Custom Software Development Using Open Source
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editricon Custom Software Development using Open Source

Sanganak Tech
The process of software preparation for a specific organisation or user is referred to as custom software development. It is quite different from software packages like Commercial Off-The Shelf (COTS) or Free Software developed for mass market. Obviously it comes with a price tag.

The process of custom software development could be in stages accounting for all nuances including those overlooked in the specifications and may cover many departments in the organisation. Large companies use this software for content, inventory, customer and human resource management.

C, C++, Java, PHP, Perl, Python, Ruby are all languages used in software development.

C is widely used for developing portable application software. It has facilities for structured programming and allows lexical variable scope and recursion.  

C++ adds object-oriented features such as classes and other enhancements to C. It is used in systems, application and embedded software, device drivers, high-performance server and client applications.

Java is a write once run anywhere (WORA) language designed to have as few implementation dependencies as possible.

PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) is a server-side scripting language that can be embedded into HTML. It can be deployed on most web servers. Software that uses PHP are Joomla, WordPress, MyBB and Drupal.

Python accomplishes work quickly and integrates systems more effectively. It can be learnt and used for immediate gains in productivity and lower maintenance costs. It runs on Windows, Linux/Unix, Mac OS x, and has been ported to the Java and .Net virtual machines.

Perl is a high-level, general-purpose, interpreted, dynamic programming language used for graphics and networks programming, system administration, finance and bioinformatics.

Ruby is a dynamic, open source programming language with a focus on simplicity and productivity that contains syntax inspired by Perl and supports multiple programming paradigms.

Open source customization is a solution for those who are unwilling to buy readymade software or lack technical support. It can eliminate bad documentation, user training problems and lack of product support. As the source is a free web choice of language and program to suit our needs is of prime concern. An instance of open source customisation is the way people latch on to WordPress for creating Blogs.

Transition to Open Source Alternatives is quite enticing but the actual process of this transformation has to be weighed from the angle of Switching Costs, End-user Adoption and Software capabilities of tools under consideration. Initially when Microsoft had almost proprietory rights over the net transition to open source alternatives was quite a challenge. Now that we have Mono through Apple iOS Linux, Mac and other alternatives, security and acquisition of these open sources is of prime concern.

LAMP Stack refers to the stack of free open source software that includes the 1st letters of -
Linux operating system
Apache HTTP Server
MySQL database software
PHP/ Perl/ Python
-the principal components to build a viable general purpose web server. The exact combination of software included in a LAMP package may vary with respect to web scripting software. Similar terms like AMP, WAMP, MacOS, Solaris also exist for essentially the same software suite.

Web / Application Development Frameworks aid in dynamic websites, web applications and web services. They alleviate overheads associated with web development activities. They provide libraries for database access, templating frameworks and promote code reuse. ASP.NET, JavaEE(Servelets), Ruby on Rails, Symphony are examples of frameworks.

PHP based (Cake PHP, Symfony, Zend Framework) are considered leading development aids. CakePHP is a rapid development framework for PHP that provides an extensible architecture for developing, maintaining and deploying
applications.

Symphony is a full-stack framework, a library of cohesive classes
written in PHP5. It provides an architecture, components and tools for developers to build complex web applications faster. Choosing Symphony allows you to release applications earlier, host and scale them without problem, and maintain them over time.

Zend Framework is more secure, reliable with modern Web 2.0 applications & web Services.

Ruby on Rails is an open source full-stack web application framework. It enables information gathering from web server, querying the database and template rendering out of the box.

Springroo is an open source software tool that uses convention over configuration principles to provide rapid development of Java based enterprise software. Their applications use Java technologies such as Spring Framework and Apache Maven.

Custom Software Development has enabled individuals and companies develop software from world wide web in an open, user-friendly and cost-effective manner with a whole range of combinations and databases to suit very specific needs without compromising on quality or security.

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