Have you ever thought of finding a bug in your software before it becomes a problem that costs too much to fix? That is what Shift Left Testing means—testing is done at the beginning of the development process. In the traditional approach, testing happens at the end of the development phase; defects found reduce development efficiency and lead to delays, high costs, and the risk of frustrated users.

Software teams today face intense pressure to deliver updates rapidly without compromising quality.

For a time, desktop applications were declared dead. They became too costly to develop and deploy compared to web apps, which allowed businesses to easily onboard new users, release updates instantly and introduce recurring pricing models rather than one-off purchases.

API (application Programming interface) testing plays a crucial role in software testing. On one hand, it allows validation of the correct business logic and ensures that backend—or backstage—systems meet the specifications and the intended user experience.

Software projects often fail to meet their initial requirements, resulting in expensive post-release fixes and dissatisfied users.

Authorization is essential in APIs to ensure secure access to data and services. It validates that the client making a request has the correct permissions to access or manipulate data, providing an added layer of security in web services. Whether you’re managing user credentials, making requests to a cloud service, or handling sensitive data like payments, proper authorization ensures that only verified entities can access the API.

On October 29, 2024,* Node.js v22 officially transitioned into *Long Term Support (LTS) with the codename 'Jod'. For developers and organizations relying on the stability of Node.js for production environments, this transition marks a key milestone for Node.js 22.x, ensuring it will receive critical updates and security support for years to come. Let’s take a closer look at what this means, along with a refresher on the Node.js release lifecycle .

Artificial intelligence (AI) was a major topic at Appian Government 2024, the premier event for public sector digital transformation leaders and mission owners. Most AI products are created on the West Coast, with commercial customers in mind. But commercial enterprises and government organizations differ in many ways. Important issues that affect the federal government’s approach to AI include: For 25 years, Appian has focused on serving public sector organizations.

Cypress is a robust end-to-end testing framework built for web applications. It’s designed to make testing straightforward and reliable, allowing developers and QA engineers to test everything from simple interactions to complex user workflows. With Cypress, you can create tests that simulate user actions, verify front-end behaviors, and ensure UI functionality with minimal setup.

When it comes to developing and building websites and web applications, a certain amount of technical debt is expected. In fact, some even argue that it can be a good thing if used strategically. Still, it’s important to stay on top of tech debt before it can overwhelm your business and cause problems that have long-term consequences. Too much technical debt can throw a wrench in business operations and slow down development, stealing hours of valuable time from your dev team.