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Benefits of Merging Agile Methodologies with MERN for Application Development

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Agile methodology focuses on breaking up the traditionally long software delivery life cycle (typically seen in legacy “waterfall methodology”) into smaller time periods called “sprints”. The whole idea is to release smaller chunks of the application in the market, obtain client/customer feedback, work on the feedback and finalize the product. This method of delivering a working product to the customer has helped developers reduce delivery times, deliver pieces of the application’s functionality quickly, obtain early client feedback, and therefore refine the product quickly to meet client demands.

This article will take you through the concept of Agile Development, the MERN stack components, their usage, and the role of the MERN stack to help smoothen the Agile development process.

Why Should you Consider an Agile Development Model?

An Agile model enables project managers to focus on individual stakeholders and their interactions in order to obtain valuable insights to refine an application. It oversees the collaboration of different teams (UI/UX, Backend, Frontend, PM’s, etc.) to meet the end goal of completing the application in less time and with optimum utilization of available resources. The idea is for developers to collaborate with the customers, first hand, and keep improving the product through better communication. Through an Agile method, developers do not have to invest too much time or resources in identifying potential issues in the application.

Agile methods used with a modern technology stack that supports automation, AI integration, code reusability, and the ability to scale, can make any development process a cakewalk. And this is where the MERN stack comes into play.

Why Should you use the MERN Stack?

A good technology stack ensures that all the moving parts of an application work together, seamlessly. The MERN stack consists of technologies that are quickly becoming a top choice amongst developers to work in. These components include:

#1 MongoDB: MongoDB is a NoSQL database that is document-oriented. These documents can be queried using the JSON language. MongoDB is well known for its concept of “sharding” where data is replicated across various servers to facilitate data backup in case of any hardware/software issue. MongoDB can horizontally “scale” as the amount of data to be stored increases.

#2 Express.js: Express is a backend web framework with extensive features and plugins that help developers create fast web applications and APIs. Express has a simple minimalist structure that is easy to work with. Plus, it uses the concept of code reusability which means that developers only write code once and re-use it whenever needed. This increases efficiency in the development process.

#3 React.js: React is a front-end web library used to create user interfaces that can be rendered in HTML. React is known for its ability to code SPA’s (Single Page Applications) that efficiently decrease the web page load time, as only the elements of the page that are altered will be refreshed, instead of refreshing the entire web page.

#4 Node.js:Node is a JavaScript runtime that runs on Chrome’s V8 JS engine and uses an event-based, unblocking input/output model. Due to this, Node.js provides faster web page load time and increases efficiency in application development.

Combining Agile with MERN: How MERN can help Agile methodology Achieve Development Goals?

  • Agile Requirement: Offer continuous delivery of the software solution. You should be able to produce new functionalities in every sprint, while also working on refinements as suggested by the client in a parallel way.
    MERN Solution:MERN’s technology stack has got you covered in developing both, frontend and backend components. Since the base, framework tying all the components in JavaScript (a language that is easy to learn) functionalities can interact with each other seamlessly, without running into the problem of having to figure out how to make different programming languages work together cohesively – as is seen in legacy technologies.

  • Agile Requirement: Always be ready for changing the project requirements. Once the client sees a working piece of the application, there is a high possibility that some changes can be suggested as a complete curveball. This means that timelines need to be stretched, new developers need to be incorporated into the project and already existing functionalities need to be tweaked to coherently work with the newly proposed functionality.
    MERN Solution: Since the MERN stack technologies are based on JS,you only need to hire full-stack developers for the entire SDLC process. These developers can handle any functionality change since the code is all based on JS. Additionally, if the requested functionality is already existing in another MERN-powered website, developers can re-use this code, thereby saving on development time and effort!

  • Agile Requirement: The requirement to scale the application can hit you anytime. Whether website users increases or new products need to be added to the catalog, developers need to be able to scale the environment so that users do not face any lag on their end.
    MERN Solution: MongoDB is one of the best database solutions that can scale horizontally as the load on a website increases, thereby providing a smooth user experience. React enables faster load times by only refreshing the element that has been changed on the web page, rather than completely refreshing the whole website each time a change is made.

  • Agile Requirement: Be prepared to work on shorter timelines, and optimum time/resource use to develop the application
    MERN Solution: MERN helps developers to keep the development pace constant and create a sustainable development environment. The ability to reuse code shortens development time. Additionally, Node.Js provides exceptional performance due to its non-blocking I/O feature. The extensive library of plugins provided by MERN ensures that developers do not have to code the entire application from scratch.

  • Agile Requirement: Develop-Test-Deliver- On loop!
    MERN Solution: MERN comes with pre-built testing tools that enable developers to test each component of the application in every iteration. Applications developed using MERN can be integrated with secure hosting providers that provide security management tools to secure the website from malicious attacks.

Final Thoughts

Using the MERN stack to develop an application in the Agile model is the way to leverage maximum benefits from the stack while delivering the application in a shorter period of time and with maximum development efficiency.

MERN’s JS-based architecture, secure testing tools, open-sourced nature, and overall performance enable developers to create customs that save overall business capital and time while providing users with a smooth user experience.

To know more about how merging an Agile model with the MERN stack can do wonders for your business, send us an email at contact@fargowiz.com or request the below quotation form.

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