10 great cross-platform tools that mobile developers must understand

2014-02-25 22:32 1105 People read Comments (1) favorite reports

Directory (?) [-]

1. Htmljavascriptcss article
2. Article C
3. LUA Chapter
4. Other language articles
5. Game Development Chapter

In this article, we have counted the most popular cross-platform applications and game development tools of the past year, especially Html/js/css, but also include tools developed in other languages, such as Xamarin, using C #, to develop native apps that run on major mobile platforms.

Low cost, short cycle, easy to use, without re-design, all the benefits of cross-platform development is boundless, but also many cross-platform development tools to rise. In this article, we take stock of the most popular cross-platform mobile app development tools of the past year, especially html/js/css, such as PhoneGap, Sencha touch, etc., but also include tools for development in other languages, such as Xamarin, using C #, you can develop native apps that can run on major mobile platforms.

Html/javascript/css article

1. PhoneGap

When it comes to cross-platform development tools, many people first think of PhoneGap. This open-source free framework, which allows developers to use HTML, JS, and CSS to develop cross-platform mobile apps, has long been a favorite for developers, from iOS, Android, BB10, Windows phone to Amazon Fire OS, Tizen, and more. Major mobile platforms are readily available, allowing developers to make the most of their core functions, such as geolocation, accelerators, contacts, sounds, and more.

Before, in the native and the Web who master the future of the great theory of no time, many people believe that the PhoneGap application Development framework of the natural advantages of supporting cross-platform, late scalability, development cycle is very short, familiar with the Web technology developers can easily get started, The disadvantage is that performance is not as good as native, and later, it is necessary to optimize development for each version separately. Today, Hybrid app has become the master, PhoneGap in the performance and platform features support has also greatly improved and improved, a lot to catch up with native potential.

RELATED links: PhoneGap on Mobilehub homepage

2. Sencha Touch

Sencha Touch is a mobile Web application development framework based on HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript, built-in MVC system that makes the developer's HTML5 app look like a native app, fully compatible with iOS, Android, BlackBerry , Windows Phone, Tizen and other mainstream mobile platforms. In addition to the common touch gestures, Sencha touch provides click, double-tap, swipe, scroll, and pinch-to-go for iOS and Android devices.

HTML5 's application-development heat has made many cross-platform development frameworks popular, and Sencha touch is one of them. Enables developers to extract the most content from Html5/css3/js in a very friendly way, and provides rich and easy-to-use features. Sencha Touch is very compatible with the iOS platform, and the screen switching effect is also quite smooth.

RELATED links: Sencha touch on Mobilehub home page

3. Titanium

Titanium is an open-source cross-platform development framework for Appcelerator, which, like PhoneGap and Sencha touch, allows developers to use HTML/CSS/JS to develop native desktop and mobile applications, and also supports Python, Ruby and PHP. The biggest feature of titanium is that, because of its hardware-based development, applications created during the development process can be selected to be stored on the device or in the cloud.

Titanium Main Features:

• Develop native iOS, Android, Hybrid, and mobile web apps with its single JavaScript SDK.
• Through its eclipse-based titanium Studio, the development process can be greatly simplified.
• have efficient blocks of code that allow developers to write less code and create extensible applications.
• Integrated with Mbaas and Appcelerator Open Mobile Marketplace.

RELATED Links: Titanium on Mobilehub homepage

4. Intel XDK

The Intel XDK, formerly known as the Appmobi XDK, is a cross-platform development tool that helps developers develop mobile and Web applications using HTML5. The XDK includes a HTML5 development environment and a set of cloud services that support the creation of hybrid iOS and Android apps that can be submitted directly to different app stores. In addition, the XDK also provides debugging tools for screen emulation debugging, device actual commissioning and remote debugging, excluding Ad-hoc mode and security features.

The XDK-compatible PHONEGAP-HTML5 multi-platform development project, compared to other tools, greatly reduces development time, does not depend on Java or any specific browser features, and also provides access to device features such as GPS, accelerometer, camera, touch screen interaction, touch gestures, vibration, and more.

RELATED links: Intel XDK on Mobilehub homepage

5. Rhomobile

Motorola's HTML5 application development platform Rhomobile Suite is also quite popular with developers. With Rhomobile, developers don't have to worry about device type, operating system, screen size, and so on, they can develop HTML and Ruby to run on iOS, Android, Windows Mobile, BlackBerry, Windows Apps on the phone and other platforms.

Rhomobile mainly consists of three parts, namely:

• Rhoconnect: Through it, applications and data can quickly establish connections and ensure that users have access to the data.
• Rhoelements: Developers can develop applications that have the same look, feel, and operational flexibility on each supported device.
• Rhostudio: With the Rhostudio full-featured simulator, developers can quickly test and debug cross-platform applications on their PCs.

C # Article

6. Xamarin

In the past year, Xamarin's momentum can be said to be quite strong, and its cross-platform application development tools use a significant increase in share ratio. With Xamarin, developers can use the C # language to develop iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows native apps, not only for "write once, run anywhere", but to achieve cross-platform results for native UIs. Compared to HTML/JS/CSS-based PhoneGap, Xamarin's biggest advantage is that it ensures high performance and UI fluency by communicating with the system's underlying API and interacting directly with the system's native UI.

Xamarin Main Features:

• Rapid development of mobile native applications
• Program code sharing
• Integration with Visual Studio
• Ensure the first time updates
• Native user interface and performance

RELATED links: Xamarin on Mobilehub homepage

LUA Chapter

7. Corona SDK

The Corona SDK is a library of Corona Labs ' dedicated LUA language SDK for cross-platform mobile application development and is easy to get started with, with no barriers and high efficiency. The Corona SDK provides cross-platform capabilities, so developers ' apps or games are compatible with iOS, Android, Kindle Fire and Nook platforms. Corona supports hardware acceleration, GPS, cameras, etc., and integrates the box2d physics engine.

The Corona SDK Service is divided into three types:

• Basic: The ability to complete application or game development in a very short period of time, through internal pay or advertising profitability.
• Professional Edition: Added advanced graphics technology and all Corona plugins.
• Enterprise Edition: Developers can develop online and invoke any native libraries from the corona application.

RELATED links: Corona SDK on Mobilehub home page

Other language articles

8. LiveCode

Livecode is a powerful graphical development environment launched by Runrev, not only for free, but also to provide 10 times times the efficiency boost and reduce the code by 90%. Its strength is that it is very easy to learn and use, so that a person who does not program can develop native, running applications on PCs, servers, and mobile devices in a very short period of time.

Livecode has a WYSIWYG interface design tool similar to VB, users can use drag-and-drop way to implement the design and layout of the application interface, and through an English-like natural scripting language to write application functions, and finally, Build applications that run on a variety of platforms, including Mac, Windows, Linux, IOS, Android, and more with livecode powerful deployment tools.

RELATED links: Livecode on Mobilehub homepage

Game Development Chapter

Finally, we will introduce the two cross-platform game engines, unity, Mosync, respectively.

9. Unity

The popularity of unity in the global developer community is needless to say, a powerful cross-platform game engine that covers Windows, Macs, IOS, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, Xbox360, Wii and more. , mobile and handheld platforms, support for JavaScript, C #, boo three scripting languages, with a large number of third-party plugins and tools to help developers greatly improve their productivity.

Easy to use, multi-language programming, professional-grade effects, fool-style debugging and compilation, strong extensibility, in cross-platform, lighting effects and model rendering and other aspects have a very good performance, so unity in both 3D or 2D game development is well-deserved "one of the best game engine".

RELATED links: Unity on Mobilehub Home page

Ten. Mosync

Mosync is an open-source, free mobile game development engine that is easy to port and allows developers to use C-+ +, HTML5, or JavaScript for iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Java Mobile, Windows Mobile and other platforms for game application development. Developers can invoke the local device API through the Mosync Lite Library, and the app is developed to use local UI controls.

With the Mosync Compact library, developers can invoke the native device API, and the developed app can use native UI controls. In addition, through the Mosync IDE, developers can invoke any emulator, including the emulator on the local platform, and Mosync Reference environment.