Dear Smokuters,

Today, we are launching a new article format: the devblog!

And for this first chapter, we chose to talk about the application's stability. We've been developing Smokut for four and a half years, but it's only in the past few weeks that we finally feel our application is working (almost) perfectly, just as we imagined it. We could step away for a month, and everything would run smoothly until our return.

An adventure

While most of the development went relatively smoothly, there are some features that gave us quite a headache!

Before the application was officially live, for example, it would stop syncing with the server after a certain period of time: sometimes after a few hours, sometimes after several days! It took us a year and a half to solve this IT mystery, which only took us 5 minutes to fix once we figured it out!

Gradually, we consolidated all the developments and fixed all the minor bugs, because every detail is important for an optimal user experience!

Development Environments

But how do you add new content without breaking everything? By working in isolated environments!

From sandbox to production, each development is meticulously tested before it ends up on your smartphones!

It starts on our computers, then moves to an internal server where we can test each new feature in real-world conditions from our smartphones. Next, we open the feature to beta testers and gather their feedback. When we’re satisfied enough, we release it to production!

Updates

Each update requires extensive testing. We distinguish between two types of patches:

Minor update : these are isolated features that have minimal impact on the rest of the application. We still run automated tests to ensure that critical functions work properly (such as adding a cigarette, creating an account, etc.).

Major update : they overhaul entire mechanisms or modify hundreds of lines of code, such as during a graphical redesign. We then review the entire site; it's also a great opportunity to improve many small details!

We systematically review each line of added or modified code twice: first during the validation of a feature in development, and a second time before the release of an update to production.

Maintenance

Sometimes, an instruction can cause the application to crash. The user is then informed that a problem has occurred.

We automatically receive an email with a detailed description of the error. This usually happens after the release of an update, as some scenarios are difficult to anticipate!

So far, we have fixed all issues within 24 hours, even those that are not critical. Since bugs are resolved immediately, the error frequency remains very low, allowing us peace of mind!

Rapidity

A robust application is great, but speed is also important!

Smokut is a project that requires a lot of calculations, as all statistics are generated in real time. We therefore optimize data retrieval to the fullest and regularly monitor that response times remain acceptable.

Support

If, however, a usability issue persists, a support form allows users to contact us directly, ensuring maximum stability. So far, we haven’t received any messages!

The first devblog is coming to a close; we hope you enjoyed it.

If you want to reduce your smoking consumption and find a fast app that won’t crash every other day, join us!
See you soon!

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