Hottest Trends in Software Development
The IT era has changed our whole lives. Just like the Industrial Revolution, this one also changed the way people perceive the world and affected every part of our lives. Many new industries were created and many jobs were invented to fill the gaps in the new world of computers. One of the new spheres of modern life certainly revolves around software, which, as with anything designed by human beings, is susceptible to trends and fashion. The longer the software industry exists, the more the trends affecting it will be noticeable. With people creating software for half a century, undoubtedly, we can notice some trends taking place now.
Why are software trends important?
First of all, they can be useful pointers as to what course the entire industry is taking, and what customers in a particular time prefer; with that in mind, developers can know what to focus on when developing programs, in order to meet the demands of the market. With that in mind, we will explore some of the most popular trends in software development, in order to observe what the future of software will bring to us.
1. AI
AI, short for artificial intelligence, is a concept that is not at all new. It originated sometime after WW2, and today, we finally have the technology to make it real. Through things like machine learning and deep learning, AI is slowly starting to transform the digital world by taking on complex tasks.
2. Blockchain
Anyone who knows a bit about cryptocurrencies has heard of blockchain, the software that makes cryptocurrencies a reality. This decentralized software, without an owner or anyone that can exclusively access and change its records, is one of the best things found on the Internet today. It contains public records that are nearly impossible to tamper with. Programmers and designers all around the world are looking for ways to implement this technology to make their apps and other programs more secure.
3. Cross-platform development tools
These tools have resolved a very serious problem that programmers of the past had to work with –multiple platforms. In the past, making any kind of computer program meant choosing one platform, either iOS or Android. If the developers wanted to make the app accessible on both, they had to invest time and money to rewrite the code for the other platform. However, today, there are tools that allow software designers to make programs that work on nearly all platforms, with native-like performance. This makes creating apps and making them accessible to a greater number of people much easier.
4. IoT
IoT is short for Internet of Things, which is a name heard more and more around us. With smart machines and appliances being connected to the Internet, it is no longer exclusively used by computers and smartphones. With all those devices communicating with one another, we’ll have new software applications to cover the demands of both our private life at home and work environments.
5. Low-code development
In the past, when making a program, people had to enter every piece of code manually, which is a painstaking process, and can take very long. The notion of low code turns this process on its head, as it applies a building-block strategy to programming. The idea is that programmers can now use pre-made chunks of code that they can integrate into their work in order to make their job easier, and spend less time and money.
