Author Archives: Ivana Jevtic

Top 10 React UI Component Libraries

Top 10 React UI Component Libraries

Introduction

To create a website or application, the UI (User Interface) must be divided into functional units and then created individually. These units are commonly referred to as components. A component can be any functional part of the UI, such as a menu, carousel, table, loader, chart, or paginator, but the most common example of a component is a button.

Beginners make each new component from scratch because they don’t understand why they’re being made. Components are designed to be reused. As a result, rather than creating a button from scratch, the developer will be able to reuse the button he has already created as a component elsewhere. When developing the application, it is a good idea to immediately think in this direction.

However, in this manner, developers waste a significant amount of time dealing with design rather than focusing on the functionality of the components. This method of application development works well for small projects but not for large ones. As a result, different UI component libraries can be used to accelerate development on larger projects. UI component libraries significantly reduce development time by providing a large number of pre-built components with the same design.

To enable the creation of single-page applications, React relies on components. Because React is so popular and has such a large community, there are a plethora of UI component libraries created specifically for React.

In this article, we will look at the top 10 React UI component libraries.

1. Ant Design

Ant Design, abbreviated as AntD, is a React library and enterprise-class UI for web applications. It is one of the most popular React UI component libraries.

It includes a plethora of high-quality pre-built components for creating interactive user interfaces. Ant Design is written in TypeScript, which adds to the appeal of this UI component library.

AntDesign is used to build websites such as Alibaba, Tencent, and Baidu. It’s no coincidence that these sites were built with Ant Design, the library has Chinese roots.

Official website: Ant Design GitHub: Ant Design GitHub project 83.2k stars, 37.1k forks

2. Material UI (MIU)

Material UI is one of the most widely used React UI component libraries. Because of its minimalist design and simplicity, MIU is widely used and frequently used as a go-to option. Another reason for this library’s popularity is the variety of components it offers. In addition to components, it offers a variety of themes that aid in the development of a website or web application.

MIU has excellent documentation and is simple to use, which is very important and has undoubtedly contributed to the library’s global acceptance. Some things are provided for free, while others must be purchased.

This UI component library has an excellent structure and is designed to be apply to any type of web application.

Official website: MUI GitHub: MUI GitHub project 83k stars, 28.6k forks

3. Semantic UI

Another well-known React UI component library is Semantic UI. To be fully compatible with React, the library is jQuery-free. It’s similar to React Bootstrap. It has over 50 components and allows developers to create their web designs.

For beginners, Semantic UI can be quite challenging. It includes semantic components that aid in the creation of responsive HTML layouts. It can also be used with Angular in addition to React.

Semantic UI has comprehensive documentation and allows for customization and theme creation.

Official website: Semantic UI GitHub: Semantic UI GitHub project 50.3k stars, 5.1k forks

4. Chakra UI

Chakra UI provides reusable React and React Native components. It includes more than 50 components for designing layouts, forms, data displays, feedback, typography, overlay, disclosure, navigation, media, and icons.

Chakra UI also allows you to create your components, which is very interesting and appealing, and it also allows for customization. This approach allows this library to be unique across projects.

For beginners, it provides the ability to create simple components that can be used to solve real-world design problems, making the React UI component library simple to learn.

Official website: Chakra UI GitHub: Chakra UI GitHub project 30k stars, 2.7k forks

5. React Bootstrap

React Bootstrap, as the name implies, is a UI component library similar to the original Bootstrap except that it is built in React and has a few differences. Because the emphasis was on using React, it was important to leave out jQuery during development.

Because Bootstrap is the most popular CSS framework and React is a JavaScript framework, the two work well together. If you like Bootstrap and build applications with React, React Bootstrap is an excellent choice.

React Bootstrap provides both free and paid themes. The good news is that you can create your Bootstrap themes.

Official website: React Bootstrap GitHub: React Bootstrap GitHub project 21.3k stars, 3.4k forks

6. Blueprint UI

Blueprint UI is typically used to create complex interfaces for displaying large amounts of data and for desktop applications.

It provides a large selection of packages-separated components, so in addition to classic (CORE) components, it also provides special components such as DATETIME, ICONS, SELECT, TABLE, TIMEZONE, and POPOVER.

Blueprint UI, unlike most other UI component libraries, does not provide themes, but almost all design elements can be customized.

Official website: Blueprint GitHub: Blueprint GitHub project 19.5k stars, 2.1k forks

7. Fluent UI

Fluent UI was formerly known as Fabric React, and Microsoft is the company behind this React UI component library, which it uses in its products. The advantage is that this UI component library works with desktop, Android, and iOS devices.

Microsoft websites such as Office365, Azure DevOps, OneNote, and others use Fluent UI. It has excellent documentation that is updated regularly as new versions of this React UI component library are released.

If you like Microsoft products, Fluent UI is the way to go.

Official website: Fluent UI GitHub: Fluent UI GitHub project 14.3k stars, 2.4k forks

8. Reactstrap

Reactstrap is similar to the previously mentioned React Bootstrap. Both use React but in different ways. Reactstrap was created a few years after React Bootstrap to be a simpler and lighter variant, so it initially has fewer features than React Bootstrap.

This React UI component library has the advantage of being simple to use and learn. The disadvantage is that it has fewer features than similar React UI component libraries. Reactstrap is essentially a React component that already has Bootstrap applied to it so we don’t need to do that.

Reactstrap is used to create responsive websites and web applications, and it includes a variety of customizable components. Allows for the use of plugins and themes.

React Bootstrap or Reactstrap?

Reactstrap is a better choice for beginners, but React Bootstrap is a better choice if you already have experience with React and want more control over Bootstrap components.

Official website: Reactstrap GitHub: Reactstrap GitHub project 10.4k stars, 1.3k forks

9. NextUI

NextUI is a React UI component library designed for front-end developers of all skill levels. You can easily create websites and applications with NextUI, whether you are a beginner or a professional developer. NextUI is a modern React UI component library with beautiful components that is simple to use and fast.

NextUI components support server-side rendering, which is an advantage of this React UI component library. It is also compatible with Next.js.

It allows for simple customization of the available default themes. There are several methods for customizing components. It’s very simple to switch between light and dark UI modes.

NextUI is a relatively new React UI component library, but it already has a sizable GitHub community.

Official website: NextUI GitHub: NextUI GitHub project 8.5k stars, 459 forks

10. Grommet

Grommet is a React UI component library focused on mobile. Unlike minimalist UI libraries like Material UI and AntDesign, Grommet provides slightly more interesting components and themes.

This React UI component library is primarily concerned with responsive design in web applications. Grommet, unlike other React UI component libraries, provides two useful tools Grommet Designer and Grommet Themer.

Grommet Designer is used to create components, whereas Grommet Themer is used to customize basic elements such as fonts and colors.

Grommet has its component library on Storybook, and each component has its code sandbox.

Grommet has a vibrant community, and many large corporations, including Netflix, Uber, and Samsung, have used it.

Official website: Grommet GitHub: Grommet GitHub project 8.1k stars, 995 forks

Conclusion

Web applications or websites can be created without using React UI component libraries or other UI libraries, but the process would be much longer and more complex. UI component libraries were created to facilitate and accelerate the development process of web applications, particularly when using React, which relies on the use of libraries.

If you’re just getting started with React UI component libraries, stick to the most popular and lightweight. You can more easily switch to more advanced and demanding ones after gaining some experience than if you started with them right away.

If you already have experience with such libraries, concentrate on learning the popular ones that you haven’t used before. Follow which React UI component libraries are most commonly used in projects and teams if you work as a developer.

Because such libraries have numerous advantages and are widely used, every developer should be familiar with at least a few React UI component libraries.

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Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

Introduction

Application development has never been simple, and it will never be. Because the goal is to make application development as simple as possible, there are various types of websites and tools for application development available today; however, if we are talking about applications developed to meet the specific needs of clients, this method of application development will not suffice.

Smaller, simpler applications can be classified as such development. However, large and complex applications, of which there are many more today, necessitate a team of developers, better organization, and a more serious approach to the development itself.

The SDLC, or Software Development Life Cycle, is a set of specific steps that must be completed to develop successful and high-quality applications. The advantage of this approach is that each step represents a component of the application’s development, which can be further subdivided into smaller tasks for developers. This makes it easier to follow the software application’s development process. SDLC is also referred to as the software development process.

What is SDLC?

A process that initially solves a large number of problems is required for successful and high-quality application development. The most common issues are application development deadlines, quality, and application development costs.

SDLC’s goal is to create a high-quality application that meets all of the client’s requirements while staying within all application development deadlines and costs. Because the SDLC provides a detailed application development plan, which includes an assessment of the shortest time required for application development, it ensures that the application’s quality is high in the end and that the price remains within the appropriate range as initially agreed with the client. As a result, SDLC solves all of the most common problems encountered during professional application development.

SDLC is also a method or standard for evaluating and improving the application development process. IT companies use SDLC as part of their project management processes. Each step contributes to the efficiency of application development and thus aids the IT company in its implementation.

How does SDLC work?

One of the goals is to reduce application development time as much as possible. By dividing tasks into sections, all redundancy is eliminated, and there is little room for wasting time. As a result, a more accurate estimate for the final project deadline can be made, and the development speed is significantly increased.

At any time, the client can see how far the project has progressed and whether everything is going according to plan or if some changes are required. SDLC gives the IT company and the client complete control over the application development process from beginning to end.

To make all of this possible, the IT company must employ one of the SDLC’s software development methodologies. For software development, the Agile and Waterfall methodologies are most commonly used.

SDLC steps

The SDLC is typically divided into seven steps; however, depending on the project manager, the project may have fewer or more steps. SDLC should follow these seven steps:

  1. Planning
  2. Defining requirements
  3. Design and prototyping
  4. Software development
  5. Testing
  6. Deployment
  7. Maintenance

1. Planning

The most important phase is the planning phase, which is where everything starts. It is critical to get everything right during this phase so that the rest of the process runs as smoothly as possible.

A meeting with the client is scheduled to gather all of the information about what the client expects from the project. This stage encompasses all aspects of project and product management. Typically, information is gathered about who the end user will be and what the project’s overall goal will be. Typically, business analysts and project managers attend this meeting with the client.

During the planning phase, information is gathered not only from the client but also from all project stakeholders. A stakeholder is anyone who benefits from the project.

2. Defining requirements

The following step is to develop software requirements and get them approved by project stakeholders. To accomplish this, a Software Requirements Specification (SRS) document is created, which should include all of the requirements that will be developed.

The SRS document is used to determine the resources required to meet the project’s requirements and to estimate the cost. This phase determines not only what is required for the project, but also what is not.

3. Design and prototyping

The goal of this phase is to determine in detail how the project’s software application will function. All of the information gathered in the previous two phases is grouped. The platform and technologies to be used in the project have been decided. The user interface, or how the user will interact with the application, has been defined.

Following the selection of a platform and technology, the method of communication with other services, servers, and instances is defined. Depending on the project, consideration is given to how the protection will be implemented and what security measures are required to protect the software application.

During the design phase, a software application prototype is typically created. A prototype is an alpha version of an application that contains some basic functionality or design elements. A prototype is created to visually demonstrate the basic idea of how the application looks and functions to stakeholders. This is done to provide stakeholders with more detailed feedback, which will aid in future development. Without the prototype phase, creating the same application would take much more time, patience, and money because many things would have to be changed during the development phase. All of these issues can be resolved during the design phase.

4. Software development

Programming can begin during the software development phase. The number of developers may vary depending on the project’s complexity. Some projects can be completed by a single developer, while others may necessitate the collaboration of several developers.

The development team adheres to the design and focuses on coding. To track code changes, a central repository is established. An important first step in working in a team is to ensure that all team members have tool compatibility so that everyone is fully synchronized without any unnecessary deviations.

The SDLC’s longest phase is software development. Errors are fixed and problems that arise during development are resolved during this phase. Tasks are frequently delayed due to a variety of factors such as test results. The developer must wait for the test results before proceeding with development or corrections, and the software tester must wait for the developer to build a specific part before testing it. SDLC solves these problems so that the development team can work on other tasks during each wait to avoid wasting time.

5. Testing

The testing phase is becoming more prevalent in smaller software applications, as well as larger and more complex ones. Application testing is critical before making the application available to users because it ensures that the application will function as expected.

Depending on the requirements, testing can be either manual or automated. Various bugs or defects may be discovered during the testing phase, in which case developers are instructed to fix them so that the code remains clean and the application functions properly. The process is then repeated, with the developers submitting a new version of the application for testing until all of the tests are marked as successful.

Testing eliminates many problems that users might encounter, increasing user satisfaction and thus making the application more easily accepted by users.

6. Deployment

This is the stage at which the application is officially made available to users. The application is ready for deployment once the testing phase is completed successfully. The deployment phase can be simple or complex, depending on the application’s purpose and the client’s needs. If the deployment is done from the beginning, it can be simple. However, if it is an upgrade of some existing systems, it can be complex and time-consuming.

7. Maintenance

Following the completion of the deployment phase, the maintenance phase begins. The application is regularly used by the user during this phase, and its performance is monitored. There are rare cases where all bugs are discovered during the testing phase, which is why the maintenance phase is important because it allows users to discover new bugs and provide feedback. They are then removed, and a new patched version of the application is made available.

What software development methodologies are used in SDLC?

SDLC employs many methodologies. These methodologies are frequently referred to as Software Development Process Models. Each model includes several steps that facilitate the software development process.

The following are some of the most popular SDLC models or methodologies:

  • Agile Model
  • Waterfall Model
  • V Model
  • Lean Model
  • Spiral Model
  • Iterative Model
  • DevOps Model
  • Big Bang Model

What are the benefits of SDLC?

The most significant advantage of the SDLC is that it establishes a common goal for all participants, while each participant understands exactly what his role is in achieving the final goal. It enables participants to collaborate to create a plan, divide roles, and begin implementing the plan in such a way that each participant’s work is maximized. SDLC can be adapted to any situation where the software needs to be developed due to the various software development methodologies.

Conclusion

Without the SDLC, the software development process would be less disciplined, significantly more complex, prone to errors, and fail to communicate effectively among participants.

When it comes to professional software development, all participants must have a clear understanding of what is being done and when it is being done. The role hierarchy within the SDLC is also important. Although all members participate in discussions, final decisions are made by members with higher hierarchical roles. The SDLC provides the client with real-time visibility into the status of the project.

As time passes, the SDLC improves and adopts more modern models, such as DevOps. This is a trend that will almost certainly continue, as it is both normal and necessary to keep up with modern software application development.

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What is a Content Management System (CMS)?

What is a Content Management System (CMS)?

Introduction

CMS is an acronym that is commonly used on the Internet when creating websites. This acronym’s popularity is not by chance, and it has numerous advantages. CMS is an abbreviation for Content Management Systems, and it plays an important role in business development.

It is important to note right away that nearly 80 million websites use some form of CMS.

In this post, we will go over several CMS-related topics in depth:

  • What is CMS, exactly?
  • How does the CMS work?
  • What does a CMS consist of?
  • What are the popular CMS platforms?
  • What types of websites can be built with CMS?
  • What are the main advantages of the CMS platform?

What is a Content Management System (CMS)?

A Content Management System (CMS) is a software platform designed to provide a potential solution to certain issues that may arise during the development of a website.

  • The process of creating a website can be demanding and difficult, and it is necessary to set aside a significant amount of time for the website to be completed successfully and on time.
  • Depending on the requirements for website development, the number of developers may vary. The more extensive the requirements and the shorter the development time, the higher the number of developers and thus the cost of creating such a website.
  • One of the most important factors here is expertise. A website is insufficient if it is not designed for non-professional users.

All of the problems mentioned above are easily solved by the CMS platform.

How does the Content Management System work?

When creating a traditional website, the developer would have to upload all of the necessary files to the server and configure the server to download and display the appropriate files as needed. In such a case, the developer has his hands full, and the process can take longer or shorter depending on the developer’s experience and the hosting platform.

CMS, on the other hand, eliminates the need to upload code files because such files are already included. What is required is to populate those files with the necessary information. All of this is possible with the dashboard. Using the dashboard to enter content into files looks like entering plain text, and most settings are done with a mouse click.

Media files, such as images, video clips, or documents, are frequently required to be uploaded.

Developers can, of course, experiment with a CMS’s source files if it is an open-source project. There is a lot of freedom in customizing the CMS platform, but there are some limitations in terms of website development from the start.

What does a Content Management System consist of?

CMS, like web applications, is divided into two parts: front-end and back-end.

The front-end is the part of the website that allows the user to manage it through the dashboard. The front-end also includes the design of the website that end users or clients see.

The back-end is the part of the application that runs in the background and is responsible for storing data in the database, manipulating data with code, and displaying data. The back-end section is primarily concerned with the CMS system’s functionality.

Because the CMS system uses both the front-end and the back-end equally, we can say that CMS is a complete software solution that is widely accepted.

For website development, many CMS platforms rely on plugins and themes. A plugin is a small application that performs or assists in the performance of a specific task. Plugins are CMS extensions that aid in website development. There are both free and paid plugins.

Themes can also be very useful during the development of a website. Themes simplify website development by providing ready-made templates that look great with minimal changes. There are both free and paid premium themes available. Free themes typically provide only the most basic elements of the template, whereas premium themes provide many additional options to make the website look even better.

Because CMS is such a popular software solution, there are a plethora of CMS platforms that are popular and widely used in the domain of website creation.

For a long time, there have been three leading CMS platforms, one of which stands out as the most popular and best. WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla are the most popular CMS platforms in terms of the number of websites and users.

When it comes to CMS platforms, WordPress is the clear winner. It is widely regarded as the best and most popular CMS platform in the world. WordPress powers nearly half of all websites on the planet.

Drupal and Joomla take up much less market space for website development, but because they have been around for a long time, they have a good reputation as well as many useful ready-made modules that can be used for website development.

WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla are long-standing CMS platforms that perform similarly, but there are also more modern CMS platforms.

Squarespace, Wix, and Weebly are examples of more recent CMS platforms. The difference is that such CMS platforms give average users even more support for website development and allow for a drag-and-drop approach to creation. In addition to being simpler to use, they provide a comprehensive website development solution that includes additional services such as hosting.

For older CMS platforms such as WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla, specific professional knowledge is still required to cover the entire development of the website from start to finish. In any case, average users will require the assistance of a developer. That problem is solved by more modern CMS platforms, which take over that part, leaving the user with only the process of creating a website.

Other CMS platforms include Magento, Webflow, TYPO3, Contentful, HubSpot, Shopify, and numerous others. We have only included the most popular CMS platforms in this section. However, others serve a similar purpose or function slightly differently.

What types of websites can be created using a Content Management System?

CMS platforms today can include several different types of websites and be more flexible, or they can focus solely on one type of website. The more specialized the CMS is for the development of a specific category, the better results it should provide and better opportunities in that category, although this does not necessarily mean that, again, everything depends on the client’s requirements.

One of the reasons WordPress is so popular is that it allows for great flexibility in developing websites of all types while maintaining the same quality.

The CMS platform can be used to create the following types of websites:

  • Static web pages
  • Electronics shops (eCommerce)
  • Portfolio or blog websites
  • Discussion boards (Forums)
  • Online courses
  • Social network websites

What are the main advantages of Content Management Systems?

To comprehend all of the benefits of the CMS platform, we must first return to the previously mentioned issues that arise during website development. Most clients want their website completed as soon as possible, to be of the highest quality possible, and to be profitable. This is precisely what the CMS platform enables.

The CMS platform primarily facilitates website development for developers, speeds up the creation process, and provides a way for non-professionals who do not know how to program to create a website.

CMS, as a software platform, offers a plethora of ready-made modules that can be combined to create a website. It makes development easier and faster for developers because they don’t have to start from scratch, but instead, have a foundation from which to build. On the other hand, with the platform’s assistance, average users who do not know how to program can create a website and immediately manage it without additional training, while also having a professional-looking website.

Conclusion

In the long run, using a CMS platform for website development and management will benefit both the developer and the client. This solution has far more benefits than drawbacks, which explains its popularity.

What we didn’t mention earlier is that the CMS platform facilitates not only the website development process but also the maintenance that occurs after the website is finished and put into production. Upgrading the website is always possible and quick if it is built on a CMS platform, which is another significant advantage over other solutions.

CMS platforms are software solutions that will only improve in the future because they have found widespread applications and their future is secure.

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