To put it simply, accessibility control is the process of determining who can use your program, how much they can use it, and what they can do once they have access.

Incorporating user management controls is essential for business software, enhancing security, operational transparency, and user experience by efficiently managing access and activities within the application.

User management controls embedded in applications simplify for businesses the process of monitoring users, authenticating identities, managing permissions, and setting usage time limits, ensuring the security of the business and its data, while providing comprehensive oversight of app modifications and fostering a seamless user experience.

What exactly is user management?

User management is the process by which new users are added to, and existing users are deleted from, a database. A user management system, whether it be a proprietary tool embedded in the company or a connection to an existing system like Any system that aims to support a large number of users must use Open Directory or the other authentication method as one of its core components.

User management is not just determining whether or not a user has permission to access limited resources, but it even stores identifies and if done properly, may be the only source of identifiers inside an organization.

You may exercise control over the in-app profiles of your customers by going to the User Management page, which is integrated with the Customer Tagging section.

It lets you:

1. Include newly created user profiles in the application.
2. Find a user’s profile by searching for it.
3. Add user tags to each of the profile users.
4. Restrict and remove the ban users
5. You may export the information about your registered users.

All features of user management are available for exploration and expertise

1. Control of Accessibility for Users

It’s easy to activate and restricts users by selecting through a dropdown section.

2. User Property Control

Every user in this program is described by user attributes. You may specify that characteristics are necessary and which are uncompelled using Backend less.

3. User Directory

 Receive a list of each of the information that is associated with your users in a single spot.

4. User Access Control

It’s easy to go active and disable customers by selecting from a dropdown menu.

5. Add fresh handlers

With the help of the User Registration API, you may add new users to your app.

Below are the advantages of a user management app

1. Since we are aware and have an understanding of user management, it is much simpler to comprehend the way user management systems handle the conundrum of adjusting several users’ access to a variety of resources.
2. IT supervisors may control resources and accessibility depending on the needs of the organization using UM, which results in increased safety for digital assets. This event guarantees a smooth understanding for the end user, which considerably improves the consumer’s overall impression of the product.
3. The introduction of cloud-only computing made it possible to enhance user management by facilitating access to a greater number of online apps. Because users now have access to a much larger number of digital resources, user management that is hosted in the cloud has swiftly become the resolution of choice. In addition, efficient management of user identities sets the groundwork for enhanced control of individuality access, which is a key component of information security.
4. An efficient user management method helps businesses to effectively continue their user-based license compliance, which in turn allows for a wider variety of software applications to be used to the extent of their capabilities. UM may also assist businesses in saving money on different software licenses by providing a rundown of the number of installs and activations that are still available for a specific piece of software and eliminating the need for further purchases of the program.
5. User management may even assist companies in budget planning by pointing up possible software expenditure areas that need to be funded. Companies can determine, with the help of UM, which locations or users need new certificates and when they are needed.
6. This not only assists users but also lets corporations know when users no longer need a particular piece of software, allowing them to label it to recover the material or rent it out to other users who need it.
7. Too many usernames and passwords are required for your users to remember. The User Marking page is used in combination with the Access Management page. The User Management app allows you to modify the in-app credentials of your users. You can do so here if you would need further information on the User Labelling page.

Thus, user management needs supervisor access. That meant providing their accessibility to the server side in its entirety. Make and control accessibility for specific groups of users getting with the UAM tool. This could be helpful for businesses that have workers in different parts of the world or have departments that operate independently of one another. 

A User Profile Management System is a basic application that is used to handle all of the people’s access that pertains to an organization’s employees. Sensitive information is stored in it and also checks identity, including account names, ID numbers, first or last names, first and last beginnings, phone numbers, work location, department, job title, and other information. In addition, all websites, apps, and java web development services are accessible to users’ panels and could add, remove, and edit users as needed.

Please take the following steps:

1. To build a new role, choose the Roles option in the page footer (which is Store Manager). Build a Central Branch, an East Branch, a Western Branch, a northern Branch, and a Southern Branch for each one of the five shops.
2. To build more modules for the Central Branch, first, choose the role through the drop-down menu, then click “Edition role” in the below right. Put storage Roles” in front of the name of this brand-new category. It should be done similarly for the other sections like all north, south, east, and west. This can make a new role that is specific to the app and not part of the global structure roles.
3. To make a new app, visit the Apps menu and select “Designing a New Application.” Apply a name (such as Store customers) and then choose “User Account Controlling” from the “Application type” drop-down list. With the App Editor, you can have a form filled out for you with all the necessary information.
4. ‘User Account Managing’ and ‘Token Permission Management’ are two of the new options available in the ‘App type’ section in Flowfinity Actions 20.1. Choose “Data Assembly” to begin making a flowfinity or information collection app. Only the greyed-out field properties are locked and cannot be changed; others, such as the label, are editable.
5. To assign the role of Store Manager, open the section of Roles on your form. You can set a computed value as the default for such a field by going to the “Custom Roles” page. Type in “self-roles” and then choose the mobile and web app type that suits the position you want.
6. You must be assured that “Store Roles” is selected in the class drop-down of the Role menu and that “Allow multiples” is not checked. The platform now has an app called “Store Users” where fresh users can take control and can participate and get registered. Go to the Operations menu and click “Authorisations” to make sure where just the store managers can make new records.
7. Consider including a shortcut for your view on that portal screen if it won’t be accessed via the Configure tab. A store manager can simply access it on both mobile and desktop devices as a result. Click “Add view” on the Viewing tab after selecting that option.
8. Your user account management system, whether it’s on a desktop computer or a mobile device, should now include a page named “My Store Users.” This view will only show items if they are relevant to the manager’s position at the shop, such as the particular location of the branch. Put a checkbox in the box that says Store Manager, then add the My Store Users category to the Filter tab. additionally, ensure that the relevant fields are included in the Element type, and provide the layout with a name such as “My Store users.”
9. By creating a special view only for these users, you can guarantee that the shop manager will always have access to all of the users who belong to the same branch. Those who have the Store Manager job will only be able to see this view on mobile devices and laptops running Windows 10

Author Bio – 

Ethan Millar is a technical writer at Aegis Softtech, especially for computer programmers like Asp.net, Java, Big Data, Hadoop, dynamics AX, and CRM Solutions for more than 8 years. Also, have basic knowledge of Computer Programming. Read the last articles about React stack to build your user management app:

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The post How to Build a User Management App? appeared first on Flatlogic Blog.

But just like with anything else, software development requires proper planning to create a product successfully. Hence, here’s why you need a software development project brief and how you can write one yourself.

What Is a Software Development Project Brief?

A software development project brief is pretty much what it sounds like. It is a project brief or plan for developing some kind of software – a program, app, or online tool. A software development project brief is necessary to plan out how you will be developing your software and what you will need for it.

At the same time, such project briefs are often used in communication between software developers and people who need software to be created. In some cases, clients will approach software developers with complete project briefs. In other cases, a client can explain their ideas and a developer will make their own brief. Then, both parties will need to agree on the project details and finalize them through the brief.

As you can see, software development project briefs play an important role during the negotiation and planning stage of software development, so they shouldn’t be overlooked. Without further ado, here’s how you can start writing your own software development project briefs:

#1 Write Down Ideas for the Project

First of all, you need to make a list of ideas you have for the project. If a client approached you with their own ideas, then you will have to propose more of your own and discuss them together. For example, you could propose some React app ideas if they are interested in something like this. Sometimes clients know exactly what they want while in other cases they will only have a vague idea of the software they need to be developed by you.

If you have the opportunity to create the said software from scratch, then you should definitely take the lead and propose ideas. Not all the ideas you write down while brainstorming will be used, so having a longer list will give you more options to choose from. It is important to keep in mind your own abilities and resources when listing ideas so that you don’t end up working on a project you don’t know how to handle.

#2 Decide How Many People You Will Need

Some projects will require more people to complete while others can be done by a single software developer. This depends both on the scope of the project and its complexity. Moreover, it can also depend on the type of software being developed and even whether or not it is developed from scratch or it is a remake of existing software.

For example, if you are developing an online tool, you will need to choose hosting and a domain name for it. But if the tool exists already, you will need to work with it and improve it instead of building it from nothing. Some projects are therefore better handled by one person while others will need to be completed by a team of software developers and other professionals (e.g. UX designers).

#3 Consider Getting Professional Help

Speaking of working in a team, you might want to consider getting professional help for writing your software development project brief. If you are a software developer, you may not be very familiar with writing practices and conventions. It could be better to let a professional writer handle the brief while you supervise the writing process.

You can hire an experienced writer from the custom writing reviews site Best Writers Online. Working with a professional writer who has background knowledge in software development is the best way to create a project brief that includes all the relevant details about the project and helps you communicate with your client effectively.

#4 Prepare the Information You Will Need

In some cases, you will need to do some research before you write the project brief. Preparing this information before you start writing the project brief will help you make important decisions already and write a detailed and organized brief.

The information you may need is usually about the software you need to develop. You can look at similar programs or apps and find resources about this specific type of software (e.g. listen to podcasts for software developers that could have some relevant information for you).

#5 Start with the Basic Details for Your Project

Once you have gathered all the relevant information for writing the project brief, you can actually start working on it. Once again, you can hire an expert writer from the writing services reviews site Writing Judge to help you write your project brief in case you don’t have experience in something like this. In any case, it’s best to start with the basic details of your project, including:

• Company Information – The name of your company, the company website, the type of activity the company is involved in, the company’s location, and contact details.
• Software Overview – The basic details about the project and the software that will be developed (you will go into more details later on).
• Project Budget and Timeframe – The project budget, deadlines, and goals (you will describe these in more detail in later sections).

#6 Plan Which Tools You Will Be Using

The next thing you should decide is which tools you will be using for developing the software. There are quite a few tools for software developers that can be helpful for working on all kinds of projects, but you will also need to decide which specific tools you will need for this specific project.

Choose the tools based on the type of software that needs to be developed (program, app, or online tool) as well as its requirements. Likewise, consider your own proficiency in using the tool so that you don’t have to spend time learning how to use it.

But remember that not everyone you work with will have the same technical knowledge you do. When collaborating across departments, consider integration platforms to connect multiple tools, like syncing Asana and GitHub, Trello and Jira, and more.

#7 Focus on the Project Details and Requirements

Next, you can get into more details about the project. This will be the bulk of your project brief, so you might want a specialist writer from the writing agency Trust My Paper to handle it for you. There are quite a few aspects of the project and the software to think about such as:

• Type of Software – Will it be a mobile app? A program for Mac computers? An online tool? Or something else?
• The Core or Concept – What is the software about? What is its main purpose?
• Target Audience – Who is the target user of the software? What are their interests, preferences, skills, and pain points?
• Features and Benefits – Which features or functionality will it have? Which problems will it solve for the users? What benefits do the users get?
• Technical Details – Which devices will the software run on? Is there a need for data synchronization? Will it work offline, online, or both? Will the software be integrated with other software?
• Design Details – What will the software look like? How will the design correspond to the functionality?
• Extra Details – Will it be free or paid software? If it is free, will there be monetization methods used (e.g. in-app ads)?

#8 Consider the Techniques You Will Be Using

Another thing to consider is your method of software development or rather which techniques you will be using to develop the software. There are ways you can improve your productivity as a software developer which will already help you streamline your workflow and complete the project faster.

On the other hand, you should also think about the more technical side of the project and which methods you will need to use to develop the software. It is crucial to decide this now so that you don’t struggle with it once you start developing the software.

#9 Set Deadlines and Determine the Budget

Setting deadlines (along with project goals) and determining the budget is one of the last but most important parts of writing your software development project brief. The deadlines you set need to be realistic and in line with your goals for the project.

Likewise, try to be reasonable when estimating your budget needs. If there are any extra resources you need, note that down. Consider any unexpected situations where you may need to have a backup budget to spend.

#10 Proofread and Edit the Project Brief

Last but not least, proofread and edit your project brief carefully. Before you send it to your client to read, you have to make sure that there are no linguistic or factual mistakes that could make you look unprofessional.

In addition to that, check that the project brief is formatted properly. If you need to, include any supporting visuals (e.g. screenshots of existing software that you use as an example of what the end product will look like).

Final Thoughts

All in all, creating a software development project brief is not that hard after you’ve done it a few times and know what you are doing. But if you are only starting out, then you should use this guide to help you figure out how to create a detailed and useful project brief.

The post How To Write The Software Development Project Brief appeared first on Flatlogic Blog.

Docker is an open container-based platform that enables you to generate, control and deploy applications on it. You can decouple applications from the infrastructure, and it enables you to build software quickly. Docker helps you reduce the time between coding and getting it into production by leveraging the advantages of the Docker methodology for rapid code delivery, testing, and deployment.

What is Docker Container?

Docker Containers are lightweight and portable virtual operating systems that include libraries, system tools, code, and runtime. One container can run anything from a small microservice to a massive application.

In Containers, applications can be abstracted from environments. This separation enables easy and consistent deployment of container-based applications, whether the medium is a private data center or a public cloud.

From an operational perspective, in addition to portability, containers also provide more control over resources, increasing infrastructure efficiency, which leads to better usage of computing resources.

How does Docker work?

Docker is necessary for client-server application functionality, which includes:

• The Server runs the daemon used to generate and control Containers, Images, Networks, and Data Volumes. 
• The REST API specifies how apps can communicate with the Server and instruct it to do its job. 
• The Client interacts with daemon through code and commands. 

Container work on an image-based deployment model that simplifies using the application across multiple environments. Images are a fundamental element of the Docker environment because they allow collaboration between developers in a manner that has not been possible before.

Why use Docker?

The Docker platform allows you to create virtual workloads quickly, allowing distributed applications to traverse server boundaries. Here are some pros why you can use it:

• Consistency. You always launch from the same starting point. Docker enables a coordinated environment for your application from development to production.
• Speed. You can rapidly start a new process on the server. Because the image is pre-configured and installed with the process you want to run, it removes all the complexity associated with starting a process.
• Isolation. Every launched Docker container is isolated from the file system, the network, and other running processes. As a result, applications can contain different versions of the same support software.
• Scalability. You can add several of the same containers to create multiple instances of the same application.

Reach Your App Goals with Docker and Our Templates!

Docker allows you to easily build applications using containers, running multiple applications on the same hardware, for easier management and deployment of applications. On the Flatlogic platform, after generating the application, we provide the user with two ways to run the application locally, one of which is using Docker.

We’re excited to show you Docker and how it can help you create an app. You can easily create, deploy, and manage applications with Docker. It’s the ideal tool for rapidly and securely developing the ideal app for you and your team. So let’s get started and see how Docker can help you create the app of your dreams!

If you want to create some real application by yourself, please read our next articles:

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The post What is Docker and Why Use it? appeared first on Flatlogic Blog.

As you embark on the journey of creating an IoT dashboard, you may ask yourself: How do I ensure real-time data accuracy? What are the key features of an effective dashboard? How do I seamlessly integrate disparate IoT devices? To paraphrase Kevin Ashton, the man who coined the term “Internet of Things”: “The IoT integrates the interconnectedness of human culture-our ‘things’-with the interconnectedness of our digital information system-the Internet. That’s the IoT.”

In the realm of business software, especially within the Internet of Things (IoT), the creation of intuitive dashboards is paramount for navigating and making sense of the extensive data produced by a multitude of devices. This necessity underscores the critical role of advanced data visualization and management strategies to enhance decision-making and operational efficiencies in IoT ecosystems.

I have 10 years of experience designing and deploying IoT solutions across multiple industries. With a background in both software engineering and user experience design, I bring a balanced perspective that combines technical skills with user-centered design principles.

By reading this article, you will have a comprehensive understanding of the essential components of an IoT dashboard, including data visualization techniques, integration strategies, and user interface design considerations. This knowledge will enable you to build a dashboard that is not only functional but also intuitive and adaptable to evolving IoT landscapes.

What is IoT?

The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the network of physical objects-“things”-that are embedded with sensors, software, and other technologies to connect and exchange data with other devices and systems over the Internet. These devices range from common household items to sophisticated industrial tools.

The diverse applications of IoT in business software span from enhancing smart home functionality to revolutionizing industrial and urban operations. By leveraging connected devices and data analytics, IoT aims to forge systems that are not only smarter and more efficient but also highly responsive, offering significant improvements in productivity and decision-making processes across sectors.

Why build IoT dashboards?

IoT dashboards are critical to unlocking the full potential of connected devices. Here are some compelling reasons to consider building one:

• Automatically enhance incoming data from your equipment with the location, time, weather, temperature, and other external factors unique to your customers;
• With the help of IoT Dashboards, users and operators can (remotely) monitor and control specific assets and processes and, depending on safety requirements, access and control an environment from anywhere in the world;
• Monitor hardware and software performance to reduce operating costs, as well as lower maintenance costs by pre-empting product failures and minimizing downtime;
• Learn how customers use IoT devices at a granular level and let it guide your product development;
• Quickly bring your own IoT analytics product to market to offer customers premium dashboards and reporting functionality.

Before building an IoT dashboard

Before you start building your IoT dashboard, it’s important to do some detailed planning to ensure that the end product effectively meets your needs and goals. Consider the following questions to help guide your planning process:

• What components should be presented on the dashboard?
• Where will my data be received and processed?
• What protocols will I use?
• Will I build custom dashboards or use ready-made solutions?
• What gateways will you use?
• Why do I even do IOT dashboards?

In this article, we will delve into the intricacies of IoT data processing platforms and examine various protocols, as well as the nuances of connecting devices to platforms and dashboards. This exploration will help you navigate the diverse range of solutions available in the market.

It’s important to note that resources on this topic are generally categorized into two types: those focusing on the user interface (UI) design of dashboards and those concentrating on the underlying infrastructure. We will first examine the contents, platforms, and software of the dashboards, offering a comprehensive understanding of both these critical aspects.

For those who have ventured into building their own IoT application architecture, the complexity of seemingly simple decisions becomes evident. Each element of an IoT system – including devices, variables, dashboards, and alerts – requires careful consideration and alignment. This process can be both time-consuming and resource-intensive, underscoring the importance of thorough planning and strategy.

Remember, a well-planned IoT dashboard not only streamlines your operations but can also significantly enhance decision-making and operational efficiency.

Types of IoT connections, architecture, and networks

An IoT system has a three-level architecture: devices, gateways, and data systems. The data moves between those levels via four types of transmission channels.

1. Devices: This level is where the ‘things’ in the Internet of Things are found. These are typically sensors, actuators, or smart devices that interact directly with the environment. Sensors gather data (such as temperature, light, or motion) while actuators perform actions based on instructions (like opening a valve or turning off a light). These devices are often designed to be low-power and efficient, as they usually operate on battery power and need to function reliably over extended periods.
2. Gateways: Gateways serve as the critical bridge between the devices and the higher-level data systems. They perform several important functions:
   • Data Aggregation: Collecting data from multiple devices.
   • Protocol Translation: Converting device-specific protocols to standard protocols understood by higher-level systems.
   • Data Preprocessing: Sometimes, gateways perform initial processing of the data, like filtering or basic analysis, to reduce the volume of data that needs to be sent to the cloud or data centers.
3. Data Systems: This level is typically hosted in the cloud or on-premises data centers. It includes the servers and storage that manage and process the IoT data. This layer is responsible for more sophisticated data processing, analytics, and decision-making processes. It can include applications for data visualization, advanced analytics, machine learning models, and user interfaces for interacting with the IoT system.

Types of IoT Connections

Data in an IoT system moves through four primary types of transmission channels:

1. Device to Device: Direct communication between IoT devices, often used in systems where devices need to coordinate closely or share data in real-time.
2. Device to Gateway: The most common form of data transmission, where devices send their data to a gateway. The gateway then forwards this data to the higher-level data systems or processes it as required.
3. Gateway to Data Systems: This channel involves the transfer of processed or raw data from gateways to centralized data systems for further processing and analysis.
4. Between Data Systems: This involves communication between different data systems or between different components within a data system, often used for integrating IoT data with other business systems or data sources.

Understanding these layers and transmission channels is crucial for designing an effective and efficient IoT system. Each layer has its specific roles and requirements, and the choice of transmission channels depends on factors like data volume, latency requirements, and the nature of the IoT application.

Types of IoT Networks

IoT networks vary significantly in scale and application. Here’s an overview of the different types of IoT network configurations:

• A nanonetwork — a set of small devices (sized a few micrometers at most) that perform very simple tasks such as sensing, computing, storing, and actuation. Such systems are applied in the biometrical, military, and other nanotechnology areas.
• NFC (Near-Field Communication) — a low-speed network to connect electronic devices at a distance within 4 cm from each other. Possible applications are contactless payment systems, identity documents, and keycards.
• BAN (Body Area Network) — a network to connect wearable computing devices that can be worn either fixed on the body or near the body in different positions or embedded inside the body (implants).
• PAN (Personal Area Network) — a net to link up devices within a radius of roughly one or a couple of rooms.
• LAN (Local Area Network) — a network covering the area of one building.
• CAN (Campus/Corporate Area Network) — a network that unites smaller local area networks within a limited geographical area (enterprise, university).
• MAN (Metropolitan Area Network) — a big network for a certain metropolitan area powered by microwave transmission technology.
• WAN (Wide Area Network) — a network that exists over a large-scale geographical area and unites different smaller networks, including LANs and MANs.

Each type of IoT network serves different needs, from the microscale of nanonetworks to the vast reach of WANs, highlighting the diversity and adaptability of IoT connectivity.

IoT Protocols

This section delves into the key protocols that facilitate communication in IoT dashboards, each playing a vital role in the IoT ecosystem.

• MQTT (Message Queue Telemetry Transport) is a lightweight protocol that is the most popular for sending simple data flows from sensors to applications and middleware. This protocol functions on top of TCP/IP and includes three components: a subscriber, a publisher, and a broker. The publisher collects data and sends it to subscribers. MQTT suits small, cheap, low-memory, and low-power devices.
• DDS (Data Distribution Service) is an IoT standard for real-time, scalable, and high-performance machine-to-machine communication. You can deploy DDS both in low-footprint devices and in the cloud.
• AMQP (Advanced Message Queuing Protocol) is an application layer protocol for message-oriented middleware environments. It is approved as an international standard. Its processing chain includes three components that follow certain rules.
• Bluetooth is a short-range communication technology integrated into most smartphones and mobile devices, which is a major advantage for personal products, particularly wearables. Bluetooth is well-known to mobile users.

Choosing the Right IoT Platform

Selecting an appropriate IoT platform is crucial for the efficient management of IoT devices and the effective handling of the data they generate. An IoT platform typically encompasses both hardware and software systems, designed to manage IoT devices, collect and store data, as well as provide visualization and analysis tools.

The market offers a diverse range of IoT platforms, each with varying functionalities. It’s important to understand that while all IoT platforms include a dashboard for data display, some are exclusively dashboards with limited capabilities beyond displaying data from devices.

The terms ‘Dashboard’ and ‘Platform’ are often used interchangeably, yet they signify different levels of functionality. A basic IoT dashboard, for instance, typically can display data and, in some cases, control devices.

In contrast, a comprehensive IoT platform usually offers a broader range of features, such as:

• Data Collection: Aggregating data from a variety of sources, ensures a holistic view of the IoT environment.
• Data Storage: Securely storing collected data for further processing and analysis.
• Device Control: Enabling remote control and management of IoT devices.
• Data Display: Visualizing data in an intuitive and accessible manner.
• Testing Capabilities: Running tests to ensure the smooth functioning of devices and systems.
• Device Updates: Deploying updates to IoT devices, ensuring they are up-to-date and secure.
• Inventory Management: Keeping track of device inventory, aiding in maintenance and management.

Understanding these distinctions and functionalities is key to choosing an IoT platform that best suits your specific needs and objectives.

The most popular IoT Platforms

• Thingsboard – is an open-source IoT platform for device management, data collection, processing, and visualization for your IoT projects
• Thingstream – Thingstream’s intelligent Global Connectivity Platform provides low power, low cost, ubiquitous IoT connectivity via MQTT over GSM.
• ThingWorx – delivers tools and technologies that empower businesses to rapidly develop and deploy powerful industrial IoT applications and augmented reality (AR) experiences.
• Thingspeak – is the open IoT platform with MATLAB analytics.
• Wolkabout – IoT Application Enablement Platform that integrates any device, transforms real-time readings into meaningful data, and combines different devices and services into a complete IoT solution.
• Kaa is an open-source IoT platform for device management, data collection, analytics and visualization, remote control, software updates, and more.

Difference between IoT platforms and dashboards

An IoT platform, in simple words, is an ecosystem that is already combined and put together to facilitate the hassle-free and less time-consuming creation of IoT products and solutions. An IoT platform is an Internet of Things environment on its own, and it can be used by businesses anywhere and everywhere to create their very own versions of IoT products, solutions, and IoT services.

On the other hand, an IoT DIY solution is when you, as a business or System Integrator, combine your thoughts, experiences, and mindsets to create technological innovations and advancements that will help you put together your very own IoT solution on the world map.

If you need a fairly simple solution, the budget is very limited, there is no need for branding and you work with the most experienced devices with widespread protocols – choose a ready-made solution.

For more complex cases, consider building your custom solution.

Examples of ready-made IoT dashboard solutions

These are the dashboards that support the MQTT protocol and can be used to display data from MQTT devices.

• Node-Red – Open source Node js-based platform for flow-based programming. Device management using the Node-red UI.
• Thingsboard– Open source data visualization and device management. Open-source Apache license. Available as a cloud service or via installation on local hardware.
• Freeboard.io – Open-source. Very popular, but doesn’t currently support MQTT out of the box.

Of course, you can use custom solutions.

Building a custom IoT dashboard

Embarking on the journey to create a custom IoT dashboard requires careful planning and consideration. Follow these initial steps to lay a solid foundation:

1. Develop a Comprehensive Structure: Begin by outlining a structure that encompasses all the critical elements of your IoT application. This includes:
   • Devices: The physical components, like sensors or actuators, that interact with the environment.
   • Variables: The specific data points these devices will monitor or control.
   • Dashboard Interface: The user interface where the data will be visualized and interacted with.
   • Alert Systems: Mechanisms for notifying users about specific conditions or changes detected by the devices.
2. Careful Device Selection: Choosing the right devices is pivotal. Consider the following:
   • Environment Compatibility: Ensure that the device is suited for the environment where it will be deployed. For example, outdoor environments may require more robust, weather-resistant devices.
   • Data Requirements: The device should be capable of sensing the specific data types relevant to your application’s needs.
   • Connectivity Protocol: Decide on the most appropriate connectivity technology for your setup, whether it’s WiFi, Bluetooth, Sigfox, LoRa, Ethernet, or others. This choice will depend on factors like range, power consumption, and existing infrastructure.

By methodically structuring your solution and judiciously selecting devices, you lay a strong foundation for a functional, efficient, and user-friendly custom IoT dashboard.

Components of an IoT dashboard

The selection of components for your IoT dashboard is inherently tied to both the nature of the data you intend to display and the overarching purpose of the dashboard itself.

Let’s explore different data types and their corresponding dashboard components through an illustrative scenario. Consider a system equipped with multiple temperature sensors, designed to regulate home heating. These sensors, ideally networked via MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport), send data to specific topics, which the heating controller then subscribes to for real-time monitoring.

For a dashboard designed to interface with this system, the primary goal is to display the current temperature data, accessible through MQTT subscriptions. However, to develop a more comprehensive understanding, historical temperature data is also essential, necessitating a robust data storage solution.

Key Components for a Home Heating IoT Dashboard:

• Status Indicators: To provide immediate visibility of system operation.
• Temperature Readings: Displaying real-time and historical data.
• Camera Integration: For visual monitoring, if applicable.
• Mapping Features: If managing multiple sensors across different locations.
• Graphical Representations: To visualize temperature trends over time.
• Time Stamps: To correlate data with specific times and dates.

When building a dashboard intended for broader user applications, additional modules become necessary:

• Alert System: Implement alerts for specific conditions, such as when a sensor reading exceeds preset thresholds or stops transmitting data. These alerts could be in the form of emails or SMS (see SMS deliverability for more details).
• Authentication and User Management: Essential for securing access to the dashboard.
• Custom Branding: Tailor the dashboard’s appearance to align with your or your client’s brand identity.

Each of these components plays a crucial role in ensuring that your IoT dashboard is not only functional but also intuitive and user-friendly, catering to the specific needs of your IoT environment.

Building an IoT Dashboard with Flatlogic’s Solutions

At Flatlogic, we specialize in crafting data display solutions tailored for the Internet of Things (IoT). Our platform offers a range of components to construct a comprehensive front-end experience, essential for managing and visualizing IoT data.

Utilizing Analytics Components: Our Analytics module provides versatile components ideal for creating dynamic graphs and data visualizations. These tools are designed to make complex IoT data accessible and understandable.

Incorporating Widgets for Diverse Data Display: Our widgets are perfect for showcasing various data types, from weather updates to numerous quantitative metrics, offering a broad perspective on your IoT data.

Building Comprehensive Profile Management: The People module allows you to develop a complete profile management system, integrating user-specific data and preferences into your IoT dashboard.

Exploring Options with Charts, Maps, and Tables: Our Charts, Maps, and Table modules offer extensive choices for displaying your data, allowing you to tailor the presentation to your specific needs.

Customization for Unique Branding: Flatlogic enables full customization of your IoT dashboard. Design layouts to perfectly suit your requirements, modify widgets and background colors, add your logo, and align the aesthetics with your branding.

White-Label Solutions: For those seeking a white-label approach, Flatlogic offers:

• Custom logo setup.
• Branding alignment.
• Personalized design aesthetics.
• Responsive design for various devices.

With Flatlogic, you have the tools and flexibility to build an IoT dashboard that is not only functional but also aligns seamlessly with your brand identity and user experience goals.

Recap and conclusion

In today’s variety of technologies, before choosing any solution, you need to determine what you need it for. There are 2 main ways to display data from IoT: build your solution or trust ready-made platforms.

Ready-made platforms can be useful for some common cases. There is no deep customization and only a basic set of components is included. Also, do not forget that you depend on the capacity and protocols of the platform with which you work. There is also a chance your data will leak.

If you have a lot of devices with different protocols and data, consider building your solution. You should choose this option if want to build a complete solution with alerts, user rights, your design, and an article. In general, you need to know what you want. And here ready admin templates can be useful.

You might also like these articles:

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The post How to Build an IoT Dashboard [Guideline] appeared first on Flatlogic Blog.

Since JavaScript is the basis of any web application, we are not going to discuss JS benefits or a list of JS possibilities. Instead, we will show you some typical mistakes that almost every JavaScript programmer has made during his career. 

According to the same Stackoverflow survey, 41% of programmers that took part in the survey have less than five years of professional coding experience.

This article is mostly for those developers. New developers (0-2 years) may find examples from the article useful because it’s a bad code you can learn from. More experienced developers (3+ years) may get a smile by recognizing the JavaScript mistakes you have made in the past. Anyway spending some time reading this article gives you either knowledge or fun. Enjoy reading!  

The list of common JavaScript mistakes:

• Do you remember the difference between «=», «==»  and «===»?
• Forgetting about the scope of variables.
• Misunderstanding the difference between “let”, “const”  and “var”.
• Incorrect references to instance methods.
• Difficulties of using this.

Do you remember the difference between «=», «==»  and «===»?

Odds are you first encountered the problem with code like this:

var x = 1;
if (x = 7) { 
  alert("Hello"); 
} else {
  alert("Nope");
}

And you get “Hello”! Why? The answer is very simple: you don’t understand the difference between the 3 operators mentioned above. It’s not a complicated mistake, and once you learn it you will not likely forget it. Since this mistake is very simple, you can overlook it when it comes to conditions of jumping out of a loop.

Let’s get this thing over with and go further: 

“=” is the equal operator, so it’s used for assignment. In our example, we assign seven to “x” in the condition and get words of welcome “Hello”. 

The correct code looks like this:

var x = 1;
if (x == 7) {
  alert("Hello");
} else {
  alert("Nope");
}

We get “Nope”.

“==” is the loose equality comparison operator. Why loose? Because it allows converting values from one type to another to compare them. Even if we assign a string value “7” to x, and compare it with number value “7” the code returns to us “Hello”. However, the code below returns “Nope”:

Why? Because “===” is the strict equality comparison operator. If this operator returns “true” it means that our values are identical both in value and in type. There is an analog for “===” – the method Object.is. It has some differences in the processing of -0, +0, and NaN values, but some of you know what these differences are, while others can turn to JavaScript Guide. And in general, it’s a good practice: 

If you have any doubts about JS methods or features, you can always google it, but we highly recommend using JavaScript Guide.

Forgetting about the scope of variables

Another quite simple mistake:

let arr = [1,2,3,4,5,6,7];
var j;
for (j=0;  j < arr.length; j++) {
  console.log (arr[j]);
} 
// …some long code
console.log ( j ); // we get the number “7”

And it’s easy to forget that our variable changes its value after the loop. This mistake exists not only in the JS community but in general. In some languages, you define a variable only within a loop, and it’s destroyed once the loop ends, but not in JavaScript.

And the opposite situation, when you try to get access to a variable that was defined within their local scope (it refers to Function scope). Example:

function myFunction() {
  var me = "You can't touch me!";
} 
console.log(me);

“me” is not defined, sorry, you can contact your lawyer or just remember the scope of variables in JavaScript. The correct code is:

var me;
function myFunction() {
  me = "You can't touch me!";
}
console.log(me + ‘I Can, sorry’);

Another example since JS update in 2015, and the keyword let came to JS to declare variables (ECMA Script 6) is: 

let arr = [1,2,3,4,5,6,7];
for (let j = 0; j < arr.length; j++) {
  console.log(arr[j]); // the output: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
} 
console.log(j) // j = 0. 

The keyword let didn’t change the variable “j” compared to the first example. And this question is the topic of our next abstract

Misunderstanding the difference between “let”, “const”  and “var”

It’s closely related to the previous problem, but since almost everybody googled “the difference between var, const and let” we separate this question. Let’s first look at the code below:

console.log(x); // undefined
var x = 5;
console.log(x); // the output is 5

The code is logical as the output, no questions.  Another example:

console.log(x); // Error: cannot access “x” before the initialization
let x = 5;
console.log(x);

The reason is that var is function scoped and let is block scoped. When you declare a variable with let keyword, they are moved to the beginning of the block. This may lead to a reference error when you try to access the variable before the initialization.

It’s called a “temporary dead zone”, if you want to know more information about it, you can visit an official website for JS developers Mozilla JavaScript Guide.

But we move on with our next participant and show an example to describe everything:

let a = 5;
var b = 10;
const c = 11;
 
if (a === 5) {
  let a = 4; 	// The scope is inside the if-block
  var b = 1; 	// The scope is global
  const c = 15; // The scope is inside the if-block
  
  console.log(a);   // 4, 
  console.log(b);   // 1
  console.log(c);   // 15
} 
console.log(a);  // 5, the value changes to the initial 
console.log(b);  // 1, the value from if-block saves
console.log(c);  // 11, the value changes to the initial

And the last code for this chapter:

a = 10; 	// it’s OK, the value of a is changed to 10
b = 20; 	// it’s OK, the value of b is changed to 20
c = 7; 		// SyntaxError: Identifier "c" has already beed declared 
const c = 15; 	// The same error

What happened? In “if block” we declared “a” and “c” variables in if-block and changed the value of a global variable “b”. Outside the block “a” and “C” returned to its initial values. After that, we tried to change the values of all variables: let and var allow us to do that, while const returned an error. The reason is that the const declares a read-only reference to a value within a certain scope (it may be local or global). That’s why we managed to declare the new value of the “C” variable in if-block but failed to change the value outside of it.  

Incorrect references to instance methods

Let’s create a new object and use the prototype property of a function to add “whoAmI” method. Then create an instance “obj” of our object (the code below):

var MyObject = function() {}
MyObject.prototype.whoAmI = function() { 
  console.log(this === window ? "window" : "MyObj"); 
}
var obj = new MyObject();

The preparatory phase ended, let’s start to make our life simpler: since we need to get access to a recently established method and we want to make it simple, so let’s create a reference to it and check if it works properly.

obj.whoAmI(); // MyObj
var anotherMethod = obj.whoAmI;
anotherMethod(); // window

And we get the output “window” instead of expected “MyObj”. 

Why? Well, when we create a reference varanotherMethod = obj.whoAmI, method whoAmI has been defined in the global scope. A global scope is a window object in a browser, so the keyword this becomes equal to the window, not the instance of MyObject. If we want to make a correct reference to an instance method, then we need to call this method from the object itself or make a reference to the object, but not just to the method of the object.

The right reference will look like this:

var obj = new MyObject(); 
var anotherObj = obj;
anotherObj.whoAmI() // MyObj

or

obj.link = obj.whoAmI
obj.link(); // MyObj

And we get an equal result finally.

Difficulties of using this

JavaScript has become quite a complicated language. This is a keyword in JavaScript the value of which is evaluated during the run-time, depending on the context. 

function myFunction() {
  var myObject = {
     objProperty: "some text",
     objMethod: function() {
        alert(objProperty);
        }
     }
  myObject.objMethod();
} 
myFunction();

And we get ReferenceError: objProperty is not defined. Functions defined on a JavaScript object accessing properties on that JavaScript object and failing to use this reference identifier. The correct code looks like this (not our this =)):

function myFunction() {
  var myObject = {
     objProperty: "some text",
     objMethod: function() {
        alert(this.objProperty);
        }
     }
  myObject.objMethod();
}
myFunction();

The idea is simple: when myObject.objMethod is called, this becomes myObject during the call of objMethod. When we define an object and want to access its properties and methods, we need to access the object itself first. (sounds logical) But there are also reverse situations when this is used incorrectly.

Game.prototype.restart = function () {
  this.clearLocalStorage();
  this.timer = setTimeout(function() {
    this.clearBoard(); 
  }, 0);
}

It returns to us another error: undefined is not a function.

The point is that this in this.clearBoard() line is unnecessary here because when you invoke setTimeout() you work with window.setTimeout(), so you invoke the window object in the browser. The object window doesn’t have a clearBoard() method. The correct form will look like this:

Game.prototype.restart = function () {
  var self = this;
  this.clearLocalStorage();
  this.timer = setTimeout(function() {
    self.clearBoard(); // this = window
  }, 0);
}

And an example that has existed since EcmaScript2015 was released:

Game.prototype.restart = function () {
  this.clearLocalStorage();
  this.timer = setTimeout(() => {
    this.clearBoard(); // this = Game
  }, 0);
}

That also became possible after ECMAScript 6. When we use an arrow function, we stay in the scope of the previous function without creating a new local scope.

Memory leaks, what lays beyond it

Let’s start with a code:

function myFunction() {
  me = "You can't touch me!";
}

It’s an altered example from the second chapter of this article, can you see the difference? 

If yes, it’s great – you are aware of declaring unnecessary global variables and stay careful when it comes to the speed of your code. The problem with this code is that when we call the function myFunction, we create an unnecessary global variable that is lurking in the background until the code doesn’t terminate. The global variable is created because we assign a value to a variable that hasn’t been declared before.

Although the variables don’t take a lot of memory, too much data stored as cash slows the page download speed and negatively affects the speed of your browser in general. There are several possible solutions:

Use local variables:

function myFunction() {
  var me = "You can't touch me!";
}

Use “use strict” Directive that doesn’t allow you to invoke undeclared variables:

function myFunction() {
  “strict mode”
  me = "You can't touch me!"; //me is not defined
}

Memory leaks occur when the app stores unnecessary data that the garbage collector doesn’t clean in its run. Another event that leads to memory leaks is when an app consumes memory for a specific task: once the task is completed, memory is released, but sometimes it is not. So the app keeps the memory for no reason (since the task is done). 

Let’s consider another code:

var trigger = document.getElementById("trigger");
var elem = document.getElementById('elementToDelete');
trigger.addEventListener("click", function() {
  elem.remove();
});

When we execute the code, elementToDelete is removed from the DOM. But we still have the reference to it within the listener, and at this point, the memory leak happens because allocated memory for the object is still used. 

The solution is here:

var trigger = document.getElementById("trigger");
trigger.addEventListener("click", function() {
  var elem = document.getElementById('elementToDelete');
  elem.remove();
});

Here elem is declared inside the listener. Thus when we delete it, the path for the object is cut off and the memory will be released.

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• Top 7 jQuery Free Admin Templates
• Multi-Threading and Multiple Process in Node.js
• Top 6 Material Design Dashboards

The post Top Mistakes JavaScript Developers Make appeared first on Flatlogic Blog.

Due to the non-blocking nature of Node.js, different threads execute different callbacks that are first delegated to the event loop. NodeJS runtime is responsible for handling all of this.

Why NodeJS?

JS was originally built as a single-threaded programing language meant to run only inside a web browser. What this means is that in a process, only a single set of instructions was able to execute at a given moment in time.

The execution moved on to the next code block only when the current code block finished execution. The single-threaded nature of JS, however, made implementation easy.

In its humble beginnings, JavaScript was useful for adding only a little interaction to websites. Therefore, there was nothing that demanded multithreading. However, times have changed, user requirements have intensified, and JavaScript has become “the popular programming language of the web.”

Multithreading has now become common. Because JS is a single threaded language, achieving multithreading in it isn’t possible. Thankfully, there is a great workaround available for this situation; NodeJS.

There is no scarcity to NodeJS frameworks thanks to the popularity enjoyed by the JS runtime environment, in particular and JavaScript, in general. Before continuing with the article, let’s know take in some important points about Node.js:

1. It is possible to pass messages to the forked process and to the master process from the forked process using the send function
2. Support for forking multiple processes is available
3. State isn’t shared between the master and forked processes

Why Fork a Process?

There are two cases when we need to fork a process:

1. For enhancing the speed by delegating tasks to some other process
2. For freeing up memory and unloading single process

It is possible to send data to the forked process as well as send it back.

The Way of NodeJS

Node.js makes use of two types of threads:

1. The main thread handled by event loop and,
2. Many auxiliary threads in the worker pool

The event loop is responsible for taking callbacks, or functions, and registering the same for execution in the future. It operates in the same thread as that of the proper JS code. Once a JS operation blocks the thread, the event loop gets blocked as well.

The worker pool is an execution model responsible for spawning and handling different threads. It synchronously performs the task and then returns the result to the event loop, which then executes the provided callback with the stated result.

To summarize, the worker pool takes care of asynchronous I/O operations i.e. interactions made with the system disk and network. Modules like the fs and crypto are the ones that primarily use the worker pool.

As the worker pool is implemented in the libuv library, there is a little delay when Node.js requires to communicate internally between JS and C++. However, this is almost imperceptible.

Everything is good until we come across the requirement of synchronously executing a complex operation. Any function that requires much time to run will result in blocking the main thread.

If the application has several CPU-intensive functions, then it results in a significant drop in the throughput of the server. In the worst-case scenario, the server will freeze and there will be no way of delegating work to the worker pool.

Areas like AI, big data, and machine learning couldn’t benefit from NodeJS due to the operations blocking the one and only main thread and rendering the server unresponsive. However, this changed with the advent of the NodeJS v10.5.0 that added support for multithreading.

The Challenge of Concurrency & CPU-Bound Tasks

Establishing concurrency in JavaScript can be difficult. Allowing several threads to access the same memory results in race conditions that are not only hard to reproduce but also challenging to solve.

NodeJS was originally implemented as a server-side platform based on asynchronous I/O. This made a lot of things easier by simply eliminating the need for threads. Yes, Node.js applications are single-threaded but not in the typical fashion.

We can run things in parallel in Node.js. However, we don’t need to create threads. The operating system and the virtual machine collectively run the I/O in parallel and the JS code then runs in a single thread when it is time to send the data back to the JavaScript code.

Except for the JS code, everything runs in parallel in Node.js. Unlike asynchronous blocks, synchronous blocks of JS are always executed one at a time. Compared to code execution, a lot more time is spent waiting for I/O events to occur in JS.

A NodeJS application simply invokes the required functions, or callbacks, and doesn’t block the execution of other code. Originally, neither JavaScript nor NodeJS was meant to handle CPU-intensive or CPU-bound tasks.

When the code is minimal, the execution will be agile. However, the heavier the computations become, the slower the execution gets.

If you still tried to accomplish CPU-intensive tasks in JS and Node then it resulted in freezing the UI in the browser and queuing any I/O event, respectively. Nonetheless, we have come a long way from that. Now, we have the worker_threads module to save the day.

Multithreading Made Simple With The worker_threads Module

Released in the June of 2018, Node.js v10.5.0 introduced the worker_threads module. It facilitates implementing concurrency in the popular JavaScript runtime environment. The module allows creation of fully functional multithreaded NodeJS apps.

Technically, a worker thread is some code that is spawned in a separate thread. To begin using worker threads, one requires to import the worker_threads module first. Afterward, an instance of the Worker class needs to be created for creating a worker thread.

When creating an instance of the Worker class, there are two arguments:

1. The first one provides a path to the file, having .js or .mjs extensions, containing the worker thread’s code and,
2. The second one provides an object containing a workerData property that contains the data meant to be accessed by the worker thread when it begins execution

Worker threads are capable of dispatching more than one message event. As such, the callback approach is given preference over the option of returning a promise.

The communication among the worker threads is event-based i.e. listeners are set up to be called as soon as the event is sent by the worker thread. 4 of the most common events are:

worker.on('error', (error) => {});

1. Emitted when there is an uncaught exception inside the worker thread. Next, the worker thread terminates, and the error is made available as the first argument in the provided callback.

worker.on('exit', (exitCode) => {})

2. Emitted when a worker thread exits. exitCode would be provided to the callback if process.exit() was called inside the worker thread. The code is 1 if worker.terminate() terminates the worker thread.

worker.on('message', (data) => {});

3. Emitted when a worker thread sends data to the parent thread.

worker.on('online', () => {});

4. Emitted when a worker thread stops parsing the JS code and begins execution. Although not commonly used, the online event can be informative in specific scenarios.

Ways of Using Worker threads

There are two ways for using worker threads:

• Approach 1 – Involves spawning a worker thread, executing its code, and sending the result to the parent thread. This approach necessitates for creating a new worker from scratch every time for a new task.
• Approach 2 – Involves spawning a worker thread and setting up listeners for the message event. Every time the message is fired, the worker thread executes the code and sends the result back to the parent thread. The worker thread remains alive for future use.

Approach 2 is also known as worker pool. This is because the approach involves creating a pool of workers, putting them on waiting, and dispatching the message event to do the task when required.

Because creating a worker thread from scratch demands creating a virtual machine and parsing and executing code, the official NodeJS documentation recommends employing the approach 2. Moreover, approach 2 is more efficient than approach 1.

Important Properties Available in the worker_threads Module

• isMainThread – This property is true when not operating inside a worker thread. If needs be, then a simple if statement can be included at the start of the worker file. This ensures that it runs only as a worker thread.
• parentPort – An instance of MessagePort, it is used for communicating with the parent thread.
• threadId – A unique identifier assigned to the worker thread.
• workerData – Contains the data included in the worker thread’s constructor by the spawning thread.

Multiprocessing in NodeJS

In order to harness the power of a multi-core system using Node.js, processes are available. The popular JS runtime environment features a module called cluster that provides support for multiprocessing.

The cluster module enables spawning multiple child processes, which can share a common port. A system using NodeJS can handle greater workloads when the child processes are put into action.

Node.js for the Backend

Internet has already become the platform of choice for millions, if not billions, around the world. Therefore, to push a business to its maximum potential and leave no stone unturned in the cause of the same it is mandatory to have a robust online presence.

It all starts with a powerful, intuitive website. To make an impeccable website it is important to choose the best frontend and backend technologies. Although single-threaded in nature, Node.js is a top choice in the cause of backend web development services.

Despite having an abundance of multi-threaded backend options, reputed companies like to opt for NodeJS. This is because Node.js offers the workaround for using multithreading in JavaScript, which is already “the most popular programming language of the web.”

Conclusion

The worker_threads module offers an easy way of implementing multithreading in Node.js applications. A server’s throughput can be significantly enhanced by delegating CPU-heavy computations to the worker threads.

With the newfound support for multithreading, NodeJS will continue to reach more and more developers, engineers, and other professionals from calculation-heavy fields such as AI, big data, and machine learning.

Looking to add a calendar to your website? Check out these top JavaScript calendar plugins!

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The post What is Node.js? Multi-Threading and Multiple Process in Node.js appeared first on Flatlogic Blog.

I have already counted at least 7 core libraries and all of these are in a single project! And what about underlying technologies like Javascript itself, Node.js, and, probably, Typescript? Well, that’s a lot!

So how do you learn all of these tools? Of course, there is a such thing as documentation. 

Why documentation is important?

There are two ways you can relate to documentation: you can either write or read one. Sometimes you are on both sides, but in most cases, you are consuming the creation of other developers. You would not use any of the mentioned libraries unless they were well-documented, would you? Which brings us to the first point:

People will not even consider your project unless it is well-documented

This may seem obvious but, if your code is not documented, then the only way to learn what it does is to reverse-engineer it. Would you do that yourself? Let’s consider the extreme opposite and imagine if React, for example, had no documentation. Then there would be only few geeks to try this new tool from Facebook, since it would require browsing over the source code to understand what it does and how to use it. Of course there will be no businesses or enterprises using a non-documented library. What kind of CEO or CTO would want to risk their company’s resources on a technology that has unpredictable onboarding time? Moreover, it would be hard for Facebook’s engineers themselves to support and maintain the codebase, which makes a second point:

You will not be able to understand your code in 6 months

I bet you know the feeling when you look at the code that you have written a few months or years ago and can not understand a single line. It is even hard to admit the code was your creation. Sounds familiar? The code may even look like it was written by someone much less experienced and may seem silly, but still you are unable to explain what is going on there. Why did you write this?

At that moment an intense feeling of regret will creep in and you will start to realize the best moment to write a documentation was when you wrote the code, i.e. 6 months ago. Now, instead of reading the docs, you will have to read the code, and the code does not answer the question “why” it was written and does not explain itself. So the main purpose of documentation is to explain why you wrote this piece of software, including for yourself in the future. 

Documentation is a love letter that you write to your future self.

– Damian Conway

Documentation makes the code better

You will have to think a lot about the design of your code when documenting it. Since you have to expose the whole structure of the code to the public, you will think twice about the way you built your project. Are there any parts to be refactored? Is there a way to implement some functionalities better or completely reorganize the code? So documentation process itself makes the code better.

What to write?

After it became clear how important documentation is, it seems that we can start creating one. However, before proceeding, I would recommend to stop for a while and do a step zero by clearly defining your target audience and understanding the value your project generates.

Define your audience

This one seems obvious but is often forgotten. It is better to clearly formalize who you are writing for. Who are your users? Are they mostly developers or designers? Experienced or fresh? Do they use your project in a large or small team? Etc, etc. Answering these questions will help you define an imaginary persona, which represents most of your users. Keeping this imaginary persona in mind will help you a lot, so the process of writing docs will look more like a dialog between you two.

What problem your project solves

The first thing to add to your document is a clear definition of what is the name of the project and what problem it solves. It is better to have one or two sentences. People are going to be visiting your page from many sources and, hence, have different perspectives. That’s why you have to be very precise and avoid vague descriptions. Simply state what your Javascript project is about, who it is for, and what problem it solves. As an example of proper title and description, you can check out Sing App React Admin Template (one of our popular admin templates) with its documentation.

Quick start and installation steps

Most people do not like to wait. So do your users. Let them launch and try your project as fast as you can. Prepare a simple short list of steps needed to setup the project and put it on top of documentation front page. Usually it may be a list of commands required to setup an environment and start the application. If it’s possible, it will be great to simply copy-paste these commands and have the entire application or library launched. Take a look at Rails Admin documentation as an example:

A list of steps needed to setup the library is clear and easy to execute, which makes the whole project more attractive to use.

Hopefully your users will be able to setup and launch everything, so now it is time to go a little bit deeper.

Components and features documentation

It is most likely that quick starting the project will not be the only option available to interact with it. There will be other parts, modules, components, features, classes, etc. You name it. E.g. pieces of your software that require separate documentation and provide an API to interact with it in some way.

The first thing to do is to list all of these components and make a table of contents based on it with links following to the relevant pages. 

For every single piece of your documentation it is better to apply the same principle you apply to writing project description: name the component, describe what it is used for, what is the installation process, if there is one. What are the API methods and parameters, if so? Try to put yourself in a place of this imaginary persona you described earlier and imagine what would be the questions and difficulties integrating this particular component. Help them use it and leave no feature undocumented!

A list of steps needed to setup the library is clear and easy to execute, which makes the whole project more attractive to use.

Hopefully your users will be able to setup and launch everything, so now it is time to go a little bit deeper.

Firebase documentation is a great example of structuring docs. You can see the menu of all available documentation parts on the left side and interact with particular component in the middle of the page.

License and contribution instructions

There must be something that guides relations between your project and its users. You have to decide under what conditions your software is distributed and can be used. There are lots of standard licenses available around the web, so it is up to you to pick the right one for your project. The most popular ones are: BSD, MIT, Apache GNU licenses. They are open source, so keep that in mind. Proprietary licenses vary a lot from project to project, so this can be a separate topic.

If your project is open source then you are expecting people to contribute. Hence it will be very helpful for them to have some sort of guidance from you. Let them know where they can report issues, ask questions, what are the restrictions or prior assumption before contributing, where they can find issues, etc. Otherwise you are about to lose a great amount of thankful supporters and maintainers.

Tips on writing documentation

We will not be able to predict all the use cases and the way users will use your documentation. In general it is a great principle to keep imagining yourself as your user and organize everything based on this point of view. However, here is a short list of general tips every project documentation must follow:

• People will simply copy and paste your code. Keep this in mind and make sure to double check this yourself by executing it. Avoid placing some invisible characters to code examples. It is even better to use code and blockquote tags to embed code blocks.
• Keep your documentation updated. Every change in code must be followed by a relevant change in documentation. Otherwise documentation soon becomes outdated, which is equal to the absence of documentation.
• Code comments are a part of documentation. This is the last and very important one. If your project is open source, users are going to be reading through your code, hence inline comments will help them a lot. Furthermore, there are tools like JSDoc that generate documentation based on code comments! So you do not have to write anything in a separate file. Simply feed this tool with your codebase and, voila, you have the documentation.

Tools to speed up the process

Why would you want to write and create everything from scratch and by yourself if there are so many documentation tools available? Nowadays generating documentation, especially if you produce high-quality code with inline comments, is a matter of running a single command.

So let’s overview documentation tools available in 2019.

JSDoc

JSDoc is the most popular Javascript documentation generator. All you need to do is to simply run jsdoc command with a filename as an argument. That is it. It will generate HTML file with documentation that is ready to use. The website is https://github.com/jsdoc/jsdoc. 

Docusaurus

Docusaurus is a more complex tool that allows you to generate entire documentation website based on markdown files with documentation contents. It is based on React and supports versioning, so you can easily maintain different versions of the documentation generated in the past. Other great benefits are embedded search and multi language support, which is crucial for popular repositories. The website is https://docusaurus.io/.

apiDoc

apiDoc creates a documentation from API annotations in your source code. It is a great tool to generate a documentation for a project that has and exposes lots of API methods. It allows to customize everything a lot, e.g. specify parameters, error codes, response samples, etc. The website is http://apidocjs.com/

Great examples of JavaScript project documentation

When creating something new it is good to have some sort of example, something you can refer to. So here is the list of various projects you may get your inspiration from. All of them are great, so pick one you like the most.

• Firebase
• React Admin Template (a documentation to one of our own projects. We invested around 250 hours composing these docs);
• Bugsnag
• Ruby on Rails guides
• CatBoost

Summary

I hope that you found this article useful and it will help you a lot when creating documentation for your javascript project. Googling the Internet tells that documentation is a key to success in any Javascript project, and I strongly agree with this rule. Documentation is sort of a facade that people face and resort to when using your project. So always keep it updated and put yourself in place of your users!

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