In web design, there are numerous solutions, both open source and proprietary, developed for use by the designers. This has seen the quick evolution in design technologies and elegance. According to Jacobson (2007), among the available solutions is Joomla, which is an open source, content management system. Joomla is a powerful tool that enables web designers to build powerful online applications and websites. Joomla is reportedly among the most popular tools in web design and is based on the PHP and MySQL technologies.
The advantage of using Joomla includes the fact that the software is open source, therefore, free. Joomla is also a fully fledged content management system with many plug-in such as chats, communities, forums and events. Moreover, it offers a deep level navigation with sections and categories. The disadvantage is the use of large learning curve and slow loading time. In case the layout changes; development becomes clumsy (Jacobson, 2007).
XDev development software is a proprietary web development solution. It uses a combination of web development solutions such as ASP.net, XML, Microsoft IIS, MySQL among others. The advantage of using XDev is its flexibility, which enables the development of custom websites.
The main disadvantage lies in the cost and the large learning curve associated with its use (Greenberg, 2008). Finally, WordPress is an open source software solution for web development. This software is lightweight with articles sorted by date. However, the database queries are heavy, and have limited administration possibilities in some of the sections (Greeberg, 2008). I would prefer Joomla as a web development tool due to the large online development community and the availability of online tutorials.
In the development of shopping cart programs, a number of solutions are available. Interspire is a proprietary shopping cart development solution that is rich in many of the shopping cart features. The software is browser based with different design possibilities and drag-drop features. Interspire’s features allow for mobile commerce and shopping comparison. It uses novel technologies, that the developer may need a considerable amount of learning time (Kahn, 2002).
X-Cart is an open source, and shopping cart software. It has features that are easy to use with advanced features that improve user experience. However, the software is cumbersome and may require advanced knowledge for the developer. In choosing suitable shopping cart software, I would prefer X-Cart since it has many advanced features. Moreover, X-Cart has online resources that would make learning, development and maintenance easy (Kahn, 2002).
Just like many other categories of software solutions, payment software solutions are numerous. Auric system is a software solution for implementation of payment processing systems. The product is easy to install, maintain and use. It also offers a high level of security and is compatible with other payment systems. The software is compliant with the best practices as stipulated by Visa USA. However, it needs considerable programming knowledge to implement (Kriegler, 2006).
Another software solution for online payment systems is the ACI payment system developed for building and supporting payment systems. It provides many compatible services and security features and is easy to use. It also requires a considerable level of technical knowledge for successful implementation. In implementing a payment system, I would prefer to use the Auric system due to the compatibility features and its flexibility.
It is essential to underscore the fact that there are multiple software solutions for each problem and the most suitable one depends on prior experience, popularity and compatibility with other software systems.
References
Agostinho, H. (2009). The new era of payment software with ACI. Sao Paulo: ACI Payment Systems
Greenber, H. (2008). Web development software solutions for enterprise needs. Boston: Global Enterprise software
Jacobson, H. G. (2007). Building web application using Joomla. Melbourne: University of Melbourne
Kahn, R. (2002). Evolution of shopping cart technologies. New York: State University of New York
Kriegler, M. A. (2006). The Auric payment processing systems: product description. New York: Auric Systems International