Category: Software Dev

Software Dev

Building reliable apps on unreliable networks – Superhuman

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This post describes how we detect and communicate network status as part of making Superhuman the fastest and most reliable email experience in the world. Our previous post described an offline…
— Read on blog.superhuman.com/building-reliable-apps-on-unreliable-networks-3f75743fc457

Summary

In this case, they detect online/offline state in a web browser mostly for the purpose of communicating that state to the user so they can tell what is going on.

The web app keeps track of network state. If a network request times out, the state is set to offline. Then it polls every 10 seconds to see when the network comes back online.

This approach seems alright for a webapp, but in a mobile app I think we’d avoid polio every 10 seconds to see if the app is online. Perhaps poll on the next natural network request instead, or trigger on events such as view-will-appear or return-to-foreground.

Software Dev

How to Design Offline-first Approach in a Mobile App – net guru

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Nowadays, almost everyone has access to either wireless network or the mobile network. Does it mean that we shouldn’t be concerned with the availability of network when making mobile apps?
— Read on www.netguru.com/blog/how-to-design-offline-first-approach-in-mobile-app

Great overview of building an app that works offline first as a means to a great user experience.

The offline-first approach is not the universal solution to every problem you will experience with unreliable network connectivity – it heavily depends on your app’s requirements. It’s more like a design approach that lets you focus on what really matters to your end user: a robust app with a great user experience. 

Software Dev

The Many Offline Options for iOS Apps – Device Blogs – Medium

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Offline mode is no longer just an extra feature you could choose to add to your app — it’s something many users expect. I’ve often seen developers force their favorite offline solution on a problem…
— Read on medium.com/device-blogs/the-many-offline-options-for-ios-apps-2922c9b3bff3

Summary

Runs through Caches vs. Databases and when each is a better fit. Basically, databases are better for a finite set of data that you can save “all” of, perhaps a game of personal database. Caches are better for something that is too big / complex / dynamic to save “all” of, e.g. social media, web, etc.

Also covers the idea of using a queue (or EveneBus) for offline tasks and mixing strategies.

Software Dev · The World · You

The fastest-growing well-paid job: app developer

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Takeaway: App developers are not the fastest growing job. But they are the fastest growing well-paid job.

There is one six-figure salary job that is seeing more openings than any other over the next few years: app developer. The U.S. will add over 255,000 app developer positions to the job market between 2016 and 2026, more than any other high-paying job

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/news/the-fastest-growing-well-paid-job-3911825/


Software Dev

A re-introduction to JavaScript

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Why a re-introduction? Because JavaScript is notorious for being the world’s most misunderstood programming language. It is often derided as being a toy, but beneath its layer of deceptive simplicity, powerful language features await. JavaScript is now used by an incredible number of high-profile applications, showing that deeper knowledge of this technology is an important skill for any web or mobile developer.

— Read on developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/A_re-introduction_to_JavaScript