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Web Applications – Definition

In simple layman terms, web applications are software files stored on a remote server and accessed via mobile devices (eg. smartphones, tablets and laptops) web browsers through the internet. On the other hand, web apps build for companies or educational institutions are accessed through the intranets.

Examples of web apps can be online railways/air-ticket reservation systems, internet banking portals, online training portals, online learning platforms and e-commerce apps etc.

Main Components

The two main components of web application development are;

  1. Frontend Development (also known as Client Side Coding)
  2. Backend Development (also known as Server Side Coding)

Frontend Development or Client Side Coding

The popular Client Side coding languages:

  •      Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)
  •      Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)
  •      JavaScript (and its various libraries)

 

Backend Development or Server Side Coding

The popular Server Side coding languages:

  • Java
  • C++
  • Python
  • PHP
  • Ruby
  • SQL

-The Server Side coding of the web app development is maintained at the web server. The server runs and executes it to produce the relevant results for the end-users at the frontend.

The Server Side coding is not available to the general users of the web application.

 

Web App Development Frameworks

Web App Development is a tough and complex task. Therefore, to make it easy & fun there are some helpful pieces of software. They are called Web App Development Frameworks.

Definition

According to Wikipedia.com, ‘A web framework (WF) or web application framework (WAF) is a software framework that is designed to support the development of web applications including web services, web resources, and web APIs. In other words, web frameworks provide a standard way to build and deploy web applications. Web frameworks aim to automate the overhead associated with common activities performed in web development.’

Web application frameworks simplify web programming. They encourage the reuse of the code for common functions and classes.

Benefits of Web Frameworks

  • They are fast, secure and highly scalable
  • Frameworks are easy to use by someone with little or no experience of web programming
  • Frameworks offer a great degree of customization
  • Most of the frameworks are well documented and are community supported
  • They reduce the time and the overall budget of web app development

Examples of popular web frameworks include Django, Ruby on Rails, Laravel, jQuery, Flask etc.

 

Web Application Development Process

As generally believed, there is more to web development than just the coding process. However, there are several stages in the development process each of which plays a crucial role.

Requirement Analysis: The foremost step is to analyze the requirements and establish the goals & purposes of the application. The target audience that the client wishes to aim is also defined here. The above sets the development cycle in the right direction

  • Planning: In the planning stage suitable tech stack and structures are defined. Appropriate time-frames for project completion and the future sprint meetings are decided at this stage.
  • Designing: With the requirements and planning in hand, designers start to work out on an aesthetically appealing and unique design to the brand. Web app designers draw the rough wireframes and from them, colorful mockup layouts are designed. After feedback from the client, the layouts are changed if required.
  • Development: Once the designs are approved its time to jump into the coding. Web app developers swing into action and work on core tasks like developing UI architecture, API development, developing templates, importing data and development of modules, classes and libraries etc.
  • Testing: Migration of the codes to live servers takes place after thorough manual & automatic testing. No software development can be 100% bug-free. But apps and websites loaded with issues and errors spoil UX. Therefore, on some occasions, Testing would take more time than actual development.

Different kinds of testing needed during the web app development process:

  • Functional Testing
  • Performance Testing
  • Testing for Browser Compatibility
  • Security Testing
  • Usability Testing

Maintenance: Regular updates and bugs fixing.

Benefits of  Web Applications to Businesses:

To sum up the guide, more and more entrepreneurs are now realizing that their businesses can benefit from having a web app of their own. Therefore, the demand for custom web app development is on the rise.

Web apps built specifically for the general public serve millions of users worldwide. As a result, this generates additional income for app owners. On the hand, web apps that companies develop for their business use offer streamlining of processes and improved coordination among internal departments. Moreover, this creates transparency while increasing workplace productivity and efficiency.

At SurmountSoft, we make startups and established businesses the proud owners of web apps after thorough research of their business requirements and their end-users needs. Contact us to discuss your web app requirements in detail.