By Ed Huang, Co-Founder, CTO – PingCAP, the company behind TiDB
The tech world is constantly evolving, with software and applications that aim to enable shifts toward the future. The most advanced software today may become archaic in the next few years. Staying updated on app development trends is crucial for businesses to remain competitive. It ensures relevance, enhances user experience, increases efficiency, adapts to industry changes, provides a competitive advantage, and future-proofs apps against obsolescence. As the industry transforms tremendously, businesses must keep up with the pace.
Let’s set the scene of where we were a while ago. In the early half of 2022, everyone was still keeping the front-end and back-end of apps in their corners. You’d have your flashy JavaScript, HTML, and CSS doing the tango on the front-end, while Java, Python, and Golang held the fort in the back.
But then, as quick as flipping a switch, the scene exploded. In the second half of 2022, platforms like Vercel, Next.js, and Netlify weren’t just buzzwords – they became the power players. We witnessed a seismic shift from the traditional, compartmentalised approach to a world where the lines got fuzzy in the best possible way.
It aligned perfectly with the groundbreaking changes that are up next – top 3 trends that are reshaping application development and digital experience landscape. Enterprises are always searching for technological solutions to solve their major business problems. Here’s look at top three trends that will drive app development in the coming years and significantly influence the trajectory of how the digital experience will take shape.
Trend 1: Everything as a service, including serverless
Remember the days when we had to wrangle with infrastructure just to get a ‘Hello World’ live? Nah, we’re way past that now. Things are a lot cooler with the “service-isation” of everything. Think Serverless computing and APIs that let us build and roll out apps without sweating over servers.
Software development has shifted markedly towards service models – from classic IaaS/PaaS/SaaS to today’s Serverless and APIs. This evolution service-izes development stages, enabling developers to build and deliver applications more swiftly and conveniently. Serverless has emerged as a pivotal trend, allowing developers to focus on business logic without worrying about underlying infrastructure. APIs facilitate data interchange and resource sharing, fostering app integration and cooperation, thus enhancing system efficiency and quality.
Trend 2: The JavaScript takeover
JavaScript is having a moment, and it’s a long one. It’s not just for those front-end party tricks anymore. The rise of full-stack JavaScript, particularly Node.js, has blurred the lines between front and backend development, permitting use of a single language across the board. Node.js’s non-blocking I/O and event-driven characteristics excel in concurrent, I/O-heavy applications. Stack Overflow’s Developer Survey 2020 indicated JavaScript’s popularity supremacy for eight years straight.
Moreover, the advent of JavaScript-friendly Serverless hosting platforms grant developers rapid development and deployment, alongside real-time previews, vastly improving the dev experience. These tools and technologies have bolstered the JavaScript ecosystem, positioning it as one of the most productive and creative tech landscapes.
Trend 3: AI’s big play in development
AI was already turbocharging everything we did in app development in 2023, and it will play an even more important role in 2024 and beyond. It’s like having a super-smart assistant that can crank out code, test it, and deploy it while you grab a coffee.
Take ChatGPT, for example – it’s a game-changer that automates tasks like code generation, testing, and deployment, boosting productivity and quality. AI’s helping us catch bugs faster, make our users happier, and let’s be real, it’s making our apps smarter and slicker. AI’s deployment is reshaping software development and will continue to impact the industry profoundly. It’s changing the game and the entire league we play in.
In conclusion, organisations embracing these trends will be well-positioned to make a substantial difference in the technology landscape, setting the stage for a bright future. Leveraging these innovations will be vital in delivering cutting-edge products and solutions. As businesses adapt to the new era of tech breakthroughs, the trends mentioned earlier can revolutionise the game and play a pivotal role in ensuring that businesses remain relevant and thrive in the dynamic and competitive digital environment.