01 logo

A Guide For Cross - Platform Mobile App Development: A Comprehensive Overview

Mobile App Development

By ScalaCodePublished 2 years ago 7 min read
Like
A Guide For Cross - Platform Mobile App Development: A Comprehensive Overview

The mobile market is an ever-growing network in today's digital world. The global mobile marketing industry was anticipated to be 12 billion US dollars in 2021, with the source projecting that it would grow to 57.85 billion dollars by 2030.

With these rising numbers, businesses have begun to recognise the significance of producing mobile apps. However, with so many widely used or various types of devices and operating systems on the market, it has become a significant barrier for organisations to design and deploy mobile apps that perform flawlessly across all of these platforms.

Thus, this is where cross-platform mobile app development comes into the picture. What is that? Let's explore it!

What Is Cross-Platform Mobile App Development?

Cross-platform mobile app development, in a simple term, is a type of mobile app development that allows developers to create a single codebase for multiple mobile operating systems. In other words, it will enable them to build an app that can run on multiple devices and platforms without the need to create separate code.

Furthermore, such mobile apps are developed utilising programming languages and frameworks that are also used for web development, such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Also, the look and feel of these apps are quite similar to that of native apps.

Cross-platform Versus Native, What's The difference?

These two names (cross-platform and native) are frequently used interchangeably, although there is a significant distinction between them. Let's have a look at them:

Native apps are developed specifically for a certain platform, such as iOS or Android. They are built using that particular platform's native programming language and SDKs.

On the other hand, cross-platform apps are not developed specifically for any one platform. They are developed using programming languages and frameworks that can work on multiple platforms.

Cross-Platform vs. Native: Comparison Pointers

Code usage:

In a cross-platform app, a single codebase runs on several operating systems and platforms—comparatively, native apps, written in a language that the device OS vendor natively supports.

Performance:

Cross-platform apps are usually slower than native programs since an additional abstraction layer and rendering process are required. Native apps are more efficient, responsive, and speedy since they are tailored to a certain platform and take advantage of all of its benefits.

Programming Language:

Cross-platform apps use specific frameworks, and the code is written in several languages such as C#, Dart, and JavaScript. On the other hand, Native iOS apps are primarily written in Swift/Objective-C, whereas native Android apps are developed in Java/Kotlin.

Development cost:

Cross-platform apps are cheaper as only one codebase needs to be created. The development time for native apps is usually longer since two separate codebases need to be created and maintained.

User Experience:

Native apps provide a more seamless user experience as they are designed specifically for a certain OS and platform. Cross-platform apps often have a less polished user interface and sometimes feel less native.

What Are The Advantages Of Choosing Cross-Platform Mobile App Development?

There are many reasons businesses should opt for cross-platform app development. Here are some of the most important ones:

Cost-effective: Developing a single codebase for multiple platforms is cheaper and faster than developing separate codebases for each platform.

Saves time: Cross-platform app development saves a lot of time as developers only need to write code once, and they can deploy it on multiple platforms.

Easy to maintain: Since all the code is written in one place, it's easy to spot and fix bugs. Also, making changes and updates is much easier and faster.

Native-like experience: Cross-platform apps offer a native-like experience to users as they are developed using the native programming languages and frameworks of each platform.

Scalable: Cross-platform apps are very easy to scale as all the code is written in one place.

Cross-Platform Mobile App Development Life Cycle

It is vital to have a thorough awareness of the various stages and processes involved when hiring a mobile app development company to produce a mobile app. The entire life cycle of a typical development project utilised by most cross-platform software developers is as follows:

Step 1: Requirement Gathering

The initial stage is to collect all of the client's requirements. This entails learning about the client's business, target audience, and app goals.

Step 2: Planning

Once all the requirements have been gathered, it's time to start planning the project. This includes creating a detailed project plan, identifying the various risks and challenges, and estimating the development time and cost.

Step 3: Designing

After the planning stage, it's time to start working on the app's design. This includes creating wireframes and prototypes for the app. The aim here is to create a cross-platform app that is not only easy to use but also visually appealing.

Step 4: Development

It is the most important stage of the project as it's where all the code is written. The aim here is to create a stable and robust app that can run on multiple platforms.

Step 5: Testing

Once the app has been created, it must be tested to ensure that it functions properly. This covers testing for both functionality and performance.

Step 6: Deployment

After the app is thoroughly tested, it's time to deploy it on the respective app stores. This includes submitting the app to the App Store and Play Store and making it available to users.

Cross-Platform Mobile App Development Tools

A developer or Mobile App Development Company can employ a variety of tools for cross-platform app development. Some of them are as follows:

  • Xamarin

Xamarin uses the C# and.NET languages to work across platforms. It was founded in 2011 but was recently acquired by Microsoft in 2016 as an open-source, cross-platform app development framework. It is quite compatible with Visual Studio (Microsoft's integrated programming environment).

  • React Native

React Native is a JavaScript-based cross-platform app development framework. It was created by Facebook and was open-sourced in 2015. Moreover, it uses the same design as React, which is a popular JavaScript library for building user interfaces.

  • Flutter

Flutter is a top-notch cross-platform app development framework created by Google. It used the Dart programming language and was open-sourced in 2017. Further, it has a wide range of useful features, including a reactive framework, widget library, and an integrated development environment.

  • Ionic

Ionic is an HTML5-based cross-platform app development framework. It was created in 2013 and is open source. It uses Cordova to access native device features. Besides, it also has a wide range of features, including an Angular-based component library, TypeScript support, and an integrated development environment.

  • PhoneGap
  • PhoneGap is a fast-evolving cross-platform app development framework that uses HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It was created in 2009 and is now a part of Adobe. It's easy to use and has a wide range of features, including a plugin library and an Emulator.

    Wrapping Up :-

    There you have it. A detailed guide to cross-platform app development. Although, keep in mind that the success of your app is dependent on a number of factors. Your developers are the most crucial.

    It's crucial to choose the "right" ones. However, the development cost and time are also significant considerations. You can create a high-quality cross-platform app in less time and at a cheaper cost if you have the proper team in place.

    Hire mobile app developers who have expertise in Cross-Platform Mobile App Development Services using various tools like Xamarin, React Native, Flutter, Ionic, PhoneGap, etc., and have developed many successful apps for their clients.

    apps
    Like

    About the Creator

    ScalaCode

    At ScalaCode, we are on a mission to change your view of Hiring Dedicated Remote Developers. If you are looking to hire, then you are at the Right Place.

    To know more information visit: https://scalacode.com/

    Reader insights

    Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

    How does it work?

    Add your insights

    Comments

    There are no comments for this story

    Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

    Sign in to comment

      Find us on social media

      Miscellaneous links

      • Explore
      • Contact
      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms of Use
      • Support

      © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.