This article delves into the details of crafting a WordPress theme using React. We highlight the benefits that WordPress theme development with React brings to your online presence.

Content reigns supreme. Every website owner is aware of this fact. However, simply producing content isn’t sufficient. You must also have the capacity to effectively manage it: add it to your site, modify it, or delete it.

In the early days of the Internet, content management was not a task for the average user. The game changed with the introduction of the first content management systems (CMS). These platforms gave individuals with no prior digital technology experience the ability to easily and quickly carry out fundamental operations with website content.

Among these, WordPress stands as one of the most seasoned and widely used platforms. It powers millions of websites of various kinds, from blogs to e-commerce sites. Its intuitive, user-friendly admin panel, which allows site admins to effortlessly handle both back-end and front-end tasks, is a key attraction.

A significant change occurred in the WordPress ecosystem a few years back when the REST API was incorporated into the system’s core. This gave WordPress developers the freedom to work with technologies beyond PHP and HTML for custom WordPress theme creation.

The WordPress front-end has been separated from the back-end, allowing for independent development and even operation from a separate server. This has opened up a world of possibilities.

Developers began using various JavaScript frameworks for custom WordPress themes or enhancing existing ones, relying on WordPress for data retrieval and database interaction.

React.js, a JS library released by Facebook in 2013, is one of the most favored among these. Let’s explore why. 

REST API: The Key Enabler for Developing a WordPress Theme with React 

Discussing the creation of a WordPress theme using React necessitates an understanding of the fundamental concept that makes it feasible – the REST API. Previously, REST API was integrated as a plugin in older versions of WordPress. Now, it’s part of the system’s core, marking one of the most transformative improvements in WordPress history.

API stands for Application Programming Interface, while REST denotes Representational State Transfer. Essentially, REST is a set of guidelines dictating how website data should be manipulated (creation, reading, updating, and deletion) in the form of collections and objects.

Each data type in WordPress is represented by a specific endpoint or URL. For instance, the base route for posts is /wp/v2/posts, and for themes, it’s /wp/v2/themes. These endpoints can be used within the code to manipulate database data when creating a WordPress theme with React or a similar JS framework.

Data travels between the back-end and front-end as JSON objects. JSON, JavaScript Object Notation, is a convenient document format containing JavaScript objects with key-value pairs. Consider it akin to a TV remote control. You press the power button, a signal is sent to the TV to switch on, and you start receiving information. The endpoint can be compared to the button, and the corresponding JSON object is the signal.

You’re not concerned about how this signal is processed inside the TV. Your interest lies in the information. The remote control is the interface that lets you communicate with the TV by pressing various buttons.

When your WordPress theme is powered by React, the REST API functions as the interface connecting you to the database and facilitating data operations. Two points worth noting:

• The same security restrictions apply to the REST API, whether you’re building a WordPress theme with React.js or using the reliable old PHP.
• Using the WordPress REST API isn’t mandatory.

The REST API offers WordPress site owners one major benefit: clear separation of front-end and back-end. You could have two distinct development teams operating from different places and running their website parts from separate servers.

Other benefits include:

• Creating a React app as a WordPress theme results in a Single Page Application (SPA) with a distinctive design and superior user experience.
• A WordPress React.js theme is highly dynamic/interactive, performs well, and can incorporate animations. While other frameworks also permit animation usage in themes, React.js simplifies the process.
• A React theme for WordPress can store data client-side for added speed.
• A WordPress theme powered by React can function even without Internet connectivity, thanks to Service Workers.

These points should be compelling enough to persuade you to leverage the REST API in your next or ongoing project. But why build a WordPress theme with React when other technologies are available? Here’s why.

WordPress Theme Development with React: The Optimal Choice for Your Website

In a previous article, we underlined the primary benefits of using React for WordPress theme development. Let’s discuss the key aspects that render React an excellent choice for  WordPress theme development.

Fast and Easy WordPress Theme Development 

This feature is greatly valued by WordPress developers. If you examine the syntax, known as JSX, it appears as JavaScript code embedded with HTML. Moreover, everything in React is characterized as a component, encapsulating logic, structure, and visual presentation in one place.

Although this seems to contradict the separation of concerns principle, developers typically adapt to this approach and find it beneficial.

Individuals with a working knowledge of JavaScript and HTML can understand the basics of React relatively quickly, though mastering advanced concepts may take some time.

The uncomplicated syntax and familiar technologies make React WordPress theme development quite speedy (though tasks like implementing server-side rendering may require more time). This leads to a reduction in development costs. 

Numerous Components Available for Use

Another advantage that accelerates React WordPress Theme Development is the option to reuse many components from one project in another. Similar to Lego blocks, WordPress developers can take one ‘block’ and integrate it into a different site.

There might be specific features that are challenging to transfer smoothly to another project. However, for simple components, this is entirely feasible. The best part: all these building blocks are not interdependent and can be modified without risking damage to others. 

Only Updated Components in a WordPress React.js Theme Are Redrawn

React.js employs the concept of the virtual DOM. Manipulating the actual DOM can be a time and resource-intensive process. For instance, if you have a group of six checkboxes and you select one, with Vanilla JavaScript or a different framework, the entire group of checkboxes is reloaded to mirror the changes in the DOM.

Conversely, if you opt to create a React app for a WordPress theme, only the selected checkbox will be redrawn in the DOM. How so? For every actual DOM object (e.g., checkbox or radio button), React offers a virtual DOM object with identical properties.

But it’s just that: “virtual.” It’s a “phantom” copy of the actual object, used solely for comparison. When a checkbox is selected, React redraws the entire virtual DOM. Unlike the actual DOM, the virtual DOM is re-rendered at lightning speed.

React then compares the new virtual DOM with the previous version before the checkbox was selected and redraws only that checkbox in the physical DOM, leaving the rest of the page elements untouched. This results in ultra-fast themes.

These are just a few of the impressive features of React.js that are persuading an increasing number of site owners to choose React themes for their WordPress projects.

However, like any other technology, React isn’t without its flaws, albeit minor. 

Potential Drawbacks to Consider When Opting for React WordPress Theme Development

React.js Is Continually Evolving

Despite being fast and efficient, React is still relatively new. It was initially released in 2013. Hence, the platform is still being actively developed. Instances of issues and bugs aren’t uncommon.

That said, with each new version, React is becoming more mature and sturdy. The React development community is already considerable, meaning WordPress theme developers using React should easily find solutions to their challenges.

Implementing the WordPress REST API with React May Necessitate Additional Workarounds

Simply connecting React.js to WordPress via the REST API doesn’t guarantee your site will perform rapidly. This is because the React app still needs to retrieve ample data from the database, particularly if the user interface is complex.

Thus, to build a truly fast WordPress theme with React, developers need to put in extra effort. They might need to create an indexer to populate a single document with frequently used data from the database, among other strategies to enhance the efficiency of the React-WordPress combination.

Final Words

The integration of React.js with WordPress theme development offers a compelling range of benefits – speed, ease, cost-effectiveness, and the ability to reuse components. Moreover, the use of React.js results in a highly dynamic WordPress theme, supporting data storage on the client-side, offline functionality, and efficient manipulation of DOM.

However, like any technology, it is not without its challenges. Being a continuously evolving platform, it may present instances of bugs and require additional workarounds for optimal performance. Nonetheless, with an active development community and the potential for frequent improvements, React.js remains a worthwhile choice for innovative web development. 

Finally, while choosing a perfect implementation technology is super important, everything truly originates from the design phase. It’s of paramount importance to craft a visually stimulating theme that not only captivates but also converts. This is precisely when enlisting the services of a white label design agency might become necessary.

These agencies offer businesses expert, high-quality website creation without the need for in-house resources. They save entrepreneurs time and effort, provide customization to uphold brand identity, potentially improve online visibility through SEO services, and allow for rebranding opportunities.

The post Pros and Cons of Developing WordPress Themes with React appeared first on CL-TryJ.

Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android have effectively cornered the mobile market, leaving businesses with no other option but to cater to both operating systems.Creating separate apps for each platform can be costly, especially considering the steep pricing of native app development. The expense of building an app for iOS alone can reach tens of thousands of dollars. Add the cost of developing an Android app, and the financial burden becomes significant.

Advantages for E-Commerce Enterprises

Conversely, a PWA is underpinned by basic web technologies. Once developed, it runs flawlessly on any device, regardless of the operating system. Furthermore, a PWA is almost indistinguishable from a native app, complete with a home screen and offline functionality. This is a much more cost-efficient approach than building two separate apps. 

#2: Streamlined and Efficient Installation Process for User

Setting up a native app on a device can be a lengthy and complex process. Moreover, developers must adhere to stringent criteria when submitting their apps to Google Play or the App Store.In contrast, acquiring a PWA is straightforward. Users access a PWA via a browser by simply typing its URL, just like any regular website. They don’t have to visit an app store, locate the app, and navigate through multiple steps to install it. This user-friendliness encourages more users to remain on your site.

Advantages for E-Commerce Enterprises

Since a URL is all that’s needed to access a PWA, it can be easily shared, drawing more potential customers to your e-commerce store in a short time.

#3: Maintain Customer Engagement with Push Notifications

To reiterate, PWAs are essentially websites harnessing the power of native mobile apps. One such power is the use of push notifications to stay in touch with your customers or potential clients once they’ve installed your app on their devices.

Advantages for E-Commerce Enterprises

With a PWA’s icon on the home screen, a push notification serves as a subtle reminder of your brand, even if the device owner decides not to open your message.Push notifications act as a potent sales/advertising tool, particularly for e-commerce enterprises. Some estimates suggest that over half of PWA users enable push notifications.

#4: Enhance Your Customers’ Trust with PWAs’ Robust Security Measures

Security is paramount for any e-commerce enterprise. With cybercriminals constantly on the prowl for sensitive user data, PWAs offer a solid line of defense by defaulting to the https protocol. This encrypts all user data in transit, denying cybercriminals access to their targets.Beyond https, PWAs also leverage Web Bluetooth technology for an added layer of protection.

Advantages for E-Commerce Enterprises

When customers are assured of absolute security and the protection of their financial and personal data, they gain confidence and are more likely to become repeat customers.

#5: Enable Offline Browsing of Your Catalogs to Site Visitors

A distinguishing feature of progressive web applications beneficial for e-commerce is their capability to present product pages even when users are offline.This is a distinct advantage over standard websites, which typically display a ‘not found’ page when online access is unavailable. Offline browsing is facilitated through service workers, which cache previously viewed content, making it available at any time.

Advantages for E-Commerce Enterprises

Offline browsing of an e-commerce site helps retain customers, who can continue browsing products for future purchases when they regain online access. This is especially valuable in regions with unstable Internet connectivity or slow network speeds.

#6: Enhance User Experience with PWAs’ Rapid Loading Speed

Speed and optimal performance are critical attributes of an e-commerce website. With numerous alternatives available, no customer wants to wait for your store to load.Once installed, a progressive web app can operate as quickly, if not quicker, than most apps found in an app store. This is due to a highly efficient caching mechanism that serves pages locally instead of fetching them from remote servers.

Advantages for E-Commerce Enterprises

It’s simple. A fast, seamless e-commerce website is more likely to attract and retain customers, regardless of how they access it. This, in turn, should positively impact sales figures.

#7: Enable Search Engines to Discover Your PWA as They Would a Typical Website

In the competitive e-commerce landscape, where different solutions are aggressively competing for the top spot in search results, it’s essential to make your site discoverable to web crawlers. Unlike traditional iOS or Android apps that keep their data hidden, PWAs mimic the features of standard websites, pulling data from databases.Therefore, search engines like Google don’t overlook PWAs when indexing their pages. All that’s required is to implement optimal SEO strategies, just as you would with a regular website.

Advantages for E-Commerce Enterprises

Users get to experience a potent mix: superior performance and speed akin to what iOS and Android apps offer, coupled with the search engine visibility typical of websites. This makes your store more discoverable to potential customers, leading to higher conversion rates.

Conclusion

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) present a compelling and highly advantageous solution for e-commerce businesses. They offer a smooth and easy installation process, allow for customer engagement through push notifications, and prioritize robust security measures to protect sensitive user data.Additionally, PWAs enable offline browsing of product catalogs, deliver rapid loading speeds for an enhanced user experience, and can be readily discovered by search engines due to their similarity to regular websites. With all these advantages, it’s clear that PWAs are transforming the e-commerce landscape, providing a seamless blend of website-like accessibility and app-like performance, all the while boosting customer confidence and conversion rates.

The post Get Ahead of Your E-Commerce Competitors with Progressive Web Apps appeared first on CL-TryJ.

We’ve noticed that QA specialists are often brought into the project later than desired. If the software testing process starts only after the first build of the application is ready, there is the potential for errors to have occurred during the technical requirements and specifications stage. Fixing mistakes afterward is always more complicated, which is why it’s important to implement the following initial steps as part of your testing strategy to save time and money.

1. Device models and OS versions

Once you’ve identified your project idea, business logic, and target users, you should decide which mobile devices and OS versions to make your mobile app compatible with. These same devices should be the ones you test on.

To figure out the best mobile devices for your app, consider the following questions: what devices are most popular in the location you plan to launch your app in? If you have a website, which mobile devices are used most often to access it? What devices are most popular among your target audience? What versions of Android and iOS are necessary for the business logic of the project? Lastly, what versions of Android and iOS are the most widely used around the world at the moment?

Resources such as Apple and Google distribution dashboard, Device Atlas, and Statcounter can be used to help answer these questions.

After you have made your decisions, the mobile devices and OS you have chosen will have an impact on the functional requirements, application design, and the devices and OS used for software testing. It is wise to select at least three to five reference devices for each platform with varying screen aspect ratios, DPIs, and OS versions.

2. Specification and design prototype testing

After the technical specifications are finalized, it is critical to involve a QA specialist. If the design is also ready, it is all the more essential to have one at this stage. Testing the specification and design prototype will enable you to detect bugs prior to them becoming embedded in the mobile app.

The QA specialist will be able to spot any incompleteness in descriptions, ambiguous language, contradictions, and imprecisions. Testing the prototype design will help to eliminate any disparity in the technical specification and can help to uncover any issues with the user experience.

This approach will prevent any potential issues down the road and save the team valuable time while keeping you on budget.

Test Planning

The project has been given the ultimate approved specifications and design; the project management methodology, which typically decides the suitable software testing technique, has also been decided. Consequently, the next stages of development can now take place. Nonetheless, prior to starting with testing, a few more critical steps must be taken.

The test plan is an integral part of any quality assurance process, providing testing specialists with the necessary information to ensure a successful product launch. It includes the following main components:

1. Project Overview: This section should contain introductory information about the project, including its target audience, the parts of the project that are subject to testing, and a description of all parts of the project.
2. Links to the Main Project Documents: This includes links to project space, technical specifications, design source files, a list of test logins and passwords, test checklists, test scenarios and test cases.
3. Necessary Equipment: This should include a list of device models and OS versions that the application should support, as well as considerations for using emulators.
4. Interaction with Other Applications or Devices: If the mobile application involves integration with other apps or devices, the QA should be familiar with the details of how integration testing will be performed.
5. Testing Team: This section should include a team of testers and the role of each member, as well as an intro meeting with the team to discuss roles, plans, tasks and expectations of all project participants.
6. Project Space and Bug Tracking Tools: This should include the list of systems and tools used on the project, such as ADB, Crashlytics, Postman, Instabug.
7. Testing Start and Finish: This should contain the criteria and deadlines for testing if the release date is fixed, as well as any dates for private demonstrations during the development process.

Testing a mobile application is a complex process and takes effort from the entire team. You can modify the steps of the testing process for each project. However, do not forget to adhere to the 10 steps mentioned above. This will guarantee a successful outcome with a high-quality mobile application.

The post Your Step-by-Step Mobile Application Testing Process appeared first on CL-TryJ.

Web scraping is a technique used to extract data from websites. It involves writing scripts to extract specific pieces of information from HTML or XML documents, such as webpages and APIs. This data can be used for various purposes like analytics, research, and more. The process itself requires a certain level of programming knowledge to scrape the desired content effectively. With JavaScript, developers are able to create scripts that allow them to conduct web scraping activities with ease.

Definition of Web Scraping & Data Extraction

Web scraping is the process of using code or special software tools to extract text-based content from websites or other sources on the internet. As an example, if you wanted to collect all product prices across multiple eCommerce sites without having to visit each website separately manually, you could use web scraping techniques instead. This extracted data can then be stored in CSV files or databases for further analysis and processing tasks like price comparison and predictions etc.

Data extraction refers specifically to methods used for extracting structured data (usually in tabular format) from unstructured sources such as HTML pages or PDFs — formats where there’s no easy way out-of-the box way of getting structured tables out directly from them automatically. For this reason, many manual processes may need custom coding when dealing with these types of documents as part of the extraction process, which makes it slightly more complex than traditional web scraping approaches.

Understanding the Different Types of Programs Used for Web Scraping & Data Extraction in JavaScript

When it comes down to actually implementing your own web scraper using javascript, there are usually two main routes one might take depending on what type of program they wish their scraper run within: browser-based programs vs. server-side programs. In both cases, Javascript will be at the core, but depending on what type of program you want your script running inside, different libraries/frameworks may need to be added into mix too, so let’s explore each option below:

Browser-Based Programs – Browser-based programs typically involve leveraging client-side technologies like HTML / CSS / js, which runs most often within browsers themselves (think Chrome, Firefox, etc.). Here we can use things like JQuery + vanilla JS along with DOM manipulation techniques combined with XPath selectors & regex patterns, among other things — all provided by modern browsers today — making it possible to build our own very powerful scrapers even though sometimes tricky debug!

Server-Side Programs – On the flipside, we also have server-side implementations available via nodeJS, which allows us to access underlying filesystem + network operations while also allowing us to execute system commands through our script, something not possible through pure client-side methodologies mentioned earlier. We don’t necessarily have the same easy access HTML elements here (although still doable), but much easier to implement some really advanced stuff compared before by doing things asyncronously while taking advantage of multiple CPU cores (in case the machine has’em) among other goodies!

Exploring How JavaScript Interacts with a Website’s HTML & CSS Structure

Building an effective web scraper requires an understanding of how websites are structured. In particular, knowledge of the underlying HTML (HyperText Markup Language) and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) elements that make up a page is essential to scrape it effectively.

JavaScript works together with these elements, allowing developers to interact with them in various ways, such as manipulating their content or styling. Understanding how this process works is key for crafting effective scripts for web scraping. For example, using JavaScript’s document object model (DOM), developers can navigate through the hierarchical structure of a webpage and extract specific pieces of data from it. Additionally, they can use XPath selectors and regex patterns to target even more precisely the desired information on each page they wish to scrape.

Ultimately, being able to craft powerful scrapers via javascript opens up lots of possibilities when it comes down to collecting data online while also giving us great control over exactly what we want to parse out any given website!

Why JavaScript is the Ideal Language for Web Scraping Projects

One key reason why JavaScript is so well suited to web scraping tasks is its flexibility. As one of the most popular scripting languages, JS can be used to build automation scripts that are tailored to your particular needs and goals. Its wide range of libraries also means you have access to various ready-made tools that can make your job much easier too. Additionally, as a dynamic language, JS allows you to modify existing code quickly and easily in response to changing requirements or conditions – something which makes it especially useful when dealing with large amounts of data or complex sites with many different elements on them at once.

Reasons why JS Is a Powerful Programming Language For Extracting Information from Websites

JavaScript provides several advantages over traditional coding languages when it comes to collecting data online:

Speed: With its lightweight syntax, Javascript enables quick development cycles without sacrificing performance; this makes it ideal for rapidly prototyping applications while still providing reliable results every time they run. Additionally, since there’s no need for compilation (which can add considerable overhead), scripts written in JS tend to execute faster than those written using other coding languages like Java or C++

Accessibility: Unlike some more advanced scripting languages, which may require specialized software or hardware setups before they can be used effectively, nearly anyone can begin writing basic programs in JS within minutes, thanks to its intuitive nature and widespread support across multiple platforms (such as browsers). This makes learning how to use and apply Javascript relatively simple, even if you don’t have any prior programming experience!

Scalability & Flexibility: While many modern coding languages offer scalability options (allowing developers to create applications that expand as needed over time), none do so quite like Javascript does – due mainly thanks to its modular architecture, which allows functions/modules created elsewhere easily be imported into new projects without needing extensive modifications first; making growth potential virtually limitless regardless how complex things get!

Ease of Use: Javascript provides a simple syntax that makes it easy to learn and understand. Even those without prior coding experience can quickly get up-to-speed with basic script commands so they can start scraping the web right away. Additionally, there are many tutorials available online that provide guidance on how to write effective scripts for any project size or complexity level.

Cross-Platform Compatibility: JavaScript runs on all major operating systems, including Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and even mobile devices like tablets and smartphones, meaning your scripts will always be compatible regardless of where they’re deployed – something essential if you plan on using them on different browsers or platforms at once during your extraction projects! This also makes sharing code between users much less complicated since everyone should be able to run your programs no matter what device they’re accessing them from without issue.

The Benefits of Using JavaScript for Web Scraping & Data Analysis

Automation through javascript has become increasingly important in today’s digital age – enabling businesses to extract value from their datasets faster than ever before by leveraging pre-built components rather than having manually code everything themselves each time they want to perform analysis/scrape content off websites, etc.

Here are some additional benefits associated with using javascript automated processes instead of manual methods whenever possible:

• Efficiency Gains: By automating tedious tasks such as retyping data from one source to another each time changes occur (or need updating), businesses can save countless hours otherwise spent doing mundane work freeing up resources to focus on more valuable activities instead, thus improving overall productivity levels significantly!
• Lower Costs (& Higher Profits): Not only will automation increase efficiency, but it will also reduce costs associated with labor-related expenses, thereby increasing profits margins substantially over a long-term basis too… All these savings are then reinvested back into business operations, further strengthening competitiveness edge against competitors’ marketspace alike!
• Improved Accuracy & Reliability: Manual entry errors often plague organizations due to lack of oversight during inputting process; however, automated systems eliminate human error almost entirely, ensuring accuracy and reliability remain consistently high at all times– resulting in improved customer satisfaction ratings, better decision-making capabilities throughout organization itself, ultimately leading greater success moving forward future endeavors likewise.

How to Get Started with Web Scraping in JavaScript

Now that you understand the basics of web scraping and how JavaScript interacts with websites, it’s time to start. Before you dive into your project, there are a few things you need to know about getting started with web scraping in JavaScript.

Setting Up Your Environment for Development

Before getting started with web scraping in JavaScript, you must first set up your environment for development. This includes installing any necessary software, such as a code editor or an integrated development environment (IDE). You will also need to install Node.js, which is a popular runtime environment used by many developers when creating applications using Javascript. Once you have installed all the necessary software, then you can begin writing your code to start compiling data from websites through web scraping methods.

Learning the Basics Of Working With APIs, Libraries, And Frameworks

Once you have set up your environment for development, then it’s time to start learning about different types of programs used for web scraping & data extraction in JavaScript, including APIs, libraries, and frameworks such as Puppeteer, Cheerio, and Axios, which are some of the most commonly used tools when working with JS on projects related to web scraping. It is important that you understand these concepts before continuing so that you can create efficient programs quickly and easily while avoiding common mistakes made by inexperienced developers who do not take their time to understand how each program works before attempting more complex tasks like extracting large amounts of data from multiple websites at once.

Finding Useful Tutorials And Resources On The Internet

In addition to understanding the fundamentals mentioned above, another essential step towards success when starting out with Web Scraping in JavaScript is finding helpful tutorials & resources online that provide detailed instructions on how exactly certain tasks should be completed using specific programming languages/frameworks/libraries, etc.

Depending on what type of project someone wants to undertake, there may be dozens or even hundreds of tutorials available online created by experienced professionals who know exactly what they are doing, making them ideal sources for beginners or those looking to brush up their skills quickly without spending too much time researching themselves individually trying figure things out themselves!

What Are Some Popular Tools & Services For Easy & Automatic web scraping In JavaScript?

As a JavaScript developer, you have a plethora of options when it comes to tools and services that can help you perform web scraping and data extraction. In this section, we will introduce you to some of the most popular and widely used ones.

Cheerio.js

Cheerio is a fast & efficient open-source library designed specifically for web scraping with NodeJS (JavaScript runtime). It provides developers with an intuitive API that enables them to parse HTML documents without having to write complex DOM manipulation code by hand. By leveraging jQuery-like syntax within your codebase, you can easily traverse HTML elements on a page and extract valuable information from them using XPath selectors or CSS selectors like class names and IDs, etc. This makes it incredibly simple to get started with basic web scraping tasks right away!

Puppeteer

Puppeteer is another powerful library developed by Google that allows you to run headless Chrome instances within your own NodeJs application so as to perform automated browser tests or scrape dynamic content from pages powered by frameworks such as React or AngularJS etc. The beauty of Puppeteer lies in its ability to control the user interface directly through its API rather than relying on external programs/packages like Selenium WebDriver (which requires additional setup). This enables developers who are familiar with modern front-end development techniques (HTML5/CSS3) to create powerful automation scripts much faster than before!

Axios

Axios is yet another great option when it comes to fetching remote resources over HTTP(s). It uses promises instead callbacks which makes coding more intuitive – enabling users to make asynchronous requests without getting bogged down by callback hell As well as providing support for advanced features such as headers management; caching; authentication; compression etc., Axios also provides error handling capabilities allowing users to handle server response errors gracefully too!

Request

Request has long been hailed as ‘the Swiss Army knife’ when it comes making HTTP requests via NodeJs applications – whether they be simple GETs/POSTs or complex streaming operations involving file uploading/downloading etc. Unlike other libraries mentioned above, though; Request was built mainly with compatibility in mind – meaning that even if your target website uses outmoded technologies such as legacy versions of PHP or JavaServer Pages (JSP); chances are that you should still be able to use Request successfully

Nightmare.js

Nightmare.js gives developers access to real browsers running behind the scenes – including full support of Chrome’s DevTools Protocol (CDP) so that they can automate interactions across multiple tab windows at once! Even better, since everything runs locally, there’s no need to worry about dealing with pesky cross-domain issues either All these features combined make Nightmare.js the perfect choice for those looking to create sophisticated end-to-end testing scenarios where reliability is critical.

Scrape-It.Cloud

Scrape-It.Cloud is a web scraping API for efficiently extracting data from websites. It offers features such as automatic IP rotation and CAPTCHA solving to handle the challenges associated with web scraping, so developers can focus on data extraction. With a simple API request, the HTML response can be easily parsed using the preferred parsing library. Customization options include the ability to send custom headers/cookies, set the user agent, and choose a preferred proxy location.

Tips & Tricks On How To Avoid Getting Blocked While Web Scraping In JS

Web scraping is a powerful tool for data extraction and analysis. However, it can also be risky if you don’t take the necessary precautions to ensure that your web scraper isn’t blocked or detected by the website’s security systems. Here are some tips and tricks to help you stay safe while web scraping in JavaScript:

• Use proxy servers – Proxy servers allow you to rotate your IP address so that websites can’t detect and block your requests. This makes it much harder for them to determine who is behind the requests.
• Set up user-agent strings – User-agent strings are used by websites to identify different types of devices accessing their content, such as desktop computers, mobile phones, tablets, etc. You should set up a custom user-agent string based on the device type that most closely matches what you’ll be using for your web scraping projects with JavaScript.
• Utilize headless browsers – Headless browsers are automated programs that behave just like regular browsers (such as Chrome or Firefox) but without any visual interface or window being opened on the screen. They’re incredibly useful when it comes to avoiding detection from websites’ security systems since they simulate how humans would interact with a website more accurately than other web scraping methods in JavaScript.
• Make sure not to send too many requests at once or too frequently – If you make too many requests within a short period of time, then this will likely trigger an alarm in the website’s security system which could lead them blocking your access altogether (or temporarily). Try setting up timers between each request, so there is a sufficient time gap between each one sent out from your script/program.

Conclusion

The conclusion of this comprehensive guide to web scraping in JavaScript is that it is a powerful tool for extracting data from websites and can be used with great success. From setting up the environment to learning the basics and finding useful resources, we have covered all aspects of web scraping in JavaScript. We have also gone through some of the popular tools and services for easy web scraping, as well as some tips & tricks on how to avoid getting blocked while doing so.

With all this knowledge at hand, you are now equipped with everything you need to know about web scraping with JavaScript. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced developer looking for ways to improve your current project, I hope this guide has provided you with valuable insights into the world of web scraping using JavaScript!

The post A Comprehensive Guide to Web Scraping in JavaScript: What You Need to Know appeared first on CL-TryJ.

Fault tolerance is a system ability to continue working properly in case of failure of separate components – servers or communication channels, failures at the level of separate system modules, etc.

It is worth knowing that building and maintaining a fault-tolerant system will be more complex and expensive than developing and maintaining an ordinary system. You should approach design of each specific solution from the point of view of economic feasibility. And in order to make the decision criteria objective, you need indicators that allow you to measure and compare different options.

Fault tolerance is difficult to measure by itself, but the availability of service, expressed as a percentage, can be measured. From an analytical point of view, it is best to measure uptime over long intervals – at least a year, or better yet, over an even longer interval. Up-time in the range of 99.8-99.9% – is the normal value for normal projects on shared hosting or VPS – it’s about 1-2 hours of disability per month or about 12 hours of inaccessibility of the service per year. A score of about 99.95% – the equivalent of 4 hours of unavailability per year – is already good enough for single-server installations and for software not originally designed for high fault tolerance. If the required uptime level is 99.99% or higher, it usually requires both building the appropriate server infrastructure and modifying the project’s code base to work in high fault tolerance mode.

To provide a normal level of availability, it is not necessary to build a fault-tolerant system: a well-written application code, adequate maintenance processes are enough, it is recommended to use the services of professional hosting companies – they reserve communication channels, power and cooling equipment, as well as to use reliable dedicated servers for single-server installations – preferably physical, rather than virtual ones.

To achieve a high level of availability, the mechanics of building fault-tolerant systems are already used – in particular, the redundancy of all critical subsystems, which allows the application to function even if one of the components fails. There are two main ways – horizontal scaling or duplication of all servers and setting up their automatic hot swapping. In both cases, all critical system components are duplicated, the only difference is in the normal modes of operation and the mechanics of fault tolerance.

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What is PHP?
The acronym comes from Hypertext Preprocessor. This is a scripting language, which is used to write scripts for web applications. It appeared in 1995, the main task was to generate pages in html. It incorporates many features from Perl. The language is interpreted, which means that its work does not need compilation, the result of the execution is visible immediately after execution. The entry threshold into the language is low, but that does not mean that without knowledge in mathematics, algorithms can quickly become a successful programmer.

And yet you can start with the study of CMS – a content management system, usually a set of ready-made modules for specific tasks. There are CMS for product and order management (prestashop, Magento), for blogs (WordPress), news sites (DLE), etc.

CMS allow you to create sites without writing a single line of code, the disadvantage of this approach is the inability to make the necessary changes to the site (design, logic).

What you should know and be able to:
experience developing for one of the popular cms (wordpress, modx, opencart, magento or others)
understanding of the principles of OOP/MVC – the initial stage you need only an understanding of these principles, but further growth without the practical application is impossible
knowledge of PHP and MySQL
basic knowledge of Git

PHP it is necessary to have knowledge in areas such as:

• algorithms, MVC
• be able to use ajax
• be able to optimize code
• Programming patterns, understand what patterns are good for what tasks
• Database architecture, data normalization, and the ability to write nested queries
• distribute the load efficiently
• efficient use of tools
• code flexibility
• generally accepted coding standards (PSR)
• know and be able to use at least several frameworks
• know how to use composer
• ability to write auto-tests
• knowledge of html, javascript (jquery), css

Indeed, the amount of knowledge of php-developer is quite large, but the whole list is really necessary, because it is not enough to write PHP-code for good results.

PHP developer makes it possible to work on the project for all participants, in fact, the main task is to make a user-friendly interface for the caster, customer, SEO specialist, marketer, etc.

Tips for beginner developers
Learn to read documentation
Constantly read the profile resources, attend thematic meetings
Learn Linux, ideally if it becomes the main OS on your computer
Improve your practical skills, get familiar with popular APIs
Most company websites are developed in different frameworks, so study the most popular ones.
The specifics of working with PHP suggest knowledge of programming theory, so don’t ignore textbooks to avoid unfortunate consequences.

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And since PHP is still too early to write off from the accounts, let’s understand – where it is used, why PHP is needed and what it is all about.

Features of PHP
These features determine how PHP performs tasks, communicates with sites and applications and who can change it (spoiler – all).

PHP is a scripting language. In such languages, scripts or scripts are written – programs that automate small routine tasks. Otherwise they would simply have to be done manually.

Why do we need scripts?
They help to avoid mistakes. And saves users time – you can change the program without fear that everything else will stop working and the whole system will fall to pieces. If there is suddenly an error in the script, then when you run it you will see it in the result. In this case, the site will remain functional.
Allow you to easily implement cross-platform. The same scripts without problems perform browsers in different operating systems and on different devices.
Execution of the script is also called its interpretation, and PHP itself – the interpreter.

PHP is an interpreted language. Since PHP is an interpreter, this has many advantages:

you don’t need to free allocated memory or close files when you’re done with them – the interpreter does all the routine work;
program debugging and error detection are simplified – the interpreter has full control over this process;
The server does not “hang” if the application does not work correctly.
PHP – the server language. All work takes place on a remote web server. You open the site – the server sends a request, performs the specified actions, gives the result and ends.

PHP is a language with dynamic typing. This means that variable types are determined at runtime, different types can be used together, and implicit conversions are done automatically.

Why PHP was invented
PHP was invented in 1994 by the Danish programmer Rasmus Lerdorf. At that time it was not yet a full-fledged programming language, but only a set of scripts, which allowed Lerdorf to make the first online HTML page.

PHP stands for Personal Home Page and refers to what the language was originally: a tool for designing personal web pages

At that time, the only way to create sites was to not have to read a volume on programming.

Now PHP is supported by Zend Technologies: in 1997, she released the third version of the language and is actively developing it to this day.

As a result, the project has grown to the point that it has received its own syntax, many new features and recognition among developers.

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Who is suitable for Python development
As a Python developer you don’t need to know math or physics. But mastering the language will be easier if you:

• Like complex tasks,
• Can focus on one thing for a long time and finish it,
• and you’re good at organizing things;
• you have an attention to detail,
• have a basic knowledge of English.

Scope, widespread use and fork in specialist salaries make Python very popular and in demand among beginners. But let’s take a detailed look at the pros and cons of this language and working as a Python developer to make an objective picture.

Pros of Python.
Let’s start with the advantages of the Python language and why you’ll enjoy programming in “Python”.

Simplicity of the language. The syntax is clear and similar to English. If you know the basics, you’ll get the hang of it in no time. The code itself – the parts of the constructor, which is enough to learn how to assemble correctly.

Ready-made solutions. Python has libraries, aka frameworks. There are already a lot of ready-made libraries, and as the language develops there are more and more.

A strong community. Programming is considered a difficult area: you have to learn a lot on their own. But this is another advantage of the Python language – a well-developed community of developers. You can easily find the information you need on the Internet or get a quick response from experienced colleagues.

Versatility. You can grow and develop in backend website development and for mobile applications. As an option, you can move into machine learning and data analytics. And after Python it is easier to learn other languages. The main algorithms are already known, all you have to do is master the syntax.

Demand. Python developers are in demand in the market: there are more vacancies than specialists. Employers are willing to compete for strong candidates.

Disadvantages of Python.
Now let’s list a number of disadvantages of a Python developer’s daily routine.

Monotony. There’s a lot of routine in programming in any language – it’s important that you enjoy the tasks at hand. The product needs to motivate. This is where diligence comes in handy.

A lot of communication. Not that this is a disadvantage, if you don’t mind chatting. In effective teams, developers only spend half their time writing code. The rest of the time is occupied by communication: meetings with customers, analysts and designers. It is important for a programmer to understand what task to solve and how. Communication with colleagues helps to choose the best solution for a particular request.

Continuous learning. Pythonists are constantly developing professionally: technologies are updated rapidly, and one should not lag behind the trends. You will need to read a lot, watch videos, and figure it out.

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Web Development
In web development, python is used to handle the server side of web applications. There are several well-known frameworks for this purpose: Flask, Pyramid and Django. A framework is a framework for application development that provides the necessary tools for the programmer to work with.

Data Analysis
Python is the most efficient language for dealing with big data. There are several popular and productive libraries for analysis, visualization and prediction. For example, Pandas is the fundamental Python library that is used for data analysis. NumPy, SciPy, Seaborn, and Matplotlib are also suitable for this purpose.

Machine Learning and AI
Machine learning and artificial intelligence are often programmed in Python. This is conveniently done in a simple language with efficient performance when processing data. Python uses two popular libraries for machine learning: Scikit-learn and TensorFlow. The former is more popular with beginners because it is built into many popular machine learning algorithms.

Parsing, scraping, and crawling sites
Python allows you to efficiently extract relevant information from websites for subsequent analysis. Any web page can be examined for information, and anything on it can be extracted by parsers. One popular framework for data extraction is Scrapy. It is based on autonomous scanners with a set of instructions.

Scripting
Scripting is mostly used for writing simple programs and automating simple tasks. It allows to delegate routine manual work to a machine. One only needs to write a couple dozen or a hundred lines of code and then forget about it. The script will take care of the rest of the task.

Why is it relevant today?
The language is now at the peak of its popularity, and will be at it for at least another five to ten years. Here are five reasons why python is still relevant.

• Python puts an end to the myth of development complexity. The language has a clear syntax that is based on the English language. Python is easy to write and easy to read.
• There is a large amount of reference literature. You will not experience a lack of relevant information, because there is a lot of it in the public domain – books, websites, forums, videos, paid and free courses.
• Lots of tools. For python created many tools, frameworks and development environments that can simplify many tasks. You can use a ready-made solution and not waste your time.
• Minimalism. You don’t need to write canvases of unnecessary when. Dynamic typing and other functions of the language allow you to care less about code templates and simplify them.
• Specialist demand. If you start learning python now, you won’t have a problem that you will be out of work in five years. And becoming a python developer makes it easy to learn any other language.

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Web Development
This is one of the most diverse and broad directions in programming. Professionals here work with a variety of languages, including JavaScript, Python, PHP, Java, Ruby. Today in this area there are many newcomers. This is due to the fact that there is a lot of content on the web to help you learn the basics and already start earning on simple orders.

Mobile development
Today, mobile development is considered one of the most promising areas. After all, almost everyone has phones and other gadgets, and their capabilities are only growing every day. In mobile development the main focus is the creation of applications for phones on Android and iOS, as well as other devices that run on these systems.

The main programming languages used to create mobile applications today are considered to be several: Java and Kotlin for Android, Swift for “apple” gadgets, as well as Python, JavaScript, C#.

Game Developer
Not so long ago, the profession of “game developer” was in the top of the list when answering the question of which areas of programming are the most promising and profitable.

Game development is not just profitable, but also interesting. Usually in this area come people who live their product, interested in game topics, and casual people just do not stay and look for other specialties. In this programming sphere there are high salaries, but you should enter it with a certain knowledge and experience and also with readiness to work long and productively.

Internet of Things (IoT)
Among the huge number of areas of programming today at the peak of popularity one more – the Internet of things. And the number of requests for specialists in this profile is constantly growing.

The Internet of Things is a field of programming aimed at creating special smart devices, as well as the connection to the network of a smart house or a smart city. This is the work with automated and robotic systems that make people’s lives easier, more comfortable and safer.

Programming of embedded systems
There is one more area of programming, which is in the top of the demanded and profitable today. This is work not with web and mobile applications, but with industrial equipment, CNC, microcontrollers and other types of equipment. Usually C and C++ programming languages are used here, but other languages specially designed for certain devices and microcontrollers can also be used.

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