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Cross-platform mobile app development is a topic that is well known in the software development realm. There are so many factors that should be considered when taking on cross-platform development. The main concept linked to this type of development is development frameworks.
There are various development frameworks used for cross-platform development, each with their own benefits, features, and contributions. Developers across the globe have their own preferences for the type of framework that they want to use in the mobile app development process, there is a framework suitable for each type of requirement.
Cross-platform mainly refers to the capability of the developed app to operate efficiently on various operating systems which can be found on many different mobile devices.
In this article we will have a look at the history, process, and implementation of cross-platform mobile app development frameworks, as well as different types, and features of these frameworks. This will provide enough insight to assist with your decision on which development framework to make use of for your next project.
What is a Cross-Platform Mobile Development Framework?
Cross-Platform Development Framework History
Cross-Platform Mobile App Development Frameworks have come a long way from where it initially started. The idea of operating systems that are distributed wide throughout the globe has increased and is growing rapidly.
Where operating platforms were limited in the past, these days it has seen an increase as the growth in technology continues to rise and more companies enter the mobile device industry and usually with new types of devices there is also an increase in new types of mobile operating systems.
Because new operating platforms are continuously entering the market, it is extremely important that developers make use of cross-platform app development tools to ensure compatibility of modern applications with global mobile devices.
What Cross-Platform Development Entails
Cross-platform mobile development frameworks are specially designed software programs that allow cross-platform mobile apps to function on multiple operating platforms such as iOS, Android, Windows, and other systems, without compatibility obstacles.
This is different to native app development because of the distinct compatibility features. Apps with native components and native libraries are designed for specific operating systems, which means the app is limited to perform with that specific processor and not with any other.
Therefore, developing cross-platform apps is crucial to ensure that your app is operational on various operating platforms to meet the desired requirements.
The Importance and Implementation of Cross-Platform Mobile App Development Frameworks In 2022
The use of diverse operating systems is increasing rapidly as new technology is introduced across the globe.
In the second quarter of 2022, Android users were able to choose between 3.5 million apps through Android platforms, and iOS users had roughly 2.2 million available apps to choose from via app stores.
This number is growing rapidly, and it is becoming somewhat of a necessary option for developers to make use of when it comes to app development because of the popularity of cross-platform applications. This is where cross-platform mobile app development frameworks come in to simplify the process.
12 Types of Highly Acclaimed Cross-Platform Frameworks
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Angular
Angular is a TypeScript based cross-platform development framework. It is used in the app development process to enable cross-platform capabilities and features.
Angular is mainly focused on web-based applications but also provides for the development of mobile apps. TypeScript and AngularJS are the programming languages that can be found when using Angular for your app development project.
Angular has a developer tool named Angular DevTools that developers can make use of for debugging programs.
Flutter
Flutter is another open-source application used to create multi-platform mobile apps. Flutter cross-platform apps are compatible with multiple operating systems. Flutter is mostly used for mobile application development processes and is a user interface framework. Dart is used as a programming language in Flutter.
Developers can make use of Emacs, Android Studio, and VS Code as developer tools should any issues arise or to find any bugs in the app development process.
Ionic
This is also an open-source application used to develop hybrid applications. Ionic framework is another Software Development Kit (SDK) popular in the mobile app development industry and it is based on a SaaS UI framework. Its programming language is based on JavaScript and Typescript.
A major feature that Ionic has is the IDE Ionic Studio that is their very own tool to build and prototype apps without extensive coding. Visual studio code, Ionic appflow, and Firebase are all popular developer tools that can be used for debugging processes.
Xamarin
Xamarin is another popular cross-platform development framework that a lot of developers use to create mobile apps. Xamarin’s programming languages used are .NET and C#.
Xamarin developers can make use of Visual code studio, and Xamarin Studio as developer tools.
NativeScript
NativeScript is a popular open-source framework that is implemented in the cross-platform app development process.
The programming languages that can be found in NativeScript framework are JavaScript, Angular, and TypeScript which is similar to a lot of the other cross-platform development frameworks.
CLI NativeScript is used to find issues within apps that are developed using the NativeScript framework.
Node.js
Node.js is an open-source, cross-platform, back-end software. It is used to run JavaScript code separately from the web browser.
Node.js is mostly used to create network applications on a large scale. The programming language that is used within this software is JavaScript, C, C++, and CoffeeScript.
Appcelerator Titanium
This is yet another popular alternative that developers choose to develop cross-platform applications. Appcelerator is a cross-platform development framework and SDK that uses only one code from JavaScript to assist in developing apps compatible with multiple platforms.
Developers that make use of Appcelerator can use AMPLIFY and Appcelerator CLI for debugging purposes.
PhoneGap
PhoneGap is used in the app development process to design cross-platform applications, it was later released as an open-source framework called Apache Cordova. The programming languages used in the development process are JavaScript, Java, HTML, CSS, Objective-C, C#, and C++.
Sencha Touch
Sencha Touch is another open-source, cross-platform development framework that developers can make use of to create apps that are compatible with multiple operating systems accessed on different mobile devices. JavaScript is also used as the programming language in the Sencha Touch.
App inspector for Sencha is a debugging tool that Sencha Touch mobile app developers can make use of.
Corona SDK
Corona SDK, now known as Solar 2D is an open-source cross-platform software development kit that is also used by some developers to create their multi-platform applications. Lua is the programming language that can be found when making use of Corona SDK as a development framework.
Android studio project and Xcode can be used as developer tools for Corona SDK.
React Native
React native is a user interface cross-platform development framework that uses programming languages JavaScript, Java, Python, C++, and Objective-C for the mobile app development process. React native apps are designed to operate on multiple operating platforms.
A standout feature that React Native has is the Fast Refresh feature which allows developers to see the changes made in React components immediately as it automatically updates.
Some of the development tools that developers can use when developing mobile apps with React Native are Emulator, SDK, Android Studio, and JS Editor.
Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile
Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile is another type of Software Development Kit that is used to create Android and iOS applications because of the cross-platform capabilities that it provides for, and it uses Kotlin as its own programming language.
Read also: Native vs Cross-Platform Mobile App Development
How to Choose the Best Development Framework to Satisfy Your Requirements?
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The Requirements of The Development Agency
It is important to consider what the focus of your development agency is, this also goes hand in hand with the expertise of the development team. If your development team has more experience or is more capable to gain experience in a certain development framework, that is the one on which you should focus.
This will also consider the costs associated with certain frameworks and additional features, and even the learning materials and tools available to gain experience. If the costs will be too high for the capabilities of the agency, it would be best not to use that specific framework.
Product provider Support
This is an extremely important factor to consider when it comes to mobile app development frameworks and choosing the best one for you. Support from the owner or provider of an app development framework is key to ensuring successful service delivery to clients and end users.
It is important that the owner of the app development framework and the supporting company is available for support with any development questions as they might arise. If there are any issues with the framework it is also important that there is immediate attention from the provider to fix those errors so that the development process can continue.
UI Customization Capabilities
Customization and cross-platform applications are extremely interlinked, and the main benefit of cross-platform apps is that they can be easily customized towards a certain business and product.
It is crucial that developers pay special attention to the user interface customization capabilities of the mobile app development framework to ensure the available customization capabilities meet the requirements of the application.
Framework Update Frequency
This factor refers to the maturity of the development framework which means that it is important to be aware of the time period that a certain development framework has gone through since initial implementation up until the day you wish to use it.
It is important to take this into account as more established frameworks might have less updates and changes which can make the development process slightly easier.
Framework Features and Capabilities
The feature of the framework is one of the most important factors to consider when choosing the right app development framework for your development project. Features range from availability of third-party plugins to native platform controllers.
Ensure that the framework possesses the features you need to satisfy your app development requirements.
Multiplatform Operational Quality
Cross-platform apps are best known for their compatibility with multiple operating systems such as Android and iOS, and it is therefore crucial that developers have a look at the operational ability and quality of the preferred software development kit and framework before the desired one is chosen and implemented.
Safety and Security Features
The important factor to consider when ensuring that the development framework you are looking to make use of is the integration of security features with the mobile apps to ensure data is kept safe and code is preserved.
It is extremely important that developers have a look at the security features and capabilities that the frameworks provide for before the preferred cross-platform mobile application development framework is chosen.
Why Use a Professional Mobile App Development Company Help to Develop Your Cross-Platform Application and Who?
Cross-platform app development can be extremely complex because of the numerous specialized features that should be considered when dealing with cross-platform frameworks.
Cross-platform app development frameworks can consist of various integration features, and it can be difficult for someone without any development framework experience to successfully implement the framework in the mobile app development process. This is where professional app developers come in to take this process from your hands.
Mobile app development companies have the necessary experience to develop efficient and high-quality applications with the use of the right cross-platform mobile application development framework because they work with various projects with similar requirements.
Cross-Platform Mobile App Development Frameworks can make it easier for any person to design cross-platform apps, however, the specifics and quality will depend on the skill of the developer. This is why it is crucial to make use of a developer with the right knowledge and experience in cross-platform app development and the frameworks used in the process to create the right app to meet all your specific requirements.
As discussed at the top of this article, app development frameworks usually have developer tools available from which a developer can choose to ensure that there are no flaws in the design and to ensure that the app can provide accurate measuring and feedback data as required, these tools will also assist in debugging processes.
Making use of specialized app developers for your desired cross-platform application is crucial for cost-efficiency and time-efficiency as well, this is because professionals know how the entire development process works.
With the right app development framework costs can also be saved because the base coding and development is usually only done once and used again for the same apps that should be accessible on other operating platforms.
If you choose to make use of a professional app developer, you and your employees’ time can be spent to focus on actual service provision instead of focusing on developing an app for the services that you provide, as this will be done for you.
The quality and development process directly depend on the knowledge and skills of the app developer chosen to complete the project. If you are looking to develop a cross-platform app for your practice with the use of a cross-platform app development framework, be sure to make use of a professional app development company.
Who?
HotShots Labs is a boutique mobile app development agency with profound concentration on business and client requirements. Our team of expert cross-platform mobile app developers at HotShots Labs can assist you by planning, building, and launching our top-notch high-quality developed applications.
Our company knows the app development process from the beginning to the end and we apply the most modern architecture and tools for mobile application development and techniques to boost user satisfaction when using our professionally developed cross-platform mobile software and apps.
HotShots Labs make use of Flutter as a cross-platform app development framework and Flutter’s widget services as a platform and tool for a solid foundation on which we build even further by designing and implementing your desired mobile application with our customization and development processes.
Flutter is our preferred cross-platform framework that we use because it assists us to provide you with extremely high-quality mobile applications to satisfy your requirements. Flutter is currently also one of the leading cross-platform development frameworks used by developers across the globe because of the numerous benefits it provides.
Our core mission is building long-term partnerships with our clients by providing highly personalized and customized app development services for our clients.
Experience
HotShots Labs have over 7 years of experience in cross-platform mobile app development solutions, and we continually add to our experience through each app development project that we complete.
Our team of app developers at HotShots Labs has extensive knowledge in mobile app development and the Flutter app development framework. We strive to make your vision our own when developing your Flutter cross-platform application.
As an app development company, we have completed more than 30 successful projects and we are not planning to stop. Our creativity and skills benefit our clients in many ways, and we strive to provide our clients with full satisfaction on the high-quality products that we provide.
For each project we take on at HotShots Labs we put our clients’ needs and goals first and this is something we will continue to do. Our customer satisfaction rate is extremely high, and we pride ourselves on this accomplishment.
We assisted numerous companies to develop and successfully implement cross-platform mobile apps for which we already have more than 5 million app users and counting. Our aim is to provide you with the best cross-platform application that we can develop.
On top of all our professional app development services at HotShots Labs we also strive to always keep up with the newest modern trends and app requirements throughout the development process to ensure that we can provide our clients with the app performance through the Flutter framework that they require in this ever-changing cross-platform mobile app development environment.
