How to Deal with Inherited Code
As experienced programmers we would have undertaken several web development projects. It might be on any domain –WordPress, PHP Development or even mobile app development. Most times clients approach and hire developers for new projects. Developers and coders would have to sit with the client and discuss about the exact requirements and then proceed with the development. However, sometimes clients may also hire programmers to carry on with a prior project – be it for improvement or expansion. It could also be that the client may have been at odds with previous developers and wanted to reach out to a new developer. In such a scenario, programmers are handed a completed project – perfect or not perfect – and asked to continue with development for the aforementioned reasons. Having been used to executing web development projects from scratch, this sure might prove to be a serious nightmare for programmers. This is because of the fact that each coder has a unique style of coding and will most certainly differ from yours. One wrong deviation and the entire website could become buggy, to say the least.
We at HireIndianProgrammers, consist of teams of dedicated programmers and developers. Having gained significant experience from handling an array of web development services for more than a decade, we seek to give you insights on how to deal with inherited code from a prior project, through this blogpost.
Documentation is key
While being handed over a website or any mobile app project, programmers would do well to request for the documentation for the same. A programming expert would more than make do with just documentation.
Patience is a virtue
It is true and trust us, it will reward you hugely in the near future. There are no shortcuts. Clients hiring new developers would surely expect better results than earlier. So, programmers will have to commit time and efforts in going through the entire documentation, understand the code – including structures, naming conventions, CMS, syntax and so on, add/ modify your own documentation. This stage of reading (not glancing) and understanding is crucial as it will help you in understanding the website (or mobile app), thereby allowing you to accurately carry out updates. Programmers can also familiarise themselves with all the webpages in the website.
Look out for anomalies and fix them
The very task of going through the documentation will enable coders to spot anomalies such as unused Javascript libraries, complex API etc; Clients hiring fresh programmers will, in all probability, give the entire story of the software development cycle including the possible issues with earlier versions or developers. Also, whenever programmers are fixing unknown functionalities, it is simply a good practice to add comments on it. This would greatly aid the next developer.
Adapt and be consistent
While tackling inherited code, the main objective of programmers must be to deliver a readable project having longevity. The best way to accomplish this is for programmers to adapt themselves to the system and tweak their coding habits a bit. Adding your own methods will only complicate matters for the next web development team.
Dig deeper into the system
Clients hiring dedicated programmers trust that their new website would perform better than earlier on a sustainable basis. To deliver optimal results, programmers would have to dig deeper and get their hands on more relevant data such as the kind of devices end users are using. These kind of data will help developers anticipate possible failure scenarios in testing stage of software development.Coders can make use of any speed test and design responsiveness tools to check for performance issues.
Finally, apart from these, there are always other challenges associated with inherited code. It might be tighter deadlines or scope creep. Whatever it may be, programmers would do well to focus on the work at hand, make room for improvement, display a positive attitude rather than indulging in a futile blame game.
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How to Successfully Wrap up your Web Development projects
Web programmers are always busy, often engaged in multiple projects at the same time. Therefore, it is as important to wrap up projects as it is to start the development. Our team of experienced programmers at HireIndianProgrammers have been in the web and mobile app development business for over a decade and a half. Having said that, in this blogpost, we come up with a few things that you as budding programmers can follow in wrapping up a project. We will also be suggesting some tools that can help you with the same.
As you near the end of the software development life cycle and about to deliver the product, only one thing must occupy your mind – final payment that the client is obligated to pay you by contract. After you release the final output of the website and the client gives the thumbs up, you can start sending the relevant invoices. Fortunately for us, there are some smart tolls that can automate the invoice configuration process with ease. We recommend AND CO. You can do a number of tasks ranging from creating proposals and contracts with timelines, scheduling and automatically sending invoices to the clients.
The second task is to draft a formal and polished e-mail to your client after receiving your payment within a time period of 7 days. As programmers or anyone hiring programmers, you must certainly be familiar with keeping in touch with the client by mail and other communication mediums. The goal of this mail, however, must be to get the client to schedule an appropriate closing call as soon as possible along with an objective for the same. With the help of Calendly tool you can create events for on-boarding and off-boarding in addition to availability times and communicate it to clients through links.
Next comes the task of handling the closing call itself. This can be better done through setting up video calls using tools like Zoom but you can also opt for screen shares. In this stage, as professional programmers you need to go over the basic operations of the website for the client, including but not limited to creating posts, pages, managing users etc; If the client has hired your services for a mobile app development project, then you could probably give an overview of the application’s frontend and backend. In other words, this training session of yours must instil confidence in the client.
The next step is to deliver on the final important things such as login credentials, style guides, design assets, licenses, if any. This stage is yet again very important lest you run the risk of uninformed clients coming to you at a later point of time (after contract period) for any urgent queries. Therefore, it is better to label everything and send it across a cloud tool like Dropbox.
Your off-boarding process comes to an end with this technically. But, experienced programmers will acknowledge that doing follow-ups with the client after a period of, say, 60 days is essential. So, to ensure things are up and running smoothly, set a reminder in your project management template, to follow up with your client. Follow ups reflect your professionalism and commitment to delivery of quality service. This holds true for both web development and mobile app development projects.
Hope these steps for a smooth wrap up of your web development projects were useful.
Looking for quality programmers for any web development projects? Check out the previous projects completed by HireIndianProgrammers for a number of clients over the years. If satisfied, you can now hire a programmer by getting in touch with us here.
App Development for Brands on the Go. Why you need and its benefits
Smartphones are the ones where you can reach more target audience for your business. With Mobile application you can easily enhance the experience of the customers, communicate with them as well as increase your brand awareness. Mobile app development is the greatest branding option to grab the attention of the customers. Most of the business people in the digital era are in a hurry to take their business to mobile. It is the right time to start developing your business mobile application. HireIndianProgrammers, the best Mobile App Development company in India helps you to develop an intuitive app for your business.
By integrating your website with rapid development tools, there is no need to start developing a mobile application from scratch. The evolving technology in app development allows the developer to easily customize the forms and various elements. One of the challenging tasks in a mobile app is to finish the development process and get the app to target audience. We, at HIP simplify the app development process than ever before.
Performance Metrics of Mobile Application
In recent years, Mobile app development industries have made outstanding growth in Android and iOS development. Most of the small and large scale businesses are watching to take perks of this emerging trend. App developers have to emphasis on key performance indicators of the mobile application to get success in terms of brand awareness and engagement. HireIndianProgrammers, the best Mobile app development company in India help you to optimize your performance. Here we have listed the performance metrics needed to be checked before launching a website.
App Crashes
Visitors have a low endurance of glitches in the apps. Normally there is a possibility of 1 to 2% crash rate. You should closely monitor the performance of the mobile application to avoid app crash rate reasonably.
APP Load Time
API latency is one of the important factors that affects the experience of the users. According to the study more than 40% of the visitor close sites which takes more than 3 seconds to load. Load time of the website will consistently increase the user engagement.
Best ways to commence your online business?
The Internet has modernized in many aspects of our lives and business in an easy way. The massive reach of the internet helps the customers to engage with the website. Starting an online business gives an opportunity to reach more audience as well as increase the brand awareness. Hire Magento Developer in India to stand out in the competition.
Website Development
When you make a decision of moving to the world of E-commerce then developing a website seems to be the best option for the business people. To comment with your customers and showcase your products online you can develop a professional website with the help of HireIndianProgrammers, the best web development company in India. Make sure the developer who you choose has the ability to develop a highly functional website.
Mobile App Development
To connect with massive people you can build a mobile application. The users who browse in mobile phones are high compared to desktop users. You can increase the sales of your business only if you develop a customized application.