It’s been a while (a few years actually) since I looked at building a mobile application. I don’t have the need to build one now, but I like keeping an eye on what’s going on that domain.
Even back when I was involved with mobile applications, the better approach was to use a framework, rather than building the app from scratch. The frameworks that existed at the time would help with building a cross-platform (Android, iOS, Windows Mobile, etc) application, and have a better integration with the mobile’s hardware and features (touchscreen, networking, vibration, camera, etc.)
As with many other cutting edge technologies, things move very fast and things get outdated pretty quickly. So it was interesting to read – What’s the best framework for building mobile apps? – which covers today’s options. Some of the solutions survived the last few years, some didn’t, and there are a few new ones. The frameworks covered in the article are:
- PhoneGap, best for: Web developers with knowledge of HTML, CSS and JavaScript.
- Titanium Appcelerator, best for: JavaScript programmers
- Xamarin, best for: C# Developers
- CodeName One, best for: Java and Android developers
- Trigger.io, best for: Large budget and fast build
- Apportable, best for: iOS developers, iOS game developers
The article is a good quick overview of what’s out there and why to pick one over the other.