Ericom and the Remote Cloud Database

The main objective of instituting remote control software features would be to facilitate access to a personal computer's desktop. There are a myriad of such software solutions which make it possible to achieve it. Remote access technology has made it so easy to implement such solutions in such a way that different vendors can do it perfectly. The main issue with remote access software technology is to do with flexibility. You can only employ successful use of remote access tools by installing the relevant software on your server.

The server computer would have the one to be accessed from remote locations by your clients. In such a case, you would be required to install individual applications to each of your client's computer. However, this may not work with all your clients. Some of them like the cyber cafes may allow the installation of extra applications on their computers. Their relationship would be based on protecting their systems from malware attacks in addition to preventing spread of viruses. Many vendors, however, would allow you to link your desktop with remote software tools through one common web browser.

Different remote software customers do not needarily run on a common operating system. The convenience of AccessNow tool does not require installation of any software and eliminates issues to do with compatibility. In such a case, the remote access software client employs the use of several web based platforms to link to your desktop and lets you have full control over it. These may include HTML5, Flash and JavaScript. When Ericom launched the AccessNow tool, many things have been simplified for users.

Users are able to send data from remote computers to a specific gateway. The gateway decodes these data and converts them to a different format known as Canvas. Since Canvas format is available in HTML5 browsers which in turn allows pixel details to be manipulated through JavaScript. This facilitates dynamic browser rendering of graphics. There are other popular applications which use Canvas one of which is "Angry Birds" popular game.

As of now, there are few personal computer clients which make use of remote access application tools in conjunction with HTML5. Industry player opine that the trend is set to change with convenience of using technological features such as AccessNow. As the innovation is relatively new it may not be that perfect. Based on several demonstrations, the technology has however provided to be very reliable and useful. Many vendors offer their clients a free demonstration version of their remote desktop HTML5 so that they may have real-time feel of how it works. Furthermore, the combination of using Google Chromebooks in conjunction with AccessNow solution allows government institutions to facilitate access from Chromebooks to Windows remote applications. This may include VMware View Virtual desktops.

Exciting New Features In Java 9

In September, Oracle released Java SE 9 with over 150 new features. The latest version of the widely used programming language comes with several new features and APIs to accelerate development of applications for both large and small devices. At the same time, the features provided by Java 9 help programmers to improve application’s performance, security, and maintainability. Hence, it becomes essential for programmers to understand some of the key features provided by Java 9.

What Programmers Need to Know about Java 9?

Module System

The developers can now use Better Support for HTML5 and JavaScript to divide JDK into multiple modules. Each modular JAR file contains a module descriptor. The developers can define interdependency of various modules through requires statements. The modularity makes it easier for programmers to run JVM modules smoothly on small devices that lack additional memory. At the same time, they can also run only the APIs and JVM modules required by the application.

Ahead-of-Time Compilation

Java 9 improves code compilation process significantly through ahead-of-time (AOT) compilation. The programmers can leverage AOT compilation compile Java classes into native code even before the virtual machine launches them. AOT compilation improves the performance of both large and small applications by overcoming major shortcomings of just-in-time (JIT) compilation. Unlike JIT compilation, AOT compilation ensures that no Java method remains uncompiled.

Real-Eval-Print-Loop Tool

Java 9 comes with a new real-eval-print-loop (REPL) command line tool – Shell. Shell is designed with features to evaluate declarative statements and expressions interactively. A programmer can use Shell to assess the quality of Java code before compilation. He can simply enter a piece of code and collect feedback. Shell even has the capability to complete tabs and add required terminal semicolons automatically. The new REPL tool makes Java compete with widely used programming languages like Python and Scala.

Better Support for HTML5 and JavaScript

The improved Javadoc documentation tool provided by Java 9 has the capability to generate HTML5 markup. Also, latest version of the programming language supports several new characters, blocks, and scripts as part of Unicode 8.0 encoding standard. At the same time, Java 9 comes with an improved and lightweight JavaScript engine that makes it easier for programmers to embed JavaScript code in Java applications. The developers can further enable ECMAScript code analysis in various IDEs and frameworks directly with the parser API for Nashorn’s ECMAScript syntax tree provided by JDK.

Improved Stream API

While writing Java code, programmers use strings to express calculations. Java 8 accelerated stream processing by providing the Streams API. Java 9 comes with an improved version of the Streams API that enables developers to take and drop items from Stream based on specific conditions by adding methods. Also, the improved Streams API is designed with features to create a stream for nullable value and iterate over Stream elements.

Multi-Resolution Image API

Java 9 introduces a new interface – MultiResolutionImage – to create a single multi-resolution image by encapsulating multiple images with varying resolutions. The developers can further use the Multi-Resolution Image API provided by Java 9 to get various variants of a single image. Also, they can use the API to select a particular image based on the required resolution. Hence, the Java programmers can now use a single API to create a unified multi-resolution image and get resolution-specific image variants.

http://2 client API

Java 9 completely changed the way applications make HTTP calls. It replaces the HttpURLConnection API with a new HTTP client API. The HTTP client API supports both http://2 and WebSockets. However, the API is currently not a part of Java SE. It is implemented as an incubator module which lives under the jdk.incubtor namespace. But the HTTP client API supports the latest communication standards, while overcoming the shortcomings of the HttpURLConnection API.

Stack-Walking API

While writing Java code, programmers explore ways to access and filter stack trances efficiently. The latest version of Java simplifies stack walking by providing the Stack-Walking API. The new API makes it easier for programmers to access and filter stack trace information. It further supports both short and long walks. Hence, it becomes easier for programmers to access and filter the entire stack without relying on the virtual machine to capture the stack information.

Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) API

Java 9 helps developers to build secure applications by providing an API for Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS). The API keeps client and server communication secure by eliminating chances of data tampering, message forgery, and eavesdropping. Also, it provides communication privacy to a variety of applications that use Datagram Transport Protocol (DTP). Despite being developed based on Transport Layer Security (TLS), DTLS implements SSL protocol.

Improved Process API

Often Java programmers find it daunting to control and manage operating system processes. The Process API provided by earlier version of developers to access the native code and write additional code. But the improved Process API provided by Java 9 makes it easier for programmers to control and mange operating system processes. They can use the API to make a Java application interact with the operating system directly. Also, they can take advantage of the new methods to handle process names and states without writing additional code.

Deprecated Features

Despite providing several new features, Java 9 does not support some of the features provided by Java 8. For instance, it no longer supports Applet API. The Java web developers have to switch from Applet API to Java Web Start to launch applications from web browsers. Likewise, Java 8 speeds up development of garbage collectors in HotSpot virtual machine by deprecating Concurrent Mark Sweep (CMS) garbage collectors. While using the most recent version of Java, programmers also lack option to receive Java warnings on import statements and select JRE at launch time.

On the whole, Java 9 comes with several new features to simplify development of applications for both large and small devices. However, some of the binaries and source introduced by Java 9 are not compatible with earlier versions of the programming language. The programmers even have to make several changes to the code and upgrade libraries while migrating existing applications to Java 9. But the developers must consider upgrading their existing applications to Java 9 to take advantage of these new features and enhancements. Java developers also should use these highly recommended tools for better programming.

Mobile Viewing: The Flash Dilemma

In 2011, Adobe announced that they were no longer going to be actively developing the Flash Player for mobile browsers and now they have announced that they will not support Flash Player browser plugins for Android 4.1 and onward. So what does the future hold for mobile viewing?

More people are using mobile devices. This is a fact that has been corroborated by a mountain of studies and marketing reports. The mobility of smartphones, tablets and iPod Touches account for higher video app viewing levels during the daytime even when users are at home and have access to their desks and televisions. New data released by the Cable and Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM) stated that YouTube, iTunes and other video playing apps are more significantly more likely to be used on mobile devices such as the iPod Touch, smartphones or tablets compared to in-home devices such as internet-connected TVs, internet-connected video devices and gaming consoles. Users simply do not consume content on mobile in the same way they do on desktop. With differences in screen sizes and the ubiquity of app stores, Flash had become less relevant on handheld devices over the last year or so.

Also, the reality was that without Flash being enabled on Apple devices, there was a high probability that it would have been rendered obsolete one way or another.

In 2010, in an open letter to Adobe, Steve Jobs stated that Flash "drains the battery of mobile devices; it's not very good for multi-touch operation; and its performance, reliability and security are all shoddy."

Jobs further explained in his letter that "Flash was created during the PC era – for PCs and mice. Flash is a successful business for Adobe, and we can understand why they want to push it beyond PCs. devices, touch interfaces and open web standards – all areas where Flash falls short. "

Flash is also a proprietary system, and while Jobs admitted that their mobile OS is also proprietary, it claimed that web standards should be open, like HTML5, CSS and JavaScript.

HTML5: The Future

Flash is a multimedia software used to run movies, games and other applications. It can only be installed in Android 2.2+, Blackberry PlayBook and HP webOS. Apple's iOS devices and Windows Phone devices do not include support for Flash and they never will.

In 2011, Danny Winokur, Vice President and General Manager of Interactive Development at Adobe announced that they would be focusing more on PC browsing and mobile apps in the future. He stated, "HTML5 is now universally supported on major mobile devices, in some cases exclusively. This makes HTML5 the best solution for creating and deploying content in the browser across mobile platforms." The post then adds, "We are super excited about the next generations of HTML5 and Flash. Together they offer developers and content publishers great options for delivering compelling web and application experiences across computers and devices."

Developers that want to build mobile apps right now have two options: either build HTML5 apps that work in any modern browser or create native apps for iOS, Android and other platforms. HTML5 is the future for rich multimedia content on mobile devices.

"On mobile devices, HTML5 provides a similar level of ubiquity that the Flash Player provides on the desktop," says Mike Chambers, a Flash and Adobe veteran. Even Microsoft is focusing more on HTML5. It's clear, Steve Jobs was right. Flash is out and HTML5 is IN.

The mobile viewing flash dilemma is there no more. HTML5 is here and offers much more diversity and versatility than Flash ever could.

Easy Steps To Get Started With jQuery Mobile Development

jQuery Mobile is a touch-optimized JavaScript framework that allows developers to create applications for a wide range of smartphones and tablet devices. This is necessary for the growth of heterogeneous tablet and smartphone market. jQuery mobile framework is compatible with other cross platform mobile development frameworks such as PhoneGap, Worklight and more.

jQuery Mobile leverages CSS3 and HTML5 web technologies to build mobile web apps using a single codebase that automatically scales to any screen. JQM comes with an array of themes and plugins which brings enhanced user experience on a variety of mobile platforms such as iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Windows Phones, Samsung, Nokia and other devices.

Key features

  • Built on jQuery core for consistent jQuery syntax and minimal learning curve for people
  • Platform-agnostic: Supports major mobile platforms and browsers including iOS, Android, Blackberry, Palm WebOS, Nokia / Symbian, Windows Phones, Bada, MeeGo with baseline support for all HTML-friendly devices
  • Lightweight size (12k compressed for all mobile functionality) and minimal image dependencies for optimizing speed
  • HTML5 Markup-driven configuration of layout pages and behavior for fast development and minimal scripting
  • Progressive enhancement approach offerings core content and functionality to all mobile, tablet and desktop platforms and a rich, installed application-like experience on newer mobile platforms
  • Automatic initialization by using HTML5 data-role attributes in the HTML markup to pitch all jQuery Mobile widgets found on a page automatically.
  • Accessibility features such as WAI-ARIA are also included to ensure that the pages work for screen readers (eg Voice Over in iOS) and other supportive technologies
  • New events streamline the process of supporting touch, mouse, and cursor focus-based user input methods using a simple API
  • New plugins enhance native controls with touch-optimized, themable controls
  • Powerful theming framework which allows customization of colors and some CSS aspects of UI features which brings highly-branded experiences. Using ThemeRoller application, a theme can be built and custom CSS file can be downloaded for applying it in their projects. A theme can be created using 26 unique color swatches, each one having aa header bar, content body, and button states. By using swatches with different combinations, mobile app developers can weave a wide range of themes containing one swatch per theme. Swatches create a scintillating visual experience and applying different swatches in a theme is easy and simple. The default jQuery Mobile theme has different color swatches, named a, b, c, d, and e.
  • Touch-optimized UI widgets for cross platform mobile experiences

Cloud and Enterprise Mobility, the Emerging Trends

Both Cloud and Mobility are the two keynotes flourishing in the enterprises today. Merging to create an unparallel platform for organizations, both have revolutionized the procedures and of the way, an enterprise functions. With an array of benefits ranging from cost effectiveness, to convenient data storage, these two infrastructures have brought forth a paradigm shift.

Forrester reported that the Cloud computing market would grow from USD 41 billion in 2011 to USD 241 billion in 2020. On the other hand, a study by IDC revealed that more than 302.6 million smartphone units were shipped in comparison to 2009's 173.5 billion. The following aspects dumped this unpreceded growth:

· There was a seamless accessibility to computing and other resources that were deployed on Cloud. These resources were made available on the Cloud irrespective of their size of the enterprises.

· The Cloud enables an enterprise to use and access software without any installation, maintenance or handling challenges that come associated with the databases.

· There is no limit to the resources on the Cloud that can be utilized.

· Leveraging services from various mobile platforms, the Cloud facilitated anytime and anywhere connectivity.

Key Factors for the Growth of Mobile Cloud Computing

HTML5: The availability of the HTML5 reduced the dependency of the users on plug-in type of application technologies that included SilverLight, Flash and Java. The HTML5 enabled web applications caches in the offline mode facilitating connection with the pages even without the need of the Internet. This address the challenge of poor connectivity when viewed from the mobility Cloud perspective.

The adopting of Cloud : The Cloud enabled improved processing power than the handsets. With Cloud, the users did not have to download software to the handsets, and the major processing lay inside the Cloud itself. Collaborative applications are available round the clock.

The Propagated high-speed networks: A study conducted by the Yankee Group saw a "year on year" growth of the increased speed networks and that the mobile industry leveraged it further. It is imperative for the mobile developers to use the Cloud, as the report stated that 4G connections is expected to cross over the 500 million mark by 2015.

The impact of Cloud on Enterprise Mobility Solutions

Merging the potentialities of Cloud with the freedom of mobile devices can provide a host of benefits. With the capabilities of the Cloud, the enterprises can now access a wide range of information on the mobile devices and reach their customers in a much more secured and effective way. The other benefits of the availability of enterprise mobility on the Cloud are real-time updates, scalability, empowerment of the employees, and reliability.

However, there are some challenges that need to be addressed when applying the Cloud and enterprise mobility solutions. These challenges include the deployment of assorted device platforms, securing the limitations capacity devices and ensuring the deployment of secured application distribution. To address these challenges, it is important for the enterprise to deploy the industrial standard best practices such as:

· Prevention of intrusion and pragmatic security monitoring to ensure the maintenance of secured environment.

· Centralized management of mobility. This is associated with the role based policy management that would ensure improved control and decrease the responsibilities of the end-user.

· Dispersal of approved applications through the enterprise application stores. This ensures the creation of single and secured platform in this Cloud environment.

Conclusion

Both the enterprise mobility and Cloud are emerging as key trends of the IT environment. Deployment of the hybrid application approach like mobile applications development is one of the balanced methods that would simplify the capabilities of HTML5. This improves user experience and is a much more manageable solution. The enterprise application store addresses the issues of data privacy and security, and thenby is the robust and reliable solution that is both scalable and flexible. Integrating Cloud, enterprise mobility, and enterprise mobility applications are the factors that will drive the future. Implementing the Mobile Cloud will enhance the overall value of the organization.

Top 5 Trending Programming Languages to Develop Mobile Applications

With time, mobile technology is rapidly growing and impacting the diverse business sectors worldwide. The necessity to entertainment – almost everything is easily available at your fingertips due to such revolutionary enhancements in the app development industry. A successful app development process needs proper market research, efficient planning and strategy, budgeting and so on. However, the most crucial part is to pick the right programming language to devise your application. Here is a list of 5 trending programming languages to give a physical shape to your visions.

#1 HTML5

If you are looking for such a programming language that can effortlessly develop web-fronted applications for the mobile devices, nothing can really outplay HTML5. With the efficient help of it, inserting various types of data, rationalising the response parameters etc. become much easier and smoother. More interestingly, using this programming language, the app development process becomes cost-effective as well. The only issue with this remarkably efficient language is that HTML5 is still at the proposed standard stage. However, this has not affected the immense popularity of HTML5 to build feature-rich apps in today’s market.

#2 C++

Even though the mobile technology is emerging in a remarkable way, when it comes to point of devising any dynamic and feature-rich mobile application, till date, most of the developers consider using this utterly efficient programming language i.e. C++. With the help of C++, developing any cutting-edge mobile application for platforms like Windows and Android become extremely easy. This language is popular for the low-level programming. Well, you cannot ignore the fact that C++ is not that much trendy or chic compared to the other handful of various options available in today’s tech-savvy era. However, due to being extremely easy to carry out, C++ is dominating the entire programming world from much before the smartphones hit the market.

#3 Swift

For developing compelling iOS applications, most of the iOS developers are considering to use this programming language. Writing code for the latest APIs of Apple’s such as Cocoa Touch and Cocoa becomes absolutely smoother and easier using Swift. The most amazing feature of this language is that you can effortlessly avert most of the security vulnerabilities associated with the other programming language i.e. Objective-C.

#4 Java

In case of Android mobile app development, this is arguably the most preferred programming language. There are two distinct ways to run Java. Either you can run it through any virtual machine without any browser or you can run it in a browser window. While updating software and reusing the code, this flexibility offers a huge advantage. Although this programming language won’t help to devise iOS mobile applications, for cross-platform mobile application development, Java is certainly one of the best choices.

#5 C#

This programming language is undoubtedly the best choice for developing any mobile application on the Windows platform. This is an undeniable fact that the Windows Phone platform is not popular as the other game-changer platforms like iOS and Android. However, for the dedicated Microsoft users, this C# programming language is the most fruitful choice to develop robust applications for Windows Phone platform.

Objective-C is another efficient language to build applications for MacOS and iOS frameworks. However, with time and constant changes in this progressive industry, this language is getting replaced with other efficient and advanced options.

Relevance Of DukeScript For Java Developers

The choice of device, operating system, and web browser differs from one user to another. Here, Java programmers have to put extra time and effort to build cross-platform software applications. As a new technology, DukeScript makes it easier for Java programmers to create cross-platform desktop, web, and mobile applications with a single code base.

It allows programmers to create views with HTML5 and business logic with Java. The developers also have the option to write the Java code once, and reuse the same code at both client-side and server-side. Here, the Java programmers can use DukeScript to create a variety of cross-platform software applications according to varying business requirements.

Features that Make DukeScript Relevant for Java Developers

Architecture

DukeScript accelerates cross-platform software development by combining Java and UI technologies. The technologies allow programmers to keep the software's user interface and business logic separated. The developers can further write the business logic in Java, and reuse the code on both client and server. However, the DukeScript applications still run inside a Java virtual machine (JVM). But they deliver and display the pages through a HTML-renderer. While loading a page, DukeScript bind dynamic page elements to the data model using Knockout.js.

Supports Widely Used Web Technologies

DukeScript is not designed as a scripting language. But it supports widely used web technologies like HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript. The open technologies make it easier for Java programmers to create software that run seamlessly ob varying devices and platforms. The developers can further make the DukeScript applications responsive by using robust frameworks like Bootstrap. However, they still have the option to write the business logic in Java programming language.

Emphasizes on Clean Java Code Writing

Each DukeScript application is a plain Java application. But the DukeScript applications use UI technologies like HTML5 and JavaScript for rendering. Here, the developers can use business logic in Java, while creating responsive user interfaces with HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript. The developers can also reuse the same Java code at both client-side and server-side by integrating DukeScript with Java EE and Spring. However, the technology requires programmers to write clean and readable Java code.

Cross-Platform Software Development

As noted earlier, DukeScript enables Java programmers to create cross-platform desktop, web, and mobile applications quickly. The developers can create web applications by combining Java and DukeScript that run smoothly inside the browser without relying on Java plug-ins. Likewise; DukeScript also enables programmers to create mobile apps compatible with iOS and Android. The developers also have the option to distribute the apps through Apple App Store and Google Play. DukeScript further allows programmers to build cross-platform desktop applications using HTML and CSS.

Ready to Use APIs

The ready to use APIs provided by DukeScript helps Java programmers to simplify cross-platform software development. The developers also have the option to bind the existing APIs to various JavaScript libraries according to their prerequisite needs. They can even use their favorite tools to avail features like code completion and automated code analysis. Also, the Java developers can use robust IDEs like NetBeans to set up the cross-platform software applications more efficiently.

Commercial Support

The novice Java programmers can simplify cross-platform software development by availing commercial support for each phase of the software development lifecycle. The commercial support includes training, consulting, development and help desk. The commercial support makes it easier for Java programmers to build custom DukeScript application smoothly according to varying business requirements.

On the whole, the Java programmers can use DukeScript to create cross-platform desktop, web, or mobile applications according to varying business requirements. They can further simplify cross-platform software development by taking advantage of the ready to use APIs provided by DukeScript.

Programming Languages ​​and Frameworks You Should Learn In 2016

The programming languages ​​and frameworks trend for 2016 seems to be heading more frontend development over backend development. Below is just a simplified list of what you should take note of and consider improving your knowledge on.

Languages ​​and Platforms

PHP 7 is the latest version of PHP. Big websites like Facebook, Google and Apple use PHP. PHP 7 is also two times faster than the previous version 5.6 – this will have a huge improvement on CMS systems like WordPress and Drupal.

JavaScript also has a new update called ES2015 (previously ES5). Some incredible sites that use JavaScript are Lost Worlds Fairs and Cascade Brewery Co.

Python 3.5 was released in 2015 with some juicy features like Asyncio. Nearly all libraries are available for Python 3 so it might be a good time to upgrade your legacy code base now.

Node.js has the largest ecosystem of open source libraries in the world. Node.js is always a good study choice and with its long term support release, it provides added stability going forward. LinkedIn and Walmart use some aspects of Node.js on their websites.

Swift 2 was released earlier this year and it's growing rapidly (it's the fastest growing programming language in history!). It's open source and it has already been ported on Linux which means that it is now possible to build backends and server side software. It's built by Apple (not the granny smith apple) and they have big plans for it so it would be good to take note of it as the popularity grows.

HTML5 is last and certainly not the least. It's the one you need to watch out for! YouTube switched from Flash to HTML5 this year and Adobe Animate's exports are now defaulted to HTML5. It's also one of the fastest growing jobs trends on indeed.com which shows its popularity. HTML5 is probably one of the best long term languages ​​to study within the next 3 years. Some sites that make use of HTML5 are Ford, Peugeot and Lacoste – they are really cool.

Frontend Frameworks (CSS Frameworks)

These complete frameworks offer features like icons and other reusable components for navigation, sets of forms, styled-typography, buttons, popovers, alerts and more.

Bootstrap has become very popular in 2015 and this popularity is only going to increase in 2016 as it is turning into a web development standard. Version 4 is coming out soon and it will integrate with SASS. It's quite easy to learn and it comes with some neat extensions and examples too.

Foundation is an alternative to Bootstrap. In 2015 they launched Version 6, which focuses on modularity so that you can only include the pieces that you need for a faster loading time and it's also built with SASS.

Skeleton is a sexy (there's no other word to explain it) boilerplate for responsive, mobile-friendly development. Skeleton is a small collection of CSS files that help you to develop sites quickly and beautifully that look incredible on all screen sizes.

Backend Frameworks

Backend frameworks or application layers is the 'brain' of the website. It's how the website operates and the logic behind it. You are developing the 'brain' whereas in the frontend, you are creating the 'face'.

Depending on which language you prefer, there are plenty of choices. Below is a list of a few languages ​​with some of their frameworks:

PHP: Symfony, Zend, Laravel, Slim, Codeigniter and CakePHP
Node.js: Express, Hapi, Sails.js and Total.js
JavaScript: Angular.js, Vue.js, Polymer, React and Ember.js
Ruby: Rails and Sinatra
Java: Play, Spring and Spark
Python: Django and Flask

Frameworks can be very useful, but it does not necessarily mean that it will be useful for you. Ultimately, it is the developer's decision on whether or not to use a framework. This will depend on several factors depending on what you want to achieve. Go through each framework and see if it aligns with what you want to achieve before you start utilizing it.

CMS (Content Management Systems)

This article would not be complete without mentioning 2 popular CMSs like WordPress and Drupal. Both are written in PHP and with the new PHP 7 release, it's even faster.

WordPress has evolved from a dry blogging CMS to a fully-fledged CMS / Framework with plugins that make almost anything possible. Thousand of developers make a living as a WordPress developer by creating premium themes or plugins. You can also use WordPress as a REST API backend.

Drupal 8 was released in 2015. It makes use of Symfony 2, Composer packages and the Twig templating engine. A few websites that are run on Drupal are: Johnson & Johnson, BBC Store and World Economic Forum. Drupal is ideal for content heavy websites.

If you are in doubt about what to spend time studying in 2016, we've made a list of 5 frameworks that we believe you should invest your time in:

  1. Bootstrap
  2. Angular.js
  3. Ruby on Rails
  4. HTML5
  5. Laravel

As a 6th recommendation, we recommend that you add Git to your list of what to learn in 2016. It's growing like crazy and it's only going to grow in popularity. Companies like Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter and LinkedIn make use of Git.

This is just a short summary of programming languages ​​and frameworks we think you should learn in 2016. Of course there are hundreds of other languages ​​and frameworks out there, but I hope this was of value to you.

Mobile Application Development: Options and New Trends

The sway that mobile devices hold over the whole industry provides a pioneering opportunity for website owners and web developers. They are gnawing their applications into these gadgets while cross-platform mobile applications and website interfaces are set to fire their salvo into this vibrant sphere.

Whether it is for iPad, iPhone, Blackberry or Android a compatible application is every website's gateway to exposure. In creating applications a list of HTML5 frameworks for mobile development provides a starting block-Ripple helps to test and debug the application on multiple platforms like JavaScript.

An impressive built-in Geolocation module enables testing of geolocation-related applications.

LungoJS which is provided with full features of HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript can implement essential features such as Geolocation, History, Device Orientation and WebSQL.This framework does not require any web server support.

Joshfire is an open source mobile development framework that supports HTML5 and JavaScript. This framework will run on iPad, iPhone, Android and even on TVs and connected objects.

Sencha fully supports HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript. Our applications can be equipped with HTML audio and video components, local storage element and CSS3 styling effects. They can be adapted to iOS, Blackberry and Android devices.

Jo creates applications compatible with iOS, Android, Blackberry drawing the cream of CSS technology to solve design and animation issues.

Kendo UI is a set of HTML5 controls released last last year is quite akin to though it claims non-compliance with jQuery but when we try to use it, a lot of jQuery- style codes appear enmeshed.

In developing a web-based application it is necessary to ensure that our application is compatible with browsers in use today. Much less of a problem for the mobile world because of the rampant purchase of new devices and the advancement in technology incorporated in them. But our site needs to be tested with intended user devices.

New trends have emerged in the form of writing Ruby instead of Objective C. It was released in May this year in the form of Ruby Motion to develop and test native applications for Ipad and Iphone. For those accredited to Ruby language this is quite an amazing make-over.

Before we set foot on the development phase let us decide whether to use Android, Apple or Blackberry models. A recent Forrester survey of 4000 information workers in 17 different countries found usages were in equal measure with Blackberry taking a light jab.

Mobile Development Platform helps low-power handheld devices such as mobile phones and digital assistants handle pre-installed applications during the manufacture of these gadgets. But with the proliferation of Smartphone's, tablets and mobiles it is necessary to take a relook at preinstalled software. Needless to mention, we can not waste precious time developing new applications for each and every device.

Cross-platform framework has now emerged as a solution to this problem. A hybrid mixture of HTML5, JavaScript along with extra libraries provides enhanced access to the device over a pure HTML5 web application. Local Storage in excess of 5 MB, photos upload, background services run are all possible.

Leading this field is the PhoneGap framework- now donated to Apache Software Foundation as an open source project and renamed Apache Cordova. It provides a platform-specific wrapper for Android, iOS, Blackberry and Windows Phone, and poses a platform-independent API to code against in JavaScript.

The final hitch is how we build the platform. For instance iOS requires Mac, Windows Phone calls for a Windows PC and the others come with a price tag. Today Mobile Development with options and new trends has come to stay and the web developers are now all over the platform scouting for an entry on the mobile bandwagon.

The Paradigm Shift in Mobile Apps Development

The mobile apps development market has changed at a rapid pace ever since the first Apple iPhone was launched and the change is expected to continue in the near future. The introduction of new technologies including but not limited to cloud computing, HTML5 as well as the continued advancement of mobile hardware is expected to facilitate further changes in the way software development companies approach mobile applications development. The starting point of this shifting paradigm is the introduction of hybrid apps i.e. mobile apps which include features of both HTML5-based web applications as well as native mobile applications.

Key HTML5 Features for Smart phone Applications and Related Benefits

The growth in use of HTML5-based applications is directly linked to the substantial increase in the availability of wireless internet connectivity. Moreover, the availability of relatively cheap data plans for mobile phones and rapid improvement in mobile hardware are expected to drive further changes in the smart phone apps market. HTML5-based web apps for touch mobiles allow rapid feature innovations, while enabling the operation of complex apps using an ordinary web browser. These capabilities allow software development companies to focus more on the specific application with less importance on developing specific and separate server pages.

Present day users are not satisfied with just having applications that work, they demand applications which provide an enriching user experience along with a responsive, intuitive and user friendly UI. These users also demand more and more customization options, which can only be delivered using HTML5. The emphasis on web-based cloud dependent applications is already on the rise even though some companies have barred users from using a few leading cloud apps citing corporate data security concerns. These and other apps which provide a web-based alternative to native apps are definitely the future of mobile apps development.

Why Still Keep Using Native Apps?

HTML5 is great, but the future of mobile apps is not an either-or question and that’s simply because Native Apps score significantly higher in terms of security. A majority of the web-based mobile applications would often be using a third-party server and this poses a serious security concern for organizations. Not only are organizations required to comply with local and national regulations related to data security, but they are also required to ensure that all customer/vendor data as well as business critical data is protected at all times. Native apps allow organizations to exert greater control on the flow of such sensitive data even if employees complain about the memory usage, responsiveness etc. of these applications.

In the near future, native apps are expected to continue dominating specific segments of the market, however, leading offshore software development companies are expected to incorporate existing and new mobile apps with features of both HTML5-based web apps and native apps to strike a balance between features that users demand and the mandatory data security requirement of enterprises. If last year’s global PC shipments vs. global smart phone/tablet sales are any indication, this paradigm shift will definitely dictate the mobile apps development market sooner rather than later.

Freelance Web Designer | WordPress Developer | Hong Kong