When it comes to software development, following Trends is a good thing. Software development trends tend to highlight up-and-coming Technologies and methodologies that show promise in a variety of Industries. They often reflect customer preferences, and emerging best practices. A smart software developer will stay on top of these trends in order to better understand what skills they need to develop. Software development customers should also track these trends so that they can remain competitive in terms of what they offered their own customers.
Enough of the why. Now it's time to address the what. If you have an interest in software development for any reason, here are a few of the trends that should have your attention.
Cross-platform development tools
Have you ever been frustrated to find that an app you wanted for your iPhone was only available for Android devices, or vice versa? Or, have you ever wished that you could use an app rather than a clunky website to do something, but that app just wasn't available? You are not alone.
There's a reason for all these disparities. Until now developing decent apps, software, even websites for multiple platforms was a real pain. In many cases, a company might have to develop software for one platform. Then they would have to start again using a different development tool to build the same software for a different platform. Portability was almost non-existent.
Fortunately, cross-platform development tools are helping with that. These tools, which include Google’s Flutter UI toolkit allow developers to create apps for various platforms using a single code set. Imagine being able to roll out an iPhone app, Android app, and desktop software from a single development effort.
Internet of Things
It’s no longer just computers and mobile devices that are connected to the internet. Now appliances, security systems, thermostats, even tools can be internet enabled. Soon, as 5G becomes the gold standard, these devices will be able to make use of additional efficiency and bandwidth.
All of this means that the items in our homes and offices can be connected to improve our experiences with them, and bring added convenience. There will soon be even more demand for software developers with IoT skills to do powerful things with these new technologies.
Progressive web apps
The good thing about websites is that they can be used from any browser or mobile device. The downside is that they aren’t able to make use of the native features of the hardware in order to truly maximize performance and experience. On the other hand, a native app is designed to work perfectly for a specific type of hardware and software, but it isn’t portable.
Progressive web apps have been created to take advantage of the portability of websites with the experience offered by native apps. The result is an app like experience that is portable because it can be accessed through a browser. Already, companies such as Adobe and Google have indicated a commitment to progressive app development.
Artificial intelligence
The term artificial intelligence has been in use for years. Until fairly recently, most have us have heard the phrase used with fantastical connotations. That wasn’t because AI was fiction. That was because we didn’t have the tools needed to apply AI in the technology we use. All of that has changed now. Thanks to modern technology, we can use artificial intelligence to improve our lives.
Artificial intelligence is simply the ability for computers to learn and draw conclusions from the data it receives. Software developers can now use this technology in a variety of ways to create software that improves our lives.
Blockchain
There’s much more to blockchain than cryptocurrency. In fact, you may have experienced blockchain, even if you’ve never dealt in crypto at all. Blockchain is a decentralized ledger technology that is impervious to hacking. This technology can be used in Apps for building various open source solutions. Further, blockchain can be used for financial validation, verifying ownership, and ensuring that records of all types are legitimate.
Low code development
It used to be that software development was limited to people who have the time and skill to learn complex programming languages. They would then develop software by writing hundreds, sometimes thousands of lines of code. That is changing with the emerging trend of low code development.
Low code development involves the use of development tools as graphical user interfaces to develop apps and programs. These tools make it possible for people who aren't computer programmers to develop software with the functionality that they want. Thanks to low code development, companies don't always need to hire development staff. Instead, they can use tools for much of the development they need, however in most cases they still also need assistance from designers in business analysts. Still, this can reduce the barrier to entry for companies that want to develop software internally.
Final Thoughts
We make it our business to ensure that our software developers stay on top of every important trend. This way, they are always ready to deploy the latest technologies and methods to help your business.