What are the most common pitfalls when developing web applications with programming languages?

I agree, IDEs will help to recognize a lot of the syntax errors. In addition I would also recommend to use linters and formatters so the code base would be in similar style. So it would be easier to read and refactor. The testing of new features (to some extent) will happen during the development anyway and regression testing should be covered with tests and executed on git push.

In my experience, IDE plays a vital role in web development. It saves time and also helps to avoid silly mistakes. One should adapt the technology as it evolves. Nowadays there are a variety of extension that helps to analyze code issues at early stages like memory leak, performance impact, and the code fixes likely to occur in production.

Lack of complete understanding of the capabilities of the programming language Not every programming language will be suitable for web application development or a particular requirement Performance considerations are not taken into account Lack of understanding of best practises for design and coding While use of IDE and frameworks can help in productivity and reduce syntax

I believe there are multiple aspects of building a web applications that one needs to be careful for otherwise it leads to the rework or rethink or even to pivot - Correct POC is very important before jumping into development because we have to understand the business needs before starting any development work. - What tech stack we are going to use for frontend part so it should solve the most of the business requirement. - Tools, what tools we need to build our application, we need to have a architecture in place else there will be too much of back and forth wrt architecture. - if we have all these points in place, Now its gonna be a piece of cake as a developer building application was never difficult, its the path we want to choose

?? IDE is required for development today; just like a browser for surfing the Internet. Pick the one that works best for 1) Your language 2) You. Now that we have figured that out, leverage shortcut/hot keys, extensions, code and snippet generators, the community. This will allow you to avoid mistakes and increase productivity. Take this same approach with - coding standards - testing & debug-ability Remove the mundane and focus on the creative side of programming.

Some things I've found useful in reducing misunderstood requirements/assumptions/logical errors are: 1. Always include BAs/POs or any other relevant stakeholders in refinements to clarify the requirements. 2. Familiarising yourself with the business domain goes a long way. Don't be shy in challenging any assumptions you think may be incorrect. 3. Pairing with another dev on a task can greatly reduce logical errors and confirm your understanding of the requirements

In python for instance the developer should use type hinting and in some cases dataclasses rather than random dictionaries to pass to function. This can greatly improve the readability of your code and if you are working in a larger team it will help the entire team down the road. And again auto testing of at the very least is a must of critical functionalities. Initially thought easiest but often difficult method to reduce logic errors is to keep the logic simple (KISS). After a feature or function is ready, try to refactor it to be simpler.

In my experience, I have noticed that a considerable number of developers naively don't handle null variables in their codes. Some IDE shows you where there could be a possible NullPointerException. Learn not to ignore such warnings.

I have found code review , unit testing and QA testing can help a lot in detecting any functional breakdown in code by logic error. We should always have Unit testing in fast growing application to set expectations on the changes. Having Requirements verified before building is a great way to start logic coding.

See why I told you to get comfortable with your development environment? ?? Honestly, sometimes I look over my code 5 times before pushing 1 commit. If I can't easily understand what I've just written then no one else will either. Your future self will thank you when you revisit this code. And if you find yourself in a situation where you don't find it readable anymore then fix it or make a plan to do so. (TODO comments that bug us into a refactor) Let's assume this was an edge case that wasn't accounted for in your unit tests even though your code coverage is near 100%; so after you track down the root cause, wrap a test around the scenario and don't let it happen again.

One thing I always keep in mind when developing a web application: Assume the client is a bad actor. Never trust raw inputs from clients. If you send the client a payload, validate it if you expect it to be returned. Assume the client has complete control over every cookie, every response, and every header they send. A healthy dose of paranoia helps a lot when thinking from a security perspective.

This responsibility is one of many BE developer tasks. The endpoints should never give out more data than needed. UUIDs should be used over integer primary keys. The sensitive data has to be encrypted. The validations have to be imposed upon the user by the endpoints. If application is ready enough use some 3rd party security testing software like ZAP. Do yourself a favor google security best practices in your preferred framework, create a checklist and follow it in your projects. Usually they are quite simple to setup and will go a long way in making your application secure enough.

Absolutely crucial point! Security vulnerabilities pose significant risks to web applications and user data. Your emphasis on secure coding practices, including encryption, input validation, and regular updates, is spot on. Staying vigilant and adhering to best practices is essential to safeguard against potential threats.

It is crucial to be aware of security vulnerabilities that may arise. Programming languages like PHP, JavaScript, Python, and others have their own specific vulnerabilities that can be exploited by malicious attackers. For example, PHP is known for vulnerabilities such as SQL injection and file inclusion, while JavaScript may be susceptible to cross-site scripting (XSS) and cross-site request forgery (CSRF) attacks. Implementing secure coding practices such as input data validation, output escaping, and preventing unauthorized code execution is essential. Additionally, keeping all libraries and frameworks updated is critical to addressing any known vulnerabilities.

We were used to learning some mandatory SQL when building Java / JSP based web applications back in the days, because most of those were backed by an SQL database (Oracle, MySQL or PostgreSQL). When things didn't perform, we knew to check database performance and if so, get a DB-expert to help fine-tune the queries. The same goes for secure software development. Every developer should know some basic security fundamentals. You don't have to be an expert, but you do have to recognize when security is at stake. Then either use Google, OWASP cheat sheets or many of the other excellent resources to help. And if you're not sure: ask a security champion.

One easy way to make your apps performant is to enable throttling on your browser and use your application. This can help you find many issues and you can fix them to improve the application performance. This throttling feature is available in the "Performance" tab in the inspect element where the CPU and network both can be throttled. Also, always lazy load images. And if you are using some complex piece of UI which is not immediately needed on page load (popups/cards/modals etc), use intersection observer and again lazy loading to prevent upfront heavy load.

Performance issues in web development can hinder user experiences. To address this, I focused on code optimization, image and file compression, caching, database tunin, lazy loading, responsive design, minification, server optimization, content prioritization, performance monitoring, and content delivery optimization. This multifaceted approach improved website speed and user satisfaction.

Static Site Generation (SSG) is an extremely powerful and conceptually simple technique for eliminating performance issues and increasing reliability, compatibility, portability and security. The reality is, most web pages do not actually need to be generated dynamically, as everything needed to render the page is already known well in advance, so you can just compile everything to static HTML and CSS (using any programming language you wish) at deployment time, and then deploy the resulting static files to a Content Delivery Network (CDN) for optimized caching and delivery to users. For truly dynamic pages, technologies such as Cloudflare Workers can generate content geographically close to users with nearly zero performance degradation.

In my experience, optimizing database queries and using efficient data structures significantly contribute to improved performance. Profiling the code and identifying bottlenecks, especially in resource-intensive operations, has helped in making necessary optimizations. Moreover, leveraging content delivery networks (CDNs) for static assets has proven valuable in reducing latency and speeding up loading times.

Earlier in my career, performance was always an after thought during development. Performance should be thought out and planned out before, during and after development. Different solutions require different ways / pattern to improve performance. Improving performance and maintaning site reliability is a must.

Compatibility problems are problems that prevent the web application from working correctly on all browsers and devices. Compatibility problems can be caused by using outdated code or libraries, or by using features that are not supported by all browsers and devices. For example: <video controls> <source src="video.mp4" type="video/mp4"> </video> This code will not work on older browsers that do not support the video element.

According to me versioning of library requirements or modules is best way to handle the compatibility problems in case problems are caused by Open Source libraries. Open source libraries keep upgrading and installing requirements while deployment leads to compatibility issues even if it got tested in QA one day before production deployment leading to deployment failure and chaos.

Compatibility problems are issues preventing a web application from working consistently across different browsers, devices, or platforms, often due to differences in features, standards, or implementations. These problems can frustrate users and reduce accessibility. To avoid compatibility problems: - Use Cross-Browser and Cross-Device Testing: Check and fix code and layout for various environments. - Implement Polyfills and Fallbacks: Provide alternatives for unsupported features. - Use Responsive Design and Progressive Enhancement: Adapt to different screen sizes and capabilities. These practices help ensure a consistent and accessible user experience.

I know, this is not something everyone will agree with, but I am not very fond of polyfills, consider these carefully and use them only if it is 100% needed. Of course cross browser testing is a must, but really you need to be aware of the code and APIs you are using. Consider online resources and look at support tables for APIs and sites like caniuse.com, which is also a great resource for listing out web technology support across browser versions and platforms.

De todos os fatores a serem considerados, o que precisamos de mais cuidado é o tempo. Muitos projetos já vem com o prazo estourando para o desenvolvimento e o time precisa de um olhar maduro para entregar um MVP de qualidade. Sabemos que é muito difícil voltar atrás e redesenhar uma solu??o quando estamos falando de dinheiro. Por isso, uma coisa que deve ser levada em considera??o em todos os projetos é o escopo inicial da arquitetura e qual o tempo temos para entregar o mesmo.

When integrating with third-party systems think about the cost and reusability of data. Are you implementing something that has the potential for a huge third-party bill? In the case of calling third-party APIs, assess if you need to hit those APIs every single time. The most common example I see is in applications that need Geocoding. Caching and reusing those geocoding results is one case where you can significantly increase performance and reduce cost.

One thing i have found helpful, is to think of myself as a problem solver and not just someone that writes codes. This is a personal belief, but it has helped me grow from being code-centric, to being able to build / develop solutions better and more reliable than before.

A deep understanding of how the web works. At the end of the day, web developers are programming something that runs in a server, that has to get into the user's browser, and there are a lot of caveats about how that information is requested, how it travels, things that can happen along the way, and how the browser interprets that information and displays the result of the whole process.

One thing I see a lot is developers focusing too much on the tech stack, rather than the impact and features they can develop. I'd always suggest using what you & your team know best. Don't focus on what is the "fastest" or "newest", use what you're familiar with, and master your existing skills.