A web app developer is a software designer or engineer who is involved in the development and design of web and/or network applications. They work in a variety of organizations of any size, and some work as independent freelancers. This career is a very rewarding one that offers many attractive benefits including job satisfaction, job security and excellent pay and benefits.
Web app developers are typically responsible for IT duties involved in web development and programming, as well as coding. Their role is very critical, as they are the driving force behind the success of an application. The creation of a web application usually involves one or more developers.
Requirements for Developing Web Applications
1. Roadmap Document: Defining Web Application, Purpose, Goals, and Direction
This initial task is an important part of the process. It requires putting together the Web Application project goals and purpose.
This step establishes your project's clear direction and helps you focus on setting and achieving your goal.
The Roadmap Document will specify the Web Application's future plan and objectives with approximate timelines.
2. Researching and Defining Audience Scope and Security Documents
This task requires researching the audience/users, and prospective clients (if any), and creating an Analytic Report which includes the following approximate assessments:
- Type of audience for usability purposes:
Creating Statistic Reports on the percentage of users: elementary, average, advanced, the audience ages, and gender.
- Type and level of access:
Creating an Access Report, specifying users' access to Intranet, Internet, Extranet - single-level, multi-level.
- Type of audience for planning the security level:
Creating a Risk Statistical Document based on users' characteristics, zone's fraud level, application's industry security breaches, and history of the audience's security breaches.
- Quantitative statistics on the audience:
Creating a Potential Visitors Report, broken down by reasonable periodic time frames.
3. Creating Functional Specifications or Feature Summary Document
A Web Application Functionality Specifications Document is the key document in any Web Application project. This document will list all of the functionalities and technical specifications that a web application will require accomplishing. Technically, this document can become overwhelming if one has to follow the Functional Specifications rule and detail out each type of user's behavior on a very large project. However, it is worth putting forth the effort to create this document which will help prevent any future confusion or misunderstanding of the project features and functionalities, by both the project owner and developer. A typical functional specification will list every user's behavior.
4. Third Party Vendors Identification, Analysis, and Selection
This task requires researching, identifying and selection of third-party vendors, products, and services such as:
Web Application Development Company - for detail information: How to Hire a Good Web Application Development Company
Merchant Account and Payment Gateway - for detail information: Guide to Merchant Accounts and Payment Gateways
SSL Certificate (example providers: Verisign, GeoTrust)
5. Technology Selection, Technical Specifications, Web Application Structure and Timelines
This document is the blueprint of the technology and platform selection, development environment, web application development structure, and framework.
The Technical Specifications Document will detail out the technology used, licenses, versions, and forecasts.
The Timeline Document will identify the completion dates for the Web Application's features or modules.
6. Application Visual Guide, Design Layout, Interface Design, Wireframing
This process starts out by creating the visual guide, wireframing or simply sketching out the user interface and interactions of the web applications by Comentum's Creative and Usability teams of experts.
Once the Application Interface and Interaction Models are approved, Comentum's creative team design the interface for the web application.
7. Web Application Development
The application's Design Interface is turned over to Comentum's Development Team who take the following steps to develop the project:
Create the Web Application Architecture and Framework
Design the Database Structure
Develop / Customize the Web Application Module, Libraries, and Classes
Complete the Development and Implement all Functionalities - Version 1.0
8. Beta Testing and Bug Fixing
Comentum's rigorous quality assurance testing help produce the most secure and reliable web applications.
Version 1.0 of the Web Application is thoroughly tested and any program bugs are addressed and fixed.
