Developers beat early adopters to new technology

January 16, 2017

Developers beat early adopters to new technology

Leading edge know-how was developed in Hamilton ahead of a new programming platform’s final release to the world.

A Waikato software specialist maintained its leading edge when it beat early adopters to new technology nearly six months before the final version was released generally to the world.

Analyst developers at software specialist Company-X, based at Wintec House in Hamilton, were working with the Angular 2 web and desktop development platform, originally built by Google, for about half a year before many other developers were using it in major development projects.

“At the time we decided to begin using the early, Alpha, version of Angular 2, Google did not even have a release date,” said Company-X analyst developer Justin Taylor. “But we knew it would be fully released to the world in six months or so.”

Company-X analyst developers design and build custom software for clients which range from large, multinational, businesses with their head offices overseas, to small, one person, businesses.

In the time since the Company-X team began using Angular 2 the software went through many iterations. They became familiar with its alpha release which soon changed to a developer preview of the software. They then used the beta release, release candidate, and are now working with the final version.

Any trepidation from the Company-X team around the new Angular 2 technology, a completely reimagined version of the web and desktop development platform that had come before from Google, was quickly dispelled.

Justin, and his Company-X colleagues, quickly realised the benefits.

Angular 2’s modularity, delivering a lighter and faster core of functionality, makes the platform easier to work on, delivering efficiencies to the client. It’s a far cry from the bad old days, of many years ago, when the norm was what became known as spaghetti code. Spaghetti code is a derogatory term for computer code with complex control structure, conceptually like a twisted and tangled bowl of spaghetti.

“We have found that it is more productive because it is less prone to error, and it has got testing and error checking built in,” he said.

“It really speeds up development, enabling you to do a lot more in the time and budget allowed.”

Desktop development is much easier in Angular 2 when mobile performance issues are handled first.

It only works with modern versions of web browsing applications such as Apple Safari, Google Chrome and Internet Explorer, doing away with the need for browser compatibility workarounds.

“We are using Angular 2 in the front end, the part of the application directly accessed by the user.

For me it’s been the most exciting project that I have been involved in because this is all new and exciting – the latest stuff.”

The apps worked on by analyst developers at Company-X, owned by directors David Hallett and Jeremy Hughes, work on either mobile or desktop computing devices. Meaning Company-X developers are writing applications that work on Apple or Google Android mobile devices or desktop computers running Apple’s iOS X operating system or Microsoft’s Windows operating system.

David said Company-X was committed to working at the leading edge.

“By the time most people have heard of a new technology my Company-X team and I have most likely discovered it, researched it, experienced it, written about it, and replaced it with something new and exciting,” David said.

ENDS

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