Custom Applications

Custom ApplicationsFOR LIBRARIES

Joshua Zehner

Who am I?• Name: Joshua Zehner• Occupation: Mobile Software Engineer, ExactTarget• School: Purdue University, Computer Science• Library:

Former Assistant System Admin at Fulton County Public Library• Hobby: Learning new technologies

Objective• What is a custom app• Why custom apps• Details about development

So what is a custom application• A custom application is a piece of software developed to

complete a specific task for a business or user.

Can be anything from a web application, full fledged desktop application or even a mobile app.

The Custom App InvestmentThe Good The Bad

Enhances the data collection Huge initial investment

Custom data views Need someone to support

Central location of all data Infrastructure to support

Integrations Cost

Permissions

Instant

Time Savings

How I have used custom apps• Fulton county public library• Summer reading program• Allowed all staff at FCPL to participate in

data collection• Improved amount of time it took to

formulate reports• Better tracking of prizes• Data was shared across all branches

• ILL item tracking• Replaced an Excel sheet• One click weekly reports for state library

Custom Apps Development

Initial thoughts• Not an easy task• But lots of help available

• Will take time to learn• Very frustrating at times• Huge rewards when you figure it out

Yes! I am invincible!

Software Stack• Frontend• Client application• Web page

• Middleware• Service that collects data from frontend and gives to backend

• Backend• Usually a database

Software OptionsFrontend

Backend

So many options…• Choose a stack• Free and easy stack (Beginner)• jQuery, PHP, MySQL

• Free and harder stack (Intermediate) • AngularJS, node.js, MongoDB

• Micro$oft stack (Advanced)• WPF, WebAPI, SQL Server

Or mix and matchThese are more common stacks, but there are many many more options available.

What can you do with this technologies?• Make very awesome web applications.• Database stored• Run reports, reuse data, single location, create stats

• Fully customized to your needs• Can be accessed at different levels• Make portions of the data viewable or updatable by your patrons

Tools of the trade – Design

Tools of the trade – Programming• JetBrain’s WebStorm• Advanced IDE focused on web technologies

• Notepad++• Very basic text editor that has nice syntax highlighting

• Microsoft Visual Studio• Very advanced IDE that is more focused on .NET programming

• Adobe Brackets• New free IDE focused on web development

Tools of the trade – Server tech• Web server• While developing, you can just use your own PC.• MAMP or WAMP

• Production run of app• Hosted on server or if feeling really daring, AWS or Azure

DemoFULTON COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY SUMMER READING PROGRAM

FCPL SRP• HTML & CSS• Presentation layer

• Javascript• Presentation layer

logic• PHP• Server side

processing• MySql• Log term storage

Lets code!• Code can be found at https://github.com/jzehner/

litd2014

Resources• Codecademy• w3schools• Stack Overflow• Google

QuestionsName: Joshua ZehnerEmail: joshzehner@gmail.com