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Cross-Platform App Development: Options and Strategies
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Abstract
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The market for mobile devices is fragmented into various platforms. Android, Blackberry, iOS, Symbian and Windows Phone/Mobile all hold relevant market shares. Even though Android and iOS are prospective survivors of the extremely dynamic market, it is hard to estimate future figures. Developing applications for mobile devices traditionally requires developers to either develop a native app separately for each platform or to use a Webapp. The later does not have a look&feel like native apps of a platform and in many cases cannot utilize a device's full functionality. In general, several platforms should be supported due to users' (in many cases customers') demands. Therefore, either high effort and costs or limited usability have to be accepted.
A number of cross-platform development approaches have become available. They greatly differ in the underlying technology and approach. Some are mature while others are – to be optimistic – experimental. In particular, not all of them work in any situation. At the same time, Webapps have become more versatile with technologies such as HTML5 enabling access to device-specific features.
Our three hour tutorial will
- introduce the problem and explain why native capabilities might be desired,
- distinguish the currently available approaches theoretically,
- present a number of existing implementations of these approaches,
- give advice when these tools might be used and how to proceed with using them,
- give some hints of further implementations that you should not yet use, and
- share early best practices with you and give a future outlook.
After attending the tutorial, you will have an idea which technologies might be worth consideration when you create your next app and how to assess them with regard to the requirements towards your app project.
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Biography of Tim A. Majchrzak
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Tim A. Majchrzak is a research fellow and lecturer at the Department of Information Systems of the University of Münster, Germany, and the European Research Center for Information Systems (ERCIS). He received BSc and MSc degrees in Information Systems and a PhD in Economics (Dr. rer. pol.) from the University of Münster. His research comprises both technical and organizational aspects of software engineering, often in the context of Web technologies. He has also published work on several interdisciplinary information systems topics. Recently, Tim extended his research to include app development and worked in an industry-driven project on business apps.
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Biography of Henning Heitkötter
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Henning Heitkötter is a PhD student and research associate at the Department of Information Systems of the University of Münster, Germany, and the European Research Center for Information Systems (ERCIS). He graduated from the University of Münster in 2009 with a diploma in Information Systems. His research interests include model-driven development and process modeling as well as mobile information systems. In the latter context, he participated in an industry-driven project on business apps.
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Contacts
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e-mail: webist.secretariat@insticc.org
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