Whether you’re starting out as an independent app developer or you’re working with a team, leveraging automation tools can lead to faster deployment. And, you want your app to be perfect. Trust, me. This is something I understand personally. You test it, analyze it and optimize it to get it right. But, not having the right tools can delay your progress.
Here are a few automation tools that can help you deploy your apps faster (and with fewer delays).
#1 – React
One of the best frameworks is React. It uses a JavaScript library that can help with building user interfaces. You can create interactive UIs and create simple views. React will update efficiently with the right components for any data changes. Debugging it is easy, component logic is written with JavaScript, not templates so it’s easy to reuse it. Keep in mind, it’s supported and managed by Facebook for single-page and mobile apps. Components can be rendered on the server, in browsers, with Node.js or inside apps with React Native.
React Native helps you port your app in React to a native app. What’s most appealing is the component-centered aspect of development. Because you’re delivering an app to a device, operating system or browser, it helps reduce the challenges developers often face. And, you don’t need to learn any new languages.
#2 – JFrog
Want to reduce build times? For software that’s always connected without interruption, use JFrog. About 3 million developers use JFrog. And, from coding to deployment, it offers seamless integrations. JFrog can be used for any type of development environment (containers, legacy code, micro-services). JFrog also integrates with Docker registry for local repositories.
Docker images can be shared throughout your organization all from one URL. And, another benefit is developers can use Docker with Artifactory. Docker can be used through an Artifactory SaaS account or a Docker container. Developers can also set up an Artifactory on-premise installation. JFrog supports software in any language and developers on all levels can use the convenient platform features.
#3 – Knockout
When a developer is tasked with creating a progressive app, Knockout is the answer. Knockout lets you create fast single-page apps and custom bindings. With Knockout, you can manage your model-view-view-model (MVVM) bindings between HTML and JavaScript. With a library that’s only 13kb, you can drop it right into a site without a huge rewrite. And, the library offers quite a bit of functionality making it ideal for small projects.
A good example of when to use it is with developing proofs of concepts with designs. Knockout provides templating for building more complex applications, so it won’t dupe the DOM elements. It also lets you extend the HTML which is simpler and doesn’t need JSX.
#4 – Gradle
Not all app builds require XML, and in that case, Gradle can help. This tool makes it easy for cross-functional teams to work on multiple projects side by side and in several languages. Gradle allows dev teams to use Java, C++, Python, and other languages for coding. This tool really shows it’s worth when your teams start to build multiple projects, apps or objects at the same time.
#5 Code Climate
Your team will likely have a regular schedule to review and update code, but it is very easy for these reviews to slip through the cracks. Fortunately, Code Climate can automate the monitoring of old code. This DevOps tool monitors the health of the code from start to end and will identify issues before it turns into a problem that could seriously hinder the app’s capabilities.
Code Climate can also provide insights to the manager on ways to improve the team and the code. By pulling data from commits and pull requests, it provides insights such as where work gets stuck. Using this data, the team can improve productivity and workflow.
#6 – Ansible
Tools that allow for automation can really level up your app development. Automation can make the software development life cycle faster because activities are finished automatically, or some QA is done instantly. Additionally, automation reduces the chance of human error.
Ansible allows DevOps teams to automate and execute processes. This tool can take complex automations and boil them down to simple steps that create powerful automations. It has a very flexible configuration management tool that simplifies the setup of your systems infrastructure. This easy-to-use automation tool uses a universal language and the Infrastructure as Code (IAC) model.
#7 – Selenium
While many tools support efficient building, it is also vital to have tools that help you test your apps. Selenium is a free, open-source automated testing tool that can test your app on different web browsers. By automatically testing on platforms like Windows, Mac, and Linux, it will free up time for your developers to code while still providing a great experience to users- no matter which browser they use.
Selenium can be used on a variety of programming languages and provides additional features like regrouping and refactoring test cases.
#8 – Vagrant
With more and more teams deploying remote developer teams, having a unified setup and the latest information is vital for teams to work together and quickly. Vagrant is a tool that aids teams that work with virtual machines. Using Vagrant, teams can efficiently create and configure portable development environments. Rather than of installing environments on each team member’s workstation, Vagrant allows anyone to pull the environments and configurations to ensure code environments are the same across developers.
In summation
Every team will have different needs but fewer delays are crucial for app building success. With tools like JFrog, Knockout and React, solo developers and teams will have the right DevOps tools to help with every stage of their app build. And, when your organization can move faster – with fewer delays, you can deploy faster.
At its core, DevOps is similar to the Six Sigma Theory. You want to always make continuous improvements and don’t repeat the same mistakes. Fortunately, by levering your DevOps methodology, you can achieve that.
