Monthly Archives

7 Articles

Mastering Web API authentication with Parse – Javascript SDK and GraphQL flavours

Many applications, especially websites, need to restrict access to their content, and having user accounts that show only information relevant to that user in a secure way is the most popular way to accomplish that.

Today we will learn how to implement the Login functionality to an already existing HTML page, writing very little code and having Parse doing all the heavy lifting for you, and in order to do that, I chose the Login Form template which you can download for free.

We will be using two distinct technologies that you can choose from: the Javascript SDK and GraphQL through Javascript.

GraphQL is our brand new shiny technology that was just released and my goal is to compare both ways to do the same thing, so you can pick the one you like best.
SPOILER ALERT!! I am sure you will like GraphQL better…

That already has all the necessary files for visually display the file but lacks functionality, which we will be adding.

 


What is BaaS – Backend-as-a-Service?

What is BaaS – Backend-as-a-Service?
Backend as a Service BaaS or MBaaS

Backend-as-a-Service, commonly known as BaaS or mBaaS, is a platform that simplifies and automates the backend development process, while also managing the intricacies of cloud infrastructure.

If you’re tired of running and maintaining servers, Backend as a Service (BaaS) is the answer for your business. By outsourcing server responsibilities, you can devote all your time to the frontend or client-side development. That’s right – no more juggling multiple tasks at once!

But wait, there’s more! BaaS comes equipped with tools that can help you create backend code quickly. With its ready-to-use features like scalable databases, APIs, cloud code functions, social media integrations, file storage, and push notifications, you’ll be able to speed up the development process with ease.

The benefits don’t end there. Using BaaS means you can develop at lightning speed, cut engineering costs, and keep your focus on what matters most – your core business. It’s a no-brainer, really!

Want to learn more about cloud backend as a service? Don’t go anywhere! Keep reading to find out.


Setting up coding standards tools for Javascript projects

Setting up coding standards tools for Javascript projects

Have you ever wasted a lot of time merging endless files just because someone committed a file with a different code style and refused to fix it?

Have you ever had problems with your code editor because it was formatting your code on save leaving it with some weird line breaks, or using tabs instead of spaces?

Have you ever pushed a commit to fix a typo, trying to reference _MyVar instead of _myVar?

If your answer is Yes to any of the questions above, or you just don’t want to find yourself in any of these situations, stick with me.


Instant GraphQL API on Back4App

Instant GraphQL API on Back4App

After a lot of coffee and code, we are excited to announce the GraphQL support on Back4App!

Since version 3.5, Parse Server automatically provides a GraphQL API in addition to the REST API. Version 3.6 is already available as a beta at Back4App, and you can now enjoy a powerful, also instantly, generated GraphQL API, for your new or existing apps.


How to make a ToDo List App with React Native, Expo and Back4App

React Native is one of the most popular frameworks used in mobile development. It was created by Facebook based on Javascript. It can be used to build apps to iOS or Android with native platform capabilities.

Expo is a tool that helps you speed up development time and testing.

This article explains how you can integrate a React Native app with Back4App. After completing this step-by-step tutorial, you will have built a project to manipulate a To-Do List.

Is it your first time using Back4App? If so, you need to do the Sign-Up.


How to create an app and make money?

How to create an app and make money?

You got it! Do you want to do something big? Have an excellent idea for the next billion-dollar app?

How to create an app and make money?

This article will detail the lessons learned during my 13-year entrepreneur journey running a software development company and creating hundreds of mobile apps.

I will reveal the hidden secrets of how to bring your ideas to life. We will provide practical steps based on our own experience making mobile apps and share some tips that worked well for me.


Costs to self-host a Parse App on AWS

Costs to self-host a Parse App on AWS
Self host Parse App

Price to self-host a Parse app on AWS

Would you like to know how much it costs to run your Parse app directly at AWS? So, you are in the right place and we will provide the prices for hosting a Parse app at AWS. We will calculate the costs based on two different scenarios. The first scenario will cover a small application and will not provide a redundant infrastructure. So, if any of the instances fail, the app will face downtime. The second scenario will cover a more robust structure with redundant application instances and a replica set to run the databases.

Small Parse App – Infrastructure without redundancies

The minimum setup we suggest is two small instances. One instance to deploy the database and one instance to run the application server.

We recommend choosing new generation instances like t3 to deploy your app. The on-demand cost for each t3.small instance is $15.23/mo. So, having two instances will cost you $30.46/month. On top of that, you still will be required to pay EBS costs and data transfer. Let’s consider 30GB EBS for each instance and 250GB monthly data transfer.

The total cost will be as follows:

Application Server: $15.23

Database Server: $15.23

EBS: $6.00

Transfer Out: $22.41

Total: $58.87

Free Tier Discount (for new users only): $4.26

Total with discount: $54.61

Small Parse App – Redundant Infrastructure

The minimum setups we recommend are 4 small instances and 1 nano instance. Two small instances will cover the application servers, two instances will form a replica set for the database and the nano instance will act as an arbiter. The structure will look like this:

Parse servers for a self hosted app

Parse self-hosted apps

So, having five instances will cost you $64.73/month. On top of that, you still will be required to pay EBS costs and data transfer. Let’s consider 30GB EBS for each instance and 250GB monthly data transfer.

The price is detailed as follows:

Application Server: $30.46

Replica Set: $30.46

Arbiter: $3.81

EBS: $15.00

Transfer Out: $22.41

Total: $102.14

Free Tier Discount (for new users only): $4.26

Total with discount: $97.88

Back4App

If you are planning to host a Parse app, you should consider Back4App. We have long term contracts with AWS and volume discounts. So, we can provide very affordable Parse managed services at a lower cost in comparison to directly hosting at AWS. Unless your app has huge workloads, you won’t be able to beat our pricing. Our plans start at $5/month, and all plans provide a fully redundant and scalable structure. There is no lock-in, you keep your data and we offer add-ons like the multitenant dashboard, collaboration tools, advanced security, and database optimization. Please see all the benefits of Back4App reading the article below.

Self-Hosted Parse vs. Back4App

If you still want to host your app with AWS, we offer self-hosted professional services. To know more, please fill the form below (it takes only 2 minutes) and we will send more information to you.

Professional Services

What is recommended to deploy your app?

New generation instances like t3 are recommended to deploy your app. The cost for this demanding instance is $15.23 per month. EBS and data transfer costs are yet to be added into this. So, it can be really costly as compared to Back4app.

Small Parse app costs to run on AWS?

Small Parse apps can be further divided into two parts.

-Infrastructure without redundancies: This will cost $58.87 and with discount $54.61
-Redundant Infrastructure: This will cost $102.14 and with a discount $97.88.
So, you can see their cost is fairly high.

How is Back4app the best option to host a Parse app?

Back4app has the luxury of having a direct contract with AWS.  You will get the same services at an unbelievable $5 per month.  It can have an exception if your app has a lot of traffic and load on it.
This fairly low price has below features available for you too.

-Collaboration tools
-Advanced security
=Database optimization