InRhythm

Your partners in accelerated digital transformation

Software Engineering

Revolutionizing Web Development: Backend Server-Side Rendering Strategies With Next.js

Based on a Lightning Talk by:  Paul Pladziewicz, Senior Software Engineer @ InRhythm on August 29th 2023, as part of this summer’s InRhythm Propel Summit 2023

Overview

Design Credit: Joel Colletti, Lead UI/UX Designer @ InRhythm

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, web applications need to strike a delicate balance between user experience and technical performance. This is where backend server-side rendering (SSR) steps in as a game-changing solution. 

In this article, we’ll explore the intricacies of implementing backend SSR with Next.js, uncovering its benefits and how it aligns with the InRhythm Propel Summit’s Web Workshop insights on web application development:

  • Overview
  • The Power Of Backend Server-Side Rendering
  • Setting Up Next.js For Backend SSR
  • Strategies For Effective Backend SSR
  • Best Practices 
  • Connecting With InRhythm’s Propel Summit Workshop
  • Closing Thoughts

The Power Of Backend Server-Side Rendering

Backend Server-Side Rendering is a technique that allows web servers to pre-render JavaScript components on the server side before sending them to the client’s browser. This approach provides several advantages over traditional Client-Side Rendering (CSR):

  • Improved Perfromance

Backend SSR reduces the initial load time by delivering fully-rendered HTML to the client.

  • SEO Optimization

Search engines can easily index Backend SSR pages, improving your site’s search engine rankings.

  • Better User Experience

Faster page loading and interactivity lead to an improved user experience.

Setting Up Next.js For Backend SSR

To get started with Backend SSR in Next.js, you’ll need to set up your project:

  • Create a Next.js App

You can create a new Next.js app using the official boilerplate. Run ‘npx create-next-app my-app’ to initialize your project.

  • Routing

Next.js uses file-based routing. Create a ‘pages’ directory and add your routes as files. For example, ‘pages/index.js’ maps to the root URL (‘/’).

  • Components

Build your React components as usual, ensuring they are exportable and reusable.

  • Data Fetching

For Backend SSR, you’ll need to fetch data on the server side. You can use the ‘getServerSideProps’ function provided by Next.js to fetch data before rendering.

Strategies For Effective Backend SSR

  • Cache Management

Caching is crucial for Backend SSR to prevent redundant server-side rendering. Implement caching mechanisms like Redis or in-memory caching to store pre-rendered pages.

  • Load Balancing

Distribute Backend SSR requests evenly across multiple server instances using load balancers. This ensures optimal performance and scalability.

  • Code Splitting

Leverage code splitting techniques to load only the necessary JavaScript bundles for each page. This reduces the initial load time.

  • Optimize Images

Use responsive image libraries like ‘next/image’ to optimize and lazy-load images for different screen sizes, reducing page load times.

Best Practices

  • Error Handling

Implement error handling to gracefully handle Backend SSR errors without crashing the entire application.

  • CSS Styles

Use CSS-in-JS libraries like ‘styled-components’ or ‘emotion’ for Backend SSR-compatible styles.

  • Security

Ensure your Backend SSR implementation is secure. Sanitize user inputs, validate data, and use security headers.

  • Testing

Write comprehensive tests for Backend SSR components to catch regressions early.

  • Monitoring

Set up monitoring and logging to track Backend SSR performance and errors in real-time.

Connecting With InRhythm’s Propel Summit Workshop

Design Credit: Joel Colletti, Lead UI/UX Designer @ InRhythm

The recent Propel Summit’s Web Workshop hosted by InRhythm delved into the transformative potential of backend server-side rendering with Next.js. Attendees gained practical insights into integrating backend SSR, harnessing its capabilities to enhance their web applications’ responsiveness and user engagement.

Closing Thoughts

Backend server-side rendering with Next.js marks a significant advancement in web application development. By leveraging its capabilities, developers can achieve the delicate balance between user experience and technical performance. As showcased in the InRhythm Propel Summit’s Web Workshop, backend SSR empowers developers to build applications that are not only visually engaging but also responsive and optimized for SEO. Embrace this technology to take your web applications to new heights of performance and user satisfaction.

The Full-Stack Observability Revolution: Enhancing DevOps Best Practices

Based on a Lightning Talk by: Taufiqur Ashrafy, Solutions Architect @ InRhythm on September 7th 2023, as part of this summer’s InRhythm Propel Summit 2023

Overview

Design Credit: Joel Colletti, Lead UI/UX Designer @ InRhythm

In today’s dynamic and rapidly evolving technological landscape, ensuring the seamless operation of complex software systems is paramount. DevOps has emerged as a critical approach to streamline software development and IT operations, fostering collaboration and accelerating release cycles. However, as systems grow in complexity and scale, understanding how they behave in real-time across the entire technology stack becomes increasingly challenging. This is where Full-Stack Observability steps in, transforming the way DevOps teams operate:

  • Overview
  • Full-Stack Observability Unveiled 
  • Components Of Full-Stack Observability
  • The Impact Of Full-Stack Observability
  • The InRhythm Propel Summit And Full-Stack Observability
  • Closing Thoughts

Full-Stack Observability Unveiled

Full-Stack Observability is not just the latest development “fad”; it’s a game-changer for modern DevOps practices. It represents the comprehensive understanding of a system’s performance by collecting, correlating, and analyzing data from every layer of the technology stack, including infrastructure, applications, and services. Traditionally, monitoring tools have focused on one aspect of the stack, but this limited view can lead to blind spots when trying to troubleshoot issues or optimize performance. Full-Stack Observability aims to eliminate these blind spots by providing a holistic view of the entire system.

Components Of Full-Stack Observability

  • Logs

Logs provide a textual record of events within applications and systems. They are invaluable for troubleshooting and auditing. Full-Stack Observability integrates log management, enabling DevOps teams to centralize logs from various components and analyze them collectively.

  • Metrics

Metrics are numeric data points that measure various aspects of system behavior, such as CPU usage, memory consumption, or response times. Full-Stack Observability tools gather and visualize metrics from different parts of the technology stack, aiding in performance analysis and trend identification.

  • Traces

Traces follow a transaction’s journey through the system, from the user interface down to the backend services. They help identify bottlenecks and latency issues. Full-Stack Observability incorporates distributed tracing to provide end-to-end visibility into transactions.

  • Events

Events represent specific occurrences or milestones in the system. They can include user actions, system alerts, or custom events defined by the organization. Full-Stack Observability platforms collect and correlate events to create a comprehensive timeline of system activity.

The Impact Of Full-Stack Observability

  • Enhanced Troubleshooting

With Full-Stack Observability, DevOps teams can pinpoint the root cause of issues faster. When an incident occurs, instead of relying on hunches or educated guesses, they can access a wealth of data that reveals what happened, where, and why.

  • Proactive Issue Resolution

Full-Stack Observability enables proactive monitoring. DevOps teams can set up alerts based on specific thresholds or patterns, allowing them to detect and address potential issues before they impact end-users

  • Optimized Performance

By tracking the performance of every component in the technology stack, organizations can identify bottlenecks and areas for improvement. This data-driven approach to optimization can lead to more efficient systems and improved user experiences.

  • Improved Collaboration

Full-Stack Observability promotes collaboration between development and operations teams. When both sides have access to the same comprehensive data, communication improves, and issues are resolved more efficiently.

The InRhythm Propel Summit And Full-Stack Observability

Design Credit: Joel Colletti, Lead UI/UX Designer @ InRhythm

The InRhythm Propel Summit is dedicated to fostering continuous learning and growth within the tech community. Our recent DevOps Workshop, hosted by Solutions Architect, Taufiqur Ashrafy, focused on Full-Stack Observability. This event aligns perfectly with the mission of the Propel Summit, which is to empower tech professionals to stay at the forefront of industry trends and best practices.

Closing Thoughts

Full-Stack Observability represents a significant shift in how DevOps teams approach monitoring and troubleshooting. By providing a comprehensive view of the entire technology stack, it empowers organizations to proactively address issues, optimize performance, and enhance collaboration between development and operations teams. As the tech landscape continues to evolve, Full-Stack Observability will play a crucial role in ensuring the reliability and efficiency of software systems. Embracing this approach is not just a choice; it’s a necessity for organizations aiming to thrive in the digital age.

Elevating Software Development Through BDD Testing: A Dive Into InRhythm’s Propel Summit

Based on a Lightning Talk by: Vidal Karan, Lead Software Engineer In Test @ InRhythm on August 24th 2023, as part of this summer’s InRhythm Propel Summit 2023

Overview

Design Credit: Joel Colletti, Lead UI/UX Designer @ InRhythm

In a world of ever-evolving technology, staying ahead requires more than just keeping pace; it demands a commitment to continuous learning and growth. At InRhythm, we embrace this philosophy wholeheartedly, which is why we’re excited to introduce the InRhythm Propel Summit, a platform dedicated to propelling software engineers to new heights of knowledge and expertise. This summit serves as a testament to our unwavering commitment to learning, fostering innovation, and shaping the future of tech.

As part of the InRhythm Propel Summit, we’re thrilled to present the Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET) Workshop, a spotlight on cutting-edge testing practices that are revolutionizing the way we ensure software quality. Led by the insightful and experienced Vidal Karan, this workshop promises to unravel the world of Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) testing and showcase its transformative impact on the software development landscape:

  • Overview
  • The Essence Of Behavior-Driven Development (BDD)
  • Embracing Growth Through The InRhythm Propel Summit
  • Closing Thoughts

The Essence Of Behavior-Driven Development (BDD)

Software development is a complex tapestry, interwoven with intricate code, intricate features, and even more intricate users’ needs. This is where BDD comes into play – a testing methodology that centers around ensuring not just functional correctness, but also aligning software behavior with end-users’ expectations. By enabling collaboration between developers, testers, and domain experts, BDD serves as a powerful bridge, translating high-level business requirements into executable tests.

At its core, BDD fosters a shared understanding among all stakeholders, eliminating ambiguity and streamlining communication. Instead of traditional testing that revolves around checking if a feature works, BDD focuses on whether the software meets user needs. This shift in mindset results in more efficient testing processes, reduced rework, and enhanced collaboration across the software development lifecycle.

Embracing Growth Through The InRhythm Propel Summit


Design Credit: Joel Colletti, Lead UI/UX Designer @ InRhythm

At InRhythm, our passion for learning and growth is the driving force behind every endeavor. The InRhythm Propel Summit embodies this spirit by providing a platform for engineers to connect, learn, and explore new horizons in tech.

Our recent SDET Workshop with Vidal Karan and Oleksii Lavrenin is a shining example of our dedication to equipping our community with the tools and insights needed to excel in a rapidly changing tech landscape.

Closing Thoughts

As we delve into the world of BDD testing practices through the SDET Workshop led by Vidal Karan and Oleksii Lavrenin, we invite you to join us on this exciting journey of discovery and growth.

The InRhythm Propel Summit is not just an event; it’s a celebration of our shared commitment to innovation, excellence, and the endless possibilities of technology. Together, we’ll continue to propel forward, embracing the future with open arms and empowered minds.

Scaling iOS Applications: Architecting For Growth And Performance

Based on a Lightning Talk by: Nader Khraizat, Mobile Engineering Manager @ InRhythm on August 31st, 2023

Overview

In today’s dynamic digital landscape, building scalable and performant iOS applications has become essential to meet the ever-increasing demands of users. As user bases expand and features evolve, adopting a scalable architecture is crucial to ensure your app’s responsiveness, maintainability, and future growth. 

In Nader Khraizat’s Lightning Talk session, we will delve into the world of scalable iOS architecture, exploring key principles, design patterns, and strategies that empower developers to create applications that can gracefully handle increased loads and complexities:

  • Overview
  • Challenges Of Scalability In iOS Applications
  • Scalable iOS Architecture Principles
  • Designs Patterns For Scalable iOS Applications
  • Scaling With Modular Architecture
  • Closing Thoughts

Challenges Of Scalability In iOS Applications

Scalability refers to an application’s ability to handle growth in users, data, and features without compromising performance. In iOS development, scalability challenges arise due to factors like:

  • User Base Growth: As your user base increases, the app’s server interactions, data processing, and network communications must scale seamlessly to prevent slowdowns or crashes
  • Feature Expansion: Adding new features can lead to increased code complexity. Without a scalable architecture, maintaining and extending the app becomes challenging and error-prone
  • Performance Optimization: Ensuring consistent and smooth performance across different devices, screen sizes, and network conditions is essential to delivering a positive user experience

Scalable iOS Architecture Principles

  • Modularity and Separation of Concerns: Divide your codebase into modular independent components, each responsible for a specific feature or functionality. This ensures that changes in one module don’t impact others, making the codebase more maintainable
  • Dependency Injection: Use dependency injection to decouple components and make them more testable. This allows you to replace dependencies with mock objects during testing and scale individual components without affecting the entire system
  • MVC and Beyond: While the Model-View-Controller (MVC) pattern is foundational, consider adopting advanced patterns like MVVM (Model-View-ViewModel) or VIPER (View-Interactor-Presenter-Entity-Router) for better separation of concerns and improved scalability
  • Asynchronous Programming: Utilize Grand Central Dispatch (GCD), Operation Queues, Combine, and Async / Await to manage concurrent tasks and keep your app responsive, especially when dealing with network requests and data processing
  • Caching and Data Management: Implement efficient caching mechanisms to minimize redundant network requests and enhance user experience. Use CoreData or Realm for local data storage and management

Design Patterns For Scalable iOS Applications

  • Singleton Pattern: Use the Singleton pattern to manage shared resources like network managers, database connections, or analytics trackers. This ensures a single instance is used throughout the app, enhancing resource management
  • Facade Pattern: Implement a facade that encapsulates complex subsystems, providing a simplified interface to the rest of the app. This improves maintainability and isolates changes to the subsystems
  • Adapter Pattern: When integrating third-party libraries or APIs, employ the Adapter pattern to create a consistent interface between your app and external services, making future replacements or updates smoother

Scaling With Modular Architecture

As apps grow, adopting modular architecture can provide a scalable solution. Modularization involves breaking down the application into smaller, independently deployable services that communicate via APIs. This approach allows different services to be developed, scaled, and maintained separately, enhancing flexibility and scalability.

Closing Thoughts

Building a scalable iOS application requires careful consideration of architecture, design patterns, and development practices. By prioritizing modularity, asynchronous programming, and effective use of design patterns, developers can create applications that accommodate growth and evolving user needs. As the app landscape continues to evolve, the importance of scalability becomes even more crucial, ensuring that your iOS application can adapt, perform, and thrive in a rapidly changing digital world.

The Shift Left Testing Principle: Empowering Quality Assurance with Karate API Framework

Based on a Lightning Talk by: Oleksii Lavrenin, Lead Software Engineer In Test @ InRhythm on August 24th 2023, as part of this summer’s InRhythm Propel Summit 2023

Overview

Design Credit: Joel Colletti, Lead UI/UX Designer @ InRhythm

In today’s fast-paced software development landscape, delivering high-quality products is paramount. As software development methodologies evolve, so do the testing practices associated with them. One such methodology gaining prominence is the Shift Left Testing principle, which aims to detect and fix defects early in the development lifecycle. This proactive approach significantly reduces the cost and effort associated with fixing issues at later stages:

  • Overview
  • Shift Left Testing: A Paradigm Shift In Testing Philosophy 
  • The Role Of The Karate API Framework
  • Early Validation And Rapid Feedback
  • Collaboration And Shared Understanding 
  • Expressive And Readable Tests
  • Continuous Testing And Integration
  • Closing Thoughts
  • The InRhythm Propel Summit And Our Core Values

Shift Left Testing: A Paradigm Shift In Testing Philosophy

Traditionally, testing activities were often performed towards the end of the development cycle, leading to a bottleneck in identifying and resolving defects. The Shift Left Testing principle challenges this status quo by advocating the integration of testing activities from the very beginning of the development process. This philosophy ensures that potential defects are identified and addressed early, preventing them from propagating further downstream and becoming more complex and costly to fix.

The Role Of The Karate API

Enter the Karate API Framework, a powerful tool that aligns perfectly with the principles of Shift Left Testing. Karate is an open-source test automation framework specifically designed for API testing. Its unique combination of simplicity, flexibility, and effectiveness makes it an ideal choice for embracing the Shift Left approach.

Early Validation And Feedback

Karate enables teams to perform API testing as early as the development phase. This empowers developers to validate their APIs right from the initial stages, catching potential issues in real-time. By providing rapid feedback, Karate allows developers to address issues swiftly, reducing the need for rework and ensuring that the codebase remains robust.

Collaboration And Shared Understanding

One of the challenges in software development is maintaining clear communication between developers and quality assurance (QA) teams. Karate bridges this gap by using a domain-specific language that is accessible to both developers and testers. This shared language fosters collaboration, ensuring that everyone is on the same page when it comes to defining test scenarios and expectations.

Expressive And Readable Tests

Karate’s syntax is designed to be expressive and readable. Test scenarios are written in a narrative style that closely resembles plain English, making it easy to understand even for non-technical team members. This clarity enhances the Shift Left Testing principle by allowing all stakeholders, including business analysts and product owners, to review and contribute to test scenarios.

Continuous Testing And Integration

Another key aspect of Shift Left Testing is the integration of testing into the continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipeline. Karate seamlessly fits into this workflow, enabling automated API tests to be executed with every code commit. This constant validation ensures that defects are caught early, preventing them from reaching later stages of development.

Closing Thoughts

The Shift Left Testing principle has transformed the way software testing is approached, emphasizing early detection and prevention of defects. The Karate API Framework perfectly complements this principle by providing a powerful yet accessible tool for API testing. Its ability to facilitate collaboration, provide rapid feedback, and integrate seamlessly into the development pipeline makes it an indispensable asset in achieving high-quality software development.

By embracing the Shift Left approach with tools like Karate, development teams can ensure that their products meet the highest quality standards while maximizing efficiency and minimizing costs. The journey towards software excellence begins with a proactive mindset, and the synergy between Shift Left Testing and the Karate API Framework paves the way for a brighter future in software development.

The InRhythm Propel Summit And Our Core Values

Design Credit: Joel Colletti, Lead UI/UX Designer @ InRhythm

At InRhythm, our ethos centers around fostering a culture of learning and growth. We believe that staying at the forefront of technological advancements is key to providing exceptional solutions to our clients. The InRhythm Propel Summit perfectly encapsulates this commitment, serving as a platform for sharing insights, fostering innovation, and empowering our engineering community.

As part of this summit, we were thrilled to feature the SDET workshop, an immersive experience led by the esteemed Vidal Karan and Oleksii Lavrenin.