Mobile Development

Device Considerations

Platform

Will you be developing for multiple platforms?

• Android
• iOS
• Windows 10 Mobile
• Blackberry 10
• Firefox OS
• Sailfish OS
• Tizen
• Ubuntu Touch
• CynaogenOS

Hardware

• Depending on the device, the specifications of hardware can be very different
• Some devices may not have certain components
• Vintage of components, such as processors and busses will make a difference to the chosen route

Language

• What programming languages are supported natively by the device?
• What language suits what you want to do best?
• Do you need a combination of languages for collaborative tasks?

Form factor

• Most platforms/OSes run on multiple devices, some more than others
• Can your application be utilised on all form factors regardless of screen/size?

Native vs Hybrid Frameworks

Native Application Frameworks

Native application frameworks allow developers to access the native platform/OS API directly through code and develop their applications directly to the platform standards and practices

• Pros:

• Without other intermediate layers, this provides the best application per device in terms of performance
• There is no third-party dependence on access to updates and bug fixes

• Cons:

• As a native application is written and compiled for a specific platform/OS, deployment on another platform typically requires the maintenance of a totally separate project for each of the supported platforms.
• How the application is distributed can be different for each platform, requiring the maintenance of a separate distribution channel per platform

Hybrid Frameworks

Web-based frameworks are essentially tools/processes/procedures that allow us to write an application as a website rather than using any native code (e.g. PhoneGap/Cordova)

• Pros:

• Anyone with basic web-development skills (HTML, CSS, JS) can write a decent application.
• There are several frameworks to choose from.
• It is possible to wrap the content in an application or just access it with the built-in browser.
• Applications can be accessible across multiple platforms.

• Cons:

• Going through so many higher-level languages and interpreters makes run-time much slower than a native application
• Each platform has a unique style and mode of operation. This gets lost in a web-based application or, at least, requires a lot of work to make it seem intuitive for each platform.

Cordova - PhoneGap

React Native