Cloud based development refers to the creation and deployment of cloud apps, which are a type of highly evolved web app. App development used to require long-hours and mountains of data for traditional programming through archaic languages like ADA, COBOL and PASCAL. Today, there are sophisticated web- and cloud-based solutions that allow users to create simple web, mobile or computer apps within a few minutes.
Desktop Development Difficulties
Desktop development is becoming outdated, failing more often and causing certain productivity issues. This is because desktop development requires complicated configuration oversight. This means that developers must manage an entire database of programming information by themselves. This is an error prone and time consuming process for the inexperienced. Many developers use multiple computers, so they must repeat tasks on each machine without any method of synchronized configuration.
Desktop development may decrease productivity, because integrated development environments (IDEs), which are the desktop app used to facilitate programming, use a lot of memory and space. Each computer needs to have similar hardware and operating systems to smoothly and identically operate the components. Desktop development may come with limited accessibility because these workspaces are generally not accessible through mobile devices. Finally, desktop develop may decrease collaboration if their work is outsourced to a third-party system that doesn’t sync well with the developer’s workflow and system.
Cloud Development
Cloud app development is characterized by standard advanced features. First, data is stored in a cloud-like infrastructure. Second, data can be fully cached locally for offline mode if necessary. Third, cloud based apps offer support for different user needs, such as security, backup and data compression. Fourth, cloud based apps can be executed from either web browser or customized apps with Internet connections. Cloud apps can be used to access a wider range of services like on-demand storage, computing services and application development platforms.
Cloud development solves the above mentioned problems by migrating the entire development workspace into the cloud, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information. The developer’s virtual environment is an integrated combination of the IDE, the local system, the connections between components and centralized tools or services. Cloud-based workspaces are centralized, so it’s easy to co-build, co-edit and co-debug projects together. Cloud app developers can communicate through the virtual workspace, which includes programming, library code reviews and informal teaching. Cloud technology offers system efficiency and performance improvements.
Cloud Development Drawbacks
Although cloud development is touted as the new future, there are noted challenges. First, cloud development documentation, which helps the programmer understand things like tools and resources, are notoriously limited or disorganized. Ongoing network issues or limitations are common in private cloud environments. This is because small, private clouds usually don’t have the load and movement capabilities to keep applications available around the clock. One of the most trying challenges is working around scheduled and unscheduled server maintenance.
Some apps are not ideal for cloud development, but these tend to be systems that are hard to access or replicate. Poor application integration increases the difficulty of testing and debugging apps on the cloud. For example, high-end cloud apps with demanding encryption or regulatory restrictions should be developed in-house. Traditional app developers may resist learning and using cloud technology. This can cause project delays and waste time and money. Developers may find that production configurations are hard to duplicate on the cloud.
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Overall, cloud based development is an amazing app development service and virtualization technology, but traditional app development is still useful.
