Your customers do not have your laptop
Your app is finished. It works on your laptop. Great.
But your customers do not have your laptop. They have phones, office computers and old tablets. Some are in another country.
How does your app reach them? The answer is the deployment method. Deployment means putting software where its users can use it.
Key words
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Deployment | Putting software where its users can use it. |
| Installation | Copying a program onto a device and setting it up. |
| Server | A computer that runs software for other computers to use. |
| Network | Computers joined together so they can share data. |
| App store | An online shop where you download apps for a phone. |
| Web-based | Software you use in a browser. You install nothing. |
| Cloud-based | Software that runs on computers you rent from a big company. You can rent more or fewer when you need. |
| Hosting | Renting space and power on a computer to run your software. |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Five ways to deploy
| Method | How it works | Good for | Problem |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local installation | The user installs it on their own computer | Games, drawing tools, work with no internet | Every user must install each update |
| Network or server installation | The software runs on a server in one building. Users reach it over the network | A school or a company with its own computers | You must run and look after the server |
| Mobile platform | Users download it from an app store onto a phone | Cameras, location, messages that pop up | The store has rules and must approve the app. You may need to build two versions (iPhone and Android) |
| Web-based platform | The software runs on a server. Users open it in a browser | Anyone with a browser; updates reach all users at once | Needs an internet connection |
| Cloud-based platform | The software runs on rented computers that can grow or shrink | Many users, or use that changes a lot | Costs can grow. You depend on the company you rent from |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Quick check: which method?
Have a go
Quick check: which method?
3 questionsHave a go: your answers are marked here and then forgotten. Sign in if you would like your score kept, and to pick up where you left off.Sign in to keep your score
Your answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
Try it: a choosing function
def choose(inside_one_building, needs_phone_features, needs_offline, users_change_a_lot):
if inside_one_building:
return "network or server installation"
if needs_phone_features:
return "mobile platform"
if needs_offline:
return "local installation"
if users_change_a_lot:
return "cloud-based web service"
return "web-based on a small server"
print(choose(False, False, False, True))
# Change the four values and run again. Does the answer make sense?
Choose the method for each scenario
Have a go
Choose the method for each scenario
6 questionsHave a go: your answers are marked here and then forgotten. Sign in if you would like your score kept, and to pick up where you left off.Sign in to keep your score
Your answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.