Aug 19, 2020
A decade feels like a century in the software development world. With so many changes, the only thing developers can do to keep up is to update their web development arsenal to fit the changing needs of consumers. Thus, if one thing is certain is that software development has changed a lot since Sitecore released Sitecore CMS in 2008.
Today, Sitecore isn’t only a platform that provides simple web experiences. It has grown to become an end-to-end digital experience manager where developers can focus on creating cutting-edge experiences.
In a world where the digital experience has become paramount, Sitecore’s continuous improvement has become a staple when it comes to building the best omnichannel journeys. Sitecore 10 is the company’s newest version. It comes with the tools to give companies, agencies, and brands a flexible and efficient foundation where developers can work their magic and build the best experience possible.
But before we start waxing poetic about Sitecore 10, let’s take a look at how it improves upon Sitecore 9.3.
What Is The Difference Between Sitecore 9.3 and Sitecore 10?
Sitecore 9.3 emphasized the connection to the rest of the martech stack. Sitecore 9.3 enabled the integration with Sitecore Content Hub and makes Sitecore xConnect available. For Sitecore 9, xConnect facilitated data integration between Sitecore XP and external applications like CRMs, PIMs, and ERPs.
At the same time, Sitecore 9.x enabled frontend developers to quickly build headless and hybrid experiences without backend or .NET expertise. Similarly, Sitecore 9.x brought Sitecore Universal Tracker, a feature that empowers developers to aggregate, test, and optimize digital experiences in real-time across devices.
Now, Sitecore 10 continues to offer what companies and brands need to deliver fully integrated experiences and provide faster time-to-market.
With Sitecore 10, IT professionals and marketers can align their workflows and timelines, from container infrastructure orchestration to integrated data and marketing functionalities. Sitecore DXP provides multisite and multilingual content for users as well as granular visibility into how personalization drives performance for developers, so they can improve their code.
Now let’s dive deeper into Sitecore 10 for developers.
What Changes Does Sitecore 10 Bring for Developers?
Sitecore 10 solidifies the position of Sitecore as one of the leading DXPs in the market by providing IT teams with more flexibility for Docker and Kubernetes technology, allowing for rapid development and continuous deployment models. Sitecore 10 gives developers maximum flexibility and the option of infrastructure as code, DevOps options.
Take a look at these developments in Sitecore 10 that will surely make developers’ lives easier.
Improved Integration With Docker Images
Developers don’t need to build their own images anymore because with Docker Compose they can define and run multi-container Docker applications. Compose enables the use of a YAML file to configure an application’s services and then create and start all services with a single command.
Improved Containers
No local installation. As a developer, you don’t need to do a SIF install for every customer or Sitecore instance that you’re working with because Sitecore provides base images that can be orchestrated with Docker Compose. Sitecore 10 introduces full public support for containers, and Sitecore containers support Infrastructure-as-code deployment as well as more efficient solutions and team onboarding with Docker and Kubernetes.
Improved Site Management
With Sitecore 10, you can work with different projects quickly because Sitecore enables you to isolate those instances and their dependencies without the need for VMs. Leverage Sitecore on the Microsoft Azure cloud platform in a managed services environment, which translates into reduced infrastructure and greater flexibility.
Simplified Onboarding For New Developers
In Sitecore 10, developers now can clone any code repository and use Docker Compose to power a running Sitecore instance for a new, related project. That’s much tidier for agencies with a lot of projects or companies with multiple websites, and it means that when a new developer joins the team, getting set up is as simple as pulling down the right containers and starting them.
Easier Environment Consistency
No more ‘It works on my machine.’ With Sitecore 10 developers can containerize builds to have complete control over the build environment through their DevOps and CI pipeline. Also, Sitecore 10 provides increased container stability. In case something gets broken, it can always be reset, and returned to a healthy state.
Sitecore CLI
This is a nugetinstall.net command-line tool that allows developers to log in and interact with a Sitecore Instance. Sitecore CLI is the first entry point for Sitecore content serialization, which is an option that combines the best of TDS and Unicorn into a unified tool. Install Sitecore CLI either as a local tool for individual projects or as an umbrella tool for all projects. However, it isn’t recommended that you install it as a global tool because different instances might need different versions of the CLI, which could cause malfunctions.
Sitecore For Visual Studio
While there are some users who prefer CLI and scripting, others prefer working in a GUI. Sitecore 10 enables developers of both types to work together on the same team by supporting Visual Studio.
SDKs For React, Angular, and Vue
Using Sitecore 10 SDKs, developers can consume those services and create independently running Javascript applications.
ASP .NET Core SDK
Sitecore 10 enables developers to finally develop sites with .NET Core in a headless architecture while still retaining the full experience editor support. The headless ASP .NET core option empowers teams and gives them flexibility and speed, increasing development productivity and enabling snappier integrations.
Sitecore Experience Accelerator
Sitecore 10 provides all the capabilities of Sitecore Experience Accelerator out-of-the-box. Sitecore Experience Accelerator (SXA) gives IT a drag-and-drop framework that enables faster development and creative exchange between developers. SXA provides developers with increased governance in multisite, multilingual deployments as well as increased connectivity with Horizon to support enhanced, parallel editing of both the content and the presentation.
Sitecore 10: Faster Coding and Improved Digital Experiences
Containers have not only the possibility to help developers code faster, but they also help reduce the cost of ownership when you compare them with a virtual machine. At the same time, lightweight containers can decrease licensing fees, which will result in less money spent on maintenance and infrastructure.
Sitecore is continuously evolving with technological advancements and aiming at changing customer expectations. The best thing about Sitecore is that with each update, users get a wide range of new, innovative features meant to change how developers code and create digital experiences.
If you’re thinking of upgrading your Sitecore implementation, you’re ready to discuss an update, or you want to know more about Sitecore DXP, feel free to contact Oshyn for a Sitecore technical audit.
We’re a longstanding Sitecore Partner with all the experience you need to leverage your Sitecore implementation or help you implement Sitecore from scratch.
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