Whether for our private or professional life, we spend more and more time on software. On a smartphone or a computer, the software is a program, a set of instructions given to your hardware so that it performs specific actions.
You’ll either have to get your hands dirty or hire a freelance software developer to create your own software.
Whatever your motivation for creating software is, this article will interest you by presenting the eight essential steps.
Why create software?
Customer relations, orders, invoicing – the daily management of the various tasks in a company is a dominant element that can strongly impact productivity. In order to use the time of its collaborators in an optimal way, a company needs powerful tools.
Even if there are many software packages available, each company has its requirements, and it is sometimes tricky for “general public” software to meet the specific needs of each company. This forces companies to use different software and, therefore, to multiply the loss of time, and the worries of compatibility, resulting in a loss of productivity. Let’s not even mention the cost of licenses which can sometimes be exorbitant! From this point of view, a customized tool can solve many of these problems.
The most crucial advantage of customized software is that it meets a company’s requirements as closely as possible, unlike lambda software. This proximity allows you to save precious time and preserve your productivity.
Second advantage: software must be able to adapt very quickly to the evolutions of your activity and your needs. Custom-made software will allow you to have much greater reactivity and adaptability.
Third advantage: the cost. In the beginning, custom software will cost you more. Still, if you calculate what your multiple public software costs you, with all the necessary licenses for your collaborators, you should be able to find it. Custom software will quickly pay for itself.
1. Think beforehand about the type of software you want
First, you must consider the type of software you want to develop. There are two main types of software: those that build computer systems and those that develop applications.
The first category includes all the software and programming needed to create and maintain operating systems, networks, and data security.
The second category includes all the software used directly by individuals and companies. This includes applications for cell phones, video games, and various software (stock management, messaging, accounting tools, etc.).
There is another division, with graphic programs on one side and console programs on the other.
Graphic programs are the most common and used since they constitute a quasi-monopoly under Windows or Mac OS. These are all programs that have a graphical user interface (GUI). Console programs do not have a graphical interface but only lines of computer code.
A useful program is such that will be used to accomplish a task that improves or facilitates the lives of people and companies. Do programs of this type already exist? Can they be improved? Do they have flaws? The answers to these questions will allow you to visualize which kind of software will be the most suitable for your needs.
2. Learn a computer language
Anyone can have an idea for software. But from the idea to the realization, it is fundamental to practice one of the computer developer languages to create it. There are several of them, some of them being very similar. It’s up to you to see which one would suit you best!
First, let’s honor the old ones with the C language. Created in the 1970s, it is still one of the most widely used languages. It has been a model for its successors but should not be abandoned! It is mainly used to give instructions to your hardware (machines, screens, tools, central unit, etc.).
The second example is the C++ language. Created in 1983, it is the most used language in the world. Top-rated, world-famous software, such as Photoshop, or Chrome, is developed with it. It is also a reference language for video game programming. It is exceptionally mature and offers both stability and innovation. It is easy to learn and suitable for beginners, but it will take a long time to master.
The third example is the Java language. Created by Sun Microsystems in 1995, we are now at version 18. It represents an evolution of C++. Almost all computers (under any OS) can run a Java Virtual Machine and thus read a Java program.
We must also mention the C# language developed by Microsoft. It is based on the same syntax as the C languages we discussed. It will therefore be understandable if you master these languages. Very well integrated with Windows, it will be more than helpful if you want to create software running under Windows.
Objective-C is a language from the C family with many similarities to previous ones, but its Apple orientation distinguishes it. If you want to create an app for the App store, this is the language you should master.
Finally, the Python language is easy to learn and web oriented. It is also a language that is taught in high school.
There are other types of languages, but they are secondary to those that have just been presented.
To learn a computer language, it is possible to return to school, as there are excellent computer programming schools. Also, you can get a university or college education. However, this can be pretty challenging. Apart from continuous learning, sometimes, complicated projects and assignments you are required to do can become a bargain unless you reach out to https://wowassignment.com/do-my-programming-homework/ and take the assistance of an experienced programmer online. You can also learn by yourself, either “the old-fashioned way,” i.e., with books, or in a more modern way, with one of the many videos already available on the Internet.
3. Clearly define the objectives of your software.
A sheet of paper can sometimes be helpful, even to a computer programmer! List or draw a preliminary project. This document should help you highlight the essential features of your program and the objectives you want to achieve. It will serve as a guideline and safeguard, especially if you are using other people. Templates exist everywhere and are available on the web.
4. Follow the steps carefully and go step by step
Don’t skip any steps! Your software can only be perfect and complete after some time. So start by making a simple program revolving around a few essential functions. You will create a prototype that will serve as an operational base and to which you will gradually add new functions.
At this stage, there is no need to worry about the appearance of your software. A prototype is, by definition, something unfinished. It is, therefore, expected that it is not very beautiful aesthetically speaking. All this will come in its own time. Be patient!
5. Track down the bugs and fix them
You will have to multiply the tests to flush out and track down the possible bugs that are bound to appear. They can take many forms, but it will be necessary to fix them. As with any correction, you will be much more effective with more than one person because other pairs of eyes will surely see your “baby” in a different light.
6. Present your software to the developer community
Once your software is well advanced, you can put it on GitHub (the reference platform for software development) to submit it to the analysis of the developer community. Be careful. The feedback can be negative but can also help you to reach new levels, to propose solutions to possible problems, etc. This is a powerful community, even more so since Microsoft acquired the site in 2018.
7. Protect your work
The ideas that come from your brain belong to you. As a software developer, you are considered its author and own it until 70 years after your death. To avoid any problem if someone plagiarizes your software, it is necessary that you can prove that you are the author. To do this, nothing could be easier: you must send yourself a registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt in which you describe your creation. Keep the envelope sealed: this will prove the date of creation of the software to the authorities.
You can also file a request on the Agency for the Protection of Programs (APP) website, a European organization that manages this kind of question.
8. Sell your software
Do you want to make your software available to the world? Nothing could be easier! You can create a personal website and sell it by yourself. Remember to include a user guide and a secure customer payment system.
Conclusion
We hope we have helped you with your software creation project. However, the road can be long and complicated! It is always challenging to do it alone. It is better to be accompanied by a team with members with their specialties. It will bring overall added value to your software.
