Android

May 08 2023

InRhythm Presents The Propel Spring Quarterly Summit

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

New York, NY – InRhythm recently concluded its very first Propel Spring Quarterly Summit; a premiere event consisting of six individual coding workshops aimed to support the learning and growth of engineering teams around the world.

Over the last three weeks, our consulting practices have led a series of interactive experiences that delved into the latest technology trends and tools, designed to propel professionals forward into their careers.

The workshops are free to access as a unique part of InRhythm’s mission to build a forward-thinking thought leadership annex:

SDET Workshop (03/17/23)

This workshop worked as an introduction to writing and running tests using Microsoft Playwright. Our SDET Practice went over Playwright’s extensive feature set before diving more in-depth with its API.

For the workshop, the team went over setup and installation of the tool, as well as wrote a series of comprehensive tests against a test application. Once tests were run, the team afforded participants the opportunity to go over some of Playwright’s advanced features, such as its powerful debugger and enhanced reporting.

To close out the workshop, SDET Practice Leadership compared Playwright’s features to some of its competitors, went over its pros and cons, and discussed why they believed it to be a paramount tool to consider for automated testing solutions.

Web Workshop (03/24/23)

Our Web Practice focused their workshop on their top three, intertwining technologies for development cycles.

With many modern web applications sharing many of the responsibilities that a middle layer/presentation and service layer/backend provide to the frontend layer, the project was kicked off by organizing the elements with a mono-repository.

Once the application moved into its build phase, it was time to accelerate the architecture to the next level using NextJS.

Web Practice Leadership wrapped their project, with an intuitive overview of web bundling and the variety of methods utilized – in order to best adapt to each individual build.

DevOps Workshop (03/29/23)

In this workshop, the DevOps Practice demonstrated tools for provisioning infrastructure as well as how to construct a self-servicing platform for provisioning resources. With these new developments in the industry, bridging the gaps between development and ops by allowing developers to self-manage cloud infrastructure to satisfy their needs will be a paramount skill to adopt. Our DevOps practitioners discussed the pros and cons of a number of tools for provisioning infrastructure and identified which tools can best fit a business’ needs.

For the hands-on interactive session, the team ran through the necessary steps to get started with Pulumi and provision a resource onto AWS, along with demonstrating Terraform in order to get a feel for the difference between the two popular infrastructure-as-code tools. After that, we set up some plugins to enhance the development experience with IaC.

Self-servicing platforms are the best way to allow for engineers to provision resources and infrastructure for their needs en-masse. With Backstage, the team was able to demonstrate a platform for engineers to come to and fulfill their needs whether it be creating a new microservice, a new repository, or even provisioning a new k8s cluster. Furthermore, the provisioning of these resources were proven to standardize and bring uniformity to ensure that best practices are enforced. Long gone are the days of submitting a ticket to create a new instance to deploy an application, with a wait time of a few hours or even a few days. Self-servicing tools are the future of bringing operations into the hands of developers and bridging the gap between development and operations.

Finally, DevOps Practice Leadership set up a self-servicing platform and hooked it into the aforementioned IaC repository to allow for the provisioning of resources from a GUI.

Managing infrastructure can quickly become tedious as the number of resources being used on a cloud provider continue to grow. With infrastructure-as-code, not only DevOps engineers, but developers can now lay out infrastructure using code. Since it’s managed via code, version-controlling/source-code management tools are also available, making management of infrastructure significantly easier.

iOS Workshop (03/28/23)

Our iOS Practice did a full overview of Swift Async/Await for iOS application development

Async/Await is a programming feature that simplifies asynchronous operations by allowing software engineers to write asynchronous code in a synchronous manner. It also makes code easy to read/write, improves performance/responsiveness, and reduces the likelihood of errors.

In short, Async/Await is a powerful modern feature in every avenue from development speed and simplified code to and application performance.

Android Workshop (04/11/23)

Our Android Practice performed a comprehensive demonstration of the practical integration of Kotlin Multi-Platform Mobile (KMM) for cross-platform development.

Kotlin Multi-Platform Mobile is an exciting, growing new technology that allows sharing core code between Android, iOS, and Web.

In this workshop, Android Practice Leadership explored what KMM was, how to setup a project for KMM, a walkthrough implementing a core module to a few APIs (network layer, data models, parsers, and business logic), and then consumed this core library in an Android (Jetpack Compose) and iOS (SwiftUI) application.

Cloud Native Application Development Workshop (04/21/23)

In this workshop our Cloud Native Application Development Practice introduced the participants to gRPC, which is Google’s take on Remote Procedural Calls. Our Practice Leadership presented a brief history of gRPC and Protocol Buffers. Google and other companies use gRPC to serialize data to binary which results in smaller data packets. Throughout the presentation our team went over some of the pros and cons of using gRPC for individual API calls.

In our hands-on workshop portion participants created a simple application to manage users and notes powered by Java, gRPC, and Postgres. The grand finale featured a full-circle moment as we worked together to create a series of CRUD APIs in Java using gRPC to send/receive data packets, translate those into objects, and store them in a database.

About InRhythm

InRhythm is a leading modern product consultancy and digital innovation firm with a mission to make a dent in the digital economy. Founded in 2002, InRhythm is currently engaged by Fortune 50 enterprises and scale-ups to bring their next generation of modern digital products and platforms to market. InRhythm has helped hundreds of teams launch mission-critical products that have created a positive impact worth billions of dollars. The projects we work on literally change the world.

InRhythm’s unique capabilities of Product Innovation and Platform Modernization services are the most sought-after. The InRhythm team of A+ thought leaders don’t just “get a job,” they join the company to do what they love. InRhythm has a “who’s who” clients list and has barely scratched the surface in terms of providing those clients the digital solutions they need to compete. From greenfield to tier-one builds, our clients look to us to deliver their mission-critical projects in the fields of product strategy, design, cloud native applications, as well as mobile and web development.

Apr 11 2023

InRhythm Spring Quarterly Summit: Android Workshop

Kotlin Multi-Platform Mobile (KMM) is an exciting, growing new technology that allows sharing core code between Android, iOS, and Web. In our workshop, we are going to explore what KMM is, how to setup a project for KMM, walkthrough implementing a core module to a few APIs (network layer, data models, parsers, and business logic), and then consume this core library in an Android (Jetpack Compose) and iOS (SwiftUI) application.

Mar 16 2023

An Introduction To Cross-Platform Mobile Development

Author: Minhazur Rahman, Senior Android Developer @ InRhythm

Overview

As mobile technology continues to evolve, we as developers are faced with the challenge of creating mobile apps that work great on all platforms. Traditionally, this has meant building separate apps for each platform, which is very time consuming and costly. However, with the rise of cross-platform mobile development, developers can now write code once and deploy it across multiple platforms.

We will explore:

The pros and con of cross-platform mobile development
How it compares to native development
Some of the most common tools and frameworks used in cross platform development

What Is Cross-Platform Mobile Development?

Cross-platform mobile development refers to the process of writing code once and deploying it across multiple platforms, such as iOS and Android. This is achieved using frameworks and tools that allow developers to write code in a single codebase and then compile it for multiple platforms.

Cross-platform development offers several advantages over native development, including:

Cost Savings: With cross-platform development, developers can write code once and deploy it across multiple platforms, reducing the time and cost required to develop separate app for each platform
Wider Audience: By deploying an app on multiple platforms, developers can reach a wider audience, increasing the app’s potential user base
Consistent User Experience: Cross-platform development allows developers to ensure that users have a consistent experience across multiple platforms, improving the overall user experience

However, cross-platform development also has some limitations, including:

Performance Issues: Cross-platform apps may not perform as well as native apps, particularly for complex apps that require heavy processing or graphics
Limited Access To Native Features: Cross-platform development may not provide access to all of the native features of each platform, limiting the app’s functionality
Development Limitations: Cross-platform development may limit the development process, as developers may need to compromise on certain features or design elements to ensure compatibility across multiple platforms

Cross-Platform Development vs. Native Development

To better understand the pros and cons of cross-platform development, it’s important to compare it to native development. Native development involves building separate apps for each platform using that platform’s specific language and tools.

Native development offers several advantages, including:

Access To Native Features: Native development provides access to all of the native features of each platform, allowing developers to create apps with rich functionality and design
Better Performance: Native apps generally perform better than cross-platform apps, particularly for complex apps that require heavy processing or graphics
Better User Experience: Native apps can provide a better user experience, as they are designed specifically for each platform, taking into account the unique features and design elements of each platform

Native development has limitations as well:

Time And Cost: Developing separate apps for each platform can be time-consuming and costly, as developers need to learn multiple programming languages and use platform-specific tools
Limited Audience: Developing separate apps for each platform may limit the app’s audience, as users may only be able to access the app on one platform
Inconsistent User Experience: Developing separate apps for each platform may result in inconsistent user experience, as users may have different experiences depending on the platform they are using

Common Tools and Frameworks For Cross-Platform Development

To make cross-platform development easier, there are several tools and frameworks available that allow developers to write code once and deploy it across multiple platforms. Here are some of the most common ones:

React Native: React Native is a popular framework for building cross-platform apps using JavaScript and React; a popular JavaScript library for building user interfaces. It allows developer to write code once and deploy it on both iOS and Android

Xamarin: Xamarin is a cross-platform development tool that uses C# to build apps for iOS, Android, and Windows. It allows developers to share code between platforms, reducing development time and cost

Flutter: Flutter is a popular framework for building cross-platform apps using Dart: a programming language developed by Google. It allows developers to create beautiful and fast apps that work seamlessly across multiple platforms

Ionic: Ionic is a popular open-source framework for building cross-platform mobile apps using web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It allows developers to create hybrid apps that work on both iOS and Android

When To Choose Cross-Platform Over Native Development

Choosing between cross-platform and native development depends on several factors, including the app’s complexity, budget, and timeline.

Here are some scenarios where cross-platform development may be the better option:

Limited Budget: If you have a limited budget, cross-platform development can be a cost-effective solution as it allows you to write code once and deploy it on multiple platforms
Tight Timeline: If you need to develop an app quickly, cross-platform development can help you save time as you don’t need to write separate code for each platform
Simple Apps: If your app is simple and doesn’t require access to many native features, cross-platform development can be a good option
Maintenance: If you need to maintain your app on multiple platforms, cross-platform development can be a more efficient solution as you can make changes to the codebase once and deploy it across all platforms

However, there are also scenarios where native development may be the better option, such as:

Complex Apps: If your app requires access to many native features or requires heavy processing or graphics, native development may be the better option as it can provide better performance
Design: If your app requires a unique design that is specific to each platform, native development may be the better option as it allows you to design the app specifically for each platform
Budget: If you have a larger budget, native development may be a better option as it can provide a better user experience and access to all of the native features of each platform

Conclusion

Cross-platform mobile development is a popular solution for creating apps that work seamlessly across multiple platforms. While it offers several advantages, such as cost savings and a wider audience, it also has limitations, such as performance issues and limited access to native feature.

Choosing between cross-platform and native development depends on several factors, including the app’s complexity, budget, and timeline. By weighing the pros and cons, developers can choose the best solution for their app development needs.

Aug 10 2022

Migrating To Jetpack Compose

Overview

Jetpack Compose has been on the tip of every developer’s tongue since the release of its original 1.0 stable version. Jetpack Compose is Google’s modern toolkit for building native Android UI. It simplifies and accelerates UI development to quickly bring your app to life with less code, powerful tools, and intuitive Kotlin APIs. Compose UI is defined by creating modular, easily reusable Composable functions.

Declarative UIs have developed into a major innovation trend, lending adoption to be a primary growth curve for web and mobile application development teams.

In William Kingsley’s Lightning Talk session, we will be uncovering the the primary strategies for Migrating To Jetpack Compose:

Why Migrate To Jetpack Compose?
Migration Strategies
Live Demonstrations
Closing Thoughts

Why Migrate To Jetpack Compose?

Google’s clear directive points towards moving developers towards Declarative UI development tools for future Android mobile development. Compose has been clearly articulated as the “future” of native Android and certainly the target for future platform SDK efforts – likely diverting resources from legacy development paradigms. Therefore, Google will expect Android UI development to migrate to Compose over time.

In order to prep for this full transition, there’s been a particular push for adoption, in order to prep developers for the gradual move:

Google recommends Jetpack Compose for all new applications from the Android go- to-market platform moving forward
Updating “View Components” is very error prone and coupled with a rather difficult process for anyone that’s used it previously comparatively to Jetpack Compose
Jetpack Compose’s views update in response to data – meaning, the development platform has “data binding” capabilities right out of the gate!
Like other Jetpack components, Compose has excellent backward-compatibility with older Android OS levels – even users with older Android devices can run applications built with Jetpack Compose UI
New UI developed with Jetpack Compose can be incrementally added to existing applications built with conventional Android UI techniques (i.e. XML-based or code-based UI development). This allows developers to dip a toe in the Jetpack Compose water without a wholesale rewrite of their apps up-front

Jetpack Compose saves developers a substantial amount of time and effort for larger scale application layout files. Compose takes about a third of the average modern development duration, meaning– less code to sift through and more bandwidth to experiment and create!

Migration Strategies

There are two primary avenues to migrate an existing Android application to Jetpack Compose:

Developing A New Screen Entirely With Compose

When new screens and features are being created within a developing Android application, Jetpack Compose functions can be accessed interoperably with “View” by using the ComposeView class
In the case of single-activity applications, using the Navigation component for “View,” a developer can drop their composable functions into the existing framework using ComposeView

These user-friendly functions, pre-built into the Jetpack Compose interface, enable developers to convert each new Compose component without needing to change the underlying navigation or data-source logic.

Example: The below screen split utilizes the aforementioned “new” implementation of Jetpack Compose components, allowing easy transition from an existing Android application infrastructure.

Taking An Existing Screen And Gradually Transferring Components Into It

For development teams that are completely “fresh to Jetpack Compose,” this gradual shift is a great way to get familiarized and build a culture around maintenance of a new structural interface
Using this strategy, a development team can take their time to test out the components in order to ensure UI consistency and functionality

Example: The below screen split utilizes the aforementioned “gradual” implementation of Jetpack Compose components, allowing teams the flexibility to migrate as appropriate to an existing Android application.

Live Demonstrations

William Kingsley has crafted an intuitive demonstration to help guide you through these principles in practicum:

Be sure to follow Kingsley’s entire Lightning Talk to view this impressive demonstration in real time.

Closing Thoughts

Jetpack Compose is a fundamental rethinking of how Android UI is authored. It is a game-changer for Android developers – simplifying layouts and behaviors that once spanned multiple files and formats into an easy to navigate singular UI tree of composable functions with the power of Kotlin in the palm of your hand!

Happy coding!

To learn more about Migrating to Jetpack Compose, along with some live test samples, and to experience William Kingsley’s full Lightning Talk session, watch here.