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Running Node.JS Applications in Azure

Are you looking to deploy a Node JS application in Azure? Here is an in-depth tutorial detailing how to build a sample Node JS app, sign in to Visual Studio, deploy to Microsoft Azure App Service, and deploy changes.

What is Node.js?

Node.js is an open source server-side JavaScript runtime environment. Node.js allows you to run JavaScript applications and code outside of a browser, as part of a back-end server.

Node.js is based on a JavaScript engine called V8 that supports many browsers such as Google Chrome, Opera and Microsoft Edge.

It also includes many V8 optimizations that can help you run server-side applications. For example, Node.js adds a Buffer class that allows V8 to handle file uploads on the local file system. This feature makes Node.js suitable for web server-like deployments.

Developing server-side applications with JavaScript lets you create powerful, modular applications. Developing with Node.js has several advantages compared to traditional web languages like PHP:

  • Ability to share logic such as form validation rules between the browser and the server.
  • Native support for JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) data exchange format, which is used by many NoSQL database technologies and many other components in a modern web stack.

What is Azure App Service?

Azure App Service is an HTTP-based service for hosting web applications, REST APIs, and mobile backends. It supports Node.js and other popular web frameworks. It lets you run and scale applications in both Windows- and Linux-based environments.

Azure App Service provides the following key capabilities:

Continuous Integration/Delivery Support

Azure portal provides out-of-the-box continuous integration and deployment via Azure DevOps, GitHub, Bitbucket, FTP, or a local Git repository on your development machine.

You can connect your web application to one of the above sources and App Service will automatically synchronize your code and any code changes to your cloud-based web application.

Built-in Auto Scaling Support

Azure App Service automatically supports Azure auto scaling. It can scale applications vertically (within the same machine) or horizontally (across multiple machines).

You can elastically scale the resources available to the web application, including the number of cores and the amount of RAM available.

Azure App Service Plans

When you use Azure App Service, applications run within an App Service plan, which defines the compute resources it has available and other features such as automation and auto scaling. 

You can configure one or more apps to run on the same compute resource (meaning they share the same App Service plan).

Running multiple applications in the same App Service plan can conserve costs, but gives you less control over resource allocation to each application. 

Azure App Service Cost

You can change the App Service plan of your application at any time. For example, you can decide to move an app to a higher service plan if it needs more resources or improved management features. Use an Azure cost calculator to estimate the total cost of all resources for an application deployment.

Quick Tutorial: Running Node.js Applications in Azure

Prerequisites

Before starting to build a Node.js application in Azure, set up the following:

  • Create a free Azure account and ensure you have at least one active subscription.
  • Install Node.js and npm on your local machine. Verify Node.js is installed by running node –version
  • Install Visual Studio Code with the Azure App Service extension.

Step 1: Create Your Node.js Application

We’ll start by running a simple Node.js application on your local machine:

  1. Create a Node.js application using Express Generator, which comes with Node.js by default:

npx express-generator myExpressApp –view ejs

  1. Change to the directory of the new Express application and install the required NPM packages:

cd myExpressApp && npm install

  1. Start the Node.js server with debug logging:

DEBUG=myexpressapp:* npm start

Navigate to http://localhost:3000. You should see the Express app home screen.

Step 2: Sign Into Visual Studio Code

We’ll need to sign into Visual Studio Code with our Azure credentials to deploy the application:

  1. In the terminal, ensure you’re in the myExpressApp directory, then start Visual Studio Code with the following command:

code .

  1. When Visual Studio Code starts, find the Activity Bar and click the Azure logo.
  2. Expand App Service and click Sign in to Azure…
deploy a Node JS application in Azure

Image Source: Azure

  1. Provide your Azure credentials.

Step 3: Deploy Code to Azure Using Azure App Service

We’ll deploy the application using Azure App Service:

  1. In the App Service explorer, click Deploy to Web App.
deploy a Node JS application in Azure

Image Source: Azure

  1. Select the myExpressApp folder and click Create new Web App. This creates a web application entity in Azure App Service. By default, the app is created in a Linux container.
  2. Type a unique name for the web app.
  3. Select the Node.js version you want to run from the Select a runtime stack drop down.
  4. Under Select a pricing tier, choose Free (F1)
  5. Wait for resources to be provisioned.
  6. A popup appears with the message: Always deploy the workspace “myExpressApp” to <app-name>”? Select Yes to tell Visual Studio Code to always deploy this application to the same App Sevice app.
  7.  When the app finishes deploying, another popup should appear. Click Browse Website, and a browser opens showing the Express app homepage.

Step 4: Deploy Changes

The nice thing about Azure App Service is that it lets you automatically deploy changes to your web applications. Let’s give it a try:

  1. In the application folder on your local machine, edit the file views/index.ejs in a text editor. Find this line:

<p>Welcome to <%= title %></p>

  1. And change it to a unique phrase like:

<p>Welcome to my Node app!</p>

  1. Go back to Visual Studio Code. In the App Service explorer, click the Deploy to Web App icon and click Deploy to confirm.
  2. Wait for the popup notifying that deployment is complete and click Browse Website. You will see the new message in the Express app homepage: “Welcome to my Node app!”

Conclusion

In this article, I explained the basics of Azure App Service and showed how to deploy a Node JS application to the cloud in 4 steps:

  1. Create a sample Node.js application
  2. Sign Into Visual Studio Code with your Azure credentials
  3. Deploy your code to Azure using Azure App Service
  4. Deploy a change and see how it is automatically updated in the cloud

I hope this will be useful as you discover new and innovative deployment options for your Node.js projects.

FAQ

What is Node JS?

Node.js is an open source server-side JavaScript runtime environment.

What is Azure App Service?

Azure App Service is an HTTP-based service for hosting web applications, REST APIs, and mobile backends.

How to run a Node JS application in Azure?

– Create a sample Node.js application
– Sign Into Visual Studio Code with your Azure credentials
– Deploy your code to Azure using Azure App Service
– Deploy a change and see how it is automatically updated in the cloud


The 11 Best App Development Ideas For Beginners

Technology has come up with massive development in the industry. We have seen applications for all types of brands, like food delivery apps, fitness apps, social apps, entertainment apps, and many more.

Apps always support business growth as it helps you to connect with your customers easily. You can offer discounts through apps and many freebies for your buyers. It is an opportunity to provide your customers with an interface through which you can achieve your business goals and deliver your message.

But it might not be easy for you to work on app development. Beginners or non-technical users cannot easily work on it. Even developers face tremendous challenges while creating an application.

It requires a lot of technical knowledge and coding. Hence, you definitely need proper guidance regarding it.

This guide is really helpful for every individual who is looking for the best app development ideas and solutions. You can learn from the steps and start building your career in application development. 

How To Make An App: Cost And Time It Requires

Making an app is difficult, but a lot of hard work is required if you have chosen to develop an app. An effort in the right direction and a clear guide can help you to learn how to make an app.

But before digging into the steps you should follow for creating an app, you should go through the answers to the questions in your mind. Individuals who are opting for app development as a career or entrepreneurs looking to develop an app for their business have similar questions.

Let’s first answer the queries to get better and more comprehensive knowledge that will help you understand this guide.

Q1 – What is the best way to build an app?

Building an app is not easy. You have to first decide about your budget, understand your needs, and get to know the type of app you are looking for, the industry you are going to target, and many other factors. 

Back4App is one of the great platforms that allow you to create an app for Android and IOS. It is one of the most reasonable apps and is perfect for non-technical users and beginners. 

Q2 – How long does it take to build an app?

There is no fixed time for building an app. It completely depends on the type of app you are trying to create, its features, and the method you have chosen for the development of the application.

Some of the apps may take a few months to build, but some of the apps take a lot of time, like years, to complete. Six to twelve months is the maximum time it would take to create an application for your business.

Q3 – How much cost is required to build an app?

Building an app can be the cheapest as well as expensive. The rate starts from $2000 to $20,000 and $200,000 or up to $2 million. 

The cost of the app is based on different factors like the type of app you are building, the features you are implementing, the method of development, the platform you choose, and the codebases.

By keeping all this work in mind, the developer will take out the rate and then start creating the app. Also, keep in mind that raising the features, functions, and complexity can increase the rate of your app. 

Q4 – Building an app on iOS or Android?

IOS and Android are both different platforms with different applications. There is a huge difference in the source code of both operating systems.

So, trying building applications on both phones gives you a different experience. This is how you can create two apps at one time with different methods, styles, and experiences, or you can go for a cross-platform app if you would like to create an app for both platforms.

For building an app, Back4App is the perfect platform that allows you to create an app for both IOS and Android. You can create an app without getting into too much coding, and you can launch your app on both platforms.

Steps To Create App In These Few Steps

You might find many ideas for creating apps, of which some of the important ones are listed below. Learn from these steps and see how effectively you can build an app with a fantastic experience on your IOS or Android. 

1.   Identify Your Goals

Before starting any work, it is compulsory to do homework. That means you should be aware of the goals you want to achieve through your mobile application. These goals will help you in your entire process. It is important to paper down your goals and makes a plan of the features and interface of your application. Once you know what your goals are and what you have to achieve, you can easily create a pathway to your app.

To reach your final goal, you need to first divide it into simpler objectives. These objectives will help you to reach your decided goals. You need to work on the smart objectives.

  • Specific
  • Measurable
  • Achievable
  • Realistic 
  • Timely

Also, work on the defined goals so that you know what your purpose is and how you are going to work on it. Again, be clear about what you are looking for and what your motive is. 

2.   Do Market Research 

Once you are done with your goal, then you need to do market research about who is going to work on the goals. While discussing ideas, all seems good and attractive, but you will know the result once you proceed with it.

Without market research, all your hard work, efforts, time, and money will be wasted. So make a list that you have to work on. 

  • Create surveys for the market
  • Conduct interviews
  • Run group that people mostly approach
  • Do research on your competitors

Most importantly, learn how to create an app that improves customer experience.

3.   Set Your App Features

Focusing on your app feature is important. Many people add extra features to their apps, and it may cost them a lot. If you don’t need any feature, then no need to keep it with your application. There are many app features that are important and can improve the user experience and engagement.

  • Push on notifications
  • Community wall 
  • System for menu ordering
  • Booking capabilities
  • GPS
  • Calendars
  • Video image and audio hubs
  • Surveys and questionnaires

Select the feature that you think is important for you considering your goals and your app type. You will definitely get success if you can rightfully analyze the needed features.

4.   Make A Wireframe

Basically, a wireframe is a rough layout of the app for your mobile phone. You can just create it on your board or paper to recognize what you have made and how you can proceed with it.

If you find a bad structure on the wireframe, then you don’t have to worry. Because it is only a rough draft that will let you know what your app will look like. This idea will let you know if your team is on the same page or not and see if your app will work or function effectively or not.

5.   What Is Your Development Method 

Building an app requires different methods, but it is important for you to see what the best approach for you to choose is.

Selecting the right method should be based on your budget, level of your skills, app type, and time to market it. There are different development methods available for mobile apps from which you can choose the most suitable one.

Some of the most popular methods for developing an app are as follows.

  • Agile
  • Waterfall
  • Kanban
  • Scrum

Select any of the four app development methods. Agile is my personal favorite.

6.   Work On Existing Solutions

If you are new to app development and want to know whether you are on the right track or not, you have to start working on existing solutions.

This is one of the great approaches you can go with. At times when you are working on your goal and face any doubt regarding your strategy, then see if the solution you are searching for is available in the market or not. 

Of course, every app needs functionality and to figure out the solutions. You can check infrastructure, hosting, design, analytics, and notifications. You can buy pre-built things before building them from scratch. 

While conducting research for app development of Dissertation Assistance UK, Mrs. Elsa Chris – App Development Head, concluded,

“It is great to leave the difficult process and build only what you need from scratch. Save your time and money, and get your app ready fast. The smart decision is to use built-in features which will save a lot of your time.”

7.   Technical Specifications 

In this stage, you have to bring your wireframes where you have created a rough draft. As you have already done the homework, then it will be easy for you to deal with technical specifications.

The best thing about the technical specification is that it helps in finding out alternative ways to achieve your goals associated with your application. And these alternatives can save your time and money.

You might have heard that user experience is really a must for shaving off the costs and efficiency in work, but the technical specification is still really important for the development of an app.

8.   Work On Measurable Milestones 

Another important idea of app development is to be on track. Working on measurable milestones helps you and your team to track your efforts during the app-making process.

Sometimes working on one big project is better than a lot of small projects. Because many projects require different outlines and you have to start it from the beginning. It may cost a lot and take more time.

For better results, you can implement a project management system for your software developers. And for this, Scrum and Agile development will be effective choices. No matter whatever your decision is and which process you have chosen, tracking your progress will speed up your development.

9.   Create MVP

Whenever you start building an app, it is important to create MVP – a minimum viable product. It helps you to think about your app’s most crucial features. You can say that building an MVP is something very essential for you as a developer.

Of course, you won’t bear any distraction with your app. So, you have to work very consciously when it comes to building an app.

See what function your app actually needs, and then start using it via MVP. Stay away from things that are not necessary as it will waste a lot of time. 

10.   Work On Quality Assurance

Once you are done with MVP and your app is ready to work, it is essential to conduct quality assurance before deployment. The app can be checked on mobile phones, laptops, iPad, or any technology you want. You have to make sure that the app is working both online and offline. 

According to the statement by the research paper writing service

“Developers can pay the experienced app developer to check whether the application is properly created or not. No matter if you are a first-time builder, having a second option will be good to proceed with.”

11.   Deploy 

Finally, it’s time to get your app live and make it available for the actual users of this app. Now it’s your responsibility to check all the important things.

Make sure all the functions are working properly. If you want to market your app, then submit it to app stores. But obviously, it is not easy. You have to read the guidelines to submit your app on the Apple App Store or Android Play Store. 

Conclusion

Building an app is quite challenging for both those who are beginners and those who have tried it multiple times. Educating yourself and learning from the blogs will always be beneficial. Always take advantage of new technology and see how it is working for your growth. 

Here, you will not only find app development ideas, but you will also see how to create an app saving a lot of money within a reasonable time. Keep the steps mentioned above in your mind and make an amazing app for your users to grow well and efficiently.

Author Bio

Claudia Jeffrey is currently working as an Editor at Crowd Writer, where she helps understudies with their academic and professional careers. She is a single mother and loves to travel and explore new places. In her leisure time, you will find her trying new recipes.


Best Practices For Mobile App Content

With the rise of digitalization, businesses require rigorous marketing strategies to boost their growth to attract customers. But, with many things to do and the competition growing in this field, alternative methods of driving traffic should be investigated.


Best Practices to Develop Secure Mobile Apps

There has been an exponential surge in the number of mobile phone users. Statista now estimates mobile phone users to reach 6.6 Trillion by 2022. Now, because the global population currently stands at 7.9 Billion, there is an 84% global smartphone penetration. 

The rapid smartphone penetration also means an increase in mobile applications. According to Statista, there were 218 billion free and paid mobile applications downloads in 2021. These fascinating figures indicate an increase in the demand for mobile applications. Indeed, mobile apps come with great utility.

From helping businesses to know more about their consumer bases, brand promotion, task resolutions, entertainment, etcetera, mobile apps have completely revolutionized our lives for good. 

This is not to say that mobile apps have no dark sides. Security threats have been a primary concern for mobile app developers. According to an analysis conducted by The Synopsys Cybersecurity Research Center (CyRC) on 3000 android applications, the primary security concerns facing mobile apps are information leakages, software vulnerabilities in the open-source components, and mobile devices permissions. 

It means that hackers have shifted their attention to mobile apps. This is a wake-up call for developers to put suitable measures to secure mobile apps. This article addresses some of the measures developers can employ to ensure the utmost mobile app security. But before we look at the measures, let us first understand what mobile app security all is about.


The Best Mobile App Development Software in 2022

In recent years, the use of tools known as no code has surged. Because of them, by 2022, people are developing applications without knowing how to program, and in certain situations, without even needing to write a single line of code.

Mobile App development software is a technology that facilitates the app development process by providing functionality such as an Integrated Development Environment (IDE), APIs, zero-code programming, customized templates, and data analytics.

This helps in developing a mobile app faster and in a structured manner. These technologies provide APIs to facilitate integration with various backend programs.Mobile app development solutions ensure a visual development environment and greatly simplifies the program development workflows.

These  tools have many features like hardware compatibility and automated workflow designs. Many app creation tools allow you to create apps for handheld mobile sets, personal computers or laptops, and web browsers.

Machine learning, IoT, Artificial Intelligence are just a few significant developments implemented into numerous apps today. Whatsapp and Instagram apps are at the top of the most popular apps in terms of downloads. Netflix and Amazon Prime dominate the entertainment apps, while Candy Crush dominates the game apps.


Parse Security: Securing Your Open Source App Stack

What Is Parse?

Parse is the most commonly used open source framework for developing application backends. It was introduced in 2016 and is backed by a large community of developers. It is a proven platform that can accelerate web application developments at any scale.

Parse is a Node.js application that is deployed on hosts in a cloud platform like AWS. It provides APIs for user authentication and stores data in a document storage. By combining a mobile SDK with a backend service, Parse provides features including several user authentication methods, social login, creation and querying of arbitrary data models, push notifications, and the ability to upload files to a server for client-to-client access.

Parse Security Challenges

Open source security is a major concern for most organizations. While open source platforms like Parse can be highly beneficial, they often present vulnerabilities that must be identified and resolved. Here are some of the main security concerns with the Parse platform.

Default Settings 

Parse tries to accommodate less technical developers, making it easier to produce the entire backend for mobile applications without programming. Developers can handle all or most of the server setup, including creating and inserting classes, via the Parse dashboard. However, some important security features are not enabled by default, so users must configure the right settings to secure their application stack.

All stored data in Parse resides in class objects, with the users class storing all user data by default. These class objects should not be automatically searchable, especially if they contain sensitive data. Parse lets developers restrict access to object classes using object-level access control and class-level permissions. 

These security features offer more granular control over stored data in Parse instances and prevent unknown users from accessing any instance in a protected class. However, the user has to turn them on—otherwise, all class objects in Parse remain searchable, and anonymous, potentially malicious users could access sensitive data in objects like the users class.

File Upload Restrictions

Automated file upload is a requirement for many web applications. Another major vulnerability in the design of the Parse server is the file upload functionality. The file adapter submodule allows the Parse server to upload all files by default. Users can block uploads of specific file types using hooks in Parse Cloud. It is still impossible to prevent a potential attacker from uploading file types via the Parse dashboard, a popular GUI for developers to work with the Parse server.

Once a file is uploaded, it is accessible without authentication headers, so an attacker could easily share it. The only way to mitigate this risk is to obfuscate the name of uploaded files. This method can make finding the files uploaded to a bucket harder, but it doesn’t stop attackers from uploading malicious HTML files to the server or sharing malicious URLs with the victim. 

Applications typically serve the uploaded Parse files from the primary domain, creating serious vulnerabilities for all users. If an application serves uploaded files from the same domain as a web portal with cookies, it may place all users at risk.

Securing Parse

Here are best practices you can use to secure your Parse deployment, both at the class and object levels.

Client vs. Master Secrets

When an application connects to Parse for the first time, the application identifies itself with an ID and a client secret (this can also be a REST secret, .NET secret, or JavaScript secret, depending on the platform being used). 

By default, the client secret is not protected and it cannot protect the app. Anyone can find the client key by decompiling the application from the device or proxy network traffic. You can see this most easily in a JavaScript app—find the client key by simply viewing the source of application pages in your browser.

Because client keys are distributed to users, they should be considered accessible by the general public, including threat actors.

A master key, on the other hand, must be strongly protected. Master keys can be used to bypass all security mechanisms in your application, such as class-level permissions and ACLs. Obtaining the master key is equivalent to gaining root access to the application server. Protecting your master key is a central goal of a Parse security strategy—just like protecting the root password on a production machine.

The general idea is to limit the capabilities of the client (using the client secret) and perform any sensitive operations in Cloud Code, requiring the master secret. Learn more about Cloud Code in the Parse documentation.

Class-Level Permissions

Another area to secure is the schema and data level. You should limit when and how client applications can create or access data in Parse. When you first start developing Parse applications, insecure defaults are set to maximize initial productivity—as you transition to production, you must configure Parse to protect sensitive data.

Configure permissions to assign to specific users and roles in your application on a least privilege basis, rather than granting universal access. A role can group users or other roles together to provide the same access permissions. Roles are assigned to objects to limit their use. Permissions granted to a user role or other role are also extended to its children, creating an access hierarchy for your app.

Object-Level Access Control

Consider how users can access data. Object-level access control allows you to separate one user’s data from another user’s data. Different users may need to access different objects within a class—for example, a user’s personal data must only be accessible to that user.

Parse also supports the concept of anonymous users in applications that store and secure user-specific data without explicit login.

When a user logs into your application, a Parse session is started. During the entire session, users can only add or modify their personal data, but not other data.

The simplest way to control who has access to what data is via access control lists called ACLs. ACLs work by providing each object with a list of roles and users and a list of permissions for each role or user. Users must have read access or be assigned to a role that has read access to retrieve data in an object. Users also need write access (or be assigned to a role with write access) to modify or delete data. Set user permissions carefully to ensure each category of users has exactly the permissions they need and no more.

Securing File Upload

As mentioned, Parse suffers from an infinite file upload vulnerability, which you will need to mitigate. This can be done at the bucket level, as recommended in the Parse documentation. 

For example, to restrict file upload types in AWS, add the following statements to your bucket policy:

  • The s3:PutObject operation should only be allowed on objects that require a file type extension.
  • The s3:PutObject operation should be explicitly denied on objects that do not have the required file type extension.

Conclusion

In this article, I reviewed the main security concerns in the Parse platform and provided several best practices to help you overcome them:

  • Client vs. master secrets—ensure that external entities with a client secret cannot perform sensitive operations and restrict master secret operations using Cloud Code.
  • Class-level permissions—configure permissions to secure the schema and datastore.
  • Object-level access control—define ACLs and roles to ensure that each user can access the data and operations they need, and no more.
  • Securing file upload—prevent unlimited file upload by adding limitations to your cloud storage buckets.

I hope this will be useful as you improve the security posture of your Parse applications.


Web vs Mobile Apps – What is the difference?

This article will explore the differences between web vs mobile apps. It is not unusual for people to think that mobile apps and web apps are the same thing. However, there are some distinct differences between them, such as in how they’re distributed and how they perform. These factors have a significant impact on their intended use.


How to Design a Trustworthy Mobile Application

In this digitally dynamic and competitive landscape, mobile application users have become exceedingly picky. Users are always willing to shift whenever they find anything shiny. This state of turmoil is taking place because tons and tons of mobile applications, products, and marketers are striving hard to grab the attention of users. App users throughout the globe have developed enthralling and unique applications. 

Mobile app Development Company all over the world have developed extraordinarily high standards that are further challenging mobile application professionals. To comprehend the challenges faced by both startups and full-fledged companies, there is a need to focus on the nature of mobile. Although mobile phones are portable and feasible, they are also exceedingly personal. It is one of the reasons why it is pivotal to gain the trust of users. If you want to see your application successful, then there is an immense need for you to deliver the information. 

To help you out, there is a compilation of various tactics that will make your application trustworthy in front of users. The implementation of these tactics will get more users to your application. Additionally, this retains the users and communicates to them that you give utmost priority to their requirements. 


Real-time NextJS applications with Parse

Real-time NextJS applications with Parse

We recently published an introductory article about Next.js and parse, in which we talked about what is Next.Js, what is Parse, and how they’re a perfect match for building awesome performant applications.

If you haven’t read it yet, I highly recommend that you check it out on the NodeJS article, since we are going to use some concepts learned in that article.

In this article, we’re going to explore how to build real-time applications using a Parse Hook for a NextJS application. Hope you enjoy 🙂


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