor will start functioning.

The performance of SharePoint 2013 can be optimized or improved by using Resource Governor. Search Database can be optimized in a number of ways. Amongst them, the one with the use of Resource Givernor is the best. When search crawling takes place, apart from the crawled web servers which are hammered, a lot of resources of SQL Server are used. If there is only a single SQL Server, it will affect your databases and you surely do not want your users to get annoyed if they have to bear with slow SharePoint farm during their work. Using the feature will ensure limited RAM or CPU usage of Search databases during average working hours.

The feature can also be configured so that search databases' resource usage may be limited during working hours, but not during non-working hours. Executing the code in SQL Server Management Studio will give the desired results. Resource Pools need to be created for this, one for off-work hours and another for under-work hours. Next two Workloads Groups must be created and then associated with the Pool that corresponds with it. Next, Classifier function has to be created so that the feature chooses the correct Workload Group. The function may be adjusted according to your needs as well as requirements. Verify the set up.

For the best results the entire configuration of the Pool along with Classifier logic should be tested as well as verified so that they work optimally within the environment. One thing to remember while working with the Governor is that it can work only with Database Engine; support is not provided for processes like Reporting Services, Integration Services or Analysis Services.

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Top 5 SharePoint Collaboration App for Android

SharePoint wildly popular as an enterprise platform for many reasons such as integrates meta data stores, document repositories and successful social enterprise deployments.

According to IT survey on enterprise collaboration, last year it was found that 73% of its respondents were using SharePoint for their business apps. And slowly it gained success as a new collaboration and knowledge sharing platform. SharePoint 2010 SharePoint 2010 lacked mobile support, hence SharePoint 2013 came to picture with new enhancements and customized features. Finally SharePoint 2013 has finally gone mobile supporting varied screen sizes with different kind of gadgets.

Some of the new unique features makes SharePoint all the more interesting and useful for creating best business apps:

Mobile Browser Experience
SharePoint provides different browsing options depending on the usage of the mobile browsers they can be called as Contemporary View, Classic View, the and Full Screen UI. The Contemporary View is new to SharePoint 2013. This view renders beautifully in HTML5 and is made available to the newest mobile browsers such as iPhone’s Safari 4.0+, Mobile IE9.0+ and Android 4.0+. It is a clean view with the goal of providing quick access to document libraries, lists and other common SharePoint content. The Classic View gives backward compatibility for older mobile browsers. It is always meant for a specific purpose and function and it is not going to win any user design awards. The Full Screen UI deals with a full desktop view of the site shown on the mobile device.

• Device Channels - Device Channels renders content flawlessly on different devices. SharePoint 2013 cleans up. master pages, page layouts and style sheets that can be mapped to specific mobile browsers, allowing much more control over the usability of content.
• Push Notifications - SharePoint library fulfils the needs of every business and gets notified on mobile device when a new or changed document is posted to that list. Alert functionality was there before and even one can send an email or text. Now SharePoint 2013 takes it a step further by providing users with notifications on their mobile devices when specific activities occur on SharePoint site. This powerful tool keep users informed of key changes to SharePoint-based sites and business solutions. It can automatically push notifications to the employee who submitted the idea each time the status of that idea changes. This is a great way to keep occupied users and increase overall use of solutions.
• Location - With the help of geolocation field type in SharePoint many numerous application can automatically log the location of a user each time they enter any information. This powerful feature of SharePoint-based applications where mobile users capture information through their smartphones is unique. Bing Maps helps to display this exact location information.

SharePoint 2013 and the Office Web Apps Server work together better than ever before to provide a higher quality experience for users who interact with documents on their phones. This covers Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents and the viewer for these documents is now optimized for phones. Microsoft continues to enhance this experience, since viewing and editing documents on our mobiles devices is becoming much more common.

Top 5 SharePoint Collaboration Apps

SharePlus
It offers secure SharePoint browsing from anywhere. The app supports all Content Types and there's native support for Office files. To ease collaboration, one can share documents via email or send a link. Collaborate with team, sharing documents and tasks lists right from the meeting room, a taxi, or when out visiting a client. Browse documents, discussions, announcements, wiki pages and custom lists.

Filamente
Filamente is a SharePoint client for iOS from Aircreek. It gives users a touchscreen optimized interface for SharePoint, the ability to upload files from a mobile device and offline access to resources.

Forms Central
Formotus offers a SharePoint client for Android, iOS and Windows Mobile called Forms Central. Like Filamente, it provides offline access to SharePoint data. It's free to download, but requires a subscription.

DocAve
DocAve is a management platform for SharePoint created by a company called AvePoint. It consists of a suite of products to enable integration, document migration and data management. These products can be purchased as a suite, or individually. Free trials are also available to download from the official AvePoint website.

Quick Apps for SharePoint
This application is created by Dell and is available to download directly from their website. It is a great app for smaller businesses because it allows quick and easy customization of SharePoint, without the need for large IT departments. It is also quicker and faster than making custom code changes.

Huddle
This is the best cloud collaboration tools, designed with ease and efficiency kept in mind, with millions using it for content management and enterprise collaboration. Small, mid and big businesses can easily manage and exchange information or projects with others. It also allows to track milestones, project deadlines, view late projects, completed tasks, making collaboration effective and easy. In addition, unlike the on-premise SharePoint, it supports several mobile applications such as Android, iPad, BlackBerry and iPhone.

SharePoint is one of the most versatile business software applications available on the IT web market. Its popularity over the years has dramatically increased because of the systems flexibility and the abundance of professional apps that can be integrated into the platform with little time and effort required and supported almost all browsers and electronic gadgets.

You can hire developers from top custom sharepoint development companies in India who can help you build your projects within allocated budget and time schedules.

We provide sharepoint development services. If you would like to know more about our sharepoint site branding experts, please get in touch with us at Mindfire Solutions.

ASP.Net – A stable programming language for web development

As a widely used server-side web application development framework, ASP.Net needs no introduction. The version 4 of the framework is also being used by over 59% of the websites that use ASP.Net. Along with dynamic websites and web applications, the platform also allows developers to create web services at a rapid pace. If you are yet to migrate to the innovative web application development framework, it is time to understand why ASP.Net is considered as a robust language for web development.

What Makes ASP.Net a Robust Language for Web Development?

Better Code Management

Unlike ASP, ASP.Net is designed as a real object oriented (OOP) framework. So it allows developers to manage and structure the code in a much better and efficient way. Further, they have option to use the optimized compiled code to build faster internet applications. Normally, programming languages like PHP run as interpreted code. So the speed of the application is affected. ASP.Net overcomes the lacunas by using optimized compiled code. At the same time, the project managers can easily separate the code and markup to facilitate web application development in a distributed environment.

Many Classes with Rich Functionality
ASP.Net also allows programmers to directly access a collection of more than 4500 .NET framework class libraries. These classes can be used to add a variety of rich functionality, to the internet application without writing extra code, like file upload, image generation, XML, SMTP and data access. Further, the ASP.NET Web Forms can be used to add several business objects and server controls to the UI. At the same time, the website or web application can also be optimized for the mobile and handheld devices using the ASP.NET Mobile Internet Toolkit. The classes are also effective in providing customized support according to the requirements of the application.

Efficient Visual Studio.Net Tools
The powerful tools provided by the Visual Studio IDE further help programmers in building robust ASP.Net application within a shorter timeframe. They can use the web designing, database and debugging tools to create the perfect web development environment. The debugging feature of the IDE can be further used to test, debug and add changes to a page during its execution. In comparison to other web development frameworks, Visual Studio .NET IDE provides programmers with a wider variety of powerful development tools to reduce the development time.

Support for Several Programming Languages
Often developers have to put both time and efforts to master a new programming language. Many programmers also need additional time to write complex code using a language they are not familiar with. ASP.Net enables programmers to start building websites without learning new programming languages. At present, the web application development framework supports over 25 programming languages including C#, Visual Basic.Net, C++ and Jscript. In addition to choosing a programming language of his choice, each programmer also has option to access top features of other supported language. At the same time, he can further use the JavaScript and CSS editors provided by Visual Studio 2012 to enhance the website’s look and feel without any hassle.

Easy to Integrate Multiple ASP.Net Frameworks
Visual Studio 2013 allows developers to match and mix several ASP.Net frameworks including MVC, Web Forms, Web API and SignalR. So a programmer now can combine several frameworks to avail their top features. The amalgamation of multiple frameworks further enables developers to create a single ASP.Net project that supports MVC, Web Forms, Web API and SignalR. Thus, it becomes easier to add new functionalities to the project. At the same time, a programmer can now add libraries of another framework to the used framework. For instance, the MVC libraries can be added to a Web Forms project without any hassle.

However, a developer also needs to stay tuned to the latest trends in ASP.Net development. For instance, the Open Web Interface for .NET (OWIN) will enable developers to decouple web applications from web servers using a common interface. Similarly, programmers can use SignalR to add real time features to an ASP.Net application without writing lengthy and complex code. These trends will further contribute towards reducing the overall development time and cost of ASP.Net projects.

You can hire programmers from top Asp.net application development companies who can help you build dynamic web portals within allocated budget and time schedules.

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

Year 2014: Will This be the Year of Highest iPhone Apps?

Many reports recently highlighted how Google’s Android has superseded Apple’s iOS in terms of global smartphone market share. But the rapidly growing and popularity of Android is not having any significant impact on iPhone app development. According to VentureBeat.com, “An average Android app makes 5 times less money per download than an iOS app. Even though Android has by far passed iOS in terms of global market share, the picture is not so clear-cut in terms of revenue. Despite Android’s dominant market share, for many app developers, iOS is still the biggest platform.” The data clearly indicate that 2014 is going to be the year of highest iPhone apps. However, there are several factors that will contribute towards the rapid growth of iPhone app development during this year.

Why 2014 will be the Year of Highest iPhone Apps?

Increased iOS 7 Adaption Figures

The popularity and adaptability of a mobile operating system directly affects the popularity of mobile applications. According to the iOS adoption numbers, updated by Apple recently, iOS 7 has already hit the 80 percent mark. The increased iOS adoption number clearly indicates the growing popularity of the latest version of the mobile operating system. So the figure will encourage more enterprises to launch new iPhone apps.

Enhanced Processing Power
Apple surprised competitors by launching iPhone 5S with a powerful 64-bit processor chip. Companies like Samsung and Qualcomm have promises users to deliver enhanced process power during 2014. But Apple still has the edge, and the optimized processing power will also contribute towards making the latest version of iPhone popular. At the same time, the 64-bit processor chip allows application developers to launch more robust and fast mobile apps. The new feature will further result in launching new iPhone applications.

More Enterprise Apps
Despite the huge popularity of mobile applications, many enterprises still opt for mobile websites. The mobile websites are effective in keeping the visitors interested and engaged. But most users, nowadays, expect the websites to work like a mobile app. So many enterprises will launch mobile apps to meet the current trends. The gradual shifting from mobile websites will contribute towards the rapid increase in the number of iPhone apps during 2014.

Higher ROI
Many organizations invest in iPhone app development to get higher return on investment. With companies and individual developers offering iPhone application development services, it has become easier for organizations to launch mobile applications without any hassle. Further, a business can outsource the iPhone app development project to curtail development cost. As many reports have highlighted, iOS is still the most preferred platform for many developers who wants to maximize their revenues. The enhanced earning potential will encourage new companies to invest in iPhone app development to get higher ROI.

Target Emerging Markets
As many reports have highlighted there are many countries where the app download numbers are high, but the developers are not getting any revenues. At present, the paid application download numbers are much higher only in USA and Western Europe. So the application developers have to target emerging markets to get more revenue. Apple also aims to make iPhone popular in countries like India, Russia and Brazil to increase its global smartphone market share. Therefore, more developers will build iPhone apps this year to target users from these emerging markets. The enhanced market share of iPhone will further contribute towards increasing the number of applications at the Apple App Store.

The iPhone application development will also be impacted by the frequent changes in the user demand. With more and more people wearing mobile devices as smart glasses or smart watches, enterprises will be encouraged to launch innovative apps to meet the current choices and preferences of users. At the same time, enterprises also have to release updated versions of existing iPhone apps to beat competition.

You can hire developers from top iPhone app development companies who can help you build highly engaging and addictive iphone apps within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide iPhone app development services. If you would like to hire iPhone developer India from us, we would be glad to assist you at Mindfire Solutions.

How will Android app improve your business?

One of the most happening trends of the current time is the use of smartphones. With each passing day the market of mobile application continues in its popularity streak. In fact, gone are those days when the phone was just an over-powered toy; it has now transitioned to a productive business tool. Some stats can help you grasp the importance of smartphones in today's context. Out of the 4 billion mobile phones used in the world, 1 billion are smartphones. Within 2014 data usage in mobile will overtake the internet usage in desktop. In fact 50% of the local internet searches are conducted from these phones. Now proper applications will be able to solve many of your business problems and benefit both the end user as well as the clients.

Creating virtual office- No matter where you are, at restaurants or simply holidaying with your friends, your device will ensure the completion of your work. Our devices ensure that information can be easily and quickly accessed, making the work days more productive and simplifying interaction with the company. Virtual office space may consist of management software for client relationship, project management software, document sharing, invoicing, expenses, time tracking, etc.

Cost-effective sales marketing- You can use the various apps to let customers know about your recent launches, events, services, etc by taking advantage of the advertising opportunities given to corporate funders. The funders gain a lot through the advertising which reinforces their brand, gaining product exposure to user groups that are highly relevant.

Facilitating client relationships- Social networking strategies are greatly improved with mobile apps since they help in increase of exposure and accessibility, allowing you to connect with customers who are on-the-go. Your customer-base will be increased and you will be available all the time as apps can function offline. Moreover just a second is all you need to launch some app which is there on the home screen of a phone.

Software's new platform- With the progress of mobile technology, there is expansion of boundaries related to tablet and smartphone software. There are sector specific software for every industry and they cater to the respective market. The proprietary programs of sectors like navigational, educational along with agricultural among others have been redeveloped, thanks to the apps which has resulted in broadening of the product reach of the respective company.

Some Apps To Give You Better Business

Some apps which benefit you in your business in the long run are listed here.

Docs to go- Many of us do not like to drag our laptops wherever we go, so it is essential that Microsoft Office be accessed from mobile devices at all times. Looking at documents or editing spreadsheets becomes an easy job with the help of Docs To Go. The functionality of the application is top-notch and it also provides peace of mind when you know that you and your documents are inseparable.

Evernote- There are several times that you may have some brilliant idea for new products but lack of paper and pen for scribbling it down, which results in valuable loss. Evernote acts as a digital notebook; it can store everything like notes, web pages, photos, audio clips and PDF files. The app is easily accessible and searchable.

Expensify- Business travelers can benefit a lot with this app as it helps keep you consolidated as well as organized. It helps keep tabs on your business expenses as well as mileage through scanning of receipts with the help of the camera of your device and then importing data from bank or credit card. This relieves you of the pain of drafting expense reports.

There are lots of applications that can help make your business life simpler. In fact these days, we find it hard to function without Google Translate as well as Google Drive. This field has seen astounding growth and becoming a part of this world helps you efficiently conduct your businesses worldwide.

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

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Why Is LAMP The Best Choice For Dynamic Web Development?

The development platform LAMP helps in determining the efficiency of an application. It contains safe Linux base, dependable MySQL database, open source scripting language and a popular Apache web server. Moreover, it allows developers to create a website at economic price ranges. Developers have increasingly started using it, intending to develop dynamic web applications. It is a software bundle or stack which stands for Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP, Perl or Python. Opting for this development platform can be a good strategy for any organization with a web presence.

Why LAMP is a popular choice

For developers, web application development using this technology is the preferred option for creating a stable, reliable and highly efficient application. Using LAMP stack as its open source can be adapted to suit a given requirement quickly and easily.

Free technology

The greatest advantage of LAMP is that it does not involve license cost. While creating a site, if you opt for WAMP (Windows, Apache, MySQL, Perl/Python/PHP), you have to pay licensing fee to Microsoft. However, LAMP discounts this requirement. Therefore, with this application platform, you can develop effective sites at moderate prices.

Easy to code

It offers easy coding by ensuring that coding is relatively bug free. You do not need to go through a time consuming and exhaustive process of fixing the bugs.

Secured

This software enables web developers to enjoy the secured advantages of Linux. Therefore, in addition to affordable price, you can enjoy security as well. Linux distribution system is accessible in different versions and hence a web developer may opt for the one that best meets his requirement.

Easy deployment

For many developers, developing a web application becomes a tricky practice, especially when it is difficult to easily integrate the programming language with the database and server. With LAMP, there are no such problems as PHP is a standard Apache module. Therefore, deploying LAMP web applications becomes easier.

Delivers the best scripting language

LAMP development comes with several scripting languages including Pearl, Python and PHP. While creating a site, PHP is mostly preferred as it is an advanced scripting language. Furthermore, it is compatible even with the most complicated sites.

A dependable web server

LAMP renders users a stable as well as reliable web server in the form of Apache. According to many web developers, Apache is an excellent open source web server with easy usability. You can use it to connect any dynamic website with the web world. It also possesses a strong community which is meant to clarify problematic issues to users.

Offers flexibility and support

There are many reasons behind the popularity of LAMP development and these include easy customization and simple structure. People using this application are aware that it involves relatively simpler coding structure. Additionally, it offers powerful community support. In case a developer faces any difficulty, the large community is there to extend every support required. For all these reasons, people prefer using LAMP, instead of WAMP or MAMP.

Local Development

Another huge benefit of using LAMP stack lies in the fact that a developer can build an application locally and then deploy it onto the web.

LAMP is extremely popular, however it is not possible for all developers to optimize its use. Hence, you need to choose the right kind of developer who is well experienced and expert in using the LAMP stack. This development platform ascertains the efficiency of an application. Choosing a wrong platform means the resultant application will not entirely match the client's specifications. In recent times, businesses are looking for the type of application that is able to fast track their business processes with desired growth. To make this happen, they need a software that can easily be integrated into their existing IT infrastructure and one that can be trusted to deliver high performance.

You can hire programmers from top php development company in India who can help you build products within allocated budgets and time schedules.

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The issues around ICD-10 implementation

Physician practices are mostly running behind schedule in their quest for ICD-10 implementation. Surprisingly there also seems to be a strong positive vibe amongst most of them to achieve it before the switch deadline of Oct. 1, 2014. A survey done in this field has suggested that the industry is far behind milestones otherwise required by the ICD-10 implementation framework. The time available in their disposal is about nine months and given the devastating consequences predicted by various stakeholders, one is compelled to think whether it is not already time for providers to pull up the socks and get started with the act. In its current state, the coordination which is expected between practices and software vendors, health plans partners and clearinghouses is either missing or evidently not at a level which can foretell a seamless implementation. The one concern which seems to be common across all of these practices is something related to the fallout of the implementation and not how to achieve it. There is a strong apprehension that the switch will result in claims’ processing delay or denial which ultimately will have an effect on cash inflow.

Following various rounds of discussions between industry leaders, there seems to be 3 major recommendations which have come up for physician practices as they gear up for the deadline which is inevitable now. They include the following:

• Checking the accuracy of the mapping program: This will be possible by getting a demonstration from the vendor. Since the claim submissions eventually will be dependent on the accuracy of the mapping, it makes sense to check them beforehand. Infact getting the coders and health information professionals to be involved in understanding the possible changes in workflows is not a bad idea.
• Getting hands-on experience for the coding and billing staff members: Real life scenarios should be staged and the staff made to go through the process.
• Updations of EHR in order to remove the inactive problems from the problem list: All ICD-9 codes which have ever been used should not be blindly imported without checking on the incorrect and unresolved ones.

Productivity is expected to take a nosedive owing to this change. Providers are expected to have a permanent decrease in productivity in the range of 20 to 50 percent due to the granularity of ICD-10. The type of providers who are likely to be impacted the most with this change would be the ones dealing with a broad range of conditions like primary care, emergency orthopedics, cardio to name a few. Also, this impact will be felt irrespective of the size of the setups.

Pre-empting the roadblocks that the initiative will run into and the subsequent mess it is likely to result in, the Medical Group Management Association has appealed to the US department of Health and Human services to perform extensive testing of ICD-10 with immediate effect . They have also requested them to share the outcomes of the testing with vendors and providers. Primary reasons put forth in their defense include the following points:

• It will allow the software developers the time and the knowhow to configure the technology for physician practices
• Identified before the switch deadline, it will allow the relevant stakeholders to make the required adjustments to the workflows and systems
• Allow practices to understand fully well the effect of the implementation on reimbursement

All the above will go a long way in providing some level of assurance to physician practices pertaining to achieving seamless processing of their claims post the switch. Since any wide-scale interruption to the claim-processing system is likely to affect the running of healthcare providers, it is of high importance that required authorities take all necessary steps beforehand. A thorough end-to-end testing definitely qualifies as one.

You can hire programmers from top healthcare software development company in India who can help you build products within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide medical software development services. If you would like to hire healthcare software developers from our team, please get in touch with us at Mindfire Solutions.

2013 Java Trends The Cloud Floats Into Java Application Development

Before we get into the technicalities of 2013 Java trends and its significance in cloud computing, let us at first know what cloud computing is all about. It can be defined as a particular phrase that is used to describe a wide range of computing concepts involving a chain of multiple computers that is connected through a real time or live communication network like Internet. Technically speaking, cloud computing can be defined as a synonym for distributed system of computing over a particular network. It also denotes the ability of running any program or application on multiple computers or work stations simultaneously.

This particular phrase is quite often used to refer to various network-based services, which are provided by the real server hardware and simulated by software systems running on single or multiple real time machines. There is no real life physical existence of these virtual servers. Hence they can be 'moved' from one place to another, scaled up or down on-the-fly without interfering into the activities of the end user. The phenomenon has somewhat similarity with a cloud that can grow larger or get smaller without really being a physical object.

As per the results of a recent survey that was conducted, cloud platforms have a propensity of reducing overall development time by 11.6% on average. This is mainly due to the ability of cloud platform to streamline the process of development and get the development assets online quickly. Besides, cloud platforms also come up with the capacity of collaborating on various developmental efforts, which is also an added advantage.

However, experts are of the opinion that platforms of cloud-based development in PaaS or LaaS clouds like Google, Microsoft, Salesforce, Amazon Web Services are still in their initial, (if not nascent) stage but are already showing a lot of promise through significant cost savings along with an array of superior efficiencies. At present, there are two extremely vital cases that make the concept of cloud computing so much popular – app dev test and big data. In case you do not have any program in place for exploring the value of this technology, you should at least have a clear idea about the advantages that you can enjoy:

• It has the ability to develop self-provision along with an environment that is suitable enough for testing, so that you can opt for structuring the application without the need to wait for any software or hardware to appear in the data center.
• It can get applications pretty fast into production. Besides, it can also scale the applications whenever needed.
• It can collaborate with other architects, developers as well as designers during development and structuring of the application.

Though the values are apparent, the technology behind it is sound and that is what makes the difference. At present, the developers can use eXo Cloud IDE for building, debugging, and deploying apps of App Engine without actually installing and configuring App Engine SDK or any of the so-called traditional desktop IDEs. Whatever happens takes place within the browser.

To debug and run an app on the development server, one needs to press Debug that can be found in Run Menu. Once that is done, the Debug window will come up at the lower end of the screen. Once that happens, it will be possible to open up the Java file and set the breakpoints in the margin at the left hand side.

Now, one can run the app by using the URL in the “Output' tab. Once that is done, the execution will automatically stop at the breakpoints that have been set. Then there are the options of inspecting the variables, modifying their values during run time, adding conditions for creating conditional break points etc. With the eXo Cloud IDE deployment, debugging as well as running the App Engine apps are possible without installing and configuring App Engine SDK or Eclipse Plugin. As everything that is related to development activities actually takes place on Cloud IDE servers, it is possible to drastically reduce the initial setup time. Within just two-three minutes, one can comfortably get back to putting emphasis on issues that are more important – coding and refining the app.

You can hire programmers from top java development company in India who can help you build products within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide outsource java development services. If you would like to hire offshore java developers from our team, please get in touch with us at Mindfire Solutions.

PhpStorm2.0: Take PHP by Storm!

PHP programming has seen a radical change with the development of a brand new version of PHP IDE called PhpStorm 2.0. This new version is code-centric as well as equipped with much superior quality of codes. Besides, it also guarantees improved aid for the very latest trends of PHP programming. This new avatar is designed to offer the users the options of using improved tools like automatic refactoring, comprehensive analysis of deep code, on-the-fly checking of errors along with various quick fixes.

As per the experts associated with the development, some extra namespaces as well as closures support were incorporated into the structure and these were used in the development of modern PHP. This, amongst other things have helped to improve the code-analysis capabilities. They are also of the opinion that with the development of this version, debugging becomes easier and needs no more configuration whatsoever.

What is new in PhpStorm 2.0?

• A holistic PHP 5.5 support that includes closures as well as namespaces.
• Support for Zend Debugger as well as ability to debug with zero-configuration in any browser
• Command line tool assistance that includes completion for Symphony and Zend Tool.
• Full-fledged SQL query editors that come up with editable results of queries
• More Mercurial support
• Support for EcmaScript 5 and HTML5

This variant is actually a lightweight version of smart PHP IDE that is designed to put maximum emphasis on the productivity that has intense understanding of the codes. Besides, it also offers completion of smart coding along with quick navigation along with on-the-fly rectification of errors. It comes up with all the components as well as the functionalities of WebStorm like JavaScript and HTML/CSS Editor. It also provides a comprehensive support for PHP.

Let us now discuss in details, some of the salient features that make this version so exceptional.

Automatic completion of Codes

This particular feature was for long expected. The dropdown for code completion is automatically triggered off once you type in. Code culmination has seen a facelift that assures compatibility across various array indexes.

Zend Debugger, Xdebug
The latest version comes up with compatibility for Zend Debugger, Xdebugger, along with Browser Toolbar. The IDE is designed to automatically respond to the debugger connection. It also requests mapping of missing files as and when needed, so that the debugger shows the source of the page, with just a single click of the mouse. It is also compatible with all the AJAX requests, as a cookie for the debugger is set.

Debugging Support initiated by the Browser
Zend Toolbar can be used along with Xdebug toolbar as well as browser bookmarklets, for initiating debugging straight away from a page on any modern browser like IE, Chrome, Safari or Firefox.

Support for Command Line Tool
Shell commands can quickly be run with exclusive support for the framework tools that include completion and parameter information for Zend_Tool as well as Symphony tool. You can also add all these features for various custom tools through XML descriptor.

Advanced Code Inspection
This new variant comes up with a number of never-before-tried code inspections:

• Control flow or Unapproachable statement
• Control flow or Wrong catch clauses order
• Probably bug or Wrong string concatenation operator

When this new version was introduced for the first time, it bridged up the long-standing gap by playing the role of a smart PHP development IDE. It is mainly designed to put increased focus on more intelligence, provide assurance of improved quality of code, superior assistance for the latest trends of this language, etc.

The key areas where this new version is different are:

• A holistic PHP 5.3 support that includes namespaces as well as closures
• Zend Debugger support along with zero-configuration debugging in all the browsers
• Improved support for command line tools that include Zend_Tool and Symfony completion
• Dedicated editors of SQL queries with various editable query results
• Enhanced Mercurial support
• Added support for HTML5 as well as EcmaScript 5De

Experts are of the opinion that this version is not only to stay but probably redefine the very concept of PHP programming, making things much easier for the developers.

You can hire programmers from top php development company in India who can help you build products within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide php web development services. If you would like to discuss with a certified php developer from our team, please get in touch with us at Mindfire Solutions.

Changes in approach needed for mHealth implementation

In order to truly become a disruptor in the healthcare industry, mHealth needs to break out of the shackles restricting its widespread use. Although the area shows a lot of promise to bring about major changes in healthcare delivery, the slow pace of its adoption has resulted in many industry leaders quoting the benefits to be speculative. They are generally the elderly lots who have throughout their careers seen various such disruptions start, show a lot of promise and then frizzle away. They are waiting for this one to stand the test of time and meet the changing requirements of the industry. There are enough indications already to suggest that mHealth has the elements to change the healthcare delivery on its head and transform it completely. Infact mHealth is the result of unsustainability of current healthcare spending, rapid growth of wireless connectivity, and the need for more precise and individualized medicine.

So the pertinent question which comes to mind is that if certain obstacles have resulted in the emergence of a solution, what has stopped its widespread use? In order to achieve the purpose, some roadblocks have been identified. They are as follows:

• Complexities which exist in the healthcare system related to current drivers of reimbursement
• Apprehensions of the part of clinicians as they expect the patient-physician relationship to weaken further; with a likelihood of an increase in their workload
• Challenges to the appropriate use and validation of mHealth technologies
• Possibility of downloading apps which are not very useful and can possibly even have a detrimental effect if used

mHealth intends to transform healthcare by addressing inefficient practices and various challenges faced by clinicians and consumers. The real beginning of the mHealth surge will start the day Physicians stop being wary of recommending apps. And for that to happen, there needs to be more availability of evidence. It is only by doing a systematic research on the impact of mobile technologies on health outcomes and showing positive results, on a continuous basis, that reliable evidence can be gathered. Also, for its widespread usage and subsequent acceptance, partnerships with governments become a critical factor. The key here is to identify and engage very early, by identifying the right people within the setups to provide support and handing them over to scale up after reaching a certain level of success. Achieving scale without such an approach i.e. involvement on the part of the government, is next to impossible.

Before beginning any mHealth project, it is very important to take into account 4 dimensions - People, places, payment and purpose. Importance of considering these factors is highly critical in determining the outcome. The following needs to be taken into account while addressing the dimensions

• People: Technological platforms to be used have to be chosen keeping in mind the demographics and preferences of the consumers and health professionals who are likely to use them. A platform with exceptional features and lacking on usability is of no use.
• Places: There is a need to have a strong backbone of network with good accessibility and reliability. This has a major bearing on how and when mHealth is used. If the functionalities available are complex, then in order to leverage those, the required download speed and bandwidth capacity needs has to be available as well.
• Payment: Evidence-based standards should be used to link payment with quality outcomes. Additionally, organizations dealing with patient data should adhere to the required policies to address privacy and security.
• Purpose: In order to be effective the strategy should be such as to align with complexities involved in case management and various clinical objectives.

You can hire developers from top medical software development company in India who can help you build your applications within allocated budgets and time schedules.

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

How Do I Improve Report Processing Performance?

Each user wants to view the report without waiting for a long time. But each report has to go through three processing phases. Once the required data are retrieved, the report is processed, and then displayed to the viewers. So the processing time required to deliver a report can increase due to problem in each processing phase. However, you have several options to monitor the performance of a reporting sever. Also, you can consider some simple yet effective ways to improve the report processing performance.

Six Effective Ways to Optimize Report Processing Performance

1) Use Selection Formulas

You can always use a selection formula to retrieve the specific records, required to create a report, from a large database. The formula will further prevent the report processing system from reading all records in the database. However, you must remember that the Crystal functions are not understood by the database. So you must not refer to any Crystal functions or report formulas to prevent the database from returning all records. Instead of using selection formulas, you can use Crystal function in specific formulas.

2) Opt for Conditional Visibility
The report processor can further make more relevant information visible first by conditional visibility of items. You can use the sorting, grouping and filtering expressions to make the items visible conditionally. However, the SQL Server Reporting Services allow users to process only the visible data. However, you must allow users to see detailed data by drilling down. It is also important to choose the conditional visibility according to the type and purpose of the report.

3) Suppress the Sections that You Want to Hide
There are always chances that you will want to hide certain sections of the report. If you want to hide the sections, it is advisable to try to suppress the sections by removing drill-down options. However, you have to decide if you want to provide drill-down information to the end users before suppressing these sections. Once you suppress the sections, the amount of time required to calculate and save the drill-down information will be saved. Thus, the suppression of these sections will increase the report processing speed.

4) Reduce the Number of Unlinked Sub-reports
Often sub-reports are generated to explain various aspects of the main report in detail. But each sub-report will fetch information from the database repeatedly. Thus, the sub-reports often affect the report processing performance. The linked sub-reports are generated by using the subset of data retrieved by the main report. So the linked sub-reports do not affect the report processing performance significantly. You can improve the report processing performance by reducing the number of unlinked sub-reports.

5) Provide Adequate Free Hard Drive Space
You can further optimize the report processing performance by providing keeping adequate hard drive space free. It is also a good idea to point the hard drive with enough free space through the “SET TEMP=” statement in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. The path is used by report generators to store the swap files required to render the report. So the free space on the hard drive will facilitate the generation of you reports.

6) Use Native Database Drivers
Most report processors allow users to retrieve data stored on multiple databases. But the amount of time required by the report generator to retrieve information will vary according to the nature of the data source. Normally, the native data drivers, in comparison to ODBC drivers, allow the system to access and retrieve data at a quicker pace. Further, the information passing through the ODBC driver needs to be translated by it to generate the report. So you can always use native database drivers to optimize the report processing speed.

It is also a good idea to analyze the report execution log data to identify the factors affecting the report processing performance. Based on the information, you can optimize your report management system to render reports to users without any delay.

You can hire developers from top reports development company in India who can help you build your applications within allocated budgets and time schedules.

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

DotNetNuke Development – A Powerful Platform for Building Rich Web Applications

As an open source web content management system, DotNetNuke (DNN) is widely used by enterprises across the world on Microsoft ASP.NET platform. Many organizations even use it to create a variety of rich websites. It is developed. DNN further provides a set of innovative tools that can be used from a web browser to build rich web applications.

Each organization also has option to choose from the paid as well as free version of DotNetNuke. But each version of the web content management system offers several benefits to website developers, designers and content managers. If you are yet to adopt this widely used technology to build rich web application, it is time to understand some of its prominent advantages.

Why DotNetNuke is a Powerful Platform to Build Rich Web Applications?

Advanced Features: The developers can use the powerful features of DNN to build to robust web applications within a shorter period of time. The web content management system enables them to create pages, add custom page elements, along with uploading and displaying files. They can further use the feature to customize the look, feel and appeal of a website according to specific branding requirements.

Hassle-Free Website Management: Each organization wants to manage it website without putting any extra time, money and effort. As an easy-to-use web content management system, DotNetNuke enables users to manage their websites regardless of their technical knowledge and skills. Along with creating, publishing and managing the web content, they can further use the browser-based tools to act as a webmaster without any hassle. Also, he can use the tools to carry out a variety of activities including email marketing, advertisement management, blog management, document management and user management.

Easy to Deliver Website Branding: Unlike conventional web application development frameworks, DNN allows developers to separate site design and site content. So it becomes easier for them to deliver fully customized templates according to client’s branding requirements. Further, the framework enabled programmers to add new features and functionality to the website without investing additional time and effort.

Integrate with other Applications: Most web applications, nowadays, are being integrated with third-party business applications to deliver riche user experience. As DotNetNuke is developed based on ASP.NET, it comes with many pre-made and custom modules. These modules make the platform highly extensible to be integrated smoothly with a variety of business applications. The programmers can further enhance the performance of the website by integrating GP, CRM and similar applications in the Microsoft stack of Dynamics.

Enhanced Website Speed: The speed of a website will have a major impact on the user experience. So, enterprises often explore option to optimize the website speed. DNN’s efficient code base ensures that the website delivers rich user experience by running quickly. At the same time, its portal based architecture enables users to run multiple websites on just a single DNN installation. So an organization can easily run a website and intranet at a time. The option can also be used to create individual portals for each department or unit.

Extremely Comprehensive Security: As a web content management system, DotNetNuke is comes with advanced and powerful security features. The website administrator has option to create different groups, and set permission for each group according to the required functionality and assignments. Thus, the users can be sorted into these groups according to their role and responsibility. The strong security model included in DNN further allows organizations to avoid the third-party security systems available in the market.

Higher ROI: As DotNetNuke is developed on Microsoft technologies, an organization can avoid incurring additional expenses. The platform further allows an organization to use its development tools, database servers and Windows servers. Further, a company can use the free version of DNN, and customize it to avoid purchasing custom tools. At the same time, the reduction in the cost of developing and managing the website further curtails the operational expenses. On the whole, an organization can invest in DNN to get higher returns in the longer run.

An enterprise also has option to customize DotNetNuke according to the specific requirements of a project. As its core is written in C#, it becomes much easier for programmers to write custom extensions in any of the languages supported by .NET. The open source nature of the platform further helps them in availing both central technical support and support from a large community of developers.

You can hire developers from top dotnetnuke development company in India who can help you build your applications within allocated budgets and time schedules.

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

6 Best Practices for Android App Development

According to a recent report published on KantarWorldPanel.com, “Android finished 2013 strongly, showing year-on-year share growth across 12 major global markets including Europe, USA, Latin America, China and Japan.” The constantly growing popularity and market share of the mobile operating system will encourage many enterprises to invest in Android app development. With more and more companies entering the app market, mobile app development on Android has become both challenging and competitive. So enterprises, nowadays, must implement several best practices to effectuate their mobile application development.

Best 6 Practices for Mobile Application Development on Android

1) Concentrate on Aesthetics

The aesthetic appeal of the application will have a huge impact on its popularity. Before checking the features and functionality of the app, many users consider its visual appeal. So the UI/UX design must complement several screens and mobile devices. As you cannot predict the mobile device of the user, the look and feel of the app must be checked across multiple mobile devices.

2) Make the Navigation Intuitive

The Android app can further keep the users engaged through efficient and intuitive navigation options. You can always deliver richer user experience by optimizing the screen hierarchy. For instance, you can optimize the lateral navigation feature of the app by including tabs. Also, you can opt for lean UX design to complement the needs of individual users in a realistic way.

3) Curtail Notification

You can always use the notification feature of the Android app to convey sensitive information or breaking news to the users. But you must remember that the excessive notifications can affect the user experience negatively. So you must curtail the user notification to prevent information overload. At the same time, the app must allow users to turn all notification off simply by clicking on a link or button. The reduced notification will further contribute towards making the UX design more efficient.

4) Save Memory

Often mobile device users carry out several tasks and processes at a time. Therefore, adequate memory must be available for each process to run smoothly. There are also chances that the device may hung or end up in a deadlock due to lack of required memory. So you have to consider several options to ensure that the app saves memory by consuming the least amount of RAM. You can always save memory by using local objects and variables, while avoiding global variables. Similarly, the variables must be assigned to null after their usage. The simple view hierarchy in the UI design will further contribute towards consuming lesser amount of RAM.

5) Optimize the Android Code

Android application developers write code using Java programming language. Also, they use third party java libraries and APIs optimize the performance and functionality of the app. But Java can be sluggish some times, despite being a simple, robust and widely used programming language. So you must select the UI carefully, along with avoiding poor coding tactics. You can enhance the code efficiency by replacing old libraries with the most recent and updated libraries. Further, the coding can be optimized by loop complexities. You can even consider writing native code of the application using the C language and NDK compiled.

6) Make the App Flawless

You must remember that each user has option to choose from several apps of similar nature. So its performance must be flawless to impress and engage the users. Similar to software applications, a mobile application also needs to be tested thoroughly. Before the app is launched, your team must carry out rigorous testing to identify and fix the bugs, errors and flaws that affect its performance. It is also important to evaluate the functionality and performance of the Android application based on adequate quality guidelines to deliver a flawless user experience.

Along with keeping in mind the best practices for mobile app development on Android, an organization also need to constantly monitor in the changing habits and preferences of users. At the same time, the app must avail the innovative features and functionality of the latest Android devices delivers richer user experience.

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

We provide android application development services. If you would like to hire android app developer from our team, please get in touch with us at Mindfire Solutions.

Know How iPhone Application Development can be Done Smoothly

Despite the growing popularity of Android, iPhone application development is still effective in increasing business reviews. Many reports have also highlighted that the amazing world of iPhone apps further contributes towards the popularity of the smartphone. But the constant changes in the choices and habits of modern customers have made application development both complex and challenging. At the same time, an enterprise also needs to builds apps by complementing the latest trends in mobile app development. So each developer has to frequently explore ways to smoothly build iPhone applications from the scratch.

Simple Ways to Make iPhone Application Development Smooth

Update Your Development Skills

You can always make the application development hassle-free by using a Mac. Once you acquire the device, it is time to register for Apple’s Developer Program, and get the most recent and updated development knowledge by referring to the SDK tutorials. You also have option to avail the assistance of developing committees to clear your doubts and answer your queries initially. You can start the development process after deciding the how to implement the concepts in your iPhone app.

Download XCode

Before starting the development process, you have to download the software development kit for iPhone along with XCode. The XCode video will help you in understanding the essential instructions required to develop the application. You must be familiar in Objective-C to write the code and programs. Also, you have to use iPhone simulator to find the bugs, errors and flaws in the application. It is also a good idea to become an iTunes member to upload and market the app as soon as the application is tested.

Use Xcode’s Behaviors Feature

As a powerful editor, XCode offers several features to make iPhone app development smooth. The Behaviors feature of XCode is used widely by programmers to define behaviors. When the behaviors are defined properly, it becomes easier for XCode to decide the action to be taken when a specific event occurs. You also have option to configure the behaviors easily through the Xcode’s Preferences Window. Also, the feature can be disabled if you do not want to behaviors to be displayed on the console windows during execution of code.

Cocoapod

Along with Objective-C, the iPhone also need to learn Cocoa to write the programs quickly. You can also consider using Cocoapod, a specially designed tool to efficiently manage dependencies in XCode projects. The huge popularity of the tool has encouraged many developers to build third party libraries to support it. So you can efficiently manage existing third party libraries, and optimize the performance of your application by building customized solutions. It is also a good idea to read about Cocoapod while learning Objective-C and XCode.

Code Snippet Manager

The iPhone application developers across the world also use test or code snippet manager to save additional keystrokes. You have option to choose from several snippet managers including CodeBox and TextExpander. Also, XCode provides you a snippet manager that appears next to the Object Library on the right sidebar. The XCode snippet manager supports several attributes that make the code or text snippets both flexible and powerful. Along with having a language and a platform, each snippet also has a completion scope to get seamlessly integrated with XCode’s editor.

Efficient Source Code Management

Each mobile application developer also needs to learn how to manage the source code in an easy and efficient way. If you are not familiar with the concept of source control, it becomes essential to learn Git. As a distributed version control and source code management system, Git enables you to manage the source code of your project efficiently and easily. Further, you can integrate Git with XCode to optimize your coding. However, you have to include the appropriate .gitignore file in the XCode project. Normally, Git is used through the command line. But some applications like Tower and SourceTree allow you to use Git through a graphical user interface (GUI).

You can further effectuate iPhone application development by using customized tools and frameworks. It is also a great idea to use the open source tools to develop the application rapidly without increasing the project cost.

You can hire developers from top iPhone app development companies who can help you build highly engaging and addictive iphone apps within allocated budgets and time schedules.

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

Why software testing is increasingly being outsourced and what should businesses consider

Among other business activities, software testing (ST) is being increasingly outsourced nowadays to reduce the exorbitant expenses that are associated with it as well as to make sure that the evaluation is conducted by the best in the business.

Let us get into further details. Various critical business applications are being evaluated by third party vendors these days, as each and every business is striving to cut costs. Software development and testing are highly expensive processes and involve a number of critical parameters to be attained. Testing is often plagued by software failures and other uncalled for incidents that compel huge investments to go haywire. That is the reason, ST often demands huge investments to make sure that there is enough fund for rigorous in-house evaluation of the software by the most experienced as well as trained software professionals along with an able backup process to compensate any kind of failure whatsoever.

The digitisation of modern businesses has led to increased reliance or dependency on software systems for internal as well as external business activities. This has in turn led to increased emphasis by the business houses on evaluation or testing of these software systems within the process of development. All these have collectively resulted in the increase of software testing outsourcing.

A large chunk of ST centres where the projects are outsourced are located offshore – in countries like India, China or other countries in Asia. This is done after a lot of impeccable planning, taking into account the location of these countries as well as the difference in time zones wherein these countries are located. In case a company can obtain the results of evaluation over night, it effectively helps them to streamline the process of development they follow.

Now let us discuss the factors that the businesses need to consider while outsourcing software testing services.

Selection of Engagement Models

The first factor that needs to be considered is the engagement model that a business should rely on. This is ostensibly the most crucial aspect as the entire outsourcing plan will depend upon a correct decision. The process includes a number of factors – evaluating strategies of international business, selection of a geographical location, a thorough understanding of the landscape along with deciding on the particular strategy, etc. Some of the engagement models are:

Incremental Outsourcing

Businesses can opt for mitigating the risks associated with outsourcing by breaking the entire project into smaller projects that are more manageable or can be outsourced to the service providers in stages.

Holistic or total outsourcing

In this particular model, multiple projects or programs are outsourced to a service provider who takes up the responsibility of program management as well as the delivery on the client's behalf.

Mobilization

The agreement includes a mobilization period for both the parties. This particular phase includes setting up of an effective communication protocol between the client and the vendor that defines breakdown structure of work, standard template sharing, setting up of test strategy, etc. This generally includes testing engineers and leads, project managers along with technical specialists. Knowledge acquisition, evaluation of infrastructure, integration with the different third party service providers are other aspects of mobilization.

Whatever processes or steps are followed, every single company needs to do a lot of homework in a thorough as well as impeccable way before they opt for ST outsourcing. An able service provider will be able to effectively single out the pitfalls at the very outset. This ensures that uncalled for situations can be avoided later on while testing the software and delivering the project well within the deadline. Besides, it will also help in reducing the costs and help the companies to stick to the budget that they have initially fixed for the completion of the project in question.

You can hire testers from top software testing companies in India who can help you accomplish testing within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide software testing services. If you would like to hire certified software testers from us, we would be glad to assist you at Mindfire Solutions.

Cross-platform Mobile App Development – Selecting the Perfect Platform

An organization can always enhance the popularity of a mobile app by targeting multiple operating systems at a time. The rapidly growing popularity of mobile platforms further encourages many enterprises to invest in cross-platform mobile application development. A developer can simply write the code once, and deploy the same to multiple mobile platforms. Most organizations build cross-platform mobile apps by targeting hugely popular operating systems like iOS, Android and Windows. But the developers often have to address the challenges related to hardware capabilities and software stack of individual mobile operating systems. The challenges can be easily addresses by picking the perfect cross-platform mobile application development platform. However, an organization has to consider several factors to choose the best platform.

How to Pick the Perfect Cross-Platform Mobile App Development Platform?

Define the User Experience

Each mobile app must target the right audience to become popular within a shorter span of time. So your choice of mobile app development platform will be impacted by the audience you want to target. Once you identify want your potential customers expect, it will be easier for you to choose the right tools and framework to achieve higher engagement rate by targeting multiple mobile operating systems. After defining the user experience, you can choose the right framework that optimizes the look, feel and performance of the application on each mobile platform.

Familiarity of the Platform

Most cross-platform application development platforms are built for scripting languages. So the developers familiar with HTML, JavaScript and CSS can easily user these frameworks. You can help your team in migrating from website and internet application development to mobile application development by choosing a platform that is more familiar to them.

Look for Powerful Plug-ins

Widely used cross-platform mobile development frameworks like Appcelerator's Titanium and Adobe's PhoneGap come with easy to use plug-ins. These plug-ins allow developers to use a variety of services or tools, along with accessing common links to similar APIs. The programmers can further use the plug-ins to communicate with the mobile device’s cameras, location sensors or accelerometers without writing lengthy lines of the code. So you must opt for a platform that provides customized plug-ins to developers.

Explore Future Prospects

A number of recent reports have highlighted the constantly growing number of dead apps in various app stores. So you must use the latest and futuristic technologies to extend the lifespan of the mobile application. It is always important to choose a platform that supports the latest technological advances in the industry. At the same time, the platform must enable developers to use futuristic technologies like HTML5 and XML. The feature will make it easier for them to include new features and functionalities without writing lengthy lines of code.

Option to Adopt Enterprise Cloud Services

Within a shorter span of time, Cloud services have become hugely popular among both individual and enterprise users. Often developers have to write lengthy and complex code to integrate the enterprise and Cloud services. But some innovative cross-platform mobile app development platforms make it easier for programmers to integrate Cloud services in a quick and hassle-free way. For instance, they can simply code an Exchange integration once to make the mobile app work on multiple mobile operating systems without requiring any additional security methods.

Evaluate the Pros and Cons of Each Platform

The cross-platform mobile application development frameworks help organization in enhancing deployment speed, while reducing the development cost. Further, an organizer has option to choose from several open source and commercial development tools and frameworks. Often these frameworks required developers to use prescribed tools and suites, which can make the coding and rendition slower. There are also chances that the developers have to learn new tools to build the mobile app. So you must not forget to evaluate the pros and cons of each platform according to the type of cross-platform mobile app you want to build.

Google, Microsoft and Apple frequently update their mobile operating systems by including innovative features and functionalities. So each organization must use the most recent version of the cross-platform mobile app development platform to deliver richer user experience.

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

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