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React Native 0.76: What’s New? 

React Native has long been a popular choice for building cross-platform mobile applications, allowing developers to write code once and deploy it on both iOS and Android. With the release of React Native 0.76, the framework introduces significant improvements to its New Architecture by default, paving the way for even more robust and efficient development. These updates aim to streamline cross-platform development, offering developers enhanced performance, better tooling, and a more seamless integration of native modules. 

New Architecture Now Default

New architecture in React Native 0.76.  Taken from Dev.to

Starting with React Native 0.76, the New Architecture is now enabled by default in all projects and is officially ready for production use! 

The New Architecture introduces full support for modern React features such as Suspense, Transitions, automatic batching, and useLayoutEffect (although it is still recommended to use the useEffect hook because useLayoutEffect can hurt the performance).

It also includes revamped Native Module and Native Component systems, enabling developers to write type-safe code with direct access to native interfaces, eliminating the need for a bridge.

The previous architecture, which relied on an asynchronous bridge, faced several challenges, including delayed updates, performance bottlenecks, synchronization issues, and limitations in handling layouts efficiently. To address these issues, the New Architecture introduces four key improvements:

• The New Native Module System
• The New Renderer
• The Event Loop
• Removing the Bridge

According to the official documentation: “The New Module system allows the React Native Renderer to have synchronous access to the native layer, which allows it to handle events, schedule updates, and read layout both asynchronously and synchronously. The new Native Modules are also lazily loaded by default, giving apps a significant performance gain.”

New Native Modules unlock powerful new capabilities since they are entirely built on C++:

• Synchronous Communication
• Type Safety
• Cross-Platform Support
• Lazy Loading
• Performance Optimizations

In the old system, handling responses from native functions required callbacks and return values had to be serializable:  

// ❌ Old architecture example
nativeModule.getValue(value => {
// ❌ Cannot reference a native object
  nativeModule.doSomething(value);
});

The New Architecture simplifies this process:  

// ✅ New architecture example
const value = nativeModule.getValue();
// ✅ Values can reference native objects directly
nativeModule.doSomething(value);

You can explore the New Architecture and its benefits in detail in the New Architecture is here blog post in the official React Native documentation.

New Dev Tools

A picture from the official React Native documentation

It has always been hard to debug React Native Apps due to overlapping tools like Flipper and Hermes. But now, the new DevTools combines all the debugging tools into one seamless stack, with zero setup required— ready to go by default with zero configuration. You can open it from the in-app Dev Menu or use `j` to debug directly in the CLI server, which now supports multiple emulators and devices. 

One of the most interesting UX improvements is a new “Paused in Debugger” overlay that makes it crystal clear when your app is paused at a breakpoint. Plus, warnings in LogBox are now summarized and hidden when DevTools is attached. 

For more information, check out updated debugging docs.

15x Metro Resolution

The latest update to Metro Resolver (v0.80.11) brings significant performance improvements, notably optimizing module loading. This update has made Metro’s resolver—responsible for finding modules from import paths — about 15 times faster. As a result, Metro’s overall performance has improved, with warm builds running around 4 times faster. These enhancements make a noticeable difference, especially in reducing build times and improving development efficiency.

New Style Props: boxShadow and filter

boxShadow

The boxShadow property allows you to add a shadow to an element with customizable settings for its position, color, size, and blurriness. This gives you full control over the appearance of shadows. For a complete breakdown of each argument and its options, check out the MDN documentation. You will also find a fiddle there to try out yourself.

Below are a few examples of the shadow you can take from the React Native documentation:

Examples of boxShadow from the official React Native documentation

filter

The filter property applies graphical effects to an element, such as color modifications (brightness, saturation, and hue) or non-color adjustments like blurs and shadows. This property offers a wide range of filters for creative control over your visuals. For an in-depth guide to each filter function, visit the MDN documentation, which provides a fiddle for hands-on testing. Below is an example, taken from the official React Native Documentation, of a hot dog image with various filters applied:

Examples of filter from the official React Native documentation

Android App Bundle Recuded by ~3.8MB

React Native 0.76 introduces an update that enhances both app size and startup performance on Android by consolidating multiple native libraries into a single library, libreactnative.so. This change reduces the app size by approximately 3.8MB and cuts startup time by 15ms. The smaller APKs improve download and installation times, which is especially beneficial for users in emerging markets. However, developers will need to make some adjustments to ensure compatibility with the new structure. Refer to the official React Native documentation for the details.

Expo SDK 52 Update

Expo SDK 52 (beta) supports React Native 0.76, making it easier to leverage these new features within the Expo ecosystem.

Summary

React Native 0.76 combines years of development into a game-changing update that enhances performance and developer experience. With the new architecture now the default, React Native has become more efficient, providing faster build times and smoother app performance. The update introduces faster debugging with streamlined DevTools, making it easier than ever to diagnose issues. New styling capabilities, including `boxShadow` and `filter` properties, offer developers more flexibility in creating visually dynamic applications. Additionally, Android apps now benefit from a smaller size and improved startup times, thanks to the consolidation of native libraries. 

To understand how React Native differs from React and why this update is significant, check out this detailed comparison: What is the difference between React and React Native .

Overall, React Native 0.76 sets the stage for building more efficient, performant, and polished applications, making it a significant step forward for the framework.

Looking for a one-stop solution for simple, yet effective, online data analysis? Here’s where WebDataRocks comes in. A JavaScript pivot table library that can be easily added to your website or application and then be able to produce interactive reports in real-time on any device you prefer (PC, tablet, mobile, etc.). 

Whether you’re a developer building a web reporting application or a business analyst needing to extract insights from datasets,  WebDataRocks can help. It’s easy to use and packed with features to turn your complex data into clear reports.

All you get with WDR:

• Easy web reporting, even for beginners: no coding required! WebDataRocks seamlessly integrates with your website or application, allowing you to create interactive reports in just a few minutes. Want to see it in action? Check out our pivot table demo.
• Real-time access, anywhere: Drill down into your data and uncover hidden trends on any device, be it your desktop, tablet, or mobile. Make data-driven decisions anytime, anywhere.
• Effective/Intuitive data exploration: Slice and dice your data easily using familiar pivot table functionality. Group, filter, and sort to uncover patterns and optimize processes.
• Dashboard Capabilities: WebDataRocks allows you to create dashboards that become central hubs for data exploration and analysis within your web applications. By incorporating these dashboard capabilities, you can transform your web applications from data repositories into powerful business intelligence tools. Explore our dashboard demos to see how it works.

How to start with WebDataRocks: Your Simple 4-Step Guide

STEP 1. Get Web Reporting Tool for Free

Get started WebDataRocks and gain access to a high-powered, feature-rich tool for free. It’s the best option for new projects or startups to make serious data analysis for their own business with no risks and obligations. You can actually get to your reporting in 5 minutes after download. No pitfalls!

STEP 2. Embed Web Reporting Tool into your Application

Simply embed a script into your webpage—no programming expertise is needed! We designed WebDataRocks to minimize development costs associated with complex integrations.

Our pivot table tools also offer easy integration with popular frameworks. Whether you’re using Angular, React, or Vue, you can use ready-made wrappers to simplify the integration process.

STEP 3. Run Your Data in Ready-to-Use UI

Load your dataset and now you have a powerful analytics tool with a well-designed interface. We developed WebDataRocks with a user-friendly interface, so you have a ready-to-use tool straight away.

STEP 4. Start Reporting, Now!

WebDataRocks is a web reporting tool with enterprise features for real business. Powered by features like filtering, sorting, grouping, conditional and number formatting, calculated values, grand totals, subtotals, etc.

Take control and manage your data the way your project demands. Explore our Quick Start Tutorial to get started quickly.

What’s the point

Data is the key to every business. If you have data you can boost your business insight and drive growth. 

But let’s face it, data analysis can feel like an endless battle against clunky spreadsheets. We’ve all been there – staring at rows and columns, wrestling with formulas, desperately trying to extract meaning from a mountain of information. Whether it’s identifying trends, uncovering patterns, or summarizing data, having a reliable tool is essential. 

When it comes to data analysis and reporting, Excel is often the first tool that comes to mind for many. While Excel has been a go-to for many years, it has its limitations. Created for everyone and everything, it’s packed with many specific features that can be hard to understand. Limited to desktop use, it lacks the flexibility for web-based reporting and seamless integration within applications. Furthermore, as data volumes explode, Excel performance can suffer, leading to sluggish calculations and frustrating delays. Collaboration and customization, crucial for modern business, are also Excel’s Achilles heel. 

While cloud-based alternatives like Google Sheets offer increased accessibility and collaboration features, they often lack the depth and complexity required for advanced data analysis. This is where WebDataRocks shines—it provides – providing an efficient tool for turning data into actionable insights.

Built by Developers for Everyone

With over 15 years of experience developing solutions like Flexmonster Pivot Table & Charts Component, our team is passionate about simplifying data analysis for everyone. We provide developers with tools that are easy to integrate into applications, offering extensive customization options and the ability to create interactive dashboard-like visualizations of your data with other components, thanks to integration with popular charting libraries.

End users benefit from intuitive tools that make complex data exploration a breeze, featuring user-friendly filtering, sorting, and grouping functionalities. WebDataRocks is a solution built by developers who understand the everyday challenges of data analysis, designed to make data visualization faster, simpler, and more collaborative.

Flexmonster, with love.

Selecting the suitable pivot table component for your project can be challenging and time-consuming for many developers. With so many options available—pivot table libraries, data grids with pivot functionality, and all-in-one reporting bundles—it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. To help you navigate this part of web reporting, I’ve conducted some research and reviewed the top components currently on the market.

Research focus

In my evaluation, I focused on several key criteria that are crucial for developers:

Documentation and support: having comprehensive, up-to-date documentation is crucial for developers. It helps them quickly integrate and customize a component.

Framework: compatibility with widely used frameworks like React, Angular, Next.js, and Vue is a significant factor, especially given their popularity as reported in the latest Stack Overflow Developer Survey.

Performance and scalability: data is growing exponentially (over 120 zettabytes of data were created in 2023, compared to just 12.5 zettabytes in 2014), so it’s critical to choose a pivot table component that can handle large datasets efficiently.

Update frequency: a component that is actively maintained and supported by its developers is more likely to be reliable and receive timely bug fixes and new features.

Customization: the ability to customize the pivot table to meet specific project requirements is crucial for ensuring a seamless user experience. Also, as a developer, you should keep in mind that every project grows, and customization options that aren’t necessary today may become handy in the future.

So, let’s explore the list. As we go through each component, I’ll point out the core advantages and disadvantages that I find important to highlight based on the criteria I mentioned above. While I may not discuss every single detail, I’ll provide a thorough overview of each component.

DHTMLX

DHTMLX Pivot Table is a JavaScript component for data analysis and visualization. It is a part of a front-end toolkit designed to create user interfaces for enterprise web applications.

Customization: the pivot table provides extensive customization options, allowing developers to tailor its appearance and functionality to specific requirements.

Integration: it integrates with popular JavaScript frameworks, such as React, Angular, Vue, and TypeScript.

Functionality: includes standard features such as two display modes (flat and tree), sorting, filtering, exporting, conditional formatting, and read-only mode.

Performance: recently, DHTMLX rolled out an update that significantly enhances performance when handling massive datasets. The pivot table can now generate and render datasets with up to 1 million rows. While this update is good, for many other pivot libraries on this list, managing such large datasets has been a standard feature for some time.

Also, one potential drawback is that there is no roadmap page. This might be a concern for users who rely on consistent updates and new features. 

Licensing: the cost depends on what you need. You can buy just the pivot table or the whole DHTMLX toolkit. Price from 299$.

DHTMLX Pivot is still a good choice for developers who want to change things a bit. But if you have a lot of data, you might consider other options. 

WebDataRocks

WebDataRocks is a free, JavaScript-based pivot table library designed to create interactive reports in web applications. It offers a wide range of features for data analysis and visualization with simple integration, making it a go-to choice for developers looking for a cost-effective reporting tool. While it may not be as advanced as other commercial components in our list, it’s still a solid choice that covers more than just the basics of pivot tables.

Intuitive User Interface: the library’s user-friendly interface ensures a smooth and enjoyable experience for both developers and end-users.

Customizable and Extensible: offers extensive customization options that help the developer to adjust the component to project needs.

Chart: works with 3rd-party charting libraries, allowing you to create interactive, dashboard-like visualizations.

Overall, WebDataRocks is a good tool for anyone looking to create interactive and informative pivot tables within their web applications. Its combination of features, ease of use, and free availability make it a reliable choice for the development of small and mid-size projects. 

Telerik

The Telerik Pivot Table, also known as the PivotGrid, is a powerful data visualization tool designed to help users organize, summarize, and analyze datasets.  With its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, automatic calculations, and support for multi-dimensional data, this component simplifies the process of summarizing and visualizing data. 

One of Telerik’s greatest strengths is its broad ecosystem of software components. If you’re building a product that needs additional features like charting, data grids, or forms, Telerik provides a cohesive suite of tools that integrate smoothly together.  

Telerik’s extensive customization options and seamless integration with design tools like Figma make it an excellent choice for creating tailored, interactive reports. 

Pricing starts at $1,099 per developer, with discounts and renewal offers available for long-term clients. The price point may be a consideration for teams working with limited budgets.

While it can be effective for basic data analysis, some users have reported performance issues, particularly when working with large datasets or complex calculations. So, it could be a great choice for those who prioritize style and appearance.

Syncfussion

The Syncfusion Pivot Table is a data visualization tool designed to organize and summarize large volumes of business data in a cross-table format. It offers a range of functionalities including data binding, filtering, sorting, and aggregation, making it easy to analyze complex datasets. Users can drill down or up to view detailed or abstract data, and the table supports various data sources. 

Chart integration: the Pivot Table can be seamlessly integrated with various chart types, allowing you to visualize pivot data in a more interactive and insightful manner. It supports over 20 different chart types, including bar, line, pie, and more. This integration helps in creating comprehensive dashboards where users can switch between tabular and graphical data representations.

Responsive design: designed to be highly responsive, adapting to various screen sizes and resolutions. 

Customizable themes: Syncfusion has several built-in themes, such as Fluent, Tailwind CSS, Bootstrap, Material, and Fabric. These themes can also be customized to match the application’s design with the help of the online Theme Studio tool.

User reviews are generally favorable, although some mention that implementing a pivot view yourself is time-consuming.  Based on their frequent releases, it’s clear that they are continually updating the pivot grid.

Price from $ 395/per month for developer.

Flexmonster Pivot Table and Charts

Flexmonster Pivot Table is also a widely used and popular JavaScript library for visualizing business data among developers.  It’s known for its set of functionalities and high performance with huge datasets and smooth integration with various development stacks, which makes it a reliable tool for businesses looking to analyze and visualize data.

Performance: one of the biggest strengths of Flexmonster is how well it handles massive amounts of data. Whether you’re working with MongoDB, ElasticSearch, OLAP cubes, SQL databases, or even files up to 1GB, it’s developed to render millions of rows smoothly. I’ve seen demos that show how it works with massive data sets without freezing or lagging, which is pretty impressive.

Functionality: from basic aggregation to advanced filtering and sorting, you have the tools to uncover valuable insights from your data. The drill-up-and-down functionality provides a dynamic perspective, allowing you to explore data on various levels. 

Frameworks: has a quick-start guide for smooth integration with frameworks like React, Angular, and Vue.

Charts: Flexmonster offers built-in charts and can be integrated with popular charting libraries such as Highcharts, amCharts, Google Chart, and others, making it easy to build interactive dashboards.

Customization: extensive API for deep customizations, allowing you to fully adjust the pivot table to the project needs. 

Flexmonster pivot table gets regular bi-weekly updates, which shows the team is dedicated to keeping it up-to-date. They offer excellent documentation and have an active YouTube channel with detailed video tutorials, making it easy for developers to integrate and customize the component.

While Flexmonster Pivot is undoubtedly a powerful tool, the pricing might be a consideration for smaller businesses. Pricing starts from 799$ but in my opinion, if you’re looking for a powerful pivot table solution, it’s worth the investment.

DevExtreme Pivot Table

The DevExtreme Pivot Table is also a well-known tool designed for multidimensional data analysis. It’s a component of the DevExtreme suite, which offers a wide range of UI components. 

Performance: handle large datasets directly in the browser, eliminating the need for server-side processing and enhancing performance.

Integrations: the pivot grid also seamlessly integrates with OLAP services like Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services and works smoothly alongside other DevExtreme data visualization components. 

While the DevExtreme team might be more consistent in updating Pivot Table compared to other tools on our list, they still roll out updates periodically. Recent improvements include a new rendering engine that replaces the older Bootstrap-based system, as well as accent-insensitive operations for data-aware controls.

DevExtreme also provides good support resources, including documentation, interactive demos, code examples, webinars, and a helpful and really joyful YouTube channel. 

Pricing starts from 899$. 

AG-Grid

AG-Grid is a data grid solution designed to manage and analyze datasets. The commercial version of AG-Grid offers powerful pivoting features that let you manage your data by moving rows and columns around. You can set up these features using the grid’s API or the user interface, with options like the Side Bar and Pivot Panel. AG-Grid supports various calculations like sums, averages, and counts, giving you many ways to analyze your data.

Documentation: AG-Grid also has a well-structured documentation section that’s easy to follow and understand.

Chart Integration: AG-Grid integrates Sparklines, Integrated Charts, and AG Charts Enterprise so users can easily include charts in the projects.

While AG-Grid is a widely used solution with solid functionality, it is still primarily a data grid rather than a full-featured pivot table component. If you need exclusively powerful pivot functionality, you may want to explore other options on our list.

Pricing: AG-Grid is free under the MIT license for non-commercial use (without pivoting features). The commercial version starts at $999.

Conclusion

Every pivot table solution offers its own unique advantages, and the right choice depends on your project and its needs. So whether you’re prioritizing performance, customization, integration, or cost, this overview should help you make a more informed decision and choose the best tool for your web reporting project.

Do you have a one-in-a-million idea for your eCommerce business? With that in mind, you are looking to commence your entrepreneurial journey with a feature-rich online store. However, eCommerce app development calls for attention to various factors, including choosing the right app development company, the features and functionalities of the eCommerce store, and the technologies required to build and integrate the right set of features effectively.

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Every month, CodePen organizes a challenge for individuals to showcase their creative abilities through mini-projects. If you haven’t checked out the previous challenge yet, don’t miss this fantastic opportunity! Take a look at our past pens, such as one focused on “How to Use Pivot Tables to Create Web Reports in Different Styles” and another where we delved into creating stunning “Bubble Text.”

With the new month on the horizon, a fresh CodePen challenge has been unveiled! This time, the challenge revolved around Filters.

What is Filtering and its Function in Front-End?

Let’s start with what filters are and why they’re important. 

Filtering allows users to narrow down a large dataset to find specific information quickly and efficiently. In front-end development, filtering techniques are implemented using JavaScript and CSS to manipulate data displayed on a web page without requiring additional requests to the server. This approach offers several advantages:

• Enhanced User Experience: Front-end filtering provides a smoother and more responsive user experience by instantly updating the displayed data based on user interaction. This is because filtering happens on the user’s device, eliminating the need to wait for server responses.
• Reduced Server Load: By handling filtering on the front end, you can significantly reduce the load on your server, especially when dealing with large datasets. Only the filtered data needs to be rendered and visualized in the browser, minimizing the amount of data transferred between the server and the client.

It’s important to consider a few factors when implementing front-end filtering:

• Data Size: Front-end filtering might not be suitable for very large datasets. Complex filtering operations on massive amounts of data can lead to performance issues in the browser.
• Security: When dealing with sensitive data, it’s crucial to perform the filtering on the back-end server. This ensures that sensitive information is not exposed or manipulated on the client-side (user’s browser).

If you’re looking to improve the way users interact with your data, consider incorporating front-end filtering techniques into your next project!  

Let’s now dive into our challenge. Throughout the month, each week presented a new opportunity for participants to experiment with front-end filtering, employing various methods, including CSS, JavaScript, and SVG.

Below, we proudly present our results! Consistently, WebDataRocks is our foundational tool, and CodePen tasks are our inspiration.

Week 1. CSS filter

In this CodePen example, a blur effect is applied to specific cells in the WebDataRocks Pivot Table through CSS, toggling this effect based on user interaction. Here’s a breakdown of how it operates:

Adding a Blur Effect with CSS

This is how to create a blurred element using CSS. We’ll achieve this with a class and a special filter property.

• The ‘hidden’ Class: We’ll define a CSS class named hidden that applies the blur effect.
• The ‘filter: blur()’ Property: The property is responsible for creating the blur effect. The value following blur() determines the intensity of the blur. In our case, it’s set to 2.5px, which creates a moderate blur effect.

#wdr-pivot-view #wdr-grid-view div.hidden {

  filter: blur(2.5px);

}

JavaScript implementation.

The JavaScript snippet establishes an event handler for the “cellclick” event on the pivot table. Upon clicking a cell, this handler records the row and column indexes of that cell into the visibleNumber object. The pivot.customizeCell() function is then employed to tailor the cell’s display within the pivot table. Specifically, within the customizeCell routine, it:

• Verifies if the cell is of type “value,” indicating it holds numeric data.
• Confirms that the cell isn’t designed for drill-through actions (cells that can be expanded to reveal more data).
• Determines whether the cell represents a grand total for a column (the aggregate of all rows in a column).
• Conceals cells in grand total columns that don’t correspond to the indexes of the selected cell.

const visibleNumber = {
  rowIndex: undefined,
  columnIndex: undefined
}

pivot.on("cellclick", (cell) => {
  visibleNumber.rowIndex = cell.rowIndex;
  visibleNumber.columnIndex = cell.columnIndex;
  pivot.refresh();
});

pivot.customizeCell((cellStyle, cellData) => {
  if (cellData.type == "value" &&
    !cellData.isDrillThrough &&
    cellData.isGrandTotalColumn &&
    !(cellData.rowIndex == visibleNumber.rowIndex &&
      cellData.columnIndex == visibleNumber.columnIndex)) {
    cellStyle.addClass("hidden");
  }
});

Here’s what happens:

• Upon a user’s click on a cell within the pivot table, the event listener seizes the row and column indexes of the selected cell and marks it as visible. 
• Subsequently, the customizeCell function sweeps through all cells present in the pivot table. 
• If a cell meets the condition of being a grand total column and does not align with the row and column indexes of the clicked cell, it is assigned the “hidden” class. This class triggers a blur effect on these specific cells.

In short, clicking a cell in a pivot table lets you explore your data in more detail by temporally removing the blur effect on specific cells within the WebDataRocks pivot table through their interactions.

Week 2. JavaScript filter

In this scenario, the JavaScript function is tailored to enhance the WebDataRocks Toolbar by specifically eliminating the “Connect” tab. Let’s delve into its functionality:

• customizeToolbar Function: This function is invoked to customize the Toolbar, requiring the Toolbar object as a parameter that signifies the pivot table’s Toolbar.
• Retrieve Existing Tabs: The getTabs() method of the Toolbar object obtains an array containing all current tabs within the Toolbar.
• Tab Filtering Process: The filter() method is applied to the array of tabs retrieved through getTabs(). Within the filter function, each tab undergoes a check to determine if its id does not match “wdr-tab-connect”. Tabs failing this check are included in the filtered array, thus eliminating the “Connect” tab from the Toolbar.
• Provide Filtered Tabs: Following the filtration process, the function yields the updated array of tabs excluding the “Connect” tab.
• Integration with WebDataRocks: This function can be assigned to the beforetoolbarcreated property within the WebDataRocks configuration object to achieve seamless integration with the WebDataRocks pivot table.

Example:

var pivot = new WebDataRocks({
    container: "#wdr-component",
    toolbar: true,
    width: "100%",
    height: 350,
    width: 850,
    beforetoolbarcreated: customizeToolbar,
    report: {...}});

Week 3: SVG Filters on Hold

We explored using SVG filters with WebDataRocks but didn’t quite decided on he purpose and the implementation code this week. If you have any ideas on how to make this work, we’d love to hear them!

Week 4. Filter Fest!

The last week was all about combining different filter effects! We created a special demo to showcase the variety of filtering options available in WebDataRocks.

We understand how powerful filters can be for data analysis which is why we ensured WebDataRocks supports three key filter types: 

• Filtering by member names: Want to focus on specific data points? This filter type allows you to display the values of specific members within your data.
• Filtering by values (Top/Bottom X): Identify trends or outliers with this filter. Use it to keep only records that fall within a specified range, such as those with values higher or lower than a certain number.
• A report filter: Take control of your entire report’s data with this filter. Apply it to control what data is displayed across your entire web report.

For more details on filtering in the pivot table, check out our comprehensive documentation and our article ‘Reporting tips & tricks: filtering explained’.

Wrapping Up

That’s a look back at our filter explorations this month! Feel free to check out the demos, experiment with the code, and build something creative! 

We love exploring the potential of our tools while participating in CodePen challenges.
In this blog post, we’ll delve into our latest creation for the April “Bubbles” demo: a chocolate themed report styled with bubble text.

(more…)

We’re all so addicted to our smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc. today, right? And, we can’t imagine a single day without them. We use them to browse the internet or play games with apps, don’t we?

So, there is the thing called responsive design? It is a fundamental thing. It’s just a matter of ensuring that websites and apps look cool on any screen size, be it a desktop or Android. It is important that your site is not only visible but also runs perfectly on every device.

And we have to say that using responsive design is a huge advantage. It’s about creating a seamless navigation experience, regardless of whether the users are on their phone, tablet, or laptop. This article is going to explain what responsive design is, why it is useful, and how you can get it right.

What is Responsive Design?

Responsive design is a term that implies a website should look good no matter the gadgets you are using. It´s about ensuring proper formatting of content, which is easy to read and navigate and exhibits no excessive scrolling.

Why Responsive Design Matters and Keep Your Users Interested

Responsive design is not a passing trend, not a should-have, but a must-have. Let’s break down why it’s crucial for how users engage with your website:

1. User experience (UX) is the quality of interaction between the user and the product or service.

Responsive websites are created to fit on any device you use, allowing navigation to be convenient and content to be readable. People can play the game wherever they want, regardless of whether they are using their desktop or mobile devices.

2. Accessibility Boost:

Responsive design is the way to make your site accessible to every person in the world including those who have disabilities. It makes it easy to reach your target. Also, the features such as speech recognition and screen magnifiers make it easy to use.

3. Conversion Magic:

94% of the visitors that are not satisfied with the webpage leave it due to the speed of the website. Smooth experiences are a key factor in drawing visitors’ attention and keeping them on the website for longer periods, and consequently, more likely to convert to customers.

Key Strategies to Nail Responsive Design

To get your website into the spotlights, you need to make some of the crucial steps. Let’s check out what you need to do to rock responsive design: Let’s check out what you need to do:

Start with Mobile

Many people are so “tied to the phone” now; therefore, start with a design that is a mobile phone oriented. Think of a well-organized and fast-loading navigation and content that loads quickly and easily.

Flex with Media Queries

Use CSS magic to adjust your design for a range of screen sizes. Begin with those that are right in front of you, and then expand as you go.

Go with the Flow

As a web design company, you should forget rigid layouts. Apply the use of fluid grids that make the webpage change in shape automatically for any screen size. It is the unity in the set of things that keeps it going and doing well.

Size Matters for Media

Contrary to the past when screens were all of the same size, today, we need to be sure that images and videos would fit every screen, no matter what. Apply CSS tricks to ensure that the images remain defined without compromising on quality.

Type It Right

No matter what device you use, make your text look good! Make it fancy with CSS units like VW or EM that will not hurt the eyes and, at the same time, look cool.

Test, Test, Test

When every essential component is in place, take your website for a test drive. Either use Google Mobile-Friendly Test or actually play around with devices so as to be sure that it’s properly optimized.

Wrap-Up

Designing a responsive website is not something that is new anymore; it has become a necessity. As more gadgets would be coming on the market, you also need to be prepared. Similarly, it is about inclusivity and how to keep the user base engaged. Therefore, start with the responsive design immediately and you will be amazed how the site would look afterward.

What else to read?

• List of best JavaScript components for report application
• The Future of Data Visualization: Predictions and Trends for 2023 and Beyond
• 5 Tips on How to Visualize Data for Insightful Solutions
• Data visualization with WebDataRocks & Chart.js: create a dashboard in 5 min
• Navigating the Future of Big Data and Analytics: Trends and Best Practices for 2024

As we step into 2024, the landscape of Big Data and analytics continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace. Businesses and technologists alike are keenly observing emerging trends and adapting to leverage data more effectively. This post delves into the key trends shaping the future of Big Data and analytics, offering insights and best practices to navigate this dynamic terrain.

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Having an intuitive online presence is crucial for the success of the organization of any domain. Businesses have realized it and are opting for stunning and easy-to-navigate websites. It not only improves their online presence but provides opportunities for generating more revenue.

Developers leverage cutting-edge programming frameworks and tools to deliver websites that exceed business owner’s expectations. They ensure that a website is user-friendly, responsive, fast-loading, etc. But all this requires time. 

Website designers and developers were looking for ways to automate processes without dropping the quality of websites. AI in web development has emerged as a solution to enhance website quality and overcome its challenges. 

Today, the ways of designing and developing user-friendly websites have entirely changed because of the advent of AI. It enhances the productivity of designers and developers. According to a GitHub survey, an astonishing 92% of US developers use AI coding tools to help them with their work.

This article will discuss how artificial intelligence impacts web development. But before that, let’s look into how AI in web development enhances the productivity of developers and the top AI tools for web development.

How AI in web development enhances the productivity of developers

AI in web development has the potential to transform the way developers design and develop websites. It significantly enhances the developer’s productivity by automating mundane tasks. Here is how AI improves the web development process:

1. Know Customer Better

What do you think is the most important thing to know when converting visitors into customers? You might have guessed it right: better understanding of your user behavior. AI tools understand the user’s patterns and give invaluable insights from user data. It allows developers to offer personalized experiences to enhance their satisfaction and nurture meaningful connections with them.

2. Saves Time

AI in web development significantly saves time by automating tasks like code completion, generating code snippets, identifying performance issues, and more. Not only does it save time during code completion, but it also saves time while debugging code. They can invest this time in more crucial development processes.

3. Performance Optimization

Imagine an assistant that analyzes the performance of a website, including loading speed, mobile responsiveness, and more. Won’t it ease the developers and improve their efficiency? That’s what AI in web development brings to the table. AI also assists in optimizing code by providing code quality recommendations to developers.

4 Best AI Tools for Web Development

AI tools are being utilized in web development to remove redundant processes, enhance productivity, and streamline processes. Here are some of the best AI tools for web development that you must try:

1. GitHub Copilot

GitHub Copilot is the best tool that auto completes the code and provides real-time suggestions to improve the code. It is especially helpful when it comes to identifying bugs and resolving them. It enhances the productivity of developers by automating the coding. It also generates documentation by understanding the code. 

What’s more, it offers multi language support that enables developers to utilize it for different programming frameworks, including JavaScript, Python, and more. 

2. TensorFlow

Many of you might be familiar with TensorFlow. It is one of the most used open-source AI/ML tools among developers. One of the reasons behind its success is its flexible architecture that aids developers in developing, training, and implementing AI models.

Some key features of TensorFlow that make it the go-to AI tool are efficient working with multi-dimensional arrays, computation scalability, and support of deep neural networks.

3. Adobe Sensei

It would be an injustice to talk about the best tools that enhance the designer’s and developer’s productivity and not include Adobe Sensei. It is one of the top AI tools that elevates the digital experience by automating the design process. 

This tool is not just for web designers and developers but also marketers and content creators. Its ability to automate image editing, predictive analytics, and content intelligence shows the true impact of AI in web development. It provides intelligent insights and accelerates workflows to save significant time for users.

4. Wix ADI

Another invaluable tool that showcases the impact of AI tools on web development is Wix ADI. It has the ability to create tailored websites depending on the inputted data or query. 

All you have to do is provide some crucial information about your desired website, including its purpose, features, and more. Moreover, its capability to integrate content from the web makes it an outstanding option to use for making the web development process smooth.

8 Exciting Ways of Using AI in Web Development

The potential of artificial intelligence isn’t limited to any specific industry or task. It has hundreds of advantages to offer in every aspect. However, choosing a leading and reliable AI development company matters a lot. It empowers you to get your desired website while leveraging the capabilities of AI at the same time. 

Here are different ways of using AI in web development:

1. Faster Coding

Undoubtedly, coding requires a lot of effort and time to deliver the best results. Developers were looking for a solution that could assist them and improve the web development process. 

Today, several AI assistants and tools are available that have made coding a breeze. These tools and assistants automate the website development processes. By doing so, AI reduces the time to build intuitive websites without compromising the quality.

2. Personalized User Experiences

According to a report, 90% of leading marketers say that personalization contributes to business profitability. This massive number indicates the significance of prioritizing user experiences. 

AI algorithms have the ability to analyze user browsing history, preferences, and other insights to deliver tailored recommendations and user experiences. It significantly improves user engagement, increases loyalty, and enhances sales.

3. AI Chatbots for Engagement

Did you ever have a coincidence of seeing a pop-up appearing on a website with an aim to start a conversation with you? These are smart AI chatbots in action. These AI chatbots are available 24/7 to answer user queries, provide information, search relevant items, and even schedule appointments. 

AI chatbots are a great way of engaging users even at night when it is not possible for a human agent to resolve the queries of users. These AI chatbots have eased humans by reducing the workload. These chatbots satisfy users by resolving their concerns, which opens up new opportunities for converting them into customers.

4. User Behavior Analysis

Users are the lifeblood of any business. Happy users mean one step forward towards a successful business. Websites, being the first point of interaction, hold significant importance. It is necessary to improve the website design or content if required. But how to know whether your users are satisfied? 

Several AI-driven tools are available that provide insights about how users interact with your website. These insights provide you with information about user satisfaction and the website areas for improvement. It empowers developers to make necessary changes and increase user trust and loyalty to your brand.

5. Prototyping

Prototyping is of the utmost importance in the website development process. It offers a visual representation of the layout and functionality of the website. Additionally, it reduces the risks of any ambiguity earlier in the development process. However, it requires a lot of time to prototype.

AI in web development accelerates the process of website prototyping. It empowers designers to refine the prototype conveniently and quickly. AI also considers user sentiments and industry standards during the prototype process. It saves time and enhances the user experience to generate more revenue.

6. Voice Search Optimization

Voice search is the new meta. It has gained significant attention over the years. Businesses are looking to take advantage of this functionality by adding it to their websites. AI aids in making this feature a success. 

How? AI understands voice messages and replies with the most appropriate search results. It significantly enhances user satisfaction and helps to build long-term relationships.

7. Automated Testing

If you have some experience with developing, you must know that finding a syntax error can take upto hours. Debugging is hectic and time-consuming. However, several AI tools have emerged that made it easy to debug code within seconds. It allows your code to run smoothly and removes any performance concerns as well.

8. Better SEO

Many businesses made the mistake of overlooking SEO. You must avoid this mistake by prioritizing SEO equally as important as coding during the web development process. After all, what’s the point of developing a website when it won’t reach its targeted audience?

Additionally, changing search engine algorithms are focusing on user intent and semantic SEO. It is a time-consuming and exhausting job to do. Moreover, it isn’t the task of only a single person; you require a proper team to do the job, which can be costly.

Don’t worry; AI has saved you and developers from the hassle of managing SEO. Several AI tools are available that help to optimize your website, thus increasing the organic traffic. Not only will your website rank higher in search engines, but it will also drive conversion.

How does web development benefit your business?

Your website can be the first point of contact for your potential client. The first impression that you give about your business via the website must be positive. Why? Because it helps them have a perspective of how good you and your services will be. 

A good website helps to attract and engage visitors and convert them into customers. Here are some benefits of having a website:

1. Enhanced Visibility & Accessibility

The importance of web development can never be overstated. It breaks the barriers of geographical boundaries and makes it 24/7 accessible to everyone around the globe. It acts as a digital storefront that provides information about your offerings. But can a mere website do the trick? Your website must be user-friendly and easy to navigate to turn your visitors into potential clients.

2. Brand Consistency

The ability to create a consistent brand identity shows why website development is important. It means you can have the same branding across all digital platforms. But how is it possible? You can add colors, logos, and more to the web design to make it perfectly match your identity and values. Having a well-designed website offers a professional look and improves the brand’s authenticity.

3. Better Sales

When internet users can reach out to you from around the world and can see the brand consistency throughout the platforms, it helps to increase sales opportunities and generate more revenue. A well-designed and fully functional website makes a difference in attracting more visitors. It allows businesses to showcase their products or services to engage potential customers, thus increasing the chances of more sales.

4. Competitive Advantage

Having a website plays a crucial role in the making of a business. It is more than just having a digital presence. Website development gives a competitive advantage to your businesses as your customers can easily reach out to you. Moreover, you can utilize digital marketing and SEO techniques to improve search engine ranking and attract your targeted audience. It provides untapped opportunities for growth and gives you a competitive edge over rivals.

Will AI replace web developers?

If you are a developer or a software engineer, you must have pondered whether AI will replace developers or engineers. The simple answer is No. AI won’t replace web developers or software engineers. It acts as an assistant to enhance their productivity and ease them to focus on core aspects. 

AI in web development is capable of automating mundane tasks but is not able to start a project from scratch and complete it. It isn’t able to think creatively and solve complex problems outside of the constraints of AI models.

To delve deeper into emerging trends, check out this article on the future of software development: Software Development Trends.

Conclusion

Artificial intelligence has transformed the web development process. It has empowered designers and developers to develop secure, user-friendly, and responsive websites to engage audiences. AI in web development saves time and provides opportunities for sustainable business growth. Several new AI tools will emerge with further advancements in technology and will reshape the web development and design processes.

What else to read?

• What Is the Best Tech Stack for Your Mobile App in 2024?
• Best Mobile App Development Tools for iOS & Android 
• Cracking the Code: 11 Crucial Components of a High-Performance Tech Stack
• Complete Guide to Mobile App Development: Process, Trends, Costs
• 8 Tips for Choosing the Right Backend Tech Stack for Your Next Project

When it comes to web reporting, the main focus is on the performance and functionality of your software. Still, visual styling can also positively impact your reports or dashboards. It can enhance key points, highlight hierarchy, and even give you the vibe of the epoch. 

Our pivot table component comes with eight predefined themes, but sometimes, it’s not enough to create a unique style or to adapt to your existing brand style. Webdatarocks has great potential for customization of your report as you need. To prove it, we participated in the CodePen challenge dedicated to styling. We wanted to show that our component can be a part of any style solution, no matter how diverse or creative. And what better way to do that than to join a challenge that tests your coding skills and imagination?

But first, a little bit about what Codepen challenge is.

CodePen gives you a new task every week based on a monthly theme. We decided to try the November challenge about Style Trending, which covered such styles as Bento Style, Neo-Brutalism, Y2K Style, and the Gradient Glow Style. The template included the very basics of a fitness app dashboard and style was on us.

Bento Style

The first task was about Bento Style, an ode to digital minimalism. This style emphasizes simplicity, order, and elegance. It is not overloaded with details, so it gives full focus on your data to get valuable insights from it. In our demo, we did exactly that. Our dashboard echoes the Japanese art of bento box arrangement with simplicity and no mess. Each element is where it is supposed to be without any unnecessary decorative elements. Everything is clear, intuitive, and easy to understand, living up to the “less is more” principle.

This style can be excellent for data reporting and analytics thanks to its structural and stylish presentation of information.

Use cases: BI dashboards, financial and executive reports (highlights key insights).

Check it for yourself. 

Neo-brutalism

The next style was Neo-Brutalism, so we switched from elegant/structural minimalism to a rebellious style. This style takes its roots from the “raw” brutalist architecture of the 50s-80s, which you can see in hard shapes and strict lines. Nowadays, this style is about bright colors, clean lines, bold fonts, and geometrical shapes.

We managed to implement all this in our demo, which was inspired by Rubik’s Cube. Our dashboard features eye-catching geometric shapes and a vibrant color palette, making the data stand out. 

Use cases: Public awareness campaigns, social impact dashboards, scientific visualizations ( it helps to make a strong impression and highlight the contrast between different data segments.).

Take a look. 

Y2K Style

The third style was Y2K Style great style for old schoolers that works almost as a time machine and makes you nostalgic. It’s the place where the analog and digital worlds meet – bright colors, bold fonts and patterns, and a modern twist. 

This style can be fun and engaging for web reporting and data visualization, especially if you want to target a younger or more nostalgic audience. It can also add some humor and personality to your data presentation. It can give the feeling of the early 2000s era.

Use-cases: marketing, educational, social media and trends reports( to give the vibe of the 2000s and retro it can help soften complex data, and increase user interaction) 

Begin to time travel with this demo. 

Gradient Glow Style

Our final stop was Gradient Glow Style. This modern trend, rooted in early web design, adds depth and vibrancy to digital spaces. Explore the dashboard, capturing attention with a deep green gradient and matcha-colored accents that soften the seriousness of the report.

It can also help you emphasize the most important data points using colors and gradients. 

Use cases: investment dashboards, market research web reports ( it can help make data hierarchy more understandable, improves comprehension.) 

Here is our demo to check. 

Conclusion

No matter what style you need, the WebDataRocks pivot grid can be customized to it.  Explore more examples in our CodePen collection. This is not all customization opportunity, WebDataRocks can also integrate with third-party charting libraries, such as amCharts, Highcharts, Google Charts, or FusionCharts. This way, you can create both eye-catching and interactive data visualizations. If you want to learn more about how to do that, check out our list of tutorials below. 

What else to read?

• How to make annual report with WebDataRocks
• Trick or Pivot! Interactive Demos on this Halloween
• Tutorial: How to create a dashboard with WebDataRocks and AnyChart
• Data visualization with WebDataRocks & Chart.js: create a dashboard in 5 min

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