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Flutter vs. React Native in 2023: Which is Better for Mobile App Development?

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In the world of mobile development two major competitors are Flutter and React Native. Both frameworks have their own strengths and weaknesses, and developers are often torn between the two. As we look to the future, the question becomes: which framework will emerge as the dominant one by 2023?

We will take a look at each framework’s advantages and disadvantages, as well as their comparative performance and popularity. By the end of this blog post, you should have a better understanding of which framework – Flutter vs. React Native – is more likely to become the leader in the mobile app development industry in 2023.

Table of Contents

What is React Native?

React Native is a JavaScript framework created by Facebook that allows developers to create native mobile applications for iOS and Android platforms using the same codebase. It is based on the popular React library and provides a powerful set of features that allow developers to create high-performance mobile apps with minimal effort.

what is React Native?

React Native enables developers to build cross-platform apps quickly and efficiently, without having to write separate code for each platform. This means that you can write the same code for both iOS and Android devices, reducing the amount of development time and cost. React Native provides access to native APIs and components such as camera, geolocation, and contacts, giving you the ability to create powerful and performant mobile applications. The framework has an intuitive UI library and also provides cross-platform support for popular libraries like Redux. With its easy-to-use tools, such as hot reloading, you can quickly iterate on your app and make changes without having to restart the application.

Popular Apps Made With React Native

React Native has been used to create some of the successful apps on the market. According to recent statistics, over 95% of the top 100 grossing apps on iOS and Android were made with React Native. Furthermore, over 4 million developers are using React Native worldwide, and it is estimated that more than 1 billion devices are running apps developed with this framework.

Popular Apps Made With React Native
Popular apps made with React Native are becoming increasingly more common, as the framework makes it easy to develop cross-platform applications that look and feel native on both iOS and Android devices. These apps are used by millions of people around the world every day.

  • Instagram

    Everyone knows Instagram! This powerful photo-sharing and video platform is another popular example of a successful app built with React Native.

  • Facebook Ads Manager

    Developed by the world’s largest social media platform, Facebook Ads Manager is one of the most popular apps created with React Native. This app allows you to create, manage, and monitor your campaigns, as well as analyze their performance.

  • Airbnb

    Airbnb is a great example of how React Native can be used for large-scale projects. This multi-faceted app allows users to search for and book unique accommodations from all around the world.

  • Skype

    Microsoft’s instant messaging platform, Skype, is also a popular React Native app. It allows users to make audio and video calls, share files, and collaborate in real time.

  • Walmart

    The retail giant, Walmart, has also invested in React Native and created their own mobile app for customers. It allows users to browse products, compare prices, read reviews, and even pay for their purchases without ever leaving the app.

React Native has become a popular choice for app development due to its efficient codebase that allows developers to quickly build powerful applications with minimal effort. Furthermore, its large community of developers provides support for any issues or questions that may arise during development.

What is Flutter?

Flutter is an open source, cross-platform mobile application development framework developed by Google. It enables developers to create high-quality native apps for both iOS and Android devices with a single codebase. Flutter allows developers to quickly and easily build beautiful and powerful apps that run natively on both Android and iOS platforms.

what is Flutter?

Flutter is based on the popular Dart programming language and features a reactive style of programming that makes developing apps easier and faster. With its advanced layout system, Flutter can create complex UI components with ease. Additionally, Flutter includes a rich set of platform-specific APIs and libraries, enabling developers to create apps for both platforms without having to learn two different programming languages.

Finally, Flutter is completely free and open-source, making it an ideal choice for developers looking for an easy way to get started with mobile app development. With its fast iteration cycles, rich feature set, and wide range of supported platforms, Flutter provides developers with a powerful yet simple platform for building beautiful and functional mobile apps.

Famous Apps Built With Flutter

Flutter has been gaining a lot of popularity over the last few years, and it’s no surprise why. With its quick and intuitive development cycle, Flutter is a great choice for developing mobile apps.

One of the key benefits of Flutter is that it allows you to create apps quickly and efficiently, while also providing access to powerful features like Google’s Material Design UI, rich animations, and more.

Flutter has been used to develop some of the most popular apps today. Here are a few of them:

  • Google Ads

    Google Ads is one of the most popular ad platforms, and it was developed using Flutter. The app offers a rich user experience with smooth animations and a great design.

  • Alibaba

    Alibaba is one of the world’s biggest e-commerce platforms, and its app was created using Flutter. The app offers a fast and seamless shopping experience.

  • Hamilton

    Hamilton is a popular musical based on the life of Alexander Hamilton. The official Hamilton app was built using Flutter, and it allows fans to keep up with the latest news and events related to the show.

  • Reflectly

    Reflectly is a popular lifestyle journaling app, and it was developed using Flutter. The app provides users with a simple and beautiful interface, allowing them to easily document their thoughts and feelings.

  • Birch Finance

    Birch Finance is a personal finance app that helps users manage their finances and make better spending decisions. It’s built with Flutter, giving users a smooth and reliable experience.

Famous Apps Built With Flutter

Flutter has become a powerful tool for developing modern mobile apps, and its popularity will continue to grow as developers discover its capabilities.

React Native: Pros and Cons

React Native enables developers to create native apps for both iOS and Android platforms using JavaScript. The use of React Native has grown exponentially over the years due to its numerous advantages.

Here are 5 of the main pros of React Native development.

Pros of React Native

  1. Cross-Platform Compatibility

    React Native is a powerful framework for mobile app development that enables developers to create apps for both iOS and Android platforms using a single codebase. It is an open-source library that provides developers with the tools needed to create robust, feature-rich applications quickly and efficiently. With React Native, developers can save time and resources, as they no longer need to create separate apps for each platform.

  2. Cost-Effective

    React Native has gained immense popularity among mobile app developers, thanks to its cost-efficient approach. With this framework a team of developers can build applications for both iOS and Android platforms simultaneously, saving time and resources. Moreover, the availability of numerous libraries, tools and third-party plugins makes React Native more accessible and affordable for small businesses and startups, providing quality app development services at an affordable price.

  3. Fast Deployment

    The fast deployment of React Native allows developers to create and publish new features or updates quickly. The code can be reused, making it cost and time-efficient. Furthermore, the platform offers hot reloading, which enables developers to see the changes they make instantly, saving more time. With React Native developers can create high-quality mobile applications that can be deployed quickly and efficiently, while ensuring a seamless user experience across different devices and platforms.

  4. Easy Maintenance & Updates

    React Native offers easy maintenance and updates thanks to its reusable components, hot reloading and simplified debugging process. It allows developers to make changes to the codebase while the app is running, making the process quicker and more efficient. The platform also has a large active community that offers continuous support, making it easier to stay up-to-date with the latest updates and best practices. React Native provides a smooth development experience for both iOS and Android, allowing businesses to focus on creating excellent user experiences instead of dealing with burdensome maintenance issues.

  5. High Community Support

    The React Native development community has experienced high levels of support from its members. This tight-knit group of developers consistently provides valuable feedback and resources to one another, creating a culture of collaboration and support. The community also regularly hosts meetups and conferences to facilitate knowledge-sharing and network-building. The strong community backing of React Native development makes it an attractive option for organizations looking to develop versatile and efficient mobile applications.

Overall, React Native can greatly benefit businesses and developers by reducing development time, enhancing user experience and simplifying mobile app maintenance.

react native pros and cons

Cons of React Native

React Native is a popular choice for building cross-platform mobile apps. However, like any technology, it has its limitations. Here are 5 disadvantages of using React Native.

  1. Performance Issues

    Performance issues are a notorious problem to developers when building applications with React Native. The framework’s virtual DOM, while helpful in many aspects, can lead to slow rendering times and less-efficient performance. Additionally, the problem is compounded when developing applications for older devices with limited processing power or resources. Luckily, there are ways to mitigate this, such as optimizing image sizes, reducing the number of elements on a screen and utilizing third-party libraries to improve performance. However, it is important to keep a close eye on performance metrics and make adjustments accordingly to avoid potential user frustration or abandonment.

  2. Third-Party Dependency Issues

    One of the biggest challenges facing React Native development is the issue of third-party dependencies. While using open-source code from third-party libraries can speed up development, it can also introduce security vulnerabilities or compatibility issues. Additionally, keeping track of numerous dependencies, each with potentially different versions and dependencies of their own, can be difficult to manage. Ensuring that all dependencies are up-to-date and compatible with each other is crucial, but can also be time-consuming. Proper testing and vetting of third-party libraries is essential to minimize these risks and ensure a reliable and secure application.

  3. Limited Customization

    React Native is a powerful cross-platform development framework. However, one limitation is its limited customization options. While it provides a rich set of pre-built UI components, customizing them to meet specific design requirements can be challenging. Developers often have to rely on third-party libraries or build their own components from scratch. Despite this limitation, React Native remains a popular choice among developers due to its ease of use, flexibility, and ability to deliver applications quickly.

  4. Debugging Challenges

    Debugging in React Native can be challenging as it involves a complex architecture of Javascript and native code. Identifying the root cause of errors in the codebase can be a daunting task, and testing for edge cases and different devices can be time-consuming. Additionally, debugging network-related issues across different operating systems can be complicated. To overcome these challenges, developers rely on specialized tools like Chrome DevTools, React Native Debugger, ESLint and Jest testing frameworks.

  5. Learning Curve

    Learning React Native development can have a steep learning curve for developers who are not familiar with the framework. React Native has its own syntax, components and libraries which can be different from other frameworks. However, the React Native community is robust and offers a wealth of resources and support to help developers get started and continually improve their skills. Overall, the learning curve of React Native development ultimately depends on a developer’s prior experience and commitment to learning.

In conclusion, although React Native development offers many benefits such as faster development, code reuse and cross-platform compatibility, there are also some significant cons to consider. Overall, while React Native is a viable option for certain types of apps, it may not be the best choice for every project.

Flutter: Pros and Cons

Flutter is an innovative mobile application development framework that has gained widespread attention in recent years. Developed by Google, it offers a variety of advantages that make it a popular choice for developers.

So, let’s get started and explore the 5 key benefits of Flutter development!

Pros of Flutter

Are you considering using Flutter for your next mobile app development project? If so, you’re making an excellent choice.

  1. Hot Reload Feature

    One of the most beneficial features of Flutter is its Hot Reload feature, which allows developers to instantly preview their changes in real-time. This makes development much faster and easier, as developers don’t have to manually compile and deploy code in order to view their changes. The Hot Reload feature is also beneficial for debugging, allowing developers to quickly fix any issues they may encounter while coding. This feature helps developers stay productive and reduces time spent debugging code. Ultimately, this improves development speed and enhances the overall user experience.

  2. Increased Productivity

    When it comes to developing mobile applications, productivity is key. Flutter is a great choice for developers because of its ability to increase productivity. Flutter allows developers to quickly create high-quality apps in a fraction of the time it would take to build them with traditional technologies. This is possible because Flutter’s unique architecture provides developers with a single codebase that can be deployed on both iOS and Android platforms. This means that developers don’t have to write separate code for each platform, saving them both time and money.

  3. Cross-Platform Support

    Flutter offers developers a powerful platform for creating beautiful, cross-platform applications with a single codebase. With Flutter developers can create apps for both Android and iOS without the need to write separate codes for each platform. By using the same code base, developers can save time and money while ensuring a consistent experience across different platforms. Flutter makes it easy to use the same UI and business logic on both platforms, which helps to keep the user experience consistent.

  4. Open Source Framework

    Flutter is an open source framework that offers developers a wealth of features and tools to help them create stunning apps quickly and easily. By taking advantage of the open source nature of Flutter, developers are able to access an array of development libraries and packages, allowing them to rapidly develop their projects in a cost-effective manner. Additionally, the framework offers detailed documentation and a vibrant community to support developers in making the most out of their projects. With its open source nature, Flutter is also highly customizable and flexible, allowing developers to create unique user experiences with ease.

  5. Performance

    When it comes to mobile application development, performance is an important factor to consider. Flutter offers superior performance and can even run without Dart language. This allows the code to be executed in a more efficient manner, thus resulting in better overall performance.

flutter main weakness

Cons of Flutter

There are some downsides to using Flutter that you need to be aware of. By understanding the limitations of Flutter, you can make an informed decision about whether it is the right framework for your project.

  1. Limited Community Support

    Developers who work with Flutter often find that there is a limited amount of community support. Unlike other popular frameworks such as React and Angular, the Flutter community is still quite small. This can make it difficult to find answers to technical questions or to find experienced professionals who can help out with coding issues. Additionally, the documentation for Flutter can be sparse in certain areas. While this issue has been improving over time, it can still be challenging to troubleshoot more complex issues with the limited resources available.

  2. Lack of Third-Party Libraries

    One of the drawbacks of Flutter development is the lack of third-party libraries. While there are some useful third-party libraries available for Flutter, it’s not nearly as expansive as its competitors. For instance, while React Native has a library of over 3000+ libraries and frameworks, Flutter only has a few hundred. This limitation means that developers may have to write code from scratch instead of being able to rely on existing libraries. As a result, development time can be increased and the project could be more expensive overall.

  3. No Support for Older Devices

    One of the major drawbacks of developing with Flutter is that it does not provide support for older devices. While this isn’t an issue for new releases, older devices may not be able to take advantage of the features that Flutter offers.

  4. Increased Development Time

    One of the biggest downsides to Flutter development is the fact that it can take more time to develop an app than other frameworks. While it is true that Flutter offers developers a faster way to produce a high-quality app, there are still certain aspects of developing an app with Flutter that can be more time consuming. For example, when creating an app in Flutter, all of the necessary coding must be done from scratch. This means that it can take longer to develop an app in Flutter than it would to use a framework like React Native which is largely based on pre-existing code. Additionally, developing an app with Flutter will require more time for debugging and making sure that the code is clean and optimized.

  5. Not as Popular as Other Frameworks

    Flutter is still in its early stages and is not as widely adopted as other mobile development frameworks. Despite the advantages it has over existing frameworks, Flutter is often viewed as a newer and riskier option. This means that it is less likely to be chosen over more established solutions like React Native and Xamarin. Additionally, Flutter is not yet compatible with all the popular platforms, meaning that developers may have to look for other solutions when developing for certain platforms. As a result, there is less community support available for Flutter compared to other frameworks, making it more difficult to find help and resources.

While Flutter does have its advantages, it also has a few drawbacks that should be considered before you choose to use it for your project. Ultimately, the decision to use Flutter will depend on your project needs. If you want something that is quick and easy to develop, then Flutter may be the right choice. However, if you need something with more features and a larger user base, then you may want to consider another option.

Flutter vs. React Native: Detailed Comparison

In 2023, both Flutter and React Native are great options for developing mobile apps. When it comes to choosing between Flutter and React Native, both offer a number of advantages and disadvantages.

To help you decide which one is right for your project, here’s a comparison of the two in 7 key points.

Flutter vs. React Native: Programming Language

Flutter uses the Dart programming language, while React Native uses JavaScript. Both languages are easy to learn and use for developers, but Dart is generally considered to be more robust and comprehensive than JavaScript.

Flutter vs. React Native: Performance

Flutter provides better performance than React Native due to its compiler which is known as “Ahead of Time” (AoT) compilation. React Native relies on the JavaScript bridge to communicate with native components, resulting in slower performance.

Flutter vs. React Native: Community Support

React Native has been around longer than Flutter, which means it has a larger and more active community of users. React Native also has more plugins and libraries available, allowing developers to quickly find solutions to their coding issues. However, the Flutter community is steadily growing, with more resources being added all the time.

Flutter vs. React Native: Development Time

Flutter offers much faster development time than React Native due to its hot reload feature, which allows developers to make changes to their code and see the results instantly. React Native requires a full app reload each time changes are made, making it slower for developers.

Flutter vs. React Native: Cost

Both Flutter and React Native offer a free development environment, so there is no additional cost involved in using either framework. That said, developing complex applications with either framework can incur costs related to hiring an experienced development team and purchasing plugins or libraries from third-party sources.

Flutter vs. React Native: Platforms Supported

Flutter supports Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, Linux and web platforms, while React Native supports Android, iOS and UWP (Universal Windows Platform).

Flutter vs. React Native: Hot Reload

Flutter offers a hot reload feature which is a major advantage as developers can easily view their changes in the app’s interface in real time, while React Native has the Live Reload feature which allows changes in the source code to be reflected in the device instantly.

Flutter vs. React Native: UI Components & Development API

Flutter has many ready-made UI components like buttons, lists, etc. It also offers development APIs for better app development. React Native provides many UI components, but it does not offer much flexibility when it comes to customizing them.

Flutter vs. React Native: Documentation & Tooling

Flutter offers extensive documentation and tooling support, making it easier for developers to understand and use the platform. React Native also has extensive documentation, but the tooling support is somewhat limited compared to Flutter.

Flutter vs. React Native: Detailed Comparison in 2023

The Verdict

When it comes to deciding which technology will win out in 2023, the answer isn’t so clear-cut. Both Flutter vs. React Native have plenty of strengths and weaknesses. Flutter is a fast, reliable framework for creating cross-platform mobile applications, with access to plenty of open-source libraries and a rich ecosystem of plugins. React Native, on the other hand, gives developers the freedom to create complex user interfaces with JavaScript and is backed by a huge community of developers.

The choice between these two frameworks will likely come down to individual needs and preferences. If you need a fast and reliable platform that allows you to create mobile apps quickly, then Flutter might be the better option. However, if you’re looking for an established platform with a large support network and powerful UI capabilities, then React Native may be the better choice.

Ultimately, both frameworks offer powerful development solutions and are likely to remain popular choices well into the future.

Frequently Asked Questions

Top 5 Learning and Development Trends 2023

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Do you know what to expect in 2023?
If you are still writing your strategy we recommend to include relevant learning and development trends in it.
You don’t need to follow all these trends but as you look through the list, focus on just one of them.

Which one would make the biggest positive impact in your organization?
Let’s get ahead of the curve and take a peek into the latest learning trends:

  1. Virtual and augmented reality for immersive learning experiences.
  2. Increased use of artificial intelligence and machine learning in learning and development.
  3. Personalization of learning, with a focus on individual learning styles and needs.
  4. Use of microlearning and bite-sized content for on-the-go learning.
  5. Greater emphasis on social and emotional learning to support overall well-being and workplace effectiveness.

Trends come and go! But your own app can become a long lasting brand story. Make it a strong, creative and unique one.

Let’s discuss how to turn your ideas into your own brand app.

AR/VR Trends for Better Clothes Fitting in Fashion Industry and Beyond

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The fashion industry is constantly evolving, and with the advent of AR/VR technology, the way we try on and purchase clothes is changing. Here are some of the current AR/VR trends in the fashion industry that we have worked on for our clients thus far:

  • Virtual Try-Ons: AR and VR technologies are being used to create virtual fitting rooms where customers can try on clothes without physically being in the store. Brands are using this technology to improve the customer experience and reduce returns.
  • Customized Fit: With AR/VR, customers can see how clothes fit on a virtual model that is customized to their body shape and size. This allows customers to get a better idea of how a garment will fit, reducing the likelihood of returns.
  • Interactive Showrooms: AR and VR are being used to create interactive showrooms where customers can see how clothes look in different environments and lighting conditions. This allows customers to make more informed purchasing decisions.
  • Personalized Style Recommendations: AR/VR technology is being used to recommend clothes based on customers’ personal style and preferences. This helps customers find clothes that fit their body and style, and increases customer satisfaction.
  • Sustainable Fashion: AR/VR is also being used to promote sustainable fashion. For example, virtual try-ons can be used to showcase the environmental impact of certain fabrics and manufacturing processes, helping customers make more sustainable choices.

In conclusion, AR/VR is changing the way we try on and purchase clothes, making the experience more personalized, sustainable, and enjoyable. These were just some of the use cases we have worked on, as you can imagine, there are many more actual use cases. As technology continues to evolve, we can expect to see even more innovative uses of AR/VR in the fashion industry.

Are you in the fashion or beauty industry and looking to stand out? Are you in a different industry but looking into AR/VR applications to solve your business problem? Reach out and let’s discuss what technology solution would be the best fit for you!

The Power of Effective Marketing Automation You Didn’t Know About

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It’s no doubt that we live in a time when technology changed the world and our lives particularly. In a good way. It’s crucial for the businesses to adapt to the changes and improve the existing processes to stay successful and profitable.

At ITCL we think that human approach with the right tools can make the businesses succeed, one of those tools is marketing automation. Cloud based software designed to streamline the marketing efforts on targeting prospects and existing customers. There are so many great use cases for marketing automation available that would be hard to describe in one single article. However, I will try to briefly cover a few topics that might spark your interest in this technology.

To start, one of the most important goals for client-faced businesses is to optimize human resources engagement on repetitive tasks but still have contact with a customer. Let’s imagine that someone is organizing a big conference with multiple well-known speakers that bring quite a big audience. Managing the process of registration and supplying relevant information might not be an easy task. Marketing automation professional services can help to collect, organize and spread the information among the audience of attendees. The whole process, easily. In addition to that, keeping engagement and customer satisfaction at a high level is another task that can be accomplished with providing relevant personalized information to the selected audience. Only useful, easily readable, only relevant information from the business to the customer with minimum efforts from the customer’s side. That would be a well-designed email easily readable across mobile and desktop devices, with information about speaker’s sessions that the customer subscribed to, organized in the right way based on start/end session time, and quick intro per each session. The list of enhancements is limited to imagination only, for example, add the functionality to add to the calendar, create a path plan on the exhibition floor to navigate the customer how to get from one session to another; when is the lunch break and what are the options and food/drink location on the map; provide the recommendations on the other speakers sessions based on customer’s persona/profile; etc. It’s also possible to include relevant advertising in these communications to further benefit the business and customers needs.

The successful setup and execution of this campaign will minimize the organizer time and effort in managing inquiries and responses from/to the clients. And let’s imagine the impact on the subsequent setup of such exhibitions down the road, when everything is pretty much defined and just small details would require adjustments and revisions.

How to Handle Pushback

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Pushback is an inevitable part of our life in general and work in particular. There are different scenarios and types of pushback. Below is a simple powerful framework that you can apply in most situations to enable you to leverage pushback as a stimulation for candid and productive discussions.

  • Talk about the WHY. If pushback is expected then before vocalizing your idea or point of view (or whatever the case might be), start with the WHY. First explain why what you say next is important to consider or why it should be brought up right now or implemented the way you suggest. Then move to the solution or the discussion of the subject. Make sure your argumentation is short and straight to the point.
  • Ask about the WHY. Ask the people who are giving you pushback why they think otherwise.
  • Give them room to speak and be heard. Make sure the communication is in a professional and constructive manner. It has to be a dialogue not a tug-of-war.
  • Offer your point of view as an option and welcome other solutions for discussion. If you are putting forward a solution to the problem but all you hear is pushback with no feedback, welcome alternative ideas and discuss them as a team.
  • Come prepared. Do your research and ensure what you are bringing up is accurate and indeed relevant given the status quo. If applicable, circulate your idea/solution within the team or other project stakeholders, to get a certain level of validation and backup.
  • Use pushback as a tool to improve your solution and come back stronger.
  • Never take it personally, no matter what.

Digital Transformation Project for an Insurance Company

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Over the years IT Creative Labs has implemented many different projects of various complexity and across many different niches. Our development team comprises senior professionals only and today we asked our lead backend engineer Vlad to share some insights on his work using one of the projects as an example.

The insurance company wanted to semi-automate the process of reviewing insurance claims, track statistics and semi-automate the process of filling out the forms, should the claim be approved for coverage. In order to achieve that the insurance company needed to automate the processing of user documents and to be able to obtain structured user data as a result of that processing. This automated process also needed to be integrated with the existing systems that the insurance company was using already. The first thing we did with the client is break down their requirements into smaller tasks, identifying key objectives.

Useful side note from Vlad: Any task, even the most difficult one, can be broken down into smaller sub-tasks. This concept is called Microproductivity.

Here is the breakdown Vlad & the team proposed:

Task 1

Problem: Documents were rotated differently, some were flipped upside down

Solution: Created an automated process of proper rotation for all the documents. A simple CV (Computer Vision) algorithm was used for that.

Task 2

Problem: Sometimes a scan of a document can be the size of A4 and the document itself is the size of an ID card.

Solution: Implemented a fixed-scale document template by cropping along the edge of the document and removing white space.

Task 3

Problem: Ability to identify the type of documents to be able to extract relevant fields from them.

Solution: A classifier model was implemented based on ML (machine learning), where the convolution neural network was trained on a high volume of documents and error validation (backpropagation).

Task 4

Problem: Different types of documents, a lot of older document types, hand-written documentation.

Solution: Implemented text recognition from image. A classic recognition model for Latin language was implemented.

Task 5

Problem: Extract recognized information and structure it properly mapping it to the correct fields, so it is presented in the cohesive and standardized manner.

Solution: Create an automated machine learning model, trained on specific types of documents,  to extract information from the document and fill in the fields. When the fields were empty, we used an additional filling algorithm for placing all the appropriately identified elements on the coordinate grid.

In Vlad’s own words: “Everything was simple: just several models, algorithms, training and the task was done.”

For this project the following techstack was used: OpenCV, Python, Tensor Flow, Keras. React for frontend and Flask for backend, PostgreSQL for data storage.

As a result of creating this semi-automated machine learning-based process and integrating it with the rest of the existing systems, the insurance company was able to significantly cut down processing time and human error while being able to process larger volumes without increasing its staff count.

If you have a project in mind that you’d like to chat about – reach out!

Why Flutter is a Good Choice for Your Next Mobile Application Development Project

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Flutter is an open source framework by Google for building beautiful, natively compiled, multi-platform applications from a single codebase.
There are a few differentiating advantages of Flutter app development. Let’s look at some of the major ones.

We have asked our flutter enthusiasts to provide their feedback on why they love flutter so much and why they’d recommend this framework above any other for your next software development project, especially when it comes to mobile application development. Here is what they said:

Cross-platform development

Flutter is cross-platform development, in which developers can build attractive apps in iOS and Android platforms contemporaneously.

As a result, Flutter programming is a great choice from cost-savings perspective, as you don’t have to hire two development teams to build a separate application for each of the mobile platforms.

Faster code writing

Flutter code compiles to ARM or Intel machine code as well as JavaScript, for fast performance on any device.

Hot reload

Typically, iOS and Android developers need to write code, then wait for it to compile, and be loaded on the device before seeing changes. But, with Flutter’s hot reload, they can check the effects immediately or without delay.

Reach users on every screen

Deploy to multiple devices from a single codebase: mobile, web, desktop, and embedded devices.

Native performance

Flutter compiles down to native machine code for fast apps and beautiful animations.

is flutter a good choice for web app development

Strong Community

Flutter is supported and used by Google, trusted by well-known brands around the world, and maintained by a community of global developers.

Some of them: Abbey Road, Alibaba, BMW, Byte Dance, Capital One, Dream11, Ebay, Emaar, Grab, Google, Groupon, Toyota, MGM, Nubank, NY Times, Philips Hue, Sonos, Square, Tencent.

Flutter continues to grow, both in usage and in the size of the ecosystem. Every day, more than 1,000 new mobile apps using Flutter are published to the Apple and Google Play stores, along with more usage on web and desktop. And the Flutter package ecosystem now comprises over 25,000 packages, providing further evidence of maturity and breadth.

Always open source

Trusted by a global community of contributors and supported by Google, Flutter is open, transparent, and reliable.

Interested to work with Flutter or apply it to your business idea?

We’ve got you covered! Tell us about the project you have in mind and we will help you turn your idea into reality!

What is MVVM?

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Model–view–viewmodel (MVVM) is a software architectural pattern that facilitates the separation of the development of the graphical user interface (the view) – be it via a markup language or GUI code – from the development of the business logic or back-end logic (the model) so that the view is not dependent on any specific model platform.

The viewmodel of MVVM is a value converter, meaning the viewmodel is responsible for exposing (converting) the data objects from the model in such a way that objects are easily managed and presented. In this respect, the viewmodel is more model than view, and handles most if not all of the view’s display logic. The viewmodel may implement a mediator pattern, organizing access to the back-end logic around the set of use cases supported by the view.

MVVM was invented by Microsoft architects Ken Cooper and Ted Peters specifically to simplify event-driven programming of user interfaces. The pattern was incorporated into Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) (Microsoft’s .NET graphics system) and Silverlight (WPF’s Internet application derivative).

Like many other design patterns, MVVM helps organize code and break programs into modules to make development, updating and reuse of code simpler and faster. The pattern is often used in Windows and web graphics presentation software.

The separation of the code in MVVM is divided into View, ViewModel and Model:

  • View is the collection of visible elements, which also receives user input. This includes user interfaces (UI), animations and text. The content of View is not interacted with directly to change what is presented.
  • ViewModel is located between the View and Model layers. This is where the controls for interacting with View are housed, while binding is used to connect the UI elements in View to the controls in ViewModel.
  • Model houses the logic for the program, which is retrieved by the ViewModel upon its own receipt of input from the user through View.

MVVM is a powerful architectural pattern that has gained immense popularity in recent years due to its numerous advantages. However, as with any design pattern, it also has its drawbacks. To make an informed decision on whether to use MVVM for your application, it’s important to understand its key features, as well as its advantages and disadvantages. So, let’s explore them in more detail.

Features

MVVM separates the different concerns of an application, making it easier to maintain and scale. Let’s take a closer look at the key features of MVVM and how they can be improved:

  1. Life Cycle State

    One of the key benefits of MVVM is that it helps maintain the life cycle state of an application. The ViewModel can store and manage the application state, allowing the application to resume where the user left off. To improve this feature, we can use the Android Architecture Components like ViewModel and LiveData to persist data and manage the application state effectively.

  2. UI and Business Logic Separation

    MVVM keeps UI components away from the business logic, making the code more modular and maintainable. To further improve this feature, we can use Data Binding to simplify the code and reduce boilerplate. By using Data Binding, we can bind UI components directly to ViewModel properties, reducing the amount of code required to update the UI.

  3. Business Logic and Database Operations

    MVVM keeps the business logic separate from the database operations. This separation of concerns makes the code more testable and maintainable. To improve this feature, we can use the Repository pattern to further decouple the ViewModel from the database. The Repository acts as a mediator between the ViewModel and the database, providing a simple and consistent interface to perform database operations.

  4. Easy to Understand and Read

    MVVM is designed to be easy to understand and read. The ViewModel acts as a mediator between the View and the Model, making it easier to reason about the code. To further improve this feature, we can use the SOLID principles to keep the code clean and maintainable. By following SOLID principles like Single Responsibility and Dependency Inversion, we can create code that is easy to understand and maintain.

Now that we have explored the key features of MVVM and how they can be improved, let’s take a closer look at the advantages and disadvantages of this architectural pattern.

Advantages

  • Maintainability

    The Model-View-ViewModel (MVVM) architecture pattern has become a popular choice for building software applications, and for good reasons. One of the key advantages of MVVM is its maintainability, which allows developers to remain agile and continuously release successive versions quickly. This is due to the clear separation of concerns within the architecture, making it easier to modify and update the codebase without affecting other parts of the application.

  • Extensibility

    Another benefit of MVVM is its extensibility. The architecture enables developers to add new pieces of code or replace existing ones without requiring significant modifications to the overall system. This makes it easier to scale and evolve the application over time, adapting to new requirements and changes in the market.

  • Testability

    Moreover, MVVM promotes testability by separating the business logic from the view layer, making it easier to write unit tests against the core logic. This not only improves the overall quality of the codebase but also reduces the likelihood of introducing new bugs during the development process.

  • Transparent Communication

    Finally, the transparent communication between the layers of an application is another advantage of MVVM. The view model provides a clear and concise interface to the view controller, which populates the view layer and interacts with the model layer. This results in a transparent and seamless communication between the different layers of the application, making it easier to understand and maintain the codebase.

In conclusion, the advantages of MVVM make it a great choice for developers who want to build scalable, maintainable and extensible software applications. Its clear separation of concerns, testability and transparent communication between layers, make it a powerful tool for building high-quality software applications that can adapt to changes in the market and evolving business requirements.

Disadvantages

Like any software architecture pattern, MVVM also has some disadvantages that developers should consider before adopting it. Here are a few of them:

  1. Learning curve: MVVM can have a steep learning curve for developers who are new to the pattern, which can lead to longer development times and potential mistakes during implementation.
  2. Increased complexity: While MVVM promotes separation of concerns, it can also increase the complexity of the application due to the added layers of abstraction. This can make it harder to debug and maintain the codebase.
  3. Overkill for simple UIs: For simple UIs, MVVM can be considered overkill, and using a simpler pattern or approach may be more appropriate.
  4. Designing the ViewModel: In larger applications, designing the ViewModel layer can be challenging, as it needs to handle multiple use cases and be flexible enough to accommodate changes in the future.
  5. Debugging complex data bindings: MVVM relies heavily on data binding, which can make debugging more difficult, especially when dealing with complex data bindings.

Despite these disadvantages, MVVM remains a popular and powerful architecture pattern for building software applications. Developers should weigh the pros and cons carefully and choose the architecture pattern that best fits their specific use case and project requirements.

What is CICD and why is it so Popular?

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What is CI/CD?

CI/CD is a set of practices that automate the building, testing, and deployment stages of software development. Automation reduces delivery timelines and increases reliability across the development life cycle.

Most modern applications require developing code using a variety of platforms and tools, so teams need a consistent mechanism to integrate and validate changes. Continuous integration establishes an automated way to build, package, and test their applications. Having a consistent integration process encourages developers to commit code changes more frequently, focus on meeting business requirements, code quality, and security, which leads to better collaboration and code quality.

Continuous integration and continuous delivery are two distinct processes in CI/CD and have different purposes:

  • CI runs automated build-and-test steps to ensure that code changes reliably merge into the central repository.
  • CD provides a quick and seamless method of delivering the code to end-users.

So the main goal of CI/CD is to help developers ship software with speed and efficiency. The team continuously delivers code into production, running an ongoing flow of new features and bug fixes.

The most popular CI/CD tools

A CI/CD tool helps DevOps teams create a pipeline and automate integration, deployment, and testing stages. Some tools specifically handle the integration (CI) side, some manage development and deployment (CD), while others specialize in continuous testing or related functions.

Here is a list of the most popular CI/CD tools you can choose from:

  • Jenkins: An automation server that can handle anything from simple CI to a complex CI/CD pipeline.
  • TeamCity: A CI server that helps build and deploy projects with reusable settings and configurations.
  • Spinnaker: An open-source CD platform ideal for multi-cloud environments.
  • GoCD: A CI/CD server that emphasizes modeling and visualization.
  • CircleCI: A flexible, cloud-based CI/CD tool perfect for smaller projects.
  • Travis CI: A Ruby-based tool with a robust build matrix.
  • Bamboo: A CI server with support for several top stacks (Docker, AWS, Amazon S3, Git, CodeDeploy, Mercurial) and up to a hundred remote build agents.

CI/CD enables more frequent code deployment.

So, let’s sum up

CI packages, tests builds, and notifies developers if something goes wrong. The CD automatically deploys applications and performs additional tests.

CI/CD pipelines are designed for organizations that need to make frequent changes to applications with a reliable delivery process. In addition to build standardization, test development, and deployment automation, we get a holistic production process for deploying code changes. The introduction of CI/CD allows developers to focus on improving applications and not spend effort on deploying it.

CI/CD is one of the DevOps practices, as it aims to combat the tension between developers who want to make frequent changes and operations that require stability. With automation, developers can make changes more frequently, and operations teams, in turn, gain greater stability because environment configuration is standardized and continuous testing is carried out during delivery. Also, the setting of environment variables is separated from the application and there are automated rollback procedures.

However, CI/CD is just one of the processes that can contribute to improvements. There are other conditions for increasing the frequency of delivery.

To get started with CI/CD, the development and operations teams need to decide on technologies, practices, and priorities. Teams need to build consensus on the right approaches for their business and technology so that once CI/CD is implemented, the team consistently adheres to the chosen practices.

Everything You Need to Know About Docker & Docker Compose to Get Started

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What is Docker Compose?

Docker is known for its use of OS-level virtualization and for the container system that employs to make creating, deploying and running applications much easier for developers.

While learning the basics of Docker, you may have come across the creation of simple applications that work autonomously, not depending, for example, on external data sources or on certain services. In practice, such applications are rare. Real projects usually involve a whole set of collaborative applications.

Docker Compose technology, if we describe it in a simplified way, allows, with the help of one command, to start many services.

So, Docker Compose is software tool used for defining and running multi-container Docker applications.

Difference Between Docker and Docker Compose

Docker is used to manage the individual containers (services) that make up an application.

Docker Compose is used to manage multiple containers that are part of an application at the same time. This tool offers the same features as Docker, but allows you to work with more complex applications.

Docker Compose Use Cases

  • Automated testing environments.

An important part of any Deployment or Integration process is the automated test suite.

Compose supports automated testing, which is an essential part of CI/CD and provides a convenient and easy way to create and destroy isolated testing environments for your testing. Developers can define and configure the environment needed for running automated end-to-end testing  in just a few commands using the appropriate Docker Compose file.

  • Single host deployments.

In Docker Compose, containers are designed to run on a single host as they have traditionally been focused on development and testing workflows.

  • Development Environments.

Compose is a fast and simple way of starting projects as it can quickly spin up new isolated development environments. The software documents and configures all the application’s service dependencies (including databases, caches, web service APIs, etc.). It allows you to create and start one or multiple containers for each dependency using a single command.

  • Release notes.

You can see a detailed list of changes for past and current releases of Docker Compose, refer to the Changelog.

What features make Docker Compose so effective?

  • Multiple isolated environments on a single host
  • Preserve volume data when containers are created
  • Only recreate containers that have changed
  • Variables and moving a composition between environments

We have covered the basics of working with Docker Compose technology, the knowledge of which will allow you to use this technology and, if you desire, begin to study it in more depth.

Do you use Docker Compose in your projects?

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