Software Development Archives

10Apr 2021 by ab No Comments

How To Track Project Progress Visually with Enhanced PFD

The Enhanced Software Development process can be visualized in terms of the Process Flow Diagram (PFD) as presented in our previous blog post. In this article, we show how one can use this PFD to track the progress of a project along this process. We also give you the template that you may use with your project(s). Example of a Project in Initial Stages We show below an example of a live project: Software Project Status With the legend in the bottom right corner, the visual is self-explanatory. It is the snapshot of the project activities on a given date. It shows that: 3 activities -- namely requirements analysis, wireframe design and the UI/UX design -- are marked complete by the person assigned to them. However, the output of only…

26Jan 2021 by ab No Comments

Microservices with Xsemble – part 2

Architecture, Software Development

This is the concluding part of a 2 part article on this subject. Part 1 started with the basic introduction and covered the high level reasons of creating microservices using Xsemble. With the example of the Demo8.Microservices application included with Xsemble, it showed how the end-to-end flow can be shown when all the microservices are implemented using Xsemble. In this part, we shall get into more details with the same example to focus on the interactions between microservices -- in particular we shall see two variants, as explained by Robert Witkowski: Monolith Frontend: The UI is implemented with one microservice and it makes API calls to other microservicesMicro Frontend: Each Microservice hosts its own UI We shall also see how Xsemble's component decoupling mechanisms intended for making components reusable could…

05Jan 2021 by ab 1 Comment

Microservices with Xsemble – part 1

Architecture, Software Development

Last updated: 26 Jan, 2021 When people hear for the first time that Xsemble enables building applications from smaller building blocks, they wonder if these blocks are microservices. Well, Xsemble components are much tinier than microservices, and can in turn be used for creating microservices. Further, the powerful capabilities built into Xsemble make it a great choice for creating microservices. This is a 2 part blog article to show how. We shall be referring to a demo application that is supplied with Xsemble version 2.5.2, namely "Demo8.Microservices". Microservices and Xsemble Components Microservices As we know, microservices is a way to achieve what is known as Z-axis scaling, a way to decompose a larger application based on business functions. These microservices are separate deployables which collaborate with one another using standard…

16Nov 2020 by ab 2 Comments

Enhanced Software Development Process with Xsemble

Software Development

Last updated: 9 Jan, 2021 After all the progress that has been made in developing software, one would expect that developing software should be a simple, step by step process. Like other engineering processes, the software development process also would have its checks and balances in place, and there would be a greater predictability and control. However, in practice it is hard, as the project failure statistics show (reference 1, reference 2, reference 3). Could it be because the project management is flawed in execution, or could it be because it is rendered less effective for software development because of some inherent issues with the software development process itself? As we shall see, due to the way software development process is carried out, project management is often blindfolded. Consider below…

01Sep 2020 by ab No Comments

Xsemble 2.4 Released

Releases, Software Development

Today we are happy to announce general availability of Xsemble release 2.4 -- build 2.4.0 to be precise. Xsemble 2.4 is an important milestone. As Xsemble grows in functionality, release 2.4 serves as the bridge between the old and the new. Many important changes have gone into the internal model, and those changes are more interesting and powerful than the feature enhancements. We recommend all projects using the previous version to move to 2.4 soon -- to get on to the new paradigms that are included. Migration is easy, and covered below. Feature Enhancements Here we cover a few major feature enhancements that have gone into 2.4.0. Progress Report, Kanban Chart We gave a boost to the Progress Report functionality. Since Xsemble breaks down the job of developing a larger…

08Jul 2020 by ab No Comments

Where ERPs Fail and How Xsemble Can Help

Software Development

S. Ketharaman's blog post "When ERP Projects Get Derailed by Silly Reasons" is an excellent read about where the world's leading ERP systems faced tough situations that they could not handle. He quotes Handelsblatt, “Altering existing COTS software like ERP / SAP is like changing a prefab house, You can put the kitchen cupboards in a different place but you can’t move the walls”. Introduction No doubt, ERPs are mammoth systems, and creating an ERP is not a simple affair. Firstly, it is because most ERPs aim to automate a large part of a firm's operation as opposed to a small part -- so the magnitude of the functionality itself is high. On top of it, there are differences among the ways companies run their operations, and ERPs need to cater…

18Mar 2020 by ab No Comments

How #Xsemble Supports #WorkFromHome

Software Development

The worldwide #COVID19 #CoronaVirus pandemic has made social distancing a need of the hour, to contain the spread. In that context, #WorkFromHome is a great solution. However, working from home (or just WFH) is attractive for other reasons too. In this post, we shall see how #Xsemble helps productivity in #WorkFromHome setup. Advantages of Working from Home Working from home (or just WFH) is a great idea for many reasons. The current virus pandemic necessitates it for social distancing. Apart from that, it has other benefits that stem from elimination of commute. For the employee: it saves the commute time and cost. The saved time may now be used productively. There may also be an added flexibility of work hours. Being there when children / elders in the family need…

24Jul 2019 by ab 2 Comments

Boeing 737 MAX and Getting Software Right

Software Development

Background On March 10 and then on October 29 last year, two Boeing 737 MAX aeroplanes crashed, killing hundreds of people. There were quite a few similarities between these two dreadful incidences, and they are clubbed together for that reason. As the aftermath, this new version of Boeing planes has been grounded, and the cause is being investigated. For further details into these incidences, check this, this or this. The software installed in the aircraft, MCAS, is an important player in the functioning of the aircraft, and it is being investigated whether it is the cause behind the incidents, among other factors. An essay suggests that the problem has many facets that go beyond software. Yet, a recent article focuses on the MAX software almost single-handedly. The title of the…

14Jun 2019 by ab 2 Comments

Remote Internships June 2019

Software Development

About 10Xofy: 10Xofy is a startup into software research. It has developed a patent-pending product suite 'Xsemble' that helps software development easier by meaningfully involving programming and non-programming stakeholders. It does this through combining visual programming with modular development. 10Xofy is a highly technology driven company, seeking technology solutions to business problems. About the internship: Xsemble.com is a great upcoming option to build Java JEE based applications. Through visual programming and component based development, Xsemble reduces the development effort and risk, and raises the visibility to even non programming stakeholders. The internship comprises of: 1. Learning Xsemble 2. Creating reusable components corresponding a domain of your liking 3. Creating sample application(s) in Xsemble that utilize your components What you get: 1. Learning Xsemble, so you can showcase that as a…

27Aug 2018 by ab No Comments

Banks Cut Down on Software Outsourcing – Can They Do Better?

Software Development

The software outsourcing by major banks has long been the bread and butter for the outsourcing industry, but things are changing. There are lessons learnt and the changing landscape calls for quick action to be taken. Banks Cutting Down Software Outsourcing Recently, the Times of India published a well-researched article on how major banks are cutting down on software outsourcing in favor of building it inhouse, and how that is impacting billions of dollars of revenue for the established IT vendors. The article also cites that a study done jointly by HFS Research and KPMG found only 30% of the companies willing to renew their outsourcing contracts. The trend is clear. (Check the cited article for elaborate statistics if you still have a doubt.) However, if both the banks and…