Blog

Scaffolding – The Future of Software Development

As science and technology evolve, new features are compounded upon old features like building blocks. Most people agree that in this linear fashion you can’t get to point ‘C’ without starting at point ‘A’. But should you really have to start from point ‘A’ every single time?

Let’s talk math for a bit. Don’t worry, you don’t actually have to solve anything. Take this equation: ∫6x = 3×2 + c. Since we’re taking the integral of 6x, this is labelled as Integral Calculus. According to Kahn Academy, one of the leading sites for learning mathematics, before learning Integral Calculus, you should know Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Probability and Statistics, Pre-calculus and Differential Calculus (in roughly that order). It would be insane to do an exercise in all of those every single time you had to do an integration problem. But in software development, that’s exactly what we do.

If you’re a software developer, you’re probably thinking I’m crazy, but hear me out. One more hypothetical scenario: let’s look at what it would take to make an Android app. First, we need to design the login page. Well, that’s got to be easy, since all login pages look pretty much the same, except some mild theme rolling. So we put up fields for username and password, then buttons for submission, registration, and password retrieval. We’ll take care of login itself first, so we write a method to encrypt the password to SHA-256 before submitting it to our server. That’s when you find out that newer versions of Android can’t do network calls on the UI thread, and you scream out in frustration, “Why am I making something as mundane as a login screen? People have done this a thousand times, this is ridiculous!”

Think about how many applications haven’t been made because the tasks leading up to it were too complicated, took too long, or were just too boring. As software grows and requires more boilerplate code, the effort of a developer grows greatly – and this is just to ensure a sturdy foundation. Thankfully, there’s an answer – scaffolding.

Scaffolding, in the software development sense, is the technique of generating a generic application with features common to most modern applications already built-in. A decent scaffold would include, for instance: login and registration pages, server connections, routing, model templates, controllers, security mechanisms. By using a scaffold, you can cut days, if not weeks, off of your development time – and we’re just getting started.

So, how can you start scaffolding your next application? Well, luckily, Yeoman makes that part super easy. The downside – Yeoman is geared primarily toward web development with NodeJS. Why aren’t there really scaffolds for mobile or desktop applications? The only real answer is because nobody’s created it yet. Keep an eye out, though; the market is prime for a major scaffolding company any day now.

– Christopher Johnson

Related Blogs
See All Blogs
Blog
Nov 8, 2023

Five Ways User Feedback Can Transform Your Product Strategy

User feedback is a critical asset that can provide valuable insights into your users' wants and needs. It can also give important observations into your application's overall performance. In this article, Principal Product Strategist Toyia Smith shares five ways to better incorporate user feedback into your product strategy.

Read More
Blog
Nov 1, 2023

Balancing Technical Debt and New Features: A Product Owner’s Guide

The term "technical debt" frequently emerges in discussions about software development, product health and organizational effectiveness. However, its true meaning and the balance organizations must find between managing this debt and new feature innovation can be confusing. In this article, learn how to manage that delicate balance so you can create an exceptional product.

Read More
Blog
Oct 17, 2023

Navigating Digital Product Discovery: A Guide to Avoiding the 5 Common Pitfalls in Custom Product Development

In digital product development, a well-structured discovery phase is critical to a product’s long-term success. However, bringing a digital product from concept to reality can be challenging. In this article, Principal Product Strategist Josh Campbell shares his guide to avoiding five common pitfalls during digital product discovery.

Read More
Blog
Oct 10, 2023

Preparing Your Business for the Realities of AI and Machine Learning: Beyond the Hype

The buzz around artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) has almost certainly reached a fever pitch. With benefits including increased efficiency and enhanced customer experiences, many businesses are eager to take advantage of these technologies. In this article by Chief Technology Officer Derek Perry, learn why organizations need a solid foundation to ensure they're ready to harness the benefits of AI and ML, before jumping in headfirst.

Read More
See All Blogs
noun-arrow-2025160 copy 2
noun-arrow-2025160 copy 2
See All Blogs