Technical FAQs
The software development industry is changing more rapidly than ever before. With new technology hitting the market on a regular basis, software vendors need to become flexible enough to adapt to the top coding trends if they want to remain competitive.
After a tumultuous 2020, the industry has seen a number of key trends emerge in the first half of 2021. Here are some of the top coding trends worth watching in the second half of the year.
Top 5 Coding Trends of 2021 (So Far)
1. Open-Source Evolution
Developers have been turning to open-source solutions for some time now as a quick way to integrate new features into their applications. While there are a lot of great benefits to using open-source code, it’s not always the simple solution that it appears to be. Substantial work may need to be done to implement the specific features an application requires. More importantly, open-source solutions rarely offer much in the way of support or security updates, and there can also be complicated intellectual property issues to consider when incorporating open source code into a proprietary application.
That’s why many innovative developers are using stable open-source solutions as a foundation for creating more feature-rich software SDKs. For teams building new applications, it’s often much easier to implement one of these integrations because it will require far less configurations and additional coding to get up and running. They can also get the benefits of dedicated support and not have to worry about whether their new integration will create any legal issues down the road.
2. UX Design
With the proliferation of Software as a Service (SaaS) platforms and the widespread use of open source development resources, it’s becoming easier for organizations to find the applications that suit their business needs. What they can’t always find, however, is a solution that’s easy for their employees and customers to use. That’s why the quality of an application’s user experience (UX) is quickly becoming a key differentiator in the software market.
Rather than implementing UX features at a later stage of the coding process, developers need to consider how users will interact with their solution from the very beginning. Software needs to be intuitive and easy to implement out-of-the-box. This applies equally to end-user products and developer-focused SDK integrations. No one has time to struggle with software that’s difficult to use. If a solution proves too cumbersome and hard to implement, customers will likely turn to a competing product that offers a better user experience. The more time developers spend considering their software’s UX, the better they’ll be able to adapt it to customer needs in the future.
3. Responsive Mobile Support
For many years, there was a somewhat artificial distinction between mobile software development and desktop development. But in a world where half of all internet activity comes from mobile devices, no developer working on web-based applications can afford to consider their software “just” for desktops. Just as website designers have been building pages that respond dynamically to different screen sizes and control interfaces, developers must also account for the unique characteristics of mobile devices.
The unique characteristics of mobile screens present specific challenges regarding the application’s user interface (UI). Simply providing standard desktop controls is bound to result in a frustrating mobile experience. Mobile responsive applications can accommodate touch-specific controls (such as pinch-to-zoom) without compromising the desktop experience at the same time. Developers must think about what kinds of devices their software solutions will be used on if they’re to build features and tools that will truly benefit their customers.
4. API Integrations
Today’s developers no longer need to build every feature their application might require from scratch. Thanks to a new generation of web API technology, it’s easier than ever to find software integrations that can quickly and easily add vital features without having to dedicate weeks of development time to building them. Understanding which web application features can be incorporated via a REST API helps development teams to focus their limited resources and time on the truly unique features that will help set them apart from the competition.
Utilizing web API technologies can streamline sprints and shorten development time significantly. That’s because much of the “trial and error” work of building a new feature is eliminated. Rather than designing and testing new capabilities for months, developers can simply implement a tested and proven web API integration within a matter of days. That helps to keep budgets under control and development schedules on track to make targeted launch days.
5. Remote Work
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck the world in early 2020, many software developers transitioned to a remote workplace arrangement. As other industries begin to tentatively return to the office, tech workers seem to have become quite accustomed to working remotely. According to a late 2020 survey conducted by Indeed, nearly half of participants reported that they now have the option to work remotely on a permanent basis, with 95 percent of them planning to do so. Perhaps even more telling, however, was the finding that 60 percent of tech workers are willing to take a pay cut in order to keep working from home.
Software vendors will have to accommodate these expectations if they hope to remain competitive when it comes to finding and retaining talent. Project managers should not expect work patterns to go back to the way they were before the pandemic. They will be better served focusing on how to organize remote work efficiently and how to provide the resources developers need to be productive while working from home. Transitioning to a more remote workforce is also allowing organizations to tap into a much broader pool of talent, which will help to bring more diverse voices and experiences into the development process.
Keeping an Eye on Future Trends
The software development teams at Accusoft are always looking ahead to see where today’s coding trends are leading the industry. That’s why we’ve been building easy-to-implement, lightweight SDKs like the free-to-use Accusoft PDF Viewer alongside our stable of versatile API solutions like PrizmDoc Viewer. We also continue to make ongoing improvements to our products to provide a better user experience for customers.
Our collection of software integrations can help development teams keep up with today’s top coding trends. Whether you’re looking to quickly integrate new features into an existing application or are looking for the right tools to support your next project, we have the API and SDK resources to keep you on-budget and on-time. Check out the Accusoft Resource Center to learn more.
TAMPA, Fla. – 2021 marks the 30th anniversary for Accusoft Corporation, the longtime leader in content, processing, conversion, and automation technologies for developers.
Headquartered in Tampa, FL, Accusoft was founded in 1991 as Pegasus Imaging, a provider of technology and solutions to the photo and document imaging markets. In 1998, Pegasus Imaging expanded into medical compression technologies. This technology was adopted by some of the largest medical technology companies in the world, including GE Healthcare, McKesson, Phillips Medical Systems, Siemens Medical Solutions, and Toshiba.
Between 2004-2008 Pegasus Imaging acquired TMSSequoia and Accusoft which moved the company into the forms processing and image cleanup technologies. In 2012, Pegasus Imaging was rebranded to Accusoft Corporation.
Today, after seeing three decades of change and innovation, Accusoft is proud to bring new technologies to market, driven by the goal of improving the document lifecycle experience for businesses and their employees.
Most recently Accusoft created and launched OnTask and the Accusoft PDF Viewer. OnTask is a workflow automation tool that makes it easy for small to mid-sized businesses to digitally send and fill forms, get signatures on documents, and automate overall business processes.The Accusoft PDF Viewer is a JavaScript SDK that easily integrates into a developer’s web application to enable PDF viewing and annotation features with no server dependencies.
“Every day I am so amazed by the talent and passion of the team we have built at Accusoft,” said Accusoft CEO Jack Berlin. “30 years in business is a testament to our employees, as well as the innovation and quality of the products we bring to the market.”
For more information about Accusoft, please visit https://www.accusoft.com/.
About Accusoft:
Founded in 1991, Accusoft is a software development company specializing in content processing, conversion, and automation solutions. From out-of-the-box and configurable applications to APIs built for developers, Accusoft software enables users to solve their most complex workflow challenges and gain insights from content in any format, on any device. Backed by 40 patents, the company’s flagship products, including OnTask, PrizmDoc™ Viewer, and ImageGear, are designed to improve productivity, provide actionable data, and deliver results that matter. The Accusoft team is dedicated to continuous innovation through customer-centric product development, new version release, and a passion for understanding industry trends that drive consumer demand. Visit us at www.accusoft.com.
Over the last few years, codemantra has focused on developing document processing capabilities to enhance its core document management systems. The multifaceted collectionPoint platform leverages the power of machine learning to extract data and integrate with business applications such as LMS solutions, ERP software, and CRM systems. However, in order to maximize collectionPoint’s document flexibility, codemantra needed the right integrations to manage and edit PDF documents. Rather than devoting additional development resources to building a viewing solution in-house, the codemantra team instead conducted a thorough review of multiple third-party integrations to find the ideal match for collectionPoint. Find out why they chose PrizmDoc® for Java, formerly VirtualViewer®.