Development process

CrossmarX offers four types of servers to develop, test and run your applications. In a major project all server types will be used. In smaller projects some can be skipped.

The starting point for any development project is the CrossmarX Studio. Here you can create new applications, browse through sample applications, read the documentation, meet other developers, and discuss functionality of your application ("use cases") as well as improvements to your application ("issues").

The application itself runs on a series of application servers. In a typical setting there are 4 server types:

The server types are:

• Development
  
  On the development server the application is developed and modified. Here the core of the application is developed. In the development environment, the user is able to freely edit all aspects of the application definition, unlike the other environments which have their particular restrictions. Several developers can work on the same application at the same time. The development server has its own database. The url to get to the development server is https://yourapplication.cx-develop.nl/. 
  
  
• Test
  
  On the test server the application is demonstrated to the future users. On this server, stakeholders can play around with the application and give their comments to the developers. Users can test all functionality on realistic data. The test server also has its own database. The url to get to the test server is https://yourapplication.cx-test.nl/.
  
  
• Beta
  
  On the beta server the application is ready to be used. This is the final step before (a new version of) the application goes live. The beta server uses the same database as the live server. It is the final chance to check application functionality for correctness, before the application reveals itself to the majority of users. CrossmarX offers several beta servers: the exact url will be provided by the studio once you have developed your application.
  
  
• Production
  
  On the live server the application runs in a stable environment. You can reach the production environment with your own domain name, like http://www.yourapplication.com or with a url provided by the studio once you have developed your application.
  
  

The advantage of using different environments is that it provides a flexible and controlled development proces. Users can test new versions on the test server, while developers continue to work on future improvements on the development server. In the mean time on the production server, work proceeds as usual, and just before releasing a new version, a final acceptance test can be performed on the beta server.

All our servers run on secure environments in our data centres. When you first start using the CrossmarX Application Platform, it is convenient to use these servers. However, when you prefer to use your own servers or local computers, we offer easy installation packages.

Using the studio, development, test and beta server is free, as long as they are used according to their original purposes. For running on one of the production servers a hosting fee is required.