Smartphone Cross-Platform Frameworks : A case study
Timo Paananen · Theseus (Ammattikorkeakoulujen) · 2011
The objective of the Bachelor’s thesis was to introduce and compare cross-platform mobile programming frameworks for smartphones, and to find the most optimal framework solution or solutions for the needs of Eagle Mediavision Oy. The thesis reviewed history of mobile communication, defined the major mobile device categories, and introduced the major smartphone platforms of 2011. The research focus was on cross-platform native frameworks. A cross-platform native framework is software that allows a common development approach across platforms but builds to an application indistinguishable by a user from one that is built with native code. The thesis introduced Appcelerator Titanium, PhoneGap, Rhodes Rhomobile, Adobe AIR for Mobile Devices, Adobe Flex SDK “Hero” with Adobe Flash Builder “Burrito” and OpenPlug Elips Studio frameworks. The frameworks were introduced theoretically, and tested practically by programming a demo application for each framework. Features of the frameworks were compared and analyzed. The cross-platform mobile frameworks were compared to native mobile frameworks and evaluated critically. The result of the comparison was that Appcelerator Titanium and PhoneGap were the best frameworks for the mobile development needs of Eagle Mediavision Oy. The result of this thesis was also that the cross- platform native frameworks were at an early stage of their evolution in 2011, and the native mobile programming still had its advantages. However, the future of the cross-platform mobile programming seems to have a great number of possibilities, especially in the area of the mobile web, but also in the cross-platform mobile programming.