Cross-platform mobile app development is all the rage right now, with more and more operating systems coming into being for different brands of smart phones. Before we get to the best cross-platform development tools, here’s a brief introduction about cross-platform development itself.
Cross-platform development is the technique whereby developers can code a single app that will run simultaneously across multiple mobile operating systems. This method of app development is beneficial to both developers and businessmen as it not only helps drive down the cost of creating apps, but also save time. For more details on how cross-platform development tools like PhoneGap benefits both developers and business owners, read our blog on the subject.
Below are 3 of the most popular cross-platform development tools in the business and their brief descriptions.
1. PhoneGap
PhoneGap is easily the most popular open source cross-platform development tool around. Formerly known as Apache Cordova, this tool allows developers to write out their code in common scripting languages like HTML, JavaScript and CSS. PhoneGap is designed to run in a WebView inside a native container that allows JS to access device APIs. According to a survey conducted by Developer Economics, PhoneGap is the most preferred cross-platform development tool with 34% of developers using it to develop multiple platform applications. PhoneGap currently supports development for Apple iOS, Android, Microsoft Windows Phone, Symbian, Tizen, BlackBerry, Bada, Firefox and Ubuntu Touch operating systems.
2. Adobe Air
Adobe Air is yet another highly popular cross-platform development tool from Adobe Systems that utilizes the powerful dynamics of Adobe Flash, Apache Flex, JavaScript, HTML and XML to create Rich Internet Applications for various mobile operating systems such as Apple iOS, Android, OS X and BlackBerry Phone. According to data from Developer Economics, more than 19% of developers prefer to use Adobe Air for their cross-platform app development needs.
3. Sencha Touch
Sencha Touch is a UI based cross-platform development tool that is based on the JavaScript library and is based on common web standards like HTML5, JavaScript and CSS3. Sencha Touch uses a set of graphical user interface (GUI) components along with supporting extensions that allow for animations and enhanced touch events. According to research carried out by Developer Economics, Sencha Touch enjoys a 12% market share among developers. Recent updates to this powerful cross-platform development tool have allowed it to gain access to a device’s hardware components like accelerometer, camera, compass, storage and geolocation via means of Apache Cordova APIs. Apart from this, Touch also features a wide range of out-of-the-box themes and support for Apple iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Kindle, Microsoft Windows Phone and Tizen.
It is not always be feasible to rank the different cross-platform mobile app development tools out there in the market since deciding the right framework depends on the project parameters, the target audience, business model, etc. However, based on popularity statistics, a rough ranking can be established as to the most popular cross-platform development tools. If you plan to develop a cross-platform application and are unsure of which of these tools would be best suited to you, contact us for a free assessment of your project and we will see how we can help you get started!
Manish Jain is the co-founder and Managing Director at Konstant Infosolutions. He is responsible for the overall operations of the company and has played a major role in bringing Konstant up from its humble beginnings and, with his immense energy and drive, transforming it into a globally trusted name in IT solutions.
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