Month: June 2019

What is Code Readability? – A Key Pillar of Software Development

Posted on by galaxy-admin
The global software industry suffers annual losses exceeding $300 billion due to a seemingly inconspicuous issue – poor code readability. The journey from well-structured code to a tangled, confusing mess can drain a significant portion of a company’s revenue. In this article, we’ll explore the profound impact of code readability on the software development landscape. We’ll explain why it’s a critical factor, and most importantly, we’ll provide practical insights to help you transform your software projects. Whether you’re an expert coder, a tech team leader, or simply someone exploring the world of software, let’s explore this essential concept and its tangible consequences.

The Foundation of Code Readability

At its core, code readability refers to the ease with which a human can comprehend, interpret, and modify a piece of source code. It’s not just about making code “look pretty” but rather ensuring that it’s clear, logically structured, and understandable by others, including your future self.

Why Code Readability Matters?

Code readability isn’t just a nice-to-have quality in software development; it’s an imperative for several compelling reasons: 1. Collaboration: Software development is rarely a solitary endeavor. Teams of developers collaborate to build complex systems. Readable code becomes a universal language that all team members can understand and work with seamlessly. Imagine a startup with a small development team. A developer writes complex, cryptic code that only they can decipher. When that developer leaves, the rest of the team is left grappling with the code, leading to delays and frustration. 2. Maintenance: Over the lifespan of software, maintenance and updates are inevitable. Code that’s readable is easier to modify and extend. It reduces the chances of introducing bugs while making changes. According to a study by Microsoft Research, for every 100 lines of code, there are typically 15-50 defects. Clear and readable code helps reduce this number significantly during maintenance. 3. Onboarding New Team Members: As your team grows, you’ll onboard new developers. Code readability accelerates their onboarding process, allowing them to become productive faster. A software consultancy hires a junior developer. Thanks to well-documented and readable code, the new team member can quickly grasp the project’s structure and start contributing effectively within days.

Readable Code vs. Unreadable Code: Spot the Difference

Let’s take a moment to compare readable and unreadable code:

Readable Code:

def calculate_average(numbers): total = sum(numbers) count = len(numbers) return total / count

Unreadable Code:

def calc_avg(nums): t = 0 c = 0 for n in nums: t += n c += 1 return t / c The readable version is not only easier to understand but also less prone to errors. It uses descriptive variable names and follows a logical structure, making it accessible to anyone familiar with Python.

Abstractions in Coding: The DRY Principle

DRY, which stands for “Don’t Repeat Yourself,” is a fundamental principle in software development. It encourages the creation of abstractions to avoid redundancy. Abstractions not only enhance code readability but also improve maintainability. Think of an e-commerce website where product prices are displayed in multiple places. By abstracting the price formatting logic into a reusable function, you ensure consistency and readability. If you need to change the formatting, you do it in one place, and the entire website updates accordingly.

Code Reviews: Human Code Readability Checks

Human code reviews are common practice in development teams. They serve as a crucial gatekeeper for code quality and readability. During a review, experienced developers examine the code for readability, adherence to coding standards, and potential improvements. A survey by SmartBear found that 60% of respondents considered readability and maintainability the most important factors in code reviews.

Transforming Code Readability into Business Processes

Code readability is not merely a concern for developers; it’s a cornerstone of successful software projects. It facilitates collaboration, eases maintenance, and accelerates onboarding. By adhering to the principles of readable code, businesses can minimize development bottlenecks, reduce errors, and improve overall project efficiency. At Galaxy Weblinks, we understand the profound impact of code readability on software projects. Our web development services prioritize clean, readable code to ensure your digital solutions are not just functional but also maintainable and scalable. Let us help you enhance your web development processes and create software that stands the test of time.

All there’s to know about the new Swift UI 5.1 update

Posted on by galaxy-admin

Apple in its annual WWDC made some game changing announcements like a new Mac Pro, an exclusive OS for iPad, iOS 13 release, new Apple tvOS and a Swift UI 5.1 update.

The Swift UI 5.1 update was overshadowed by these major product and software announcements. This new declarative UI goes a long way in making a developer’s life easy. That means you have a lot less code to deal with due to Swift 5.1 framework update.

What’s new in Swift UI 5.1?

Function builder

A custom attribute type, function builder is among the major features announced in the 5.1 update. This improve your code’s readability via ‘declarative UI’ approach. The need of a bunch of brackets gets eliminated, making your code less messy.

ABI stability

Now that Apple has improved ABI’s stability, swift code will directly work with a binary interface. This will reduce the application’s size. It will also result in easier code integration with newer language updates.

Opaque result type

Developers will surely like this one. Opaque types hide their internal details from the outside world and are only compatible when used explicitly. Also its data structure is not defined in an interface.

Other notable changes:

  • Drag and drop option will help in picking varied elements and drop them on any canvas
  • Rich notification
  • Live preview of the changes made in code
  • Dark mode support
  • Module stability enabling integration with future updates
  • Support of right to left languages like Arabic and Hebrew

Apple is on its toes. Fixing all the bugs and errors reported within the community. The Swift UI 5.1 update is an all-rounder package which improves on stability, interface, and security but still remains in Beta. Guess we’ll have to wait a little longer for a stable release.

What are your thoughts on this update and the future Swift UI? Get in a conversation with us here.

InVision Superman Versus Framer X Batman — Who’s Your Bet On?

Posted on by galaxy-admin

If you’ve looked over these tools before, then you’ve probably wondered how they compare when facing off one with another. What’s InVision’s kryptonite? Why Framer X doesn’t play well with other superhero tools? And which is the best tool for web developers? Our article will help you make an informed decision regarding which platform is better suited for your web design team. We’ll walk you through the pros and cons of both platforms and tell you about each of their special features.

InVision Studio’s Strengths

Whether you and your team use Macs or PCs, InVision is available for both and allows for collaboration with a team in real time. Each collaborator has their own mouse, so you and your team can be working on the same project at the same time without worrying about only one person having control at one time. InVision Studio is incredibly teamwork friendly with their real-time version updates, permission management, and version control. You can also easily share components because their component library is built directly into the InVision Studio.

InVision’s Live Share interface even allows a VOIP chat and a free hand-drawing tool for making sketches within the program itself. It also syncs up to the rest of the InVision platform and can be created and managed on the cloud, making it all-encompassing. And, it’s easy to include team members from start to finish on any project.

They provide an indefinitely free trial, but it is limited to just one project, but that’s more than enough time to test out all of the platform’s capabilities.

  • Prototyping is seamless with InVision as you can drag and drop items from a comprehensive gesture list with instant playback and the ability to preview your work directly in Studio. It even simulates designs in a web-browsing experience for clearer UX previewing.
  • Integrated animations give you a frictionless experience. Not all pages and animations have to be static, right? These animation tools can help bring your pages to life for better UX.
  • Responsive design is music to every designer’s ears but add in an adaptive layout and it sounds so much better. InVision has advanced pinning and percentage geometry with responsive element flow, so it won’t matter whether your customers prefer desktops, tablets, or mobile devices when your designs look stunning on them all.

highlighting invision tool strength

InVision’s Superpower

InVision has an amazing public API with a library filled with UI and UX kits, icons, and apps, which will make your UX seamless.

InVision Studio’s Weaknesses

InVision’s kryptonite is that it’s on the pricier side, which may seem a little too high for simply being a hosting platform.

Since it’s a tool for building click-through prototypes and getting feedback on them, you cannot make designs in the platform itself, but rather have to make designs in another app and upload them.

Unlike Superman, InVision doesn’t always play well with other tools and that could be tedious. It does have all-in-one environment but because it doesn’t integrate with other tools, sometimes it can be an issue.

InVision’s Cons at a Glance

  •      Pricier for primarily being a hosting platform
  •      Designs have to be uploaded from an outside source
  •      No integration with outside tools

Framer X’s Strengths

If some of your team is newer to design or you have interns, then teaching them how to use complex design tools may not be very appealing. However, Framer X uses CoffeeScript for defining its animations so it has a low learning curve for newer designers and can even be used by non-programmers.

Framer X is already integrated with Framer Generation, so you’ll be able to import layers directly from Adobe Photoshop and/or Sketch. As you put your work together, you’ll be able to see an instant preview of the animation you’re currently making, giving you some real-time, visual feedback on your work. It also has drag and drop animations for data and rich media elements. It is all backed up by code so that you’re closer to development.

The SVG-based vector editing toolset that Framer provides has predictive snapping, curve bending, and angle locking to give your vector drawing a powerful edge.

You can prototype with high-fidelity flows on an infinite canvas with pop-up modals and slide-in overlay menus. You can also add horizontal and vertical scrolling in the same frame. It supports animation and interaction prototyping for multiple devices with 8 pre-installed devices from desktop, web apps and mobile platforms to choose from. You can create your own unique setup fairly quickly. Add that with their built-in, 60FPS transitions and you have a solid toolset.

It’s also easy to use. If you’re familiar with Sketch, then Framer X will be a breeze. They have Stacks, too, which allows you to easily create customizable lists and tables with automatic distribution and alignment.

 framer x strength like that of batman

Framer X’s Superpowers

Like Batman, Framer X has a belt of gadgets for its superpowers. They have advanced features that include their Frame Tool for responsive layout, Stacks to help with grids and lists, and interactive Components. These components are also built into their codebase, React, which will make your prototypes feel real.

Framer X’s Weaknesses

It’s only compatible with Mac with no version for Windows or Linux. And since Framer uses CoffeeScript for UI app prototyping, it can be a problem for those who haven’t ever learned CoffeeScript before as they would have to learn a whole new programming language.

Collaboration is also weak for framer X as you can’t upload your prototype to the cloud or download it for offline use. You still have a share link, but once you close your project, that access closes off.

Framer X’s Cons at a Glance

  •      Mac only
  •      Learning curve if you don’t know CoffeeScript
  •      Weak collaboration/sharing tools

Conclusion

As you can see, there’s no true winner in a battle between Batman and Superman. But, we always have our favorites. Framer X will be a favorite of Mac users — similar to Batman, it doesn’t open up to just any other computer hero. And if you already know CoffeeScript, then Framer X will be a walk in the park for you.

On the other hand, InVision’s has advanced pinning and percentage geometry. Its responsive design is like Superman’s heat vision. Like Superman InVision is best for teams. And, just as Superman can power in with other members in Justice League, Invision can be used by both Mac and PC owners as it has really strong collaborator features.

Which do you prefer, Batman Framer X or Superman InVision? Vote in the comments and if you like this article, go take a look at our blog page for more content!

Prototyping and Idea Validation: Testing Your Ideas Effectively

Posted on by galaxy-admin
In an era where the only constant is change, businesses and innovators are increasingly recognizing the transformative power of prototyping as a cornerstone for idea validation and product design testing. Dropbox’s early days offer a clear example of prototyping’s power. They didn’t have a full product yet but needed to show potential users and investors what they were building. A simple video demonstration of Dropbox’s concept worked wonders, proving that even a basic prototype could attract interest and pave the way for success. Prototyping, far from being a mere step in the design process, has emerged as a critical playground for validating ideas, refining products, and driving innovation forward. This journey through the world of prototyping and idea validation reveals not just the mechanics but the profound impact these practices have on the success of products in 2024.

The Critical Role of Prototyping and Idea Validation

At the heart of every groundbreaking product lies a series of prototypes. These tangible representations allow teams to explore, experiment, and iterate, transforming abstract ideas into viable solutions. The significance of prototyping in today’s landscape cannot be overstated. According to a recent study, companies that invest in early-stage design testing and prototyping report a 56% higher success rate in product launches and market penetration. This highlights the pivotal role of prototyping in mitigating risks, reducing development costs, and shortening time to market.

Navigating the Prototyping Process: Tools and Techniques

The landscape of prototyping and product design testing is rich with methodologies that cater to various needs and complexities. From paper sketches to advanced digital simulations, the choice of tools and techniques is vast. Rapid prototyping tools, in particular, have revolutionized the process, enabling designers and developers to quickly bring their ideas to life. Tools like Sketch, Figma, and Adobe XD, combined with 3D printing technologies, allow for the creation of high-fidelity prototypes that closely mimic the final product, providing invaluable insights into user interaction and product usability.

Integrating User Testing and Feedback Loops

A prototype, no matter how sophisticated, is only as valuable as the feedback it generates. User testing plays a crucial role in this phase, offering direct insights into user behavior, preferences, and pain points. Engaging target users in the testing process not only validates the product concept but also unveils opportunities for improvement. For instance, Airbnb’s early adoption of user testing for their prototype iterations played a crucial role in identifying key features that significantly enhanced user experience, contributing to the platform’s massive success.

From MVP to Market Leader: The Journey of Continuous Innovation

The concept of the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) has gained traction as a strategy for bringing products to market faster. By focusing on core functionalities, companies can test their hypotheses with minimal resources before scaling up. This approach encourages a culture of innovation, allowing businesses to adapt and evolve in response to user feedback and market trends. Google’s Gmail, initially launched as a limited beta, is a prime example of how MVPs can evolve into market-leading products through continuous iteration and user feedback integration.

Leveraging Design Thinking for Strategic Advantage

Incorporating design thinking into prototyping means focusing on the users first. It is a powerful framework for innovation, emphasizing empathy, creativity, and rationality in solving complex problems. By integrating design thinking into the prototyping process, companies can ensure their products are not only technically feasible but also deeply resonate with user needs and expectations. This human-centered approach to innovation has proven to be a key differentiator in the competitive market landscape. It ensures that innovations are not just technically sound but also meaningful to the people who use them.

The Future of Prototyping: Trends and Innovations

As we look towards the future, the evolution of prototyping technologies and methodologies continues to offer exciting possibilities for product development. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are set to redefine prototyping experiences, offering immersive environments for testing and validating ideas. Additionally, the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning in prototyping tools is expected to streamline the design process, enabling more sophisticated simulations and predictive analyses.

Transform Your Vision into Reality with Galaxy Weblinks

As we navigate the complexities and challenges of bringing innovative products to market in 2024, the importance of prototyping and idea validation has never been more critical. The story of Dropbox’s humble beginning with a simple video prototype underscores the potential of well-executed prototyping to convince and convert. Galaxy Weblinks specializes in transforming your innovative visions into tangible prototypes that resonate with your target audience. Beyond just helping you validate your ideas, we guide you through the intricacies of product design testing, leveraging the latest tools and technologies to ensure your product is not just market-ready but assured for success. Explore more insights and strategies with our blog titled “Idea Validation for Startups in 2024: Ensuring Your Product Fits The Market,” where we explain the nuances of navigating product development in today’s dynamic landscape.