Blockchain technology is surely making a buzz and its making a way into the mainstream. While blockchain technology aspires to change the world, there are many of us who are not aware of the potential of it.

Most of us do think that sales and business development are the 2 ways to refer to the same activity and if you are 1 of them you are absolutely thinking wrong and not doing your job correctly.

In last five years, AngularJS has been evolved tremendously. It has advanced from AngularJS version 1.0 to Angular version 2.0 and now Angular version 4.0. Angular is considered one of the best open-source JavaScript frameworks.

Angular 2 was more focused on the development of mobile apps, as it allowed developers to create cross platform applications. The reason is that it is easier to handle the desktop component of things after the challenges connected to mobile apps (functionality, load time, etc.) have been addressed. This version of Angular was more focused on the development of mobile apps, as it allowed developers to create cross platform applications. The reason is that it is easier to handle the desktop component of things after the challenges connected to mobile apps (functionality, load time, etc.) have been addressed. Numerous modules were eliminated out of Angular’s core, which led to better performance. These made their way to Angular’s ever-growing ecosystem of modules, which means that you have the ability to select and choose the components you want.

Brief Comparison between Angular 2 and 4

1. Architecture – The upgrade of the version from 2.0 to 4.0 has reduced its bundled file size by 60%. The code generated is reduced and has accelerated the application development. Here the developed code can be used for prod mode and debug.
2. JavaScript and TypeScript – Angular v4.0 is compatible with newer versions TypeScript 2.1 and TypeScript 2.2. This helps with better type checking and also enhanced IDE features for Visual Studio Code.
3. Mobile Support – Angular 2.0 has made it possible to accomplish the native applications for a mobile platform like React Native. Angular 2.0 gives us the two layers: application layer and the rendering layer. As need, any view can be rendered in runtime for the required component.

Additional new features in Angular 4.0

Angular Universal was a community driven project but now adopted by the Angular team. It’s great news and opens a new dimension to build powerful SPA yet 100% SEO friendly.

1. Better AOT compiler
2. Improved *ngFor and *ngIf
3. Universal Now included in the core module.
4. New service to easily get or update meta tags
5. New Validators for valid email
6. Animation has an own package and pulled out from @angular/core which reduces code if your production package not using Animation.
7. Better Debugging with Source Maps for Templates

In earlier days of the web development arena, different technologies were used for front and back-end development. But, with the launch of Node.js, the complete scenario changed as it allowed developers to write the backend code using JavaScript. This eventually gave birth to MEAN stack web development framework using JavaScript right from front-end to backend and even databases (MongoDB -JSON). Before Node.js, web development was usually done with the help of PHP as it easily integrated with HTML and helped developers to build dynamic websites in no time. In this post, we will compare Node.js VS PHP and see which one best suits the current industry requirements.

The basic difference between PHP and Node.js is that PHP is a programming language and Node.js is a runtime environment based on Chrome’s V8 JavaScript Engine.

We at Alea, use both PHP and Node.js to deliver a robust web solution based on your preferences. We have a talented pool of PHP and Node.js developers working on some cool projects – going to be live soon. Hire them to make your dream project come true and that too without over boarding your budget. Send us your project details at [email protected].com and we will guide you right from the technological aspects of your project to help you make a marketing plan and promotion tactics.

Coming back to Node.js VS PHP, it is a battle which anyone can win as the result is based on the type of website you are developing. Let’s say if you want to build a real-time chat application, then preferring Node.js over PHP is a wiser decision as it can easily handle large client requests at once. But, that doesn’t mean PHP is out of the game, read the full Node.js VS PHP post to know the whole story.

Let’s start:-

1. Performance:
Node.js clearly wins this round because of its event-driven Non-blocking I/O model. Due to this model, Node.js is able to handle large server requests as compared to conventional backend technologies. PHP follows a blocking model in which multiple threads are created on the server side to handle multiple client requests. It results in high server load and response time if the code is not optimized.

2. Hosting and deployment:
PHP applications can run on any server including Nginx and Apache and platforms (Windows and Linux) which makes their deployment process a lot easier task whereas, in the case of Node.js, you need a virtual server with SSH access. Therefore, PHP deployment is feasible for smaller corporations and individuals without any knowledge of console commands and Secure Shell (SSH).

3. External dependencies:
Node.js has fewer dependencies. You can set up a web server with just a few lines of code but in order to run PHP applications, you need external server software. Node.js developers just need NPM (Node Package Manager) to find Node modules that they can easily integrate within their applications to provide additional functionalities.

4. CPU extensive tasks:
Node.js might excel in terms of high throughput but it surely lacks when an app requires heavy CPU extensive tasks. In that case, PHP is best suited for handling the back end of your web application.

5. Single Page Applications:
If you have used Gmail, then probably you know what is a single-page application. The web application is loaded at the initial client request and after that only a specific portion of the web page is updated as per consequent client requests. Node.js with AngularJS joined forces is the perfect solution for developing single-page applications.

6. Environments:
You can use Node.js for desktop app development (Windows, Linux, and Mac), mobile application development (hybrid and cross-platform apps), and even build console-based apps. Though there are workarounds by which you can use PHP to target the specified platforms, most developers usually don’t use it.

7. Community Support:
As PHP (almost 20 years) is relatively older than Node.js, it is richer in terms of online resources like documentation, FAQs, and codebase. So there are good chances that someone else might have also tried what you are trying to accomplish with your code and take help from it. On the other hand, Node.js has seen large traction from developers and organizations, but it has quite a less number of supporting resources to help developers.

8. Learning curve:
Writing Node.js code isn’t easy for newbies and even for JavaScript developers as they first need to understand some complex concepts like web workers and callback functions before getting started. On the other hand, PHP is quite a friendly programming language for beginners in web application development.

The result of the Node.js VS PHP battle is a tie as both technologies have their own pros and cons. The scenario is pretty similar when comparing or choosing other technologies for web, desktop, and mobile development. Node.js has a promising future and will surely eat a part of PHP’s marketplace, but the 20 years old scripting language can’t be ruled out yet.

Source: Google resources

Agile and DevOps are buzzy theories that many organizations are eager to employ, but there is often some confusion or overlap between the two. Only one business practice originated in software development, though both are being applied to organizational functions beyond software development. They’re not the same, but they’re not enemies.

Using Agile and DevOps in tandem is often the best approach for affecting change within a team, department, or an entire organization. Understanding both theories means being flexible to how they are constantly changing, and realizing that there isn’t one answer to solve all organization needs.

A brief history of software development

Let’s step back a few decades. Starting in the 1950s and 1960s, software development was a relatively new, but rapidly growing, field. Initially, a defined approach for how to develop software didn’t exist, but one organically took the lead: the Waterfall approach. The Waterfall approach holds that developers should first define customer need, and then process through development until they release a single, finished software product that meets the stated need.

It sounded good, but it didn’t always work out. Over time, developers realized that often the customer’s need changed as the development team built software for an outdated purpose. By the time a “finished product” was released to the client, the client needed something different altogether. This mean that both time and money are spent backtracking, reorganizing goals, and throwing out pieces of the development that aren’t needed any longer.

Developers also realized that they were siloed away from other departments that dealt with the customer – there was no “team” approach of working with marketing, designers, or others. This meant that developers were frequently not aware of changes or feedback from the client. This problem, and the Waterfall approach, generally leaves us in the 1990s when developers widely experimented with other approaches.

An agile approach

As software developers realized the immediate drawbacks of heavyweight processes like the Waterfall approach, they looked for approaches that made tweaking software a lot easier and more agile. They also wanted to provide more opportunities for end user feedback, ensuring they were on the right path forward. During the 1990s, many lightweight theories and principles for software development, including the popular Scrum and Kanban methods.

In 2001, the Manifesto for Agile Software Development codified several of these theories and placed them all under the umbrella of Agile software development. Agile software development, shortened to simply ‘Agile’, values the following:

• People: teammates, customers, and interactions between these people – instead of processes and tools
• Immediacy: Working software – instead of comprehensive documentation
• Flexibility: Responding to, and even embracing, change – instead of following a predetermined plan

Agile also destroys the idea of a “finished product”, which was the goal of the Waterfall approach. Instead, Agile believes that software development is iterative and incremental. With each new release of software, the customer can perform new functions or improve upon existing functions.

Agile methodologies encourage developers to break down software development into small pieces known as “user stories”. This highlights the value Agile places on the customer, which helps the developers by providing faster feedback loops and ensuring product alignment with market need. Agile further advocates for adaptive planning, evolving development, early and continuous delivery, and continuous improvement so that developers can rapidly and flexibly respond to change in client needs, software, or other external factors.

The separate world of DevOps

While Agile was a response to waterfall methodologies, DevOps was not a response to Agile. The two theories actually aren’t the same thing – until companies started seeing similarities and increased success and productivity when using them in tandem.

As IT became essential to businesses in the 21st century, two imperative areas emerged: IT Operations (ITOps) and Development Operations (DevOps). Responsibilities of ITOps includes ensuring security, compliance, and reliability, whereas DevOps is responsible for developing and deploying new products to the end-user. While ITOps ensures safety and security for all business needs using the network, DevOps walks a line between flexibility and the rigorous testing and communication that comes with deploying new software.

The merging of Agile and DevOps

In the last decade, companies have begun spinning off a specific DevOps team from their original IT team, or adding Agile approaches within their software development teams. Through these organization changes, several similarities between the two theories emerged.

Agile teams rely on automated build, test automation, Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous Delivery (CD). DevOps teams often use all those tools and more, including the addition of configuration management, metrics and monitoring schemes, virtualization, and cloud computing.

For software developers who were frustrated by the shortcomings of a Waterfall approach, Agile felt like a whole new world. But Agile wasn’t perfect either. Common drawbacks to Agile planning include missed deadlines, completed software components that are incompatible with each other due to separated scrums, or teams, and new features breaking old functions – which is a direct result of missed cooperation with DevOps and ITOps. One thing linked all these problems with Agile development: lack of communication.

This is where DevOps begins to fill the gap: DevOps is a theory rooted in communication – both within itself, as the developers and operators have to coordinate, but also across other departments. DevOps frequently communicates with ITOps to ensure secure and stable environments for testing, and their crossover to other teams like marketing and customer service makes sense as they deploy new software.

Proponents of using both theories in appropriate business needs believe that DevOps can be seen as an extension of Agile. Agile relies on cross-functional teams that typically include a designer, a tester, and a developer. DevOps takes this one step further by adding an operations person who can ease the transition from software to deployment. Because of DevOps’ inherent communication with other teams, DevOps can help automate processes and improve transparency for all teams.

Contrasting points

While we are proponents of using Agile and DevOps theories together, it is important to understand where they clearly differ:

• Speed: Agile is all about rapid and frequent deployment, but this is rarely the goal, or even part of it, for DevOps.
• Creating vs. Deploying: Developing software is inherent to Agile, but DevOps is concerned with the appropriate deployment of said software. For the record, DevOps can deploy software that was developed in any number of approaches, including Agile and non-Agile theories, like the Waterfall approach, which is still appropriate for certain projects.
• Specialization: Agile is an equal opportunity team – every member of the scrum can do every job within the team, which prevents slowdowns and bottlenecks. DevOps, on the other hand, assumes separate teams for development and operations, and people stay within their teams, but they all communicate frequently.
• Communication and documentation: Daily, informal meetings are at the heart of Agile approaches, so each team member can share progress, daily goals, and indicate help when needed. These scrums are not meant to go over documentation or milestones and metrics. DevOps meeting are not daily, but they require a lot of documentation in order to communicate software deployment to all relevant teams.
• Documentation: Agile teams don’t codify their meeting minutes or other communications – often preferring lo-fi methods of simple pen and paper. DevOps, on the other hand, requires design documents and specs in order to fully understand a software release.
• Team size: Staying small is at the core of Agile – the smaller the team, the fewer people on it, the faster they can move, even if they are contributing to a larger effort. DevOps, on the other hand, will have many teams that work together and each team can realistically practice different theories.
• Scheduling: Agile teams work in short, predetermined amounts of time, known as sprints. Sprints rarely last longer than a month, and often can be as short as a week. DevOps, on the other hand, values maximum reliability, so they focus on a long-term schedule that minimizes business disruptions.
• Automation: This is the heart of DevOps, as their overall goal is to minimize disruptions and maximize efficiency, especially when deploying software. Agile doesn’t require automation.

These stark differences remind us that Agile and DevOps, at their roots, are not the same.

Culture of Agile and DevOps

While Agile does not necessarily lead to DevOps, both can have profound culture shifts within an organization.

An Agile approach encourages a change in how we think about development. Instead of thinking of development as a large, difficult think, Agile thinking promotes small, manageable changes quickly that over time lead to larger changes. Companies of all sizes have experimented with how working in an Agile way can boost many departments, and today some enterprises even consider themselves fully Agile.

DevOps can also bring its own cultural shifts within an organization, including enhanced communication, and balancing stability with change and flexibility.

Choosing to use both theories is an active decision that many industry experts believe can lead to more rational decision making, thus improving the company culture.

DevOps methodology was born out of this need for better collaboration and faster delivery. DevOps enables continuous software delivery with less complex problems to fix and faster resolution of problems.

Conclusion: Agile is a set of values and principles about how to produce i.e. develop software. Example: if you have some ideas and you want to turn those ideas into working software, you can use the Agile values and principles as a way to do that. But, that software might only be working on a developer’s laptop or in a test environment. You want a way to quickly, easily and repeatably move that software into production infrastructure, in a safe and simple way. To do that you need DevOps tools and techniques.

Agile software development methodology focuses on the development of software but DevOps on the other hand is responsible for development as well as deployment of the software in the safest and most reliable way possible.

In order to understand the difference, we should look shortly into pre-Agile era, especially the Waterfall model, and how Agile differs from it. Then it is easier to understand the differences between Agile and Devops.

In the Waterfall model, you first define the outcome according to customer needs, and then the development process runs until a “finished” product is released. The biggest problem with this approach is that the customer’s needs usually change during the development phase. Thus, you end up delivering software that doesn’t meet the revised needs, or you spend a lot of time and money in changing plans midway.

The next step in the evolution is the Agile model. The idea in Agile is to develop software in small iterations and be thus able to adapt to the changing customer needs better than in Waterfall. However, this model has its hitches as well, such as 1) the budget goals and deadlines are often missed, 2) completed software components are not compatible which each other, and 3) new features break old functions. Furthermore, there is no or only a little cooperation between development and IT operations crew. The notorious silos are still intact!

DevOps brings more flexibility on top of the Agile model. With continuous integration (CI) and continuous delivery (CD) pipelines, you can make sure that you can release often and the releases actually work and meet the customer needs. Cooperation between the development team and IT operations ensures that also the used tools are streamlined and do not form bottlenecks. With the effective tools, repetitive work can be automated and transparency is improved. Thus all the involved parties have comprehensive visibility into the project.

Agile v/s DevOps – Can they both be clubbed together!

Agile is a set of values and principles about how to produce i.e. develop software. Example: if you have some ideas and you want to turn those ideas into working software, you can use the Agile values and principles as a way to do that. But, that software might only be working on a developer’s laptop or in a test environment. You want a way to quickly, easily and repeatably move that software into production infrastructure, in a safe and simple way. To do that you need DevOps tools and techniques.

DevOps methodology was born out of this need for better collaboration and faster delivery. DevOps enables continuous software delivery with less complex problems to fix and faster resolution of problems. In order to understand the difference, we should look shortly into pre-Agile era, especially the Waterfall model, and how Agile differs from it. Then it is easier to understand the differences between Agile and Devops.

In the Waterfall model, you first define the outcome according to customer needs, and then the development process runs until a “finished” product is released. The biggest problem with this approach is that the customer’s needs usually change during the development phase. Thus, you end up delivering software that doesn’t meet the revised needs, or you spend a lot of time and money in changing plans midway.

The next step in the evolution is the Agile model. The idea in Agile is to develop software in small iterations and be thus able to adapt to the changing customer needs better than in Waterfall. However, this model has its hitches as well, such as 1) the budget goals and deadlines are often missed, 2) completed software components are not compatible which each other, and 3) new features break old functions. Furthermore, there is no or only a little cooperation between development and IT operations crew. The notorious silos are still intact!

DevOps brings more flexibility on top of the Agile model. With continuous integration (CI) and continuous delivery (CD) pipelines, you can make sure that you can release often and the releases actually work and meet the customer needs. Cooperation between the development team and IT operations ensures that also the used tools are streamlined and do not form bottlenecks. With the effective tools, repetitive work can be automated and transparency is improved. Thus all the involved parties have comprehensive visibility into the project.