software – Quantilus Innovation http://testdev1.quantilus.com AI Driven Innovation Wed, 12 Feb 2025 18:40:43 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.6 http://testdev1.quantilus.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Quantilus-FavIcon-1.svg software – Quantilus Innovation http://testdev1.quantilus.com 32 32 Software Development Explained http://testdev1.quantilus.com/article/software-development-explained/ Mon, 20 Dec 2021 18:33:12 +0000 https://quantilus.com/?p=9242

Software Development Explained

Software Development

Prefer to listen instead? Here’s the podcast version of this article.

Even if you do not realize it, you probably interact with several pieces of software daily. This could be from checking apps on your smartphone, playing a computer game, using social media, and having a video conference call. So how does all this software get developed, and what are the different kinds? Keep reading to find out.

 

What Is Software Development?

Simply put, software development refers to the entire process of designing and creating software that’s intended to perform tasks. The steps involved in this process comprise what is known as a software development life cycle. An overarching view of the software development life cycle includes the following steps:

  1. General Analysis and Requirements Gathering: Project managers and relevant stakeholders start by determining what the product is meant to do and identifying the intended users. They also decide on a list of requirements for implementing their vision.
  2. Product Design: This is when the blueprint for the product is created. This stage is for figuring out hardware and software specifications and identifying which programming languages, frameworks, and the like are required.
  3. Coding: At this stage, software developers start writing and running the code required to create the software. They may also conduct preliminary unit tests to detect potential errors and issues as early as possible.
  4. Testing: The software is put through multiple rounds of testing to ensure that it works as intended.
  5. Deployment of Product: The product has been tested, has met predetermined quality benchmarks, and is released for public use.
  6. Product Maintenance and Operations: Once the software has been released, it needs to be monitored and maintained to keep it usable for existing and new users. This included fixing issues, keeping back-end systems up to date, making periodic updates with the latest patches or third-party vendors, adding new features, and designing refreshes.

 

Three Types of Software Development

1) Application Software: Most software used by everyday users fall under this category, and they frequently run on desktop and mobile devices. Everyday examples are Skype, Facebook, Safari, Google Workspace, and Microsoft office.

Application software can be native (developed to run on a single operating system) or hybrid (usually apps that can run on multiple platforms like Android and iOS). Hybrid software is designed to look native but can integrate with various hardware and software specifications.

Application Software is generally one of two types; general purpose or custom made. The former is software created to regularly serve a considerably large number of people. It tends to be easy to access and navigate and is relatively inexpensive. The latter is meant to cater to specific and narrow requirements, often accessed by a limited number of users. As an example, think of software developed to serve the employees of a single company.

 

2) System Software: This refers to many software types designed to initiate and operate device hardware so that application software can run on it. Think of it as the mediator that allows a smooth collaboration between the hardware and what makes it usable.

System software can be cataloged into a few types including, operating system (OS), utility software, middleware, and embedded software. There are more types, but these are the most commonly used and developed.

  • Operating System: The software that mediates communication between the user and the computer/device. You use the OS (e.g. Microsoft Windows, Macintosh, Chrome, Linux) to interact with the device hardware/software without using a programming language.
  • Utility Software: The software performs activities, generally in the background, that maintains and updates device security, performance, and usability. Antivirus or anti-malware software is a common example.
  • Middleware: Middleware boosts many features offered by the OS. It is beneficial for data management and authentication and is indispensable for developing applications. It enables seamless interaction between data, software, and users.
  • Embedded Software: Often called firmware, this refers to software intended to run in an unfamiliar hardware environment. For example, software designed for self-driving cars, a Roomba, etc. It is common in robotics circles, including operations with IoT and virtual assistants.
 

3) Programming Software: Allows software development companies and developers to create other software, such as websites and apps. Typical examples are version control systems, compilers, debuggers, containers, automation frameworks, and integrated development environments (IDE). Programming software translates source code into directives that a computer or device can understand.  

Some developers/testers/experts assert that programming software is a sub-category of system software. While many valid points support this notion, it is to understand their differences by dividing them into two categories. Remember that programming software may need system software to run, but not vice-versa. An OS is required to run an IDE or access GitHub for the most part.

 

Software is created and used for various purposes, which is why there are different types of software produced. Furthermore, identifying the goals of the intended software will reveal which type should be developed. Lastly, when developing software, teams follow the software development life cycle. This process illuminates a project’s goals, keeps it on track while providing direction, and ensures the final product is as successful as possible.

 

Are you looking for a software developer? Quantilus can help. Contact us today at info@quantilus.com, and we can set up a time to discuss your vision and goals for the project.

Share:

More Insights

]]> What is Open Source Software? http://testdev1.quantilus.com/article/what-is-open-source-software/ Tue, 07 Dec 2021 16:10:01 +0000 https://quantilus.com/?p=9095

What is Open Source Software?

Open Source Software

Prefer to listen instead? Here’s the podcast version of this article.

Globally, Android operating software is used in the majority of today’s smartphones, even beating out Apple’s iOS. One of Android’s biggest benefits is the operating software’s capability for in-depth customization. Manufacturers exploit this feature to create customized software that ships with their phones, packed with tailored features and themes. Additionally, Android users can further personalize the software to their liking. Have you wondered how this is possible? The answer is Open Source Software (OSS).

As for Android, it is built on Linux, a leading open source operating software. Google, the owner of Android, makes the source codes of these core Android services publicly available. Additionally, Microsoft joined the Linux bandwagon in 2016 with Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL). This compatibility layer allowed users to run Linux binary executables on Windows directly.

 

What is Open Source Software?

Introduced in the late 1990s by the Open Source Initiative, open source software is a computer software released under the open source license. This open source license enables the copyright owner of the software to give users permission to use, study, modify, and distribute the software and its source code to the public. This differs from traditional, ‘closed-source’ software, where source code is kept private from users and is controlled by the developer under strict copyright laws.

Though similar-sounding, free and open source software are fundamentally different. Free software is offered by a manufacturer without a fee but may or may not come with its source code. Therefore, it is not covered under the open source license. On the other hand, open source software is protected under the open source license and offers reusable source code that users can edit for free.

The emergence of microservices has further loosened the tight-knit definitions of traditional software and applications, transforming them instead into smaller, scalable units, each responsible for a subset of work. In addition, microservices have increased the need for open source software due to its customizability.

 

Benefits of Open Source Software

The advantages of open source software appeal to both developers and organizational leaders. Significant benefits include:

  • Open source software is offered free of cost.
  • Open source software is community-backed and stable.
  • Open source software offers flexibility in terms of customizations via add-ins, extensions, and plug-ins. Source code can be edited for added modifications.
  • By using pre-existing code, open source platforms foster innovation as developers enhance and optimize the source code.

 

Examples of Popular Open Source Software

 Since its inception, the open source platform has led to some of the world’s largest and most popular software used for a variety of different purposes. A few of which include:

1) GNU/Linux: Over the last 30 years, the most prominent open source software has been Linux. Initially developed for limited release in 1991, Linux has since morphed into an umbrella term comprising hundreds of distros and full-fledged forks, including Android and ChromeOS. One study revealed that more than 25% of developers worldwide work primarily in Linux.

2) Mozilla Firefox: Before Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox was Internet Explorer’s biggest rival. This open source internet browser introduced tab-based browsing and opened the door for thousands of third-party plug-ins and extensions to further customize the browsing experience. Firefox’s popularity has since dwindled significantly as it currently holds 3.98% of the browsing market share globally, down from 31% in 2009. However, it is available across all major platforms, including Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, and even ChromeOS.

3) Audacity: Released over two decades ago, Audacity remains popular among podcasters, singers, audio engineers, and the like. Universally praised for its near-unlimited array of extensions and an enormous dev community driving continuous improvements, this open source audio editor is used for recording, editing, and mixing audio.

4) GIMP: GNU Image Manipulation Tool, or GIMP, has been a favorite in the open source community since its release in 1996. Even today, GIMP remains the best free alternative to Adobe Photoshop, with its extensive feature set, thousands of plug-ins, and a robust developer community.

5) VLC Media Player: VLC Media Player is one of the most popular all-rounder media-playing software globally. Capable of playing almost all video, media, and audio formats – VLC offers nearly unmatched compatibility in its class. Available for various platforms (Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS), VLC Media Player also supports a multitude of customization options. These include visualizations, extensions, and even hardware-specific optimizations.

6) Blender: This open source 3D computer graphics toolset offers an array of advanced features. Blender enjoys immense popularity among animation professionals.

7) LibreOffice and OpenOffice: Rivals to Microsoft Office, LibreOffice and OpenOffice offer a near-identical suite of office tool features for free, including a diverse array of add-ins and extensions.

8) Python and PHP: Python is the world’s most popular programming language, while PHP is used extensively in web development and content creation backend. PHP is the backbone of platforms such as Spotify and Slack. Both these open source languages offer almost endless integrations and are very easy to learn and customize.

9) KeePass: This open source software for Windows, Mac, Linux, and mobile devices is a lightweight password management tool. KeePass uses industry-standard AES256 algorithms to encrypt stored passwords and uses multi-factor authentication for added security. Moreover, the encrypted password database can be moved between devices or copied to external storage, and hundreds of available plug-ins offer unmatched customization options compared to competitors in its category.

10) WordPress: As the most popular content management system (CMS) in the world, WordPress powers around 35% of all websites globally. Because WordPress is open source software, it boasts a large developer community that has improved, created, and advanced the capabilities of the website platform. Key outcomes of include a vast library of plugins and themes to quickly set up professional websites. WordPress users range from casual bloggers to massive corporations, such as Time Magazine, TechCrunch, and Vogue.

 

There are numerous benefits of using the open source platform. With massive customization options via add-ins, extensions, and plug-ins, open source software offers core functionalities alongside editable source code. Organizations can leverage these features to modify the software or application according to their needs.

 

Are you interested in developing a platform using open source software? Quantilus can help. Contact us today at info@quantilus.com, and we can set up a time to discuss your vision and goals for the project.

Share:

More Insights

]]>