Dactyl and technologies: from difficult beginnings to the most modern solutions

When we develop top applications, we also need to rely on a capable partner. This time it's not about a favorite colleague, but about technology. About software and hardware… you know it. It is not possible without reliable tools.

Everyone started somehow once. Looking back at our start, it wasn't such a super hit either. But we have come a long way since then. Good piece.

Technology is the key to success

Enthusiasm, skills and experience have undoubtedly enabled us to excel. But hand on heart. The basis and driving force is the effective use of modern technologies. In our field, everything comes from them and those who do not innovate throw sticks under their own feet. That's why we keep up with trends and are not afraid of new adventures. And clients cheer. New technologies enable reliable and long-term solutions.

It is already clear to you what the article will be about. Before you dive into it, we have a brief overview of the technologies we use in Dactyl.

Web solutions

• PHP → Yii2
• JavaScript → React
• Docker

Mobile solutions

• Android → Kotlin
• iOS → Swift
• Multi-platform → Flutter, React Native

We already have a lot of ideas for further modernization. This means even more cool projects in the future!

What assignments have we already successfully completed with our skills? Check it out!

In the beginning was the word… a programming language

What were our beginnings in Dactyl? Let's take it in order - from the programming language.

We also started on PHP 5. Well, it wasn't quite that. In addition, the language has changed drastically, and with it our needs. We needed better readability, a clearer structure and the possibility of more accurate testing. PHP 8 helps us with all this, on which our new applications are already based.

We can't forget mobile applications!

Our priority has always been native development. For Android, we started classically with Java. Here, too, we went with the flow and switched to the more versatile Kotlin. And what about the apple? For iOS,  now our helper is Swift, which replaced the original Objective-C. Definitely a welcome change.

But we have spread our wings again and lately we have also been using multiplatform technologies, namely Flutter and React Native.

Backend, frontend… also trend

The question of the division of individual activities immediately arises. Backend and frontend. Two different concepts that do not work without each other. It is no exception that companies often combine these two jobs.

Mistake! 

We also woke up and separated them. And we can't praise it. Each team can work independently on their assignment to some extent during development. Faster and more efficient.

What do we currently use? For user interfaces we use React in conjunction with development framework Next. The API and the administration part of the applications on the servers are based on PHP, where we update everything continuously and carefully.

Ensuring the right server is not such fun

We have completely dug over the development environment. We each started with our own local server (MAMP, XAMPP), but it had one little catch.

„Oops, doesn't it work on production? But it worked so nicely for me during development.”

This forced us to switch to a shared server. We called him Evolve. It worked nicely, but it was a bit lazy. When we no longer enjoyed pushing him, we evolved further.

That's how Docker came on.

Thanks to him, we have a nice local and production environment. Possibility of virtualization tore the thorn from our heels. We can easily set up the environment for running apps ourselves and we no longer deal with any annoyance with the installation of tools and libraries.

Deploying the application? Now it's easy peasy

The development and deployment of applications went hand in hand with these changes. Before the final stop, we went through the manual deployment via FTP and downloading the changes on the server using the GIT system.

Now the whole process is automated and treads like a Swiss watch.

Gradually, we added a staging environment for easy presentation of changes directly to the client. But before deploying, we first test the modified functions in a testing environment. Nothing will slip through us.

Even your own solution can bother you

Servers for running applications have changed a lot. Having your own hardware is cool, but it also has its flies. It actually has a whole swarm of them, so we preferred to switch to data centers and rental of VPS.

We don't have to deal with maintenance or faults and we scale one with joy. What happened next?To simplify our work, we switched to AWS. Using ready-made services makes it easier for us to create and manage the necessary infrastructure.

And we have more time for bigger nuts and testing the latest technologies.

We love cool technologies

Who tries nothing has nothing. We like challenges and we are not afraid to go the other way. The well-known paths are nice, but we like to make our own. Recently for example, we often experiment with the newer Combine framework. In the future, it will completely replace RxSwift in our projects. We also plan to work with SwiftUI more frequently.

We keep moving forward with the times and provide our customers the best professional care. But we also have another priority, and that is the satisfaction of our employees.

The work of a developer can get boring very easily and quickly.

That is not a threat here. We will please the nerdy heart of every enthusiastic developer. Interesting projects as well as modern and fun technologies, this is simply ours. Even working with joy is possible.

Up to infinity and beyond!

Our enthusiasm and ambition know no bounds. We plan a lot of other extensions in the future. You could already read our goals for iOS development. But we have far more plans. We are also currently looking for another trendy approach to creating web applications.

Serverless solution! A real gem.

Main advantage? The name speaks for itself - we don't have to bother managing the server. Unlike the "classic" solution, we use resources only when using the application. In many cases, we will reduce operating costs and thus also please our clients. And that's what it's all about.

Functionality, ease of use, long-term solution and financial side. These are exactly the main reasons to keep up with the latest technologies. We are ready for innovation. And what about you?

Are you a fan of new technologies and application development? Are you interested in our approach and would you like to broaden your horizons? At Dactyl, we are always happy to welcome creative and smart brains to these positions. Write to us, maybe we are looking for you.