Search

Trending blog posts

Xcode vs Swift

Xcode and Swift are two different products developed by Apple for macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and tvOS. While Xcode is an integrated development environment (IDE) for macOS containing a suite of software development tools to develop software for macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and tvOS, Swift is a general-purpose, multi-paradigm, compiled programming language developed iOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, Linux, and z/OS. So it is clear that they can not be compared with each other. On the contrary, Swift is compatible with Xcode as Swift v 5.1, the default version of Swift is included in Xcode v 11. In this article, we will go through what Xcode and Swift are in general and cover their features strengths and weaknesses followed by how Swift is compatible with Xcode. XcodeIt was first released in 2003 as version 1 with the latest stable one being version 10.2.1 released on 17 April 2019. It can be downloaded from the Mac App Store and is free to use for macOS Mojave users. Registered developers may download the preview releases and previous versions of the suite using via the Apple Developer website.  Overview of the major featuresSupport: Programming languages such as C, C++, Objective-C, Objective-C++, Java, AppleScript, Python, Ruby, ResEdit (Rez), and Swift are supported by Xcode with source code along with support for a variety of programming models including Cocoa, Carbo, and Java. Not only that, there is additional support via third parties for GNU Pascal, Free Pascal, Ada, C#, Perl, and D Capability: Xcode can build fat binary files that include the code for various architectures in the Mach-O executable format. Known as universal binary files, these allow the application to run on both PowerPC and Intel-based (x86) platforms including both 32-bit and 64-bit codes Compiling and debugging: Xcode uses the iOS SDK to compile and debug applications for iOS that run on ARM architecture processors GUI tool: Xcode comprises of the GUI tool, Instruments that runs dynamic tracing framework on the top of DTrace, a dynamic tracing framework designed by Sun Microsystems and released as a part of OpenSolaris. Advantages and disadvantages of Xcode: Xcode is designed by Apple and will only work with Apple operating systems: macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and tvOS. Since its release in 2003, Xcode has made significant improvements and the latest version, Xcode 10.2.1 has all the features that are needed to perform continuous integration. Let us have a look at the pros of using Xcode: Equipped with a well designed and easy to use UI creator Excellent for code completion Using Xcode, a developer can learn profiling and heap analysis in a natural way Xcode’s simulator lets you easily test your app while you build it in an environment that simulates your iPhone The app store has a wide range of audience who are willing to pay for apps. Now, the cons: Clunky and outdated Objective C makes it more frustrating if you are habituated to use a modern language No support for tabbed work environments makes it difficult to work with multiple windows Hardly any information can be found online to solve problems due to a previous Apple NDA on Xcode development It is a complicated process to export your app onto a device Will only work with Apple operating systems The App Store approval process can be annoyingly lengthy.SwiftSwift was launched at Apple's 2014 Worldwide Developers Conference as a general-purpose, multi-paradigm, compiled programming language for iOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, Linux, and z/OS Being a new entry these operating systems, Swift accelerates on the best parts of C and Objective C without being held back by its compatibility. It utilises safe patterns for programming, adding more features to it, thus making programming easier and more flexible. By developing their existing debugger, compiler and framework infrastructure, it took quite some time to create the base for Swift. Furthermore, Automatic Reference Counting was used to simplify the memory management part. The framework stack which was once built upon a solid framework of Cocoa and Foundation has undergone significant changes and is now completely regulated and refurbished. Developers who have worked with Objective-C do find Swift quite similar. Objective-C’s dynamic object model and its comprehensively named parameters provide a lot of control to Swift.  Developers can use Swift to have access to the existing Cocoa framework in addition to the mix and match interoperability with an objective C code. Swift uses this common rule to offer multiple new features in combination with object-oriented and procedural portions of the language. The idea is to create the best possible language for a wide range of uses, varying from desktop and mobile apps, systems programming, and scaling up to cloud services. The designing of Swift was done to make sure that developers find it easy to maintain and write correct programs. Coding done in Xcode is safe, fast and expressive. Swift offers a host of features that give developers the control needed to make the code easy to read and write. Furthermore, Apple made Swift to be easily understandable to help developers avoid making mistakes while coding and make the code look organised, along with the modules that give namespaces and eliminate headers. Since Swift uses some features present in other languages, one of them being named parameters written with clean syntax that makes the APIs much easier to maintain and read. Here are some of the additional features of Swift: Multiple return values and Tuples Generics Short and quick iterations over a collection or range Structs that support extensions, methods and protocols Functional programming patterns Advanced control flow Powerful error handling. These features are systematically designed to make them work together resulting in creating a powerful but fun-to-use language. Advantages and disadvantages of Swift: Pros of using the Swift Programming language: Easy to read and maintain: The Swift program codes are based on natural English as it has borrowed syntaxes from other programming languages. This makes the language more expressive Scalable: Users can add more features to Swift, making it a scalable programming language. In the future, Swift is what Apple is relying on and not Objective C Concise: Swift does not include long lines of code and that favours the developers who want a concise syntax, thus increasing the development and testing rate of the program Safety and improved performance: It is almost 40% better than the Objective-C when speed and performance are taken into consideration as it is easy to tackle the bugs which lead to safer programming Cross-device support: This language is capable of handling a wide range of Apple platforms such as iOS, iOS X, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS. Automatic Memory Management: This feature present in Swift prevents memory leaks and helps in optimizing the application’s performance that is done by using Automatic Reference Counting. Cons of Swift: Compatibility issues: The updated versions Swift is found to a bit unstable with the newer versions of Apple leading to a few issues. Switching to a newer version of Swift is the fix but that is costly Speed Issues: This is relevant to the earlier versions of the Swift programming language Less in number: The number of Swift developers is limited as Swift is a new programming language Delay in uploading apps: Developers will be facing delays over their apps written in Swift to be uploaded to the App Store only after iOS 8 and Xcode 6 are released. The estimated time for release is reported to be September-October, 2014. Conclusion So as we discussed both Xcode and Swift, it is clear that they cannot be compared to each other. In fact, they both complement each other to deliver impressive results without any headaches. Apple relies on both quite a lot and it is certain to have Swift and Xcode the perfect combination of a robust application and a user-friendly programming language.
Xcode vs Swift
KnowledgeHut
Rated 4.5/5 based on 11 customer reviews
KnowledgeHut

KnowledgeHut

Author

KnowledgeHut is a fast growing Management Consulting and Training firm that is a source of Intelligent Information support for businesses and professionals across the globe.

Posts by KnowledgeHut

Xcode vs Swift

Xcode and Swift are two different products developed by Apple for macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and tvOS. While Xcode is an integrated development environment (IDE) for macOS containing a suite of software development tools to develop software for macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and tvOS, Swift is a general-purpose, multi-paradigm, compiled programming language developed iOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, Linux, and z/OS. So it is clear that they can not be compared with each other. On the contrary, Swift is compatible with Xcode as Swift v 5.1, the default version of Swift is included in Xcode v 11. In this article, we will go through what Xcode and Swift are in general and cover their features strengths and weaknesses followed by how Swift is compatible with Xcode. XcodeIt was first released in 2003 as version 1 with the latest stable one being version 10.2.1 released on 17 April 2019. It can be downloaded from the Mac App Store and is free to use for macOS Mojave users. Registered developers may download the preview releases and previous versions of the suite using via the Apple Developer website.  Overview of the major featuresSupport: Programming languages such as C, C++, Objective-C, Objective-C++, Java, AppleScript, Python, Ruby, ResEdit (Rez), and Swift are supported by Xcode with source code along with support for a variety of programming models including Cocoa, Carbo, and Java. Not only that, there is additional support via third parties for GNU Pascal, Free Pascal, Ada, C#, Perl, and D Capability: Xcode can build fat binary files that include the code for various architectures in the Mach-O executable format. Known as universal binary files, these allow the application to run on both PowerPC and Intel-based (x86) platforms including both 32-bit and 64-bit codes Compiling and debugging: Xcode uses the iOS SDK to compile and debug applications for iOS that run on ARM architecture processors GUI tool: Xcode comprises of the GUI tool, Instruments that runs dynamic tracing framework on the top of DTrace, a dynamic tracing framework designed by Sun Microsystems and released as a part of OpenSolaris. Advantages and disadvantages of Xcode: Xcode is designed by Apple and will only work with Apple operating systems: macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and tvOS. Since its release in 2003, Xcode has made significant improvements and the latest version, Xcode 10.2.1 has all the features that are needed to perform continuous integration. Let us have a look at the pros of using Xcode: Equipped with a well designed and easy to use UI creator Excellent for code completion Using Xcode, a developer can learn profiling and heap analysis in a natural way Xcode’s simulator lets you easily test your app while you build it in an environment that simulates your iPhone The app store has a wide range of audience who are willing to pay for apps. Now, the cons: Clunky and outdated Objective C makes it more frustrating if you are habituated to use a modern language No support for tabbed work environments makes it difficult to work with multiple windows Hardly any information can be found online to solve problems due to a previous Apple NDA on Xcode development It is a complicated process to export your app onto a device Will only work with Apple operating systems The App Store approval process can be annoyingly lengthy.SwiftSwift was launched at Apple's 2014 Worldwide Developers Conference as a general-purpose, multi-paradigm, compiled programming language for iOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, Linux, and z/OS Being a new entry these operating systems, Swift accelerates on the best parts of C and Objective C without being held back by its compatibility. It utilises safe patterns for programming, adding more features to it, thus making programming easier and more flexible. By developing their existing debugger, compiler and framework infrastructure, it took quite some time to create the base for Swift. Furthermore, Automatic Reference Counting was used to simplify the memory management part. The framework stack which was once built upon a solid framework of Cocoa and Foundation has undergone significant changes and is now completely regulated and refurbished. Developers who have worked with Objective-C do find Swift quite similar. Objective-C’s dynamic object model and its comprehensively named parameters provide a lot of control to Swift.  Developers can use Swift to have access to the existing Cocoa framework in addition to the mix and match interoperability with an objective C code. Swift uses this common rule to offer multiple new features in combination with object-oriented and procedural portions of the language. The idea is to create the best possible language for a wide range of uses, varying from desktop and mobile apps, systems programming, and scaling up to cloud services. The designing of Swift was done to make sure that developers find it easy to maintain and write correct programs. Coding done in Xcode is safe, fast and expressive. Swift offers a host of features that give developers the control needed to make the code easy to read and write. Furthermore, Apple made Swift to be easily understandable to help developers avoid making mistakes while coding and make the code look organised, along with the modules that give namespaces and eliminate headers. Since Swift uses some features present in other languages, one of them being named parameters written with clean syntax that makes the APIs much easier to maintain and read. Here are some of the additional features of Swift: Multiple return values and Tuples Generics Short and quick iterations over a collection or range Structs that support extensions, methods and protocols Functional programming patterns Advanced control flow Powerful error handling. These features are systematically designed to make them work together resulting in creating a powerful but fun-to-use language. Advantages and disadvantages of Swift: Pros of using the Swift Programming language: Easy to read and maintain: The Swift program codes are based on natural English as it has borrowed syntaxes from other programming languages. This makes the language more expressive Scalable: Users can add more features to Swift, making it a scalable programming language. In the future, Swift is what Apple is relying on and not Objective C Concise: Swift does not include long lines of code and that favours the developers who want a concise syntax, thus increasing the development and testing rate of the program Safety and improved performance: It is almost 40% better than the Objective-C when speed and performance are taken into consideration as it is easy to tackle the bugs which lead to safer programming Cross-device support: This language is capable of handling a wide range of Apple platforms such as iOS, iOS X, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS. Automatic Memory Management: This feature present in Swift prevents memory leaks and helps in optimizing the application’s performance that is done by using Automatic Reference Counting. Cons of Swift: Compatibility issues: The updated versions Swift is found to a bit unstable with the newer versions of Apple leading to a few issues. Switching to a newer version of Swift is the fix but that is costly Speed Issues: This is relevant to the earlier versions of the Swift programming language Less in number: The number of Swift developers is limited as Swift is a new programming language Delay in uploading apps: Developers will be facing delays over their apps written in Swift to be uploaded to the App Store only after iOS 8 and Xcode 6 are released. The estimated time for release is reported to be September-October, 2014. Conclusion So as we discussed both Xcode and Swift, it is clear that they cannot be compared to each other. In fact, they both complement each other to deliver impressive results without any headaches. Apple relies on both quite a lot and it is certain to have Swift and Xcode the perfect combination of a robust application and a user-friendly programming language.
Rated 4.5/5 based on 11 customer reviews
Xcode vs Swift
Blogs
8591
Xcode vs Swift

Xcode and Swift are two different products develop... Read More

Scala Vs Kotlin

Ever-changing requirements in coding have always been happening, ones that cause programmers to change their minds about using the appropriate programming language and tools to code. Java has been there for a long time, a really long time, 24 years ago. It is relatively easy to use, write, compile, debug, and learn than other programming languages. However, its certain inhibitions like slow performance, unavailability of any support for low-level programming, possessing poor features in GUI 4, and having no control over garbage collection is putting Java developers in a dilemma on choosing an alternative to Java, such as JetBrains’ programming language, Kotlin, presently an officially supported language for Android development or Scala, an all-purpose programming language supporting functional programming and a strong static type system. Today, we will discuss how developers can decide to choose Scala or Kotlin as an alternative to Java. We will briefly talk about Scala and Kotlin separately and talk about their application before moving forward to looking at the differences, advantages, and disadvantages of both and finally have you decide which one of these two suits your requirements. User’s requirement Before we begin, here is a question for the readers, ‘What are you looking for in the next programming language that you will use?’ It is an obvious question because the programming purposes drive the actual basis and need of developing a language. Do you need a language that strives to better Java or use a language that lets you do things that aren’t possible in Java? If it is the first reason, then Scala might be the best one for you, otherwise, it is a simplified programming language like Kotlin. Now let us first briefly discuss Scala and Kotlin individually. ScalaDeveloped by Martin Odersky, the first version of Scala was launched in the year 2003 and is a classic example of a  general-purpose, object-oriented computer language, offering a wide range of functional programming language features and a strong static type system. Inspired from Java itself, Scala, as the name suggests, is highly scalable and this very feature sets Scala apart from other programming languages. When we say that Scala is inspired from Java, that means developers can code Scala in the same way they do for Java. Additionally, Scala makes it possible to use numerous Java and libraries within itself as well. It is designed to be able to use an elegant, concise and type-safe method to express common programming patterns. Scala is a very popular programming language amongst developers and rising up its ranks in the world of technology. Although Scala comes with a number of plus points, there are some which make it a bit ineffective. Here are the strengths and weaknesses of Scala. Strengths: Full Support for Pattern Matching, Macros, and Higher-Kinded Types Has a very flexible code syntax Gets a bigger Community Support Enables overloading operators Weaknesses: Slow in compilation Challenging Binary Compilation Not so proficient in the Management of Null SafetyKotlin Developed by JetBrains, Kotlin was released on February 2012 as an open-source language. Until now, there have been two released versions with the latest one being Kotlin 1.2, the most stable version that was released on November 28, 2017. Since Kotlin is extremely compatible with Java 6 the latest version of Java on Android, it has gained critical acclaim on Android worldwide and additionally, it offers various key features that are prepared only for Java 8 and not even Java 6 developers have access to that. Kotlin provides seamless and flawless interoperability with Java. That means, developers can easily call Java codes from Kotlin and same goes the other way around. The built-in null safety feature avoids showing the NullPointerException (NPE) that makes developing android apps easy and joyful, something every android programmer wants. Below mentioned are the key pointers on the strengths and weaknesses of Kotlin. Strengths Takes a Functional Programming Approach and Object-Oriented Programming style(OOP) Style  Has Higher-Order Functions Short, Neat, and Verbose-Free Expression  Supported by JetBrains and Google. Weaknesses: More limited Pattern Matching Additional Runtime Size Initial Readability of Code Shortage of Official Support Smaller Support Community. Ease of learning: Scala vs Kotlin Scala is a powerful programming language packed with superior features and possesses a flexible syntax. It is not an easy language to learn and is a nightmare for newcomers. Kotlin, on the other hand, has been reported to have been an easy-to-learn language for many Java developers as getting started with Kotlin is relatively easy and so is writing codes. Even though it is a comparatively easier language to learn and code with, Kotlin lacks the solid set of features that is common in Scala. It might take less time to learn a programming language, but the most important thing to look for is a comprehensive array of features. Scala, even though a very difficult language to learn, is cherished by the developers as it lets them do things that cannot be done in Kotlin Here are the major differences between Scala and Kotlin: ScalaKotlinType inferenceEfficientImmutabilityExtension FunctionsSingleton objectMassive InteroperabilityConcurrency controlLessens Crashes at RuntimeString interpolationSmart Cast FunctionHigher-order functionSafe and ReliableCase classes and Pattern matching Lazy computationLow adoption costRich collection setMaking the appropriate choice of languageNow, whether you may like a programming language or not, if that very language helps you get the best out of your job, then you will have to live with it. These are the facts about getting the best results. The outcome is the main factor in you deciding the appropriate language for your job. Kotlin is the only option for Android development as Android doesn’t use JVM, so any old JVM-compatible language will not work in Android. Kotlin has it all what it takes to compile, debug, and run the software on Android because of which it is in-built into Android Studio. However, Kotlin is not so usable outside Android development. If you are one of the developers who like working with Eclipse for your IDE, then Scala IDE is better than the Kotlin Plugin even if you can make Eclipse work with both the languages with limitations. Scala IDE is more advanced than the Kotlin plugin and is easier to set up. Some developers found it quite difficult to make the Kotlin plugin work. This case is quite the same with NetBeans. Kotlin is still getting there but is already popular amongst Java developers as it offers an easier transition than Scala. Kotlin is still maturing, but many Java people find adopting it is an easier transition than Scala is.  Scala, however, is for developers who are focused more on discovering new ideas while Kotlin is for those who want to get results. Kotlin stresses fast compilation but is more restrictive while Scala gives a lot of flexibility. Go for Scala if you breathe functional programming! It has more appropriate features for this type of programming than Kotlin does. Scala supports currying and partial application, the methods of breaking down functions requiring multiple arguments offering more flexibility. Go for the one that is the most appropriate one for your work, style of working and what you are aiming at. Think before you leap. The Outcome At the end of the day, all that matters is what you want to use the language for. While Scala goes well for the projects that require a combination of functional, OOP style programming languages, and where programmers need to handle lots of data or complex modelling, Kotlin becomes the best choice when you want something less frustrating than Java while developing apps because using Kotlin makes app development less cumbersome and a great thing to work on. It is just like a better-looking version of Java with less lengthy codes. 
Rated 4.5/5 based on 19 customer reviews
Scala Vs Kotlin
Blogs
7592
Scala Vs Kotlin

Ever-changing requirements in coding have always b... Read More

Top 5 Automation Testing Tools used in Software Industry

Automation Testing is a buzz word in the Software Industry. The trend is to automate every repetitive and similar kind of work. Time has gone when testing software used to take a lot of time and resources.  As Agile methodologies globally opted for Software development, Automation testing plays a vital role to deliver products within time without compromising quality.To perform automation testing, we have so many Automation tools available in the market. Automation tools help you to do most of the automation testing effectively and efficiently. In this blog post, we will see the topmost 5 Automation testing tools used in the software industry. They are:SeleniumRanorexSilk TestTestCompleteQTP (UFT)Let’s see each of them in detail:SeleniumSelenium is a set of tools to automate web applications across different browsers and platforms. Selenium WebDriver is a mostly used tool currently. Selenium WebDriver can be used with multiple language bindings to create robust, browser-based regression automation suites and tests. It can not be used for Desktop based applications. It is a free set of tools to automate web browser or web-based applications.It consists of Selenium IDE, Selenium RC, Selenium WebDriver and Selenium GRIDSelenium IDE provides Record and Play GUI tests only for Web-based applications on Chrome and Firefox browsers only.WebDriver based tool called Appium can be used for mobile applications.Supports cross-browser testing.Supports major operating systems:- Windows, Linux, and Mac.Can use Selenium API with programming languages like Java, C#, Ruby, Python, Perl PHP , Javascript, R, etc.Supports IE, Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Opera, Headless browsersSelenium IDE provides Record and Play GUI tests only for Web-based application on Chrome and Firefox browsers onlyEasy integration with various reporting toolsSupport integration with CICDRanorexRanorex is a set of paid and free tools to build sophisticated tests for desktop, web, and mobile applications. They provide three tools:-Ranorex Studio:It is an IDE based set of tools that provides codeless automation.It provides End-to-end testing of desktop, web and mobile applications in a single license.We can automate tests on a Windows desktop, and then execute them locally or remotely, on real iOS or Android mobile devices or simulators/emulators. It supports the parallel running of tests.It has built-in Selenium WebDriver.Supports Cross-browser testingRanorex Webtestit:A lightweight IDE optimized for building UI web tests with Selenium or ProtractorIt generates native Selenium and Protractor code in Java and Typescript respectively.Follows Page Object Model design pattern.Supports Cross-browser testing on platforms like Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android mobile devices. Built-in reporting.Easy integration with JIRA and TestRailSupports a headless browser. We can distribute tests on Selenium grid and cloud-based providers like Saucelabs.Easy setup of tests framework.Downloads browser drivers automatically.Ranorex Selocity:-It is a free Chrome browser extension to generate Selenium CSS selectors as well as XPath selectorsIt generates smart selector by ignoring dynamically generated IDs.Auto-detects the selector type, highlights it, and then displays the number of matching DOM elements. Silk TestSilk Test is an automation paid tool provided by Micro Focus for web, mobile, rich-client, and Enterprise applications. We can run existing selenium scripts faster using Silk Test. It can be easily integrated with CICD for continuous testing. Suitable for web, mobile, rich-client, and Enterprise applications.Supports both Web and mobile browsersSupports Running and adding new tests to existing Selenium scriptsThe built-in Synchronization mechanism helps you to remove unnecessary wait statements. Supports regression, cross-platform, and localization testing of all mobile application types such as mobile web, native and hybrid applications.It has embedded back end service virtualization to simulate service behavior in order to save time and effort.Supports running tests as performance tests and for synthetic monitoring purposes as well.Easy to integrate with CICD and DockerCustomized graphical reportTestCompleteIt is a paid automation testing tool to create automated functional tests for desktop, web, and mobile applications. This tool is developed by SmartBear software. It uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) which makes it a robust tool.It can be used to create automated functional tests for desktop, web, and mobile applications.It is a Windows-based tool. TestComplete is essentially Windows-based application and thus cannot run on Linux/Unix systems. It also has native support for Behavioral Driven Development (BDD). This tool is said to be very easy to use with Artificial Intelligence (AI).Its object recognition combines property-based and AI-powered visual recognition to find dynamic UI elements quickly, easily, and accurately. It makes fast and easy to create, maintain, and execute functional tests which will increase test coverage and ensure you ship high-quality, battle-tested software. It has an unmatched hybrid object recognition engine with artificial intelligence. It is also called a Script or Scriptless tool. The reason behind this is that if you want to script, you can use as of now seven different languages (JavaScript, Python, VBScript, Jscript, DelphiScript, C#, and C+). If you do not want to script, you can use a record and play feature of it.   It is a paid tool by SmartBear. You can bundle options or customize your order. You can see pricing here. It supports seven different languages including JavaScript, Python, VBScript, Jscript, DelphiScript, C#, and C+.You can test web applications developed with any programming language, server-side technology, and frameworks including HTML, DHTML, CSS, JavaScript, HTML5, etc.With TestComplete, you can get real-time information on the progress and status of your desktop, mobile, or web functional GUI tests from a single interface. The tool enables you to share images, videos, or detailed logs that you captured during test execution, or even export your logs in multiple formats such as JUnit, HTML or MHT, to easily share details with other team members.QTP (UFT)UFT is formerly known as QTP. UFT is a paid desktop-based automation tool for web, desktop, mobile, API, hybrid, RPA, and enterprise apps provided by Micro Focus. It is a very old and powerful automation tool. It can be used to automate all three layers of an application. With very less knowledge of programming, you can use this tool easily.It is a paid desktop-based Intelligent test automation tool for web, mobile, API, hybrid, RPA, and enterprise apps provided by Micro Focus.UFT provides functional, regression and API test automation for software applications and environments for enterprise quality assurance. We can test all three layers of an application interface, the service layer and the database layer from a single console of UFT as it provides a graphical user interface. We can automation actions performed by an end-user on a web-based or desktop application using UFT. We can simulate user’s actions like clicking on GUI elements of applications, entering keyboard inputs and much more. In fact, UFT can do it much faster than human if scripted efficiently.It supports the VBS (Visual Basic Script) programming language.It supports Chrome, Firefox, Safari, IE, and Edge web browsers.A major disadvantage of UFT is that it supports only Microsoft Windows operating systems. It supports nearly every major software application and environment, including SAP, Oracle, Salesforce, mainframes, embedded frameworks, headless browsers, and much more.We can deploy UFT on provisioned Citrix, AWS, and Azure virtual environments, or run web and mobile tests from Docker containers.You required less knowledge of programming as it offers keyword-driven testing that simplifies test creation and maintenance. Capture flows directly from the application screens and leverage UFT’s robust record/replay capturing technology.It comes with a built-in Object Repository and Provides built-in support for Data-driven Testing by Data tables.Comparison of the above toolsBasisSeleniumQTPTestCompleteRanorexSilk TestSuitable ForWeb, mobile (Appium) applicationsDesktop, web and mobile applicationsDesktop, web and mobile applicationsDesktop, web and mobile applicationsWeb and mobile applicationsCostFreePaidPaidPaidPaidSupported OSWindows, Linux, MacWindowsWindowsWindowsWindowsSupported LanguagesJava, C#, Ruby, Python, Perl PHP, Javascript, RVisual Basic ScriptJavaScript, Python, VBScript, Jscript, DelphiScript, C#, and C+Java, TypeScript4TestFeaturesNeed to integrate other tools for better utilizationAll required tools are inbuiltAll required tools are inbuiltAll required tools are inbuiltAll required tools are inbuiltCICDYesYesYesYesYesProgramming KnowledgeMoreLessLessLessLessCareerMore opportunitiesLessLessLessLessSelecting a ToolThere are many tools available in the market who does a similar kind of things. So it becomes very difficult to select an appropriate tool for your project requirement. You need to select tool based on the below criteria:-Budget of projectROI from AutomationScope and roadmap of the projectResources availableLevel of maintenance and programming skillsIf you do not want any paid tool, then Selenium is the best tool for you. If you want to go for a paid tool, all four tools are good. You can select based on your budget and criteria given above.Selenium and UFT tools are better to learn from career aspects. Selenium is an open-source tool that makes it famous to use for automation across different organisations. Selenium is a widely used automation tool as of now. Since UFT is an old and powerful automation tool, and many organisations have their automation suite in UFT.
Rated 4.5/5 based on 5 customer reviews
Top 5 Automation Testing Tools used in Software Industry
Blogs
8656
Top 5 Automation Testing Tools used in Software In...

Automation Testing is a buzz word in the Software ... Read More

11 Top Features of Docker That You Must Know

Docker is an open platform to develop, ship and run applications containers on a common operating system. It enables you to separate applications from infrastructures so that software is delivered quickly. Infrastructure can be managed by Docker in the same way as one managed their applications. The delay between writing code and running it for production can be significantly reduced with the help of Docker’s methodologies for quick shipping, testing, and deployment of codes. Features of Docker:Docker provides various features, some of which are listed and discussed below.Faster and easier configurationApplication isolationIncrease in productivitySwarm Services Routing Mesh Security Management Rapid scaling of Systems Better Software Delivery Software-defined networkingHas the Ability to Reduce the Size1. Faster and Easier configuration: It is one of the key features of Docker that helps you in configuring the system in a faster and easier manner. Due to this feature, codes can be deployed in less time and with fewer efforts. The infrastructure is not linked with the environment of the application as Docker is used with a wide variety of environments. 2. Application isolation:Docker provides containers that are used to run applications in an isolated environment. Since each container is independent, Docker can execute any kind of application. 3. Increase in productivity:It helps in increasing productivity by easing up the technical configuration and rapidly deploying applications. Moreover, it not only provides an isolated environment to execute applications, but it reduces the resources as well.4. Swarm: Swarm is a clustering and scheduling tool for Docker containers. At the front end, it uses the Docker API, which helps us to use various tools to control it.  It is a self-organizing group of engines that enables pluggable backends.5. Services: Services is a list of tasks that specifies the state of a container inside a cluster. Each task in the Services lists one instance of a container that should be running, while Swarm schedules them across the nodes. 7. Security Management: It saves secrets into the swarm and chooses to give services access to certain secrets, including a few important commands to the engine such as secret inspect, secret create, etc.8. Rapid scaling of Systems: Containers require less computing hardware and get more work done. They allow data centre operators to cram more workload into less hardware, meaning sharing of hardware, resulting in lower costs. 9. Better Software Delivery: Software Delivery with the help of containers is said to be more efficient. Containers are portable, self-contained and include an isolated disk volume. This isolated volume goes along with the container as it develops and is deployed to various environments. 10. Software-defined networking:Docker supports Software-defined networking. Without having touched a single router, the Docker CLI and Engine enables operators to define isolated networks for containers. Operators and Developers design systems with complex network topologies, as well as define the networks in configuration files. Since the application’s containers can run in an isolated virtual network, with controlled ingress and egress path, it acts as a security benefit as well.11. Has the Ability to Reduce the Size:Since it provides a smaller footprint of the OS via containers, Docker holds the capability to reduce the size of the development. Who is Docker for?Docker as a tool benefits both developers and system administrators, and hence is a part of various toolchains of DevOps (Developers+Operations). It helps developers to focus on writing the code and not worry about the system that it will run on. Moreover, they can make use of one of the thousands of programs that are already designed to run in a Docker container as a part of their applications and get a head start. As for Operations, Docker provides flexibility as well as reduces the number of systems needed due to its lower overhead and small footprint. To Sum Up…We have discussed the top 11 Docker Features that help it stand out from the crowd and gives it huge popularity. It is popular due to its revolutionized development in the software industry, creating vast economies of scale. Hence, containers and Dockers hold the potential to open up new opportunities for your enterprise. 
Rated 4.5/5 based on 11 customer reviews
11 Top Features of Docker That You Must Know
Blogs
5890
11 Top Features of Docker That You Must Know

Docker is an open platform to develop, ship and ru... Read More

8 Key Challenges Of Implementing DevOps And Overcoming Them

The increase in the number of companies to adopt DevOps to improve their workflow and productivity has led to an increase in the recurring concerns regarding its implementation. The answers to questions such as ‘Where and how do I start with my DevOps adoption?’, ‘What are the challenges that I might face?’ and ‘How do I go about to resolve those challenges?’, are very commonly sought after. Bringing about such a revolutionary change from the traditional Waterfall approach to DevOps is not an easy process. The following lists some of the major challenges that organisations face while implementing DevOps.Change in Culture: The workplace culture undergoes the major amount of transformation while implementing DevOps. It is also one of the most difficult areas of transformation as it is a long term process which also requires a lot of patience and endurance. To make the process a bit easier, enterprises should try and maintain a positive as well as a transparent atmosphere in the workplace. Switching from Legacy Infrastructure to Microservices: In order to reduce stability issues, organisations now use infrastructure as code along with microservices for quicker development along with sharp innovations. Moreover, organisations need to update their hardware and software systems according to the latest trends on a regular basis, so that new systems can co-exist with the existing systems. Issues with the standards and metrics: Dev and Ops departments have different goals and working systems, hence they have different toolsets as well. It might become very tedious to sit together and integrate the tools. Under such circumstances, it is advisable that the teams agree upon a commonly decided metric system.Tool Turbulence: Switching to DevOps practices might make people dependent on the various tools that are available to solve even the smallest of their problems.  Due to this, organisations might become addicted to those tools which provide with short-term benefits over the ones which provide with long-term benefits. Some of the tools are open-sourced or SaaS-based and can be easily adopted without any authorization. To make things easier, you can provide teams with a set of library tools from which they can opt for their preferred tools. This will also help the leaders stay up-to-date with the activities of the employees. Resistance to Change: You might come across people in your company who might not be supportive of the legacy systems. They are the ones who have become comfortable with their way of working and are not willing to leave their comfort zones. Hence, it is very important that you don’t bend down to such elements but instead bear with the discomfort of change. Challenges during the process: Adopting DevOps can prove to be challenging for workers who blindly follow guidelines and stay stuck to the rules, or for companies which follow specific guidelines for software development, as DevOps doesn’t have any fixed framework stating procedures that employees can follow to reach their desired goals.The teams can decide on their own course of action without any structural approach, giving them opportunities and more scope for innovation. Test Automation: Test Automation holds equal importance as CI/CD deployments. It has been commonly observed that companies tend to neglect test automation and focus more on CI/CD deployments. For DevOps to be a success, continuous testing acts as a key. Cost and Budget: It is very important to keep in mind that open source does not necessarily mean that it is free of cost. Moreover, factor in integration and operational complexity to your overall costs. In a Nutshell:As Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher says that change is the only constant. It might be hard in the beginning, messy during the process, but it is always glorious in the end. Evolving in the IT culture, DevOps brings you closer to bridge the boundary between business, development and operations. Overcoming these challenges from the root will make the transition process smoother for you. 
Rated 4.5/5 based on 19 customer reviews
8 Key Challenges Of Implementing DevOps And Overcoming Them
Blogs
9899
8 Key Challenges Of Implementing DevOps And Overco...

The increase in the number of companies to adopt D... Read More

The Career Path of a Certified Scrum Master: Foundational & Advanced Certifications

“When business goals are constantly varying, stepping on the right career path can be a tricky and on-going target.”So, you completed your 2-days of CSM certification training and serving as a Scrum Master in the organization! What is your next career move then? Is your part done once you receive CSM certification? Or you will think about adding more boosters to level-up your Scrum career? Go through this article to know more about numerous career options available for you today! Being a Scrum Master, you need to strengthen your Scrum knowledge on a regular basis. Typically, the very first move in the career of the Scrum Master includes serving one team, so that all the issues are faced by the team members can be resolved to deliver the end result very quickly.    A great Scrum Master always look for additional challenging roles. Often, the next logical step of the Scrum Masters is to work with multiple teams and at the scaled level concurrently. A Scrum Master, who manages to work under complex conditions can make an easy transition from good to great and this gives rise to the reality that- Success is often rewarded on accepting more challenges.  Level-up your Scrum Master skills to play various challenging roles in the organizations implementing a Scrum framework. Let’s take a look at the various certifications and requirements needed to earn those certifications after CSM certification. Given below is the list of various Scrum certifications that Certified ScrumMaster can take to upskill his/her career.Advanced Certified ScrumMaster® (A-CSM®)Certified Scrum Professional®-ScrumMaster (CSP-SM)Certified Team CoachSM (CTC)Certified Scrum Trainer® (CST)Certified Enterprise Coach℠ (CEC)Certified Scrum Product Owner® (CSPO®)Certified Scrum Developer® (CSD®)ICP-ACC CertificationFoundational LevelPrerequisiteNext Career MoveCSPONoneA-CSPOCSDNoneCSPAdvanced LevelPrerequisiteNext Career MoveA-CSMActive CSMCSP-SMElevatedPrerequisiteNext Career MoveCSP-SMActive A-CSMCTC, CEC, CSTExpert/ProfessionalPrerequisiteNext Career MoveCTCActive CSP-SM, CSP-PO, or CSPCoaches the team members on ScrumCECActive CSP-SM, CSP-PO, or CSPHelp organizations to become an Agile organizationCSTActive CSP-SM, CSP-PO, or CSPTrains individuals on ScrumICP-ACCActive CSMMentors the team in Agile adoption1. Advanced Certified ScrumMaster® (A-CSM®)A-CSM certification is an immediate Scrum Master certification that can be earned just after the CSM certification. This certification will help an individual to facilitate smooth communication between the customers and the Stakeholders increasing engagement. Further, as an A-CSM certified individual, you can not only increase your Scrum implementation skills but showcase your value as a highly-skilled Agile professional to the potential employer.  Prerequisites to grab A-CSM certificationYou just need to hold an active CSM certification from Scrum Alliance and you have at least 12 months of experience working as a Scrum Master.What next after Advanced Certified ScrumMaster (A-CSM) certification?Once you have upgraded your skills with the Advanced Certified Scrum Master (A-CSM) certification, you are ready to master in Certified Scrum Professional ScrumMaster® (CSP-SM®).  2. Certified Scrum Professional®-ScrumMaster (CSP-SM):Certified Scrum Professionals always aims to improve the ways of applying Agile and Scrum principles. They exhibit their experience, knowledge earned during the Scrum training. If you are looking to elevate your Scrum career to the next level, get ready to earn Certified Scrum Professional®-ScrumMaster (CSP®-SM) certification. After attaining  CSP certification, an individual will get the following benefits:A candidate will be able to attend CSP events with other leadersAn individual will get chances to earn more and recruited by the top-giant companiesPrerequisites to grab CSP-SM certificationAn individual should hold an active Advanced Certified ScrumMasterSM (A-CSMSM ) certification from any of the Scrum Alliance approved training center. Also, he/she should have at least 24 months of work experience as a Scrum Master. What next after CSP-SM certification?CSP-SM certification is a gateway towards achieving the Certified Scrum Trainer® (CST®), Certified Enterprise Coach℠ (CEC), or Certified Team Coach℠ (CTC) certifications.3. Certified Team CoachSM (CTC):The Certified Team Coach (CTC) is a guide level certification, usually works with the management, Scrum teams, and Stakeholders. As the name says, the CTC works at the team level. Organizations hire Certified Team Coach (CTC) to train, coach, mentor, remove obstacles, and lead the team to leverage value delivery, team collaboration, and continuous development across multiple teams. Prerequisites to grab CTC certificationAn active Certified Scrum Professional certification 1,000 hours of Agile coaching experience in the last 2 years without considering your role as Scrum MasterCoaching experience in at least 2 organizations Must be actively participated in a minimum of 5 Agile eventsPractical experience of Scrum implementation and coaching experience in Agile and Scrum framework.What next after CTC certification?Certified Team Coaches (CTCs) can initiate coaching, mentoring, and training the professionals on Agile and Scrum processes once they earn CTC certification. Also, they can recommend up to 50 individuals yearly for whom they have given 25-hours of in-person training or small group training to achieve Certified ScrumMaster® and Certified Scrum Product Owner® certifications. In this way, a CTC certified can contribute to creating a healthy environment of the organizations by coaching the team members on Scrum.      4. Certified Scrum Trainer® (CST)Scrum Alliance offer only one trainer-centric certification in the form of Certified Scrum Trainer®  (CST) certification. This is the most sought-after certification and those who wish to transform the working way of the teams can be a part of this training. Prerequisites to grab CST certificationTo become a Certified Scrum Trainer (CST), you need to have:Detailed knowledge of the Scrum concepts, practices, and principlesAn active Certified Scrum Professional ScrumMaster™ (CSP-SM™) certification from Scrum AllianceHands-on experience in implementing the Scrum framework as a ScrumMaster, Product Owner, or Development team memberTeaching experience in partnership with any Certified Scrum Trainer (CST) or independently-Taught to at least 100 candidatesHosted at least 10 or more days ScrumMaster training sessions Respective certifications in order to train professionals on the courses (e.g. if want to train on CSPO, an individual should hold an active CSPO certification.  What next after CST certification?As a CST, you can teach Scrum to the students who want to work in a Scrum environment. Scrum Alliance considers CST as an active member in the Scrum community who actively takes part in the events and user groups, blogging, and in online discussions.    5. Certified Enterprise Coach℠ (CEC):The Certified Enterprise Coach (CEC) exhibits their years of experience in Scrum transformations at an enterprise level. They also show their in-depth understanding of implementing Scrum practices and principles. The CECs are skilled at Scrum (both theoretically and practically) and guide organizations during their Agile transformation journey.Prerequisites to grab CEC certificationThe individuals aspiring Certified Enterprise Coach (CEC) credential must possess:Knowledge of Scrum practices, proven leadership, and coaching skills An active CSP-SM™ or CSP-PO™ or CSP® certification Working experience in Scrum team rolesCoaching experience in at least three organizations2,000 hours over the past 3 years of work experience as a Coach.What next after CEC certification?Being a CEC certified, an individual can help organizations to become an Agile organization using the Scrum framework to transform the world of work. Also, they can recommend up to 50 individuals yearly for whom they have given 25-hours of in-person training or small group training to achieve Certified ScrumMaster® and Certified Scrum Product Owner® certifications. In this way, a CTC certified can contribute to creating a healthy environment of the organizations by coaching the team members on Scrum.   6. Certified Scrum Product Owner® (CSPO®)The Product Owner (PO) creates the product vision, prioritize the product backlog, and help the team in delivering what customers intuitively looking for. The CSPO®  is the certification for the Product Owners that will help an individual in handling the business side of the project. Prerequisites to grab CSPO® certificationThere is no prerequisite to attend  CSPO® training. However, in order to earn this certification, an individual need to attend 2-days of CSPO® course taught by Certified Scrum Trainer®  (CST). What next after CSPO® certification?After taking CSPO certification, you can go for advanced-level certification of CSPO which is an Advanced Certified Scrum Product Owner® (A-CSPO®) course from Scrum Alliance. 7. Certified Scrum Developer® (CSD®)The  CSD® certification proves that an individual has skills of building the software using Scrum as a part of the Scrum team. With CSD® , you can strengthen your technical skills in Agile software development. Prerequisites to grab CSD® certificationAny programmer (having coding knowledge) can attend CSD® course. To achieve this, an individual needs to undergo at least 5-days of the formal CSD training course by a Scrum Alliance Registered Education Provider (REP) and a Scrum Alliance Authorized Instructor. In addition to this, the CSD® certification offers the privilege to the CSM certified candidates. They can skip the first 2 days and directly join from the 3rd day of the technical training.What next after CSD® certification?After CSD® certification, an individual can level-up his/her skills with Certified Scrum Professional® for Developers (CSP- D) certification. The CSP certification help teams to constantly improve the ways of implementing Agile and Scrum practices and principles.   8. ICAgile Certified Professional in Agile Coaching (ICP-ACC) CertificationICP-ACC certification in Agile Coaching certification aims to achieve an Agile mindset. After this certification, an individual can easily be able to differentiate between the facilitation, mentoring, professional coaching and teaching and will get to learn the skills like team collaboration and conflict resolution to form a healthy organizational environment.Prerequisites to grab ICP-ACC certificationAn individual with CSM certification and 2-3 years of working experience as a Scrum Master, is eligible to achieve ICP-ACC certification training. What next after ICP ACC certification?Being a certified Agile Coach, you can play the role of the mentor to the Agile team by facilitating Agile practices and empowering teams to reach their goals. More specifically, an Agile Coach can is a guide to the team members who help the team in Agile adoption. Career Roles of a Scrum MasterThe Scrum Master is the heart of the Scrum process who plays a diverse set of roles in the team. Let's have a glimpse of the various roles that Scrum Master can play after the CSM certification:Agile CoachProduct OwnerManager SAFe Scrum MasterConcluding ThoughtsThe Scrum Master role should not be an end itself. There is always a scope of consistent improvement. So, for all the Scrum Masters, ‘What’s your next career path?’ Being a Scrum Master, try not to keep yourself restricted to limited skills. Try to advance your Scrum skills always by taking more advanced Scrum certifications.    So, are you ready to take the plunge with other advanced Scrum certifications after earning CSM certification?  
Rated 4.0/5 based on 34 customer reviews
The Career Path of a Certified Scrum Master: Foundational & Advanced Certifications
Blogs
14460
The Career Path of a Certified Scrum Master: Found...

“When business goals are constantly varying, ste... Read More