The Importance of Non-Disclosure Agreements in Outsourcing Software Development

A Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) is a term which describes a pact between two or more parties. It is used to limit the original members from telling the information to someone else or to someone who is not part of the initial agreement. Such an agreement is usually done to make sure that important information is not leaked or is made public. Such an agreement is necessary to use when trade secrets are discussed and is used when a new and previously not known technology is used. Usually, this type of agreement is signed when organizations are in practice of using the concept of outsourcing.

Outsourcing is somewhat of a new procedure where organizations are looking for cheaper way to get their work done. Outsourcing can be either Near-shore or Off-shore. The major difference between the two methods is based on geography. In near-shore outsourcing practices, an organisation looks for closer partners to work with. Partners with which the outsourcing firm shares the same time zone, language and work standards are preferable. In contrast, when offshore outsourcing is used, firms work with partners who are in a completely new region which follows a different time zone and has different working standards. Firms when using the concept of outsourcing for software development need to share important information with their partners and trust them that the information will not be leaked or made available to a third person. In such case, outsourcing firms usually ask their outsourced partners to sign an NDA. The importance of following such a practice is high because companies, while outsourcing, allow outside employees to go through private details of the firm like information about the company’s shareholders and the type of technology and working methods they use. If such information is made public, competitors and rival firms can significantly benefit from it.

Companies using outsourcing partners to develop software for any purpose are more careful and usually ask their offshore software development partners to sign a NDA form. Obviously there are threats in offshore software development and these firms must be careful of virus attacks or being a victim of counterfeiting. In some cases, firms ask their outsourcing partners to develop certain software to operate machinery or equipment which is new and not many people are aware of it. This technology may be part of the firm’s strategy and the organization does not want that information be disclosed. In this case, having a NDA with the outsourced partners is critical as they are aware of what information they cannot disclose to an external source. Furthermore, the benefit of using a NDA is that it makes sure that there are no communication gaps between the two partners. Everyone is aware of their roles and they know what is right and what is wrong. This allows the entire work procedure to run smoothly without any unnecessary stoppages.

Lastly, for those businesses that are using outsourcing to develop their company software must be aware about the use of NDA. Through an NDA, they can limit the use of their outsourcing partner and restrict them only towards the actual job they are hired to do. The outsourcing organization can always be in control when using NDA. If something goes wrong through the use of NDA, the firm can control the damages. Also the outsourced partner is aware of the legal cost if they break the pact. Therefore, it is good that firms who use outsourcing partners make a NDA and get it approved by their partners. Businesses that are in the information and technology industry are now adopting the use of NDA as outsourcing has become a common practice.

Mindfire Solutions has already carved a niche for itself as one of the premier vendors offering offshore software development services to its SMB clientele and help them excel in their core business. If you are interested to hire the expert software services of this 16 year old organization then do send in a mail with your requirements to sales at Mindfire Solutions dot com and we will get back to you in 72 hours.

5 top IDEs best suited for Django development

“The importance of a good Integrated Development Environment (IDE) can never be let alone, for they render comprehensive facilities to developers in the entire process of software development life cycle. Its integrated build-in automation tools, a source code editor, and a debugger help improving the way programmers execute their projects here we are considering Django Python projects. While there are several performance-driven choices available for Django, the IDEs that enable smooth visual programming and make software development a fun experience are largely admired these days. Out of many, listed below are our picks for the top 5 IDEs for Django. They are not only user-friendly software applications, but also wrapped up with the necessary tools and functions that make development an interesting task”.

Vim

The most powerful IDE for Python that literally transmogrifies the way programmers work on their projects. Vim is an advanced code editor that offers the benefits of UNIX editor ‘Vi.’ Though it takes a couple of months to learn this IDE; the software application is incredible for anyone who seeks an effectual yet super smooth programming experience. An easy-to-understand interface further fetches extra points. Having unique and useful features makes the IDE truly the best among the rest. With Vim, you can get enough scope for Code Folding, Window splits, and Snippets etc. Moreover, Versioning is also possible with Vim! You can view your Codebase history using Vim IDE and it makes the IDE work like a small versioning software tool. Besides these features, it enables the Django developers to get better coding experience with AutoFill, Suggestions, and Validations etc. Syntax Highlighting is also there to make the developer find bugs easily as with any other IDEs. The Django developer can also navigate around the code with features like Searching, Go- To- Definition and Fuzzy text file search options. The best part about Vim is its support; it gets support from the most trusted Git! Above all, it enables Python developers to test the application with Django nose and Py.test, etc. All in all, it’s an amazing package for the Python developers.

Komodo

This one stands distinguished for the incredible support it brings to surface for different languages. Komodo is a renowned name for most of the IT developers working in different languages and technologies. May it be PHP, ASP or JSP; Komodo is there to support. It is one of the oldest yet powerful IDE of the industry. The integrated development environment application features a clean user interface and lends enhanced support to OS X as well. The tool even gets noticed for its code completion for templates and syntax highlighting (although, it nowhere works for the cocoa textbox shortcuts by default). It has better Syntax highlighting features along with smarter indentation for different templates. Debugging with Komodo is no less than a funny operation for the Python developers. Auto Code completion and Django template tags and filters are yet another top feature of Komodo IDE. In Komodo, there is another buzz for the Python developers that enables them to search file directly with Go– To– File search option. With Hyperlinks, it can make you traverse around the application on the fly and reach at the destination with a click. So, overall, Komodo is a great IDE for programmers who need support for multiple languages yet need simple programming.

PyCharm

Designed for increased productivity, PyCharm makes coding a quick, result-oriented experience. It is one of the most advanced IDE available in current industries. There are many features of JetBrain’s PyCharm to make the coding experience not only beautiful but also interesting. The charm starts with Code Assistance tricks like Auto Complete feature, Auto Indentation, Syntax Highlighting, comment or un-comment a statement etc. Code snippets and code folding is yet two major smart features of this IDE. Along with coding assistance for Python, it also provides support for other web languages like JavaScript, HTML and CSS etc that makes it perfect for the Python web developers. It also provides support for Django Internationalization or I18N i.e. helpful in creating multilingual and multicultural web applications. It has reStructuredText markup and Epydoc for highlighting and code completion for tags and tag parameters. There’s integrated support for Smart Code Navigation that allows users to conveniently leap into or skip any place of their code by using Go to Class or file or symbol, etc. The IDE features Intelligent Coding Assistance that lends support to auto-completion and a wide range of development tools, including database querying, SVN, Git, terminal, and debugging tools. As a whole, PyCharm is a great IDE choice (not to forget, its super fast code refactoring function).

Sublime

We could not afford to skip Sublime as such a well-designed IDE for Django. The IDE is also known as Sublime Text 3 in the industry. This is more for Python Django web developers since it has most features that will attract web developers on its first sight. Features like web language support, Split layouts, Chrome like Tabs, etc. makes it fit for the cyber industry. With st3_split_screen, the web developer can create multiple views over the platform that enables the web developers in viewing his code along with browser at once. It also enables the developer to test the application in one view while modifying the source code in the other. This works like a charm for the developers who offer expert Django development services. The multi-purpose tool comes with its personal, unique package manager that basically lets users install add-ons, additional styles, and plug-ins. It even supports several languages and is widely popular amongst web programmers. Along with that, it has almost all the features of any other Python IDE that are obviously common.

Wing

And of course, the one with more than 15 years in development and many more to welcome! Wing is an innovative, feature-rich IDE for Django – the highlighting aspect being its debugging tool. The tool enables extensive Python development, embeds auto refactoring tool with no errors, and high customization with several choices, key bindings, and user interface customizations. It even allows developers to introduce variables for expression, smoothly build blocks of existing code, and experience quick coding through ‘Go To’ code feature. Although it has dated UI and UX, Wing is a great IDE choice for Django developers (thanks to its embedded Pylint Tool and Auto Completion functions as well).

Mindfire Solutions has over a period of more than 9 years successfully executed a gamut of Django web development projects that have catered to various industries and geographies. To learn more about how we can help you with web development projects using Django mail your requirements to sales at Mindfire Solutions dot com.

New Features in PHP 6.0

“PHP is the only oldest language that is fully dedicated to the web domain. It has nothing to do with others and it does what it is intended for. With every passing version, there is certain modification, addition and removal of features as per the demands of the industry and PHP does it in a seamless manner. This time, the industry is flooded with many assumptions, predictions and theories to find their dream land PHP v6. It is one of the highly anticipated versions of PHP; though, many said that PHP will directly release PHP7 version, but now it comes with PHP6 with some enhanced features. The release of PHP 6.0 was indubitably made to defer for long. However, the upgrade that kept most of us keyed up definitely planked in a horde of features to look forward to. But for most, the integration of native Unicode UTF-8 in the upgraded version looked preeminent of all. Listed below are some new features in PHP 6.0 that are hopeful of making many users swap to its structure”.

Internationalization: Internationalization or I18N is known for cross cultural or cross location programming. It helps in creating cross culture application with some local inputs like date, time, language, currencies and phone numbers etc. It is highly effective in crafting cross region websites for the industry. The highlight remains the embedment of native Unicode (UTF-8) to the core. Also, improved array indexing is a significant part of PHP 6.0 (enhanced array indexing is anticipated to induce the possibility of being used to sub string). Will discuss more on the next section i.e. Unicode Support.

Enhanced 64bit Support: It is awaited as yet however; PHP 6.0 envisages support for 64bit in near future. As a result, internal code compatibility will not be a hitch in any way. The security level will also increase and the standard of programming will definitely improve a lot. With this, the speed and efficiency of PHP application will also increase to a significant level. So, it is really a wow feature for PHP developers who know how to implement it perfectly fine.

Unicode Support: So far, UTF-8 has proven to be the most efficient alternative as default encoding for string values. Although UTF-16 could not thrive at being a part, the framework hopes to bring Unicode support, design and implementation for enhanced usability. As discussed above in I18N i.e. there are 18 characters in between I and N of Internationalization can help PHP developers in building cross geographic location websites using Unicode. Suppose your client want a website to be developed for 3 different languages like English, French and Belgium. Then, we can do it using Unicode. There will be a content file that keeps the translation version of each words and in the programming application, the PHP developer will keep levels for every field. Now, with Unicode this is possible. The different language words can be written in Unicode and saved into the content file and retrieved as when required by the application. Then according to some local data as discussed above i.e. Time, date, language and currency etc contents will be rendered on the web page. In short, this is highly important in creating multi lingual website in PHP.

Internal API Cleanup: There is no doubt that internal APIs for PHP platform has been on the rise since years. But, PHP 6.0 aims at building developer friendly APIs – which might extend to hash. To notify, hashes are largely employed for internal storage which further lead to the need of internal API cleanup. And since, the stream API tends to go through unfortunate ‘code duplication’, the new feature focuses on resolving the inconsistency and code duplication concerns. In the Cleanup process, the efficiency increases and the application become more stable and optimized as a result, hence improving the overall user experience.

Improved Performance: Performance is the key factor of every language, every version and every upgrade. Fortunately, PHP 6 is more efficient than that of its preceding version. Undoubtedly it will improve the overall productivity of the application and hence the user experience. Another prominent tweak comes in the form of enhanced performance by the framework. PHP 6.0 is likely to offer page level (OpCode) caching through moving Alternative PHP Cache into the PHP core. Along with this, the release unveils the new function of ‘break to label’ – which basically enables the transport of a break to a label (resembling a goto).

Removed Features from PHP: PHP 6.0 takes off magic quotes from its structure. However, developers would look forward to it if the upgraded version adds traits support, C# -style properties with getters/setters, or enable function call chaining. Along with that register_globals, safe_mode are also removed. register_globals is an important feature of PHP and if it is removed then it becomes a hurdle for the PHP developers while dealing with this parameter. I will suggest you to turn this value off for security concern. Because, remove of register_globals enables the users to add, delete or even modify the query string without any hassle and that may lead to fatal error in the application. So, be cautious of these features and accordingly implement them understanding their potential importance.

Warning Free Code: And yes, CodeIgniter eventually emerged as a significant part of this website programming language. Although code quality analyzer has gone astray, the CodeIgniter framework boasts of its warning free code function. There is no doubt that PHP 6.0 has been garnering much of attention since last few years, however it is certainly anticipated to become a popular choice as a hosting control panel vendor. This is really effective in avoiding false positive warnings which was there in the previous versions. Now, the PHP developer will be happier to find proper notification and essential warnings in the application.

Besides these, there are a slew of features that are likely to be amalgamated into PHP 6.0 with time. Though PHP 5.3 integrated many of the functions that were supposed to be embedded into PHP 6.0, the framework still has all the right reasons to intrigue developers for the most part. Also, we cannot forget the removal of register_globals and safe_mode which came as part of PHP 5.4 Alpha (while it was primarily a part of PHP 6.0).

And if you would like to harness the full potential of PHP web application development and are looking for a software development partner to do so, feel free to just drop in a mail at sales at Mindfire Solutions dot com and we would respond in one business day!

Checklist for outsourcing software development

As globalization increases with every step of the way, companies and major organizations are moving towards the concept of outsourcing and using external contractors to get relevant software and production processes developed. However, outsourcing brings with it an increased amount of security and trust issues. Companies usually have very important trade secrets that they would not wish to be disclosed. Therefore, sharing company sensitive information with a client who is not physically present can be taxing. Over the past years many outsourced projects have taken a turn for the worst, where either due to mismanagement the project failed delivers on the desired results, or due to certain negligence trade secrets or sensitive company information was leaked.

In order to avoid such a scenario, companies must undertake a proper background check of their client whom they intend to work with. Following is a checklist that companies can follow when choosing their outsourcing partner.

Make a criteria list: A list of criteria must be established that the outsourcing partner should follow. By outlining the essentials both the firms doing business together are aware of their rights and limitations. All ambiguities are sorted out, and work can commence in a proper way. By doing so a proper framework is established through which the business venture can move ahead in a professional way. This would reduce the chance of any unforeseen risk and deadline breaches. Furthermore the firm would not have to spend additional amount of capital on contingency plans.

Compile an alternate client list: It is always prudent to have backup or alternate options in case the primary client, either back out or due to some reason is deemed as unqualified for the job. By having a list of alternate outsourcing software developers, the respective organization can reduce the cost of finding clients every time. The alternate list can also be used for future outsourcing plans and would save the firm valuable time on researching upon prospective outsourcing clients.

Background check is a definite to-do: Undertake a credibility check of the outsourced partners. To make sure that the outsourcing company’s software developers are credible and reliable; a proper background check regarding the work efficiency of the partner should be undertaken. It is essential that the following outsourced partners are using legitimate production techniques and have a reputation of delivering on time and are not regarded as a company that is known for slacking. It will be ill advised if the firm neglects doing the appropriate credibility check because there might be a chance that the outsourcing partner usually breaches deadlines or has a reputation of committing some sort of felony.

Narrow down the list of alternates: After the complete due diligence process, the list of potential alternates can be reduced and only those that the company sees as a future partner can be left. This allows the organization to focus their energy on the important alternates and take an informed decision.

Select the best of the lot: The last aspect on the checklist is the selection of an appropriate client/partner. After all the necessary information is collected and the outsourcing software development partner is chosen the respective company can visit their offices and have interactive meetings so that a proper understanding is established between the two partners. Even though the process is only for a temporary time period, yet the cost associated with the project and the sensitivity of it, compels the organization to undertake the entire checklist procedure.

Trust form the basis of any long term relationship but that does not mean one would choose its software development partner based on all that. A due diligence and meaningful interactions could save a lot of time, effort and money in the future. So when you choose your software development partner choose wisely. You may also like to check out a 16 year old offshore software development company who has a reputation for having constantly delighted its clients over the years. If you need a software development partner to help you achieve your business goals, reach out to us at sales at Mindfire Solutions dot com and we will get in touch with you at the earliest.

Front end Vs. back-end development

What is Frontend development? Front end web development is something that the end user can view, feel and experience! Though it’s an intangible thing still the user can well feel it through his eyes and mind. Whatever a user sees on the browser is none other than the front end part. The design, the interaction, the attraction and the visual effects are the parts of Front end development. In tech world, we can say front end is the combination of HTML and CSS being tightly coupled with JavaScript for generating enterprise standard user interface for any web solution. In fact, today’s industry is highly influenced by the look and feel of any application besides the core functionalities. Hence industry is inclining more towards Front end development considering its future potential.

What is backend development? If front end is our skin or complexion or beauty then Back end is our Heart and Mind!! Though it is absolutely hidden from the rest of the world but, we can never express our feelings without our mind and heart. The back end part keeps the secret of the application i.e. the core logic. Whatever the user sees on the browser is the result of the instruction from the back end part. All types of interactions that make the user feel delight is in fact controlled by the back end codes. Though, JavaScript plays an important role in rendering user focused data on the browser; but, at the end of day it’s the backend that enables the hidden data to come in front of the user. The whole database and the core logic are well written in the back end section with lots of codes in a programming language like JSP, ASP, PHP or Python etc.

Components that make a lot different: If the two major ends of a web application have different contribution; then obviously their components must be different enough from each other. Let’s see what the major components of front end development are!

1. HTML & CSS: As we discussed above HTML and CSS are the most important part of front end development. It’s like the skin of the web application. HTML is the content that we see on the browser while CSS is the style or look and feel that is being imposed to the HTML contents. In other words, HTML contents are designed with the help of CSS for better look and feel of the application. HTML is written in the form of tags whereas CSS gives styles to the contents inside the tags. They are well coupled with each other in creating a splendid web application.

2. JavaScript is a must: Though the look and feel is crafted by HTML or CSS but what about the user interaction? JavaScript is there for the purpose. JavaScript enables the web solution to work in parallel with the HTML and CSS contents in a magical manner. The user is given more power to customize the web page through different triggers i.e. events. Events are like a triggering function that enables any web page to behave in a systematic manner as per the demand of the user. The user on the other hand, feels more privileged with those powers given by the JavaScript events.

3. Frontend web frameworks: Frameworks are nothing but powerful tools to make the life of any web developer easy. For front end design, there are lots of tremendous frameworks available in the industry with which the developer can design highly scalable yet efficient enough web applications without more effort and time. Mostly, frameworks are developed in JavaScript or CSS; because they play the important role in crafting interactive and attractive web applications. JS tools like Google’s AngularJS, KnockOutJS, BackboneJS and NodeJS etc are in high demand in the industry due to their unmatched quality and reliability in different scenarios.

Back end components in web application development: Just like Front End development, Backend is also supported by many components that enable the application to run smoothly behind the screen. It is essential to know those components from the developer’s point of view especially when we are considering Web application development process.

1. Programming Skill: This is the most important part of back end programming; just like HTML and CSS here the Programming language plays an important role in back end application development. There are many back end programming languages in the industry like C#, Java, PHP or Python etc. These programming languages are use in creating the logic section of the application i.e. how the application will behave under different circumstances. It deals with different types of data type, methods, classes and many object oriented approach to make the web application a successful one.

2. Logical analysis: Without proper logic or analysis a web application is like a scrap!! If all the functionalities of the application are not well defined by the back end programmer then the application will never be a reliable one. For the same, back end web developers analyses a lot before starting coding. They take the requirements from the client and analyses what should be the functionalities of different modules followed by how the code should be written for better performance. Why better performance? Functionalities can be written in different manner and it varies from developer to developer; but the code that is highly stable and optimized is given priority; because this affects the overall user experience of the application. An un-optimized code will load slowly and it will even stretch the loading time under bandwidth constraints like mobile networks; resulting with a bad user experience.

3. Server communication: This is yet another important component of back end application development. The data is stored in the database and being retrieved by the user as per requirement but by an intermediate stage i.e. the server communication. Usually in data driven web solutions, servers like Apache Tomcat is used for efficient server side communication., They implements threading concept into the application but with time, it is now performed by JavaScript (nodeJS); but will discuss it in a different chapter.

At the End of day, it’s all about user Experience (UX): For the success of any web application, the user experience remains at the top priority. Because if the user rejects an application then, no one can save it!! Isn’t it?

Mindfire Solutions has been developing practical, user-friendly software solutions for its clients ever since it started operations 16 years back. If you need any form of assistance be it in the form of an interactive front end or you need help in building a robust back end or both, just let us know at sales at MindfireSolutions dot com and we will be getting in touch with you in one business day.

New trends for Software Developers

“Efficiency, Ease of use and customization are the three pillars of success for any software technology. The period is over when hardware devices were ruling the industry; now even to run a small hardware device properly, we need millions of lines of software codes!! It can be said that, there is software as the heart of hardware. With time, the complexity and performance of software applications or products has increased magnificently and hence the pressure on the software developers. But again, we must consider the beauty of nature i.e. “Necessity is the mother of Invention!” and the same holds good for software industry as well. Lots of efforts are provided by the R&D departments of top IT giants of the industry to make the life of software developers much easier through advanced technologies”.

JavaScript framework: Gone are the days, when we used JavaScript for alerting an error message or creating a pop-up window to impress our colleague; now industry has understood the true potential of JavaScript. JavaScript can not only be used for front end programming but also for back end programming. JavaScript is not only blazing fast but also super efficient. Initially, JavaScript libraries were developed to provide better user experience and to lessen the effort of the software developer in a magical manner. But, now industry is loaded with powerful JavaScript frameworks that can handle all front end and back end needs for any application. Google has come up with its flagship JS framework i.e. AngularJS, whereas there are other competitors in the industry like NodeJS, BackboneJS and EmberJS to name a few. These frameworks are extremely flexible and powerful enough to meet the demands of the industry. The best part is it can be integrated with modern web technologies like HTML5, CSS3 etc to make future proof web solutions.

CSS frameworks: Customization is something that makes sense when we consider user experience. For impactful user experience we need rich visual graphics and better look n feel for any web application. To achieve the same, there is CSS for software developers. But, when it comes about cross platform compatibility and responsive web design, it becomes a pain for the web developer. Just like any other frameworks, there are many productive CSS frameworks introduced recently to make the style design both prominent and of higher standard. SAAS and Compass are two major CSS frameworks of the industry and they are highly popular among the developers in creating breath-taking web pages. At the same time, it also encourages the software developer to write beautiful code that is both well maintainable and extremely stable.

JavaScript CSS combo framework: Imagine when performance and customization comes together; what could be the result? It is simply splendid, isn’t? The power of JavaScript and the flexible design concept of CSS can change the whole world of any web application. Twitter Bootstrap is one such magnificent piece that possesses both the feature of a CSS framework and that of a JavaScript framework for excellent web application. You need not to bother about cross platform compatibility or cross browser compatibility since all are taken care by the Bootstrap framework itself. It can handle iOS, Android or Windows without much hassle. In fact, there are millions of inbuilt high performance classes, functions and tricks to help any web developer in creating amazing web pages with less effort but with more accuracy. A web designer can also create responsive web application with Bootstrap for different form of hardware devices.

Responsive web technology: Crafting web pages for optimum viewing and user interaction experience is the main theme for Responsive Web Design or RWD. The population of smart phones and smart devices is increasing at an exponential rate for last few years and the trend is on its way to create even bigger and larger canvas in the industry. The wider range of smart devices with a wide range of screen sizes, screen resolutions and hardware constraints can spoil the user experience if not properly taken cared by the web designer. Even Orientation of a device needs to be traced by the developer so that he can impart the best possible user experience. The client is also demanding for a mobile version of his web application for better customer experience. It can be achieved with responsive web design i.e. providing similar user experience irrespective of device, platform or resolution. There is a huge buzz for responsive web designers in the industry and it is supposed to grow further considering the fact that there is growth of mobile users in future.

Single page website: The next generation IT philosophy is to create smart sites instead of websites. The best way to convey our message to the audience is the simplicity. We must deliver our message or information to our customer in a simple story telling manner. For the same web developers are developing attractive, interactive, immersive and emotional web pages to connect with the target audience. Instead of many cumbersome web pages, we can make it simple through a single page web application. That single page will definitely attract the user to go through the contents in a seamless and easy to digest manner. BackboneJS, AngularJS etc are the new generation single page web design platform for software developers. These frameworks are helping in developing intuitive web applications for different platforms and devices with extraordinary emotions for the user. The best part is, through single page web application we can eliminate unnecessary navigation and hence providing better emotional satisfaction and higher conversion rates.

Smart apps: Smart phones and smart tablets are becoming the integral part of modern user in a very less span. The number of smart apps is increasing at stiff rate to fulfil the ever changing demand of the user. Software developers are creating highly useful and beautiful smart apps for different platforms like Android, iOS and Windows etc. Experts have already predicted that the number of users of smart devices will increase further in coming days. Hence there is a strong potential for smart app developers in the industry to meet the high expectations of the industry. Almost every sector is now integrating their web application with smart app to reach and provide better user experience. E-commerce business is getting warmer with the introduction of smart apps in the industry. Hence it creates a win-win situation for both the developers as well as for the industry with a common intention to provide utmost user experience.

Mindfire Solutions, a 16 year old offshore software development company has been living on the edge since its existence tapping on to the constantly changing times in software development. Known to follow its own heady mix of Agile Methodology, Mindfire’s software developers have proved to be technically ahead of the curve with great importance given to acquiring knowledge and getting certified in technologies that they are passionate about. Visit our website to get to know more about us.

Checklist of points while migrating to PHP

“In software language, migration refers to improvement. With every newer version, you will get more user access for better customization and improved user experience. So you must consider the migration process for your PHP website to make it a smart site on the fly over the latest platform. But, there are many potential threats in the migration process and we can’t ignore them at any situation. You must go through some considerations before you jump into the migration process.”

What you get from migration to latest PHP version? Migration means improvement. With the latest version of PHP, you will get enough scope for advanced web application development with many new and enhanced features. Features include support for namespace, Late Static Binding, native Closures, Jump levels, Nowdoc syntax etc. Along with that, a garbage collector is also added for developing advanced web applications on the fly. It is always recommended to remain up-to-date with the latest version of any technology to deal with the ever changing demands of the user.

Back-Up- the term has the highest priority for any Migration process: When you decide to migrate to PHP i.e. the latest version of PHP, the first thing that you should do is to keep a backup of all your previous resources at a secure place. It is recommended to keep those data in a new drive or a different machine drive so that, even by mistake you are not going to lose it during the migration process. The migration process doesn’t take few seconds or minutes rather it may take as long as few hours. So, there is a potential threat of unsuccessful migration process and hence chance of data loss in between. To avoid this issue, there must be a backup of all your resources including the database. Many times the database gets altered during the process so it is necessary to keep the database in a more secure place so that if any data loss occurs we can get it back without much hassle.

Consistency is must: During the migration process due to the change in platform, there is a high chance of inconsistency after the process is completed. It is very common and obvious to find inconsistency between two different versions of any platform. Usually many existing method names, class names and libraries source code get changed in order to provide better quality services with the latest version; but, this affects the behavior of our old PHP application significantly. To avoid this, you must go through each and every modification in the technology and then study the source code of those functions from the documentation and accordingly you should change your previous codes to work with the new platform. In this manner you can avoid the inconsistency issue caused by the migration process.

Compatibility should be well tested: Just like the inconsistency issue, there will be a sure shot compatibility issue when you evolve to the newer version of PHP due to the modified source code. Moreover it also affects the existing plug-ins severely. Most of the plug-ins will not work properly with the latest version and they should be replaced by the corresponding update versions in order to compatible with the latest PHP version. Usually most plug-ins releases their updated versions for the latest PHP version to avoid compatibility issue; but there might be few plug-ins or components that don’t have any compatible updates for the latest version. In that scenario, the developer has to take the responsibility of the plug-ins or components to make them alive in the new platform without mismanaging the application. It can either be done by removing the entire plug-in and its dependencies and then substituting it with another plug-in that may work what the existing was doing previously. Another way is to modify the existing plug-in codebase to make it compatible with the new platform.

Database migration needs full attention from the developer: During the migration if anything is highly unstable then it’s none other than the database. There is a high chance of data loss during the transition and hence you must take preventive steps before you start the migration process. As we have already discussed, the previous database should be kept in a safe and secure environment just like in an isolated drive of the same system or in a different machine. If any data loss occurs we can roll back the database from the backup folder.

Always perform the migration process with a SVN or RTC: SVN or RTC are used for keeping track of any codebase change in the application server. These are highly impactful when we are performing the migration process followed by code modification to make our application fit with the new environment. Usually we find errors and bugs in the new application after the migration process and hence it can be avoided by using an enterprise standard SVN or RTC for versioning purpose. It is like a life saver for the developers during any critical situations; because it enables the application to roll back to its previous version without zero hassle.

Make sure, your application can be roll back if needed: As discussed above versioning tools like SVN or RTC can be used for roll back of modified codebase but what about if the migration process is absolutely unsuccessful? In that case, we have to check if there is any migration tool available for PHP to migrate to a newer version and whether it provides the roll back option if the process is unsuccessful. As a tech savvy, we will not recommend you to rely over a software tool for the migration process and putting all your effort and risk on the same rather we would say it would be an unwise decision to rely on a manmade migration tool. To avoid this you should keep all your existing resource as backup in an isolated location or machine so that in case of unsuccessful migration you can restore your application from the backup.

Finally, Extensive testing is must: Once the migration process is completed there must be many compatibility issue, inconsistency and unreliability in your application. Hence it must be under go severe testing approaches i.e., both manual testing as well as automation testing to find out if any loop hole is still present in the application after iterative testing processes. Never compromise on the quality of testing at any cost because this will seriously hamper your end product or application.

Mindfire Solutions provides expert offshore PHP development services from India, gaining its expertise from years of experience in PHP web development and PHP application development. We have been working in PHP for the last 10+ years and have gained expertise on various PHP application development frameworks and PHP services. We offer expert PHP web design and programming services for global clients. Our Zend certified PHP programmers are proficient in PHP Porting and Migration services, PHP website development and PHP web development.

CakePHP: A Developer’s Review

“Open source frameworks that embed support for built-in tools and eliminate the exigency for any configuration are loved by all – particularly, if they simplify the process of web application development. CakePHP is one such amazing PHP framework that allows developers to work well with large scale applications without taking too much of their time value. It was always an obsession for PHP developers to handle objects which was the power of object oriented programming languages like Java, ASP .Net or C++ etc. With the ORM Architecture of CakePHP, PHP developers get adequate scope to develop object oriented web applications that will definitely decreases the effort and increases the efficiency in a seamless manner. As a result CakePHP became one of the most popular web frameworks of the industry in a very short span of time and its popularity is increasing at an exponential rate over time. Here’s why this open source platform surpasses most other web frameworks out there”.

MVC Pattern: The integrated Model View Controller pattern in CakePHP enables users to conveniently distinguish the logic from the presentation and allows seamless reading, deleting, or updation of data. Users may find it incredible as a tool to interact with their database. Model basically lends support to data management, View lends support to data rendering, and Controller functions by responding to events – the result of which is hassle-free programming management. With the model view controller pattern, the application development becomes much handier from the developers point of view. It not only isolates the view component from that of the server i.e., database or Model of the framework. Along with that, it decreases the overall effort of the PHP developer in building highly scalable and robust application without much worry about the background design. It really makes sense when we are considering developing large scale web application with huge modules having isolated functionalities being connected to the core of the logic.

ORM: Object Relational Mapping comes as an integral part here that lets developers convert data between unsuited type systems in databases. The tool makes it easier to infuse the data into different facilities by building compliant class objects. It even enables for seamless program writing without any need for a single line of SQL code. With ORM the developer needn’t to modify the data everywhere in the application instead of that he can simply modify it within the object and it will be visible throughout the web application. Database operations like updating, alter etc can be performed in a hassle free manner as compared to any other PHP web framework. In fact ORM has changed the face of PHP programming in a single short with the introduction of object concept into the software application.

No Configuration: For most developers, having absolute no need for configuration is the best part. CakePHP eliminates the need for any code or configuration where the developer is required to identify the URL or the library of the website. The framework features auto-detection which makes everything further simpler. A newbie can configure CakePHP with little knowledge and with little research on the web and kick start his first web project with CakePHP. There are many blogs, articles and video tutorials available on web that can make the configuration process not only easier but also funny enough.

Built-in Validation: CakePHP gives developers another reason to appreciate its unique structure. The program offers built-in validation, useful features, and an amazing flow of entities – all of which make web app development a smooth procedure. With the built in validation the effort of PHP developers will decrease drastically without compromising on the quality; because the functions that CakePHP offers for the developers for validation process are simply outstanding. They are highly optimized to offer better performance and speed to the PHP web application and off course they are highly reliable.

Power to Create Tests: It lets users effectively create tests and verify the critical points in their application. CakePHP provides its users with certain core tests as well as some custom tests – which they can create their own. The power to create tests basically comes handy when someone intends to build a large web application and is required to have a constant performance check.

Class Inheritance: Unlike most open source frameworks, this one encompasses class inheritance for developers who want simplicity yet high performance from their model. CakePHP includes two folders that enable users to watch and work separately. Class inheritance helps the most when the developers have to work with many codes. Inheritance is the core of object oriented programming; and it really makes the programming much more amusing than before. With inheritance, the inception of code reusability comes and that really makes the development process much faster than before.

Extends with Plug-ins: And not to forget, the unique ability of CakePHP to let users reuse their code! The program allows users to basically reprocess their codes and build on existing facility – however, the framework does this by expanding the developer’s program with some new features and plug-ins. One can simply modularize their application and use it as a completely different utility (interestingly, without having to change CakePHP’s core libraries). This makes the overall application an interesting one due to integration of useful plug-ins into the application. There is millions of reliable plug-ins available in web especially in JavaScript and using them a PHP application can be revived to a new and attractive look and feel.

Future Ready: It is needless to say that CakePHP is future ready. It enables PHP web developers to integrate and take advantage of all modern amenities like HTML5, CSS3 and jQuery etc. Along with that Cloud support matters a lot if we are considering future ready web solution for the industry. Responsive web designs, cross platform application development, web app development are few of the challenging features of CakePHP that has mesmerized the whole world of web.

Although the listed functions above are highly useful for anyone who uses CakePHP, the web framework is by far one of the best choices for large scale web development. It is ideal for anyone who prefers a lot of customization with utmost simplicity and of course, not to forget its CRUD Scaffolding that allows users to create, read, update, and delete.

Mindfire Solutions’ expert developers offer a gamut of CakePHP services and have delivered flawless applications to companies across a range of industries and geographies. If you are interested in developing your next application using the robust CakePHP framework, then just drop in a mail to sales at MindfireSolutions dot com and we will be sending a free quotation in one business day.

An Introduction to Django REST Framework

As a set of programming instructions, protocols and standards, application programming interfaces (APIs) are used widely by modern software developers. An API defines how the software application will web tools and web-based applications. Thus, a software application sends request to other applications through APIs to perform specific things.

The programmers must be able to read and understand the API to effectuate communication and interactions between different software applications. Django REST framework (DRF) is designed as a powerful and flexible toolkit to help programmers to create APIs rapidly. Also, it makes it easier for developers to build web APIs that can be accessed through a web browser directly.

Important Features of Django REST Framework

Web-browsable API

As noted earlier, the web programmers must be able to read the API to effectuate communication between applications. DRF can be used as a powerful toolkit for developing APIs that are readable for programmers. When HTML format is requested, DRF generates HTML output for each resource. The HTML output can be read by the programmers as well as web browsers. The programmers can further browse through the resources easily, and submit data to the resources through PUT, POST and DELETE.

Serialization

DRF is designed with a built in model serialization. The model serialization enables developers effectuate representation of data without writing longer lines of code. At the same time, it further allows programmers to get the data delivered in a number of formats. The latest version of DRF also comes with simpler model serializers that are both easy to understand and easy to debug. The model serializers further allow programmers to switch between the explicit Serializer class and implicit ModelSerializer class.

Authentication Policies

To protect the website, developers have to check the incoming requests based on specific identifying criterions like who is making the request or if the request is properly signed. The developers mention a set of identifying criterions to decide about permitting or declining a request. DRF allows programmers to avail a set of predefined authentication schemes. The developers also have option to create and implement custom authentication themes. Whenever the view starts, DRF run the authentication scheme immediately. Thus, each time the authentication is performed before the proceeding of other code begins.

Customization

DRF allows programmers to use the class based as well as function based views. The regular function based views make it easier for developers to customize request processing. They can use the function based views to receive an instance of Request instead of the normal Django HTTPRequest. Likewise, the views can also be used to return a Response instead of the normal Django HTTPResponse. At the same time, the developers can use the api_view decorator to define a set of HTTP methods that the view will respond to. Thus, it becomes easier for programmers to configure request processing according to their specific needs.

Extensive Documentation

While using DRF, programmers can save time and efforts by referring to the extensive documentation, and availing the support of a large community. At the same time, they also have option to choose from several approaches to API documentation. Likewise, the Django REST framework can also be integrated with a variety of popular API documentation tools like Swagger and Apiary. Thus, the skilled Django developers can use these tools to make the browsable APIs self-describing and reusable.

The version 3.0 of the Django REST framework also comes with several new features including a new BaseSerializer class, simple model serializers, and printable illustrations on serializers. It further enables web developers to customize the requests handled by the APIs using a Meta API. So the developers can use Django REST framework version 3 to create, maintain and debug their application in a faster and more efficient way.

Mindfire Solutions provides expert Django development services from India, gaining its expertise from years of experience in Python/Django based web and application development. If you have any Django development project in mind, you are at the right place. Please write to us at sales at MindfireSolutions dot com and we will be replying to you in one business day.

Are there any Benefits of using ColdFusion for your next web project?

“Web application development is at its peak and every web domain specific language or technology is gaining immediate popularity in the industry and so is happening with ColdFusion as well. ColdFusion is a web domain specific technology with extremely simple interface and highly flexible design. After acquisition by Adobe, it has gained sudden popularity due to enhanced performance and support. Though it is an old technology, still it has all the potential to build an enterprise quality web application due to its continuous effort to include modern tools and technologies of the industry. Is it really fit for your upcoming project, let us find it out. ”

For low resource availability ColdFusion is like a boon: ColdFusion was developed by Jeremy Allaire and JJ Allaire in 1995 with an aim to develop a platform for quick web development without compromising on the quality. Fortunately, ColdFusion turned out as a magnificent piece. It does not need much resource for the web development process; in fact, a small team can build an enterprise standard web application on the fly. Hence start up firms love this for improved productivity with less investment. Moreover, fresher can kick start their career with ColdFusion to enter into the IT industry.

It does not require any expertise: The installation process of ColdFusion is extremely simple and any newbie can do it on his own. Once you set up the platform, you can start coding on the IDE with basic knowledge on HTML and CSS3 etc. A fresher can easily find many video tutorials and learning materials from internet to sharpen his skill on the technology. There is a good supportive community around the world who will definitely encourage him to learn and understand ColdFusion in a super simple manner. The code itself simple and easy to understand; often confused with HTML, but its CFML. There are many CFML tags to help a beginner in building quality web application on the fly. The best part is that CFML tags are quite similar to the real words that we use in our day to day life. So ColdFusion developers can also create custom CFML tags as per his needs and requirements.

The charm of ColdFusion resides within its simplicity: ColdFusion was developed with an aim to provide simple coding experience to solve complex web issues. Everything is simple in ColdFusion starting from the tags to the backend programming. To build a powerful web application, we can’t ignore the importance of database like Oracle, MySQL or SQL etc. So we have to connect our ColdFusion application with those database servers; but, it does not need any lengthy code neither complex structure. All can be done by one tag that wraps the SQL statement you’re running and a single tag that iterates over results to render onto the HTML page. That’s it!! From this, we can understand the true power of ColdFusion; because database access is considered as the most complex part of any web application solution.

ColdFusion ORM is an outstanding gift for the industry: ColdFusion ORM is a next generation platform for high end web app development that too at a rapid pace. ORM stands for Object relational mapping. It enables ColdFusion to behave as a framework with Object as the core. Now, everything you want can be performed swiftly with the Objects of the framework. It makes the database access much simpler than before. You change at one place and it will be rendered throughout the application. Edit, Create and delete- every operation can be performed without any hassle in an efficient manner. It can help you in increasing your productivity at a much faster pace than your imagination. The main target of ColdFusion ORM is to build database automatically and dynamically from the object itself. The best part of CF ORM is that, it enables the application database to be automatic synchronised with the application modifications. In fact, we can say, it is like a bridge between object model and traditional relational database. With the integration of object to database, it becomes a powerful and handy platform for the developer’s point of view. The ORM can build highly secure and scalable web applications on the fly. Moreover, the security features are simply outstanding. It also enables the compatibility with all 3 platforms i.e. UNIX, Linux and Windows. With CF ORM, i.e. developed in Hibernate can build enterprise class high performance and secure web applications without much effort. We can definitely consider this as a futuristic tool for rapid web development with all security features along with extraordinary performance.

Better security can be achieved with ColdFusion: Before 2002, ColdFusion was running on C++ as the background process; but later it transformed to Java platform. Everyone knows the potential of Java when it comes about security features. With java, ColdFusion turned out as a powerful platform for secure web application development. Recently with integration of Amazon web service, the security has been improved to another standard. ColdFusion enables web developers in building high performance and secure web solutions without much effort. Multithreading can be achieved with ColdFusion without any security threat over protocol communication. Highly secure APIs can be used for advanced and optimized ColdFusion web application development to meet future demands.

ColdFusion is now mobile friendly: Yes, considering the importance of mobile devices and mobile browsers, Adobe ColdFusion 11 release is made available for mobile web app developers as well. Now, build your mobile website from within the ColdFusion platform itself. You can supercharge your application development process with on device debugger and multi device inspection ability. So, ColdFusion is fully loaded to meet the future demand of the industry. It enables web developers in building smart sites for mobile browsers for different platforms like android, iOS and Windows etc. You can also build responsive web applications using ColdFusion 11 so that your user will get utmost satisfaction. Cross platform compatibility, load testing and performance testing can be performed with ColdFusion making it a clear winner in the industry.

With all above advantages, you can choose ColdFusion for your next project: Now, we need not to write more to score better for ColdFusion. It has tremendous power, supercharged core, highly secure environment, and allows developers in building rapid web solutions along with mobile site development support. With CF ORM, things can be changed too much better form. So you can simply trust upon ColdFusion for all your web related stuffs including quality smart apps and mobile web development.

Mindfire Solutions provides expert ColdFusion development services from India, gaining its expertise from years of experience in ColdFusion web development and ColdFusion application development. If you have any ColdFusion development project in mind, you are at the right place. Please write to us at sales at MindfireSolutions dot com and we will be sending a free quotation in one business day.