How can you refactor mobile app architecture for better performance?

Ideal mobile app architecture should be a thin client and not to have any business rules. Application use cases and domain rules should be developed as a API, which can be consumed in any thin client application. API first approach is one of the principle in 12+ factor application development, which will help us to move to cloud native application development. Refactoring the existing mobile app to thin client architecture is best possible way to get better performance.

Use profiling tools and performance monitoring to identify bottlenecks and areas of inefficiency in your mobile app. Look for slow-loading screens, high CPU or memory usage, network latency, and other performance issues that impact the user experience. Streamline the UI rendering process by minimizing layout complexity, reducing view hierarchy depth, and optimizing view drawing. Use techniques such as RecyclerView in Android or UICollectionView in iOS to efficiently display large lists or grids of items.

Mobile app architecture refers to the high-level structure and design of a mobile application, including how its components are organized, interact with each other, and communicate with external systems. It encompasses decisions about the choice of programming languages, frameworks, libraries, patterns, and methodologies used to develop the app. Common architectural components include presentation layer (UI), business logic layer, data access layer, networking layer, and external integrations.

Due the amount of work usually invested, Refactor a mobile app or any other system should be very aligned to business needs like "Problems or slowness delivering new features" or "High amount of contacts due lot of errores" or "Bad customer experience due the slowness of the application". Usually a big refactor in a mobile app can change the way that the whole team works and can involve a lot of time, so it's very importante to have a clear understanding of the objectives of the refactor

Refactoring mobile app architecture is essential for improving performance, scalability, maintainability, and flexibility of the application. Over time, as the app evolves and grows in complexity, its initial architecture may become outdated, inefficient, or difficult to maintain. Refactoring allows developers to optimize the app's structure, streamline its components, eliminate technical debt, and adopt better design patterns and practices to enhance its overall quality and performance.

Choosing the architecture for a mobile app is crucial because it should align with the scope of the project. Importantly, there are no inherently good or bad architectures, so a thorough understanding of architecture is essential before choosing one for a project.

When selecting a mobile app architecture pattern, consider factors like project complexity, scalability, and maintainability. For simple projects, MVC offers simplicity, while MVVM suits larger apps with complex UI logic separation. VIPER is ideal for scalability and collaboration in large teams. Choose Clean Architecture for flexibility and testability. Evaluate each pattern against project requirements to determine the most suitable architecture for your mobile app.

When choosing a mobile app architecture pattern, consider factors such as the app's size, complexity, requirements, development team skills, and project constraints. Common architectural patterns for mobile apps include Model-View-Controller (MVC), Model-View-Presenter (MVP), Model-View-ViewModel (MVVM), Clean Architecture, and Domain-Driven Design (DDD). Evaluate each pattern's strengths, weaknesses, and suitability for your specific use case, and choose the one that best aligns with your project goals and requirements.

The architecture you choose depends a lot on your team's skills. I would argue you need at least 2 devs with in-depth architectural knowledge to argue for the better one. At the end, use the one with which most team is comfortable, after all the whole team needs to leverage it. If you have multiple architectures, and one user more widely and is easy to understand, then its probably a good start.

Refactoring mobile app architecture involves a systematic approach to restructuring and optimizing its components while minimizing disruptions to existing functionality. Start by analyzing the current architecture to identify performance bottlenecks, architectural flaws, and areas for improvement. Break down the app into smaller, more manageable modules or components, and refactor them iteratively. Prioritize refactoring tasks based on their impact on performance, maintainability, and user experience. Test each refactored component thoroughly to ensure that it behaves as expected and does not introduce regressions.

Pues podemos realizar estos pasos: - Evaluar la arquitectura actual para identificar puntos débiles, dependencias y las áreas de mejora que puedan existir. - Seleccionar la arquitectura que más se adecue a las necesidades que tiene a aplicación, puede ser MVP, MVVM o Clean Architecture. - Empezar a refactorizar el código existente o desarrollar nuevos módulos según el dise?o definido. - Como parte del mantenimiento, debemos de adaptar la arquitectura a medida que las necesidades de la aplicación van cambiando. - Aprovechar las diferentes herramientas de refactorización que existen como Refactor Pro para quiene usan IntelliJ IDEA o Quick Fix para VS Code

Refactoring a mobile app architecture for better performance involves optimizing various aspects of the code, structure, and processes. Here are some strategies to enhance performance through architecture refactoring: Performance Profiling: Use profiling tools to identify performance bottlenecks. Understand which parts of your app consume the most resources, such as CPU, memory, or network. Optimize UI Rendering: Implement efficient UI rendering techniques, like using RecyclerView in Android or UICollectionView in iOS for optimized list and grid displays. Minimize the use of nested layouts and unnecessary view hierarchies. and lost more...

Some considerations to have: - Do not start a refactor without a clear objective, try to align the objective to business issues and not only technology issues - Try to do the minimum amount of breaking changes (it's hard but usually there is a way) - If the refactor is big, is recommendable align the management also and not only the engineering team - Measure your progress and finish the refactor, usually refactors are done partially and then after refactor you are in a worst possition than before because you have the "new" and the "legacy" - Reserve time from the required teams, If the refactor is required will affect more than one team it's important they have the required time to do it

Refactor incrementally: Break down large refactoring tasks into smaller, manageable chunks and tackle them one at a time. Use version control: Utilize version control systems such as Git to track changes, revert to previous states, and collaborate with team members during the refactoring process. Measure performance: Use profiling tools and metrics to identify performance hotspots and measure the impact of architectural changes on app performance. Maintain backward compatibility: Ensure that refactored components are backward compatible with existing code and do not break existing functionality or user workflows.

In addition to the mentioned points, consider factors such as platform-specific guidelines, industry standards, security requirements, and user expectations when refactoring mobile app architecture. Collaborate closely with stakeholders, including designers, product managers, and QA engineers, to ensure that architectural changes align with business objectives and user needs. Document lessons learned and best practices discovered during the refactoring process to inform future architecture decisions and foster continuous improvement in mobile app development practices.

Upgrade Libraries: Keep third-party libraries and frameworks up to date. Newer versions may include performance improvements and bug fixes. Testing and Benchmarking: Regularly test and benchmark your app's performance on various devices. Identify and address performance issues before releasing updates. By systematically applying these strategies, you can refactor your mobile app architecture to achieve better performance. It's essential to measure the impact of each change and prioritize improvements based on their potential impact on the user experience.