Friday, 17 February 2017

Yo February!

It's has been a hectic month for me, personally. I pray for the best on his journey for the next life.

And yes, we all will go to the next life too. Don't worry.

Anyway, we somehow also fall in love with this world and the tech around us. Us not excepted, we are still and keep loving to develop mobile apps.

This month I have released ExpenseApp 1.0 -> now 1.0.2 with bug fixes and as bonus the widget. It's really awesome, I use it personally to track my spending. It has Dropbox integration which can make your records directly exported to Dropbox's app folder.

Download App

Another than that, I've been busy for rivil app for 1.1 version. It's a roadtrip app that show interesting places from point A to B.

Now I will add login features and all related to the accounts. Integrating with the back-end and also updating the UI.

Till next time. Happy Apping.

Sunday, 15 January 2017

The Bandung Story

This story is about oursourcing to our neighboring country. However it does not really tell the whole things about every agencies there. This is an experience that I heard from my friend that outsource a project to them.

It's an IT app project. iPhone + back-end. Generously have an admin page as well.

So months after months, the team keeps delaying the project. However the progress is not improving. The performance of the task is below the par. It's somewhat unaccepted to publish if you particular about quality.

There are problems with the result.

- They don't use the correct components to build stuff. It might looks like the mockup but it's not right. It can be deceiving, or ineffiicencies for user experience. Yes there is in the world that we call it custom, but when you custom things, things behave better not the way around. I saw this on multiple scenes. Some are okay but are not. For example to displaying a dynamic notifications you cannot use hard design a text, a view on a specific position. There is right way to do that which is using UITableView. On this issue, it can be considering as 'cover up', or cheating. It's the eye candy where you can show it to your client but on the back side it's just a cover up. Which is not going to working on the real situation.

- API design is broken. They didn't think about the project in whole. The UI on the iPhone is there but the API call is not exist.

The important of have CRUD for many related stuff.

- The client as designer also not really do well, because not giving the right asset. Thus make the result does not look at best because of asset bluriness.

What I can learn from it:

- I somewhat can see to be at the client side. I am a developer, but being on the shoes of a client who pay money to get things done.

- Analyze the specifications. Know what really matters for them. In short what solution we want to provide, how well it is. Is your client care about UI, design or user experience. It does matter because in the end of the day when you deliver the result those things they want to test it.

Knowing the hardest thing on the development. This need to be studied and identify as early as you can. Break the hard thing first. Really. If it's not possible, I prefer to refer to another developer that can help with the project. I pass it out when you possibly can not do it. We have speciality and limitation.

I know we can learn. But not everything and it may take so much time that you will might delaying the project. Client have date that they want to publish and do some marketing to let people know. Even investing on ads or what not. So not be on time can be hurtful.

- Teach client. Client is not in IT background. Bad thing can happen, and this not working, that is not working on certain condition. Teach them. They might think that you are actually did not do anything because they don't see the result. But actually, there is a lot of code and testing were involved. Teach in the way that normal people could understand. Give analogy for example, use common + jargon word. Now jargon at all cannot tell the deep inside the engineering stuff. Using common words make them able to relate, and somewhat understand.

So that's it from what I summarize today. Every experience we go throught we can learn from it, and we can do things in a better way in the future or today.

I feel satisfied when make good thing so, that is me. Sometime it turn out that product is not good enough it might be because of laziness and lack of motivation or inspiration.

Other way around is to embodied a system in the workflow so that we are forced to make thing at acceptable level.



Thursday, 12 January 2017

Hello 2017!

Hello, Hola, Konnichiwa, Selamat Datang, Ahlan Wasahlan 2017!!

So exciting about this year, especially 2017 marks as iPhone's 10th birthday. We build iReka partly because the birth of iPhone. I like to do something with smartphone and yes today we are still here have the same mission to bring the best experience for mobile.

There is a lot more talk about the iPhone but simply put, it's one of the awesome tools after Mac computer done by Apple.

Well, for us there is a lot more to learn and to practice. We have strive to acquire have many knowledge to build apps, beautiful and functional apps. It's not easy, from one step to another. From app side, services side, back end side and interactive and functional user interface. It's a hard work for me to doing it persistantly for the past 6-7 years.

It's rewarding and exciting for what we can build next.

Friday, 30 December 2016

Looking back at 2016

It's almost at the end of 2016, we will come to 2017 in matters of day.

It's good time to reflect back what has occured on 2016. So it will make a torchlight for the next year.

Let's talk related to work and business here OK.

# App Development / Publishing

Early this year I published numbers apps on App Stores. Especially on the early year.

Polishing and updating is important. It's important to keep refresh so Apple like it.

Like-minded community. I joined it since this business is emotionally stressed, we need support right.  So joining course and community for this definitely help in the long run.

# Services

This year is Android year for servicing. I just learnt this technology last year, with Android Studio. Since the Android Studio is quite nice I can stick with it.

I am happy with the jobs, but the client usually like to drag the time so that they can think more and make some additional decision to put into the apps.

And also for iOS job as well.

Another thing is web. Wordpress informational website. It's small scale project that is cater as special projects. I need to care about hosting on behalf of clients. To be honest, I am not pushy to client to complete their task to finish up their contents. I am just wait until they can finish them. But it affects in term of completing the payment etc. Dragging this can cost client for hosting and domain.

# iRekaSoft.com Blog

I had a simplified, Apple-like iReka Soft website this year, at least the front page. It has a hero and 4 sub features item.

And also we have an iReka Soft Blog! It's somewhat important and cool. I illustrate some important piece of techs to share with many technical people.

Visit irekasoft.com/blog


# Working Space

I work from home mainly. But since I have kid now, it's a bit hard to focus only on work. So Q4 this year start renting desk at CWS MaGIC. Co-working space.

It's a wonderful space. Really. Because MaGIC is a organization that supports entreprenuership. So they have programs, days that engage the community. The communities there are cool as well. Variety of people, same minded people that have entreprenuer spirit.

# Design

Designing is important to have a successful product. Even it's small product. Designing is a co-process. But it can be the master plan. So designing can be in-out.

I learn more about Sketch. And recently bought Flinto a prototyping tool.

# Laravel

Not be forgotten is this new stuff I acquired this year. It's an important web / backend technology that developer needs.

----------

# 2017

For the next year. I'm still renting at CWS MaGIC, if you happen to read this, lets have meeting there. It's cozy place to have meetings.

Yeah 2017, is gonna be challenging. Many of the ideas / prototype / experimental this year need to be realized on the next year.



Tuesday, 20 December 2016

It's Almost End of the Year

Wow. How fast the time flies.

If you have't yet. This is our latest creation for Android app.

It's pretty slick. It will support thousand of car owners in Klang Valley to get their battery with the ease of smartphone.

It probably some barrier to have it because you need to know there is an app for that. Yeah, you just can call to the service or just Whatsapp them right? Yeah true.

But that's work on early stage of business. You know, where you can handle it. When you sell a lot, you need a system to automize it.

Yes this is an initiative to make it more systemize.




You might see it's a simple system at the front-end. Pick your location, your car and model search. All the batteries will show up. When you are ready pick the battery select your payment and bam.

The rider will come out to you. You just need to wait. 

It's because the service is already up and running. There are traditionally serving people like what normal thing does.

But it just added a layer with web system and apps.

Cool is'nt it? We will wait for the flood of downloads and orders. Thanks.



Saturday, 10 December 2016

Hello December

Lagi beberapa hari lagi nak masuk tahun 2017. Harap next year ni, lebih banyak achievement yang anda semua nak lebih capai lagi.

Tahun 2016, syukur Alhamdulillah pelbagai peluang dan challenge ditempuh sepanjang tahun ini. Tahun ini juga amat bermakna dari segi kerjaya dan personal.

Dari segi kerjaya, ada beberapa improvement sebenarnya dalam keberhasilan membuat apps. Dari segi design ada menambah baik ilmu dengan mendaftar naik course design code oleh Meng To. Memang sebelum ni rasa nak buat design baru nak take time, tapi dengan course ni lebih faham tentang design dan sepatut nya kena sentiasa amalkan. Biasakan. Dengan pelbagai tips penggunaan Sketch. So memang berbeza juga sebanyak-banyak ini.

Apa yang best kita boleh implement direct kepada project Xcode dengan plug-in yang disediakan.

Lain-lain pula adalah marketing dan peningkatan diri. Inipun course online. Dapat mentor dari negara US. Cool juga sebab banyak online webinar yang dianjurkan, boleh bertanya-tanya soalan. Selain dari boleh join group Facebook agar perjalanan perniagaan apps lebih berapi dan bersemangat dengan  feed member yang lain.

OK, dari segi personal, target untuk tahun 2017 adalah untuk boleh tulis journal harian setiap hari. Journal ni ditulis guna aplikasi mobile Day One, sync dekat Dropbox, ada juga app untuk Mac. Jadi mudah juga untuk update-mengupdate ni setiap hari. Journal harian ni sepatutnya ditulis bila nak start rutin harian, apa plan untuk hari tersebut. Pada malam nya, journal diupdate dengan rumusan dan pemikiran. Kalau boleh, boleh tulis juga plan untuk keesokan harinya.

OK blog ini, dah genap 1 tahun ditulis contentnya untuk setiap bulan at least. Memang ini benda yang disaran kan oleh mentor Asia kita. Jadi paksa diri tulis something. So far, boleh lah persistant tulis sedikit sebanyak dalam blog irekasoft blogspot ini. Selain itu memang saya ada juga tulis benda teknikal di ireka soft blog juga.

Lain-lain pula adalah networking. Dalam bisnes ni bro, referal dan networking sangat penting. Boleh je buat kerja online-online ni, tapi untuk lebih sustain dan ada balance kena juga cari local area network (atau LAN). Haha, LAN pulak. Yang saya maksudkan adalah bersua muka dengan orang yang sama fikiran, tak kisah sama ada join meetup atau gi cari co-working spaces. Asal boleh kenal orang dan buat networking. Busy macam mana pun cari lah peluang sekali-sekala.

Lain adalah invest dalam education, system dan machine. Rasa tahun ni tak beli machines (or toy) baru. Tapi nampak lebih kepada education. Kena upgrade education, baru workflow cantik. Pasal education ni, memang kena memilih. Kena kaji betul-betul worth it tak untuk habiskan masa, wang dan tenaga nak buat semua benda tu. Baca testimoni, kenal siapa mentor / guru yang nak anda subscribe tu. Yang penting kena ada proven result / result yang berkesan. Jadi tahun ini saya telah menjadi mantee untuk course yang betul-betul berkait rapat dengan kerjaya perniagaan saya, iaitu buat design app dan app marketing.

Memang cool dapat buat benda ni. Tapi paling mencabar nak siapkan app. Memang banyak competition lately, apa yang penting kita pun kena ada USP untuk bersaing. Kalau kita ini ada something unique, jangan risaulah pasti ada yang appreciate punya. Jangan suka tiru-tiru sahaja ok.

Tiruvasi ok.

OK, setakat ini sahaja coretan blog ireka soft. QS pun dah 1 tahun 6 bulan, dah pandai recognize perkataan dan pandai converse merapu sahaja, tapi boleh sebut some sukukata. Boleh faham orang cakap apa sikit-sikit. Nak suruh ambil barang cam tu OK. Cuma nak tunggu sahaja bila QS boleh bertutur macam kita ni.

Sekian dulu blog post ini.

Salam App,
Hijazi

Sunday, 13 November 2016

Git

Dalam banyak-banyak benda dalam software development yang penting adalah Git, source code management. Walaupun buat project kebanyakan seorang sahaja, namun adalah langkah terbaik untuk mengaktifkan git anda dalam folder yang akan dibangunkan.

Memang nak type ayat-ayat cinta git tu leceh nak buka terminal bagai. Jadi pakailah software GUI. Aku pakai SourceTree, memang dari 5 tahun lepas juga lah pakai, sekarang Atlassian kasi update itu tool, sekarang lebih kemas dan lebih mudah faham rasanya.

Sekarang ni project RND, nak kena pakai balik Xcode 7.3, kalau develop kat main machine, ada juga Xcode 8.1, akan berlaku banyak clash, jadi terpaksa install kat MacBook Air, memang dah ada pun, Xcode 7.3 ni tapi Xcode 8 dibuang sementara.

Jadi macam mana nak sync antara dua komputer ni dengan satu project. You see ada perkataan sync di situ. Kalau guna dropbox memang lah mudah automated. TAPI, tau ke macam mana automated tu function?

Kena fikir tu sebab nak buat aplikasi boleh sync, jadi kena fikir-fikirkan.

Ok, balik kepada git, aku pakai git kat main machine (MBP retina) upload/commit/push kat remote repo. Lepas tu kat MBA clone sahaja lah. Lepas tu kalau apa-apa update just commit and push ke remote server.

Since kat MBP ni tak ada functionate sangat untuk edit source code, cuma nak latest code base sahaja jadi kita rebase sahaja kepada latest commit. Takan ada conflict or anything lah, just rebase sahaja.

Menarik juga pakai git ni. Selain boleh elakan kejadian kerosakan kod, kehilangan kod, kot kot baik anda berjaga-jaga.

Memang tengah-tengah experiment itu ini, kadang-kadang perlu undo-undo. Tapi undo-undo ni ada limitnya. Dengan menggunakan git kita boleh discard sahaja file tu. Multiple files pun boleh.

Tapi kuncinya kena selalu commit dan push ke server lah. Itu pun nak kena bagi tau ke. Hahaha.

OK. Kalau apa-apa boleh check-out irekasoft.com/blog, ada aku update kan guide-guide yang bagus untuk kau belajar sedikit sebanyak pasal mobile apps coding ni. Susah sebenarnya, tu lah kena tulis supaya aku pun boleh hadam sedikit sebanyak.

OK. Check out next time. Kalau ada apa-apa soalan boleh berhubung terus dengan aku, nak tanya web ke app android or iOS. Tapi kena bayar lah. Haha.