Lecture 3: Mobile Application Development and Methodology

Mobile applications

have become essential in today's digital age, with varying approaches to development.

Mobile application development

the process of creating software applications that run on mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets.

apps

are used across various industries, from e-commerce and

healthcare to education, entertainment, and finance, making

mobile development a crucial skill set in today's market.

Native Development

involves building applications specifically for one operating

system, such as iOS or Android. Each app is written in the

language and tools designed for the OS.

iOS Native Development:

Uses Swift or Objective-C in Apple's Xcode environment

Android Native Development:

Uses Kotlin or Java in Android Studio

Pros of Native development

• Optimized Performance: Native apps are faster and more

responsive, as they're built specifically for the device's OS.

• Enhanced User Experience (UX): Native apps have access to

OS-specific UI components, resulting in a consistent and

familiar look and feel for users on each platform.

• Direct Access to OS Features: Native apps can directly utilize device features like the camera, GPS, sensors, and other hardware functions without requiring additional configurations.

Cons of Native development

• Higher Development Cost: Since native development requires separate codebases for each platform (iOS and Android), it often involves hiring different development teams, leading to higher costs.

• Limited to One Platform: Apps developed for a single platform cannot run on other OS platforms without being entirely rewritten.

Cross platform

Cross-platform development allows developers to create

applications that can run on multiple operating systems with a single codebase

Pros of Cross Platform

• Cost-Effective: By using a single codebase for multiple platforms,

cross-platform development reduces the need for separate teams

and streamlines resources, resulting in lower costs.

• Faster Development and Deployment: With one codebase,

developers can build and deploy applications on multiple platforms simultaneously.

• Broader Market Reach: A cross-platform app can target both iOS and Android users without additional development effort, widening the app's audience.

Cons of Cross Platform

• Slightly Reduced Performance: Cross-platform apps may not perform as smoothly as native apps, especially for resource-intensive features

• Complex Code Structure for Advanced Features: Certain

platform-specific or performance-intensive functionalities may require custom native code, adding complexity to the codebase and potentially reducing the efficiency gained from cross-platform development.

Choosing between native and cross platform

• Target audience and platform (iOS, Android, both).

• Budget and resource availability.

• App complexity and required performance.

React Native

An open-source framework developed by Facebook for building mobile apps using JavaScript and React. Allows developers to create applications for both iOS and Android with a shared codebase.

React Native Framework (Popularity and Adoption)

Used by leading companies, such as Facebook, Instagram, Airbnb, and Tesla, due to its efficiency and flexibility.

React Native Framework (Main Advantage)

Write once, run anywhere - reduces development time and cost by sharing code across platforms.

IDE (Integrated Development Environment) Tools:

• Android Studio

• Xcode

• VS Code (Visual Studio Code)

Android Studio

The official IDE for Android development, powered by Google. It provides an emulator, code editor, layout designer, and debugging tools tailored for Android apps.

Xcode

Apple's official IDE for iOS development.

VS Code (Visual Studio Code)

A popular, lightweight code editor from Microsoft, widely

used for cross-platform frameworks like React Native and Flutter.

Design and Prototyping Tools:

• Figma, Sketch, and Adobe XD

Figma, Sketch, and Adobe XD

These are widely used design tools that allow UI/UX designers to create interactive, high-fidelity prototypes.

Version Control and Collaboration Tools:

• Git and GitHub

Git

Essential for version control in app development, _____ allows developers to track changes, work collaboratively, and manage code versions.

GitHub

_____ is a platform for hosting repositories, enabling teams to work together and review code changes.

UX/UI

Good ____ is crucial for user satisfaction and app success.

(User Experience and User Interface)

Importance:

• User-centered design

• First impressions matter

• Improved user retention

(User Experience and User Interface)

Design Process:

• User Research and Personas

• Wireframing and Prototyping

• User Testing and Feedback

Methodology

• Research Design

• Data collection

• Data Analysis

Research Design

Defines the approach and framework for development.

Data collection

Gathering relevant information to make informed decisions during the design, development, and testing phases.

Data Analysis

process of examining the collected data to gain insights, make decisions, and optimize the app.

Mobile application development

is an essential skill in the digital age, catering to diverse sectors

native and cross-platform

The choice between ________ development significantly impacts performance, cost, and user reach.

design process and collaboration

A well-thought-out _______ between are crucial to creating successful applications.

tools, frameworks, and methodologies

Leveraging the right ________ allows developers to build robust, scalable, and user-friendly mobile applications that meet user needs.