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Mobile app development is the act or process by which a mobile app is developed for one or more mobile devices, which can include personal digital assistants (PDA), enterprise digital assistants (EDA), or mobile phones.cite-ref-1[1] Such software applications are specifically designed to run on mobile devices, after considering many hardware constraints. Common constraints include central processing unit (CPU) architecture and speeds, available random-access memory (RAM), limited data storage capacities, and considerable variation in displays (technology, size, dimensions, resolution) and input methods (buttons, keyboards, touch screens with or without styluses).cite-ref-2[2] These applications (or 'apps') can be pre-installed on phones during manufacturing or delivered as web applications, using server-side or client-side processing (e.g., JavaScript) to provide an "application-like" experience within a web browser.cite-ref-3[3]

The mobile app development sector has experienced significant growth in Europe. A 2017 report from the Progressive Policy Institute estimated there were 1.89 million jobs in the app economy across the European Union (EU) by January 2017, marking a 15% increase from the previous year. These jobs include roles such as mobile app developers and other positions supporting the app economy.cite-ref-4[4]

• Overview

• Platform

• Front-end development tools

• Back-end servers

• Security add-on layers

• System software

• Mobile app testing

• Design principles

• Patents

• See also

• References

To facilitate developing applications for mobile devices, and the consistency thereof, various approaches have been taken.

Most companies that ship a product (e.g., Apple, iPod/iPhone/iPad) provide an official software development kit (SDK). They may also opt to provide some form of software testing and/or quality assurance (QA). In exchange for being provided the SDK or other tools, it may be necessary for a prospective developer to sign some form of non-disclosure agreement (NDA), which restricts the sharing of privileged information.

As part of the development process, mobile user interface (UI) design is an essential step in the creation of mobile apps. Mobile UI designers consider constraints, contexts, screen space, input methods, and mobility as outlines for design. Constraints in mobile UI design, which include the limited attention span of the user and form factors such as a mobile device's screen size for a user's hand(s). Mobile UI context includes signal cues from user activity, such as the location where or the time when the device is in use, that can be observed from user interactions within a mobile app. Such context clues can be used to provide automatic suggestions when scheduling an appointment or activity or to filter a list of various services for the user.

The user is often the focus of interaction with their device, and the interface entails components of both hardware and software. User input allows for the users to manipulate a system, and the device's output allows the system to indicate the effects of the users' manipulation.

Overall, mobile UI design's goal is mainly for an understandable, user-friendly interface. Functionality is supported by mobile enterprise application platforms or integrated development environments (IDEs).

Developers of mobile applications must also consider a large array of devices with different screen sizes, hardware specifications, and configurations because of intense competition in mobile hardware and changes within each of the platforms.

Today, mobile apps are usually distributed via an official online outlet or marketplace (e.g., Apple: The App Store – Google: Google Play) and there is a formalized process by which developers submit their apps for approval and inclusion in those marketplaces. Historically, however, that was not always the case.

Mobile UIs, or front-ends, rely on mobile back-ends to support access to enterprise systems. The mobile back-end facilitates data routing, security, authentication, authorization, working off-line, and service orchestration. This functionality is supported by a mix of middleware components, including mobile app servers, mobile backend as a service (MBaaS), and service-oriented architecture (SOA) infrastructure.

The software development packages needed to develop, deploy, and manage mobile apps are made from many components and tools which allow a developer to write, test, and deploy applications for one or more target platforms.

Front-end development tools are focused on the user interface and user experience (UI-UX) and provide the following abilities:

• UI design tools

• SDKs to access device features

• Cross-platform accommodations/support

Notable tools are listed below.

First party tools include official SDKs published by, or on behalf of, the company responsible for the design of a given hardware platform (e.g., Apple, Google, etc.), and any third-party software that is officially supported for the purpose of developing mobile apps for that hardware.

| Platform | Programming language | Debuggers available |

|---|---|---|

| Android | Java but portions of code can be in C ,… | Debugger integrated in Eclipse, standal… |

| BlackBerry | Java | Debugger integrated in IDE |

| iOS SDK | Objective-C , Swift | LLDB debugger integrated in Xcode IDE |

| iOS SDK | Object Pascal | Debugger integrated in Xcode IDE |

| Platform | Emulator available | Integrated development environment avai… |

|---|---|---|

| Android | Yes | Eclipse , IntelliJ IDEA , Android Studi… |

| BlackBerry | Yes | Eclipse , BlackBerry JDE |

| iOS SDK | Bundled with iPhone SDK, integrated wit… | Xcode |

| iOS SDK | Included in Delphi XE2 professional or… | Embarcadero Delphi XE2 |

| Platform | Cross-platform deployment | Installer packaging options |

|---|---|---|

| Android | Android only, because of Dalvik VM, Mar… | apk |

| BlackBerry | BlackBerry only, because of RIM API | alx, cod |

| iOS SDK | iPhone , iPad , iPod Touch | Only via App Store , needs review and a… |

| iOS SDK | iPhone , iPad , iPod Touch | Only via App Store , needs review and a… |

| Platform | Development tool cost |

|---|---|

| Android | Free, IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition -… |

| BlackBerry | Free |

| iOS SDK | Apple tools are available for free for… |

| iOS SDK | Development requires Intel -based Mac b… |

| Platform | Programming language | Debuggers available | Emulator available |

|---|---|---|---|

| Java ME | Java | Yes | Free emulator, Sun Java Wireless Toolki… |

| Platform | Integrated development environment avai… | Cross-platform deployment |

|---|---|---|

| Java ME | Eclipse , LMA NetBeans Mobility Pack | Yes although many VM implementations ha… |

| Platform | Installer packaging options | Development tool cost |

|---|---|---|

| Java ME | Jad / Jar packaging; PRC files under Pa… | Free |

| Platform | Programming language |

|---|---|

| Accelerator | HTML5 , C# |

| MobileTogether | XPath / XQuery , Action Trees visual pr… |

| App Inventor for Android | Visual blocks-based programming languag… |

| Appcelerator | JavaScript |

| Basic4android | Visual Basic similar syntax |

| Codename One | Java |

| Solar2D | Lua |

| DragonRAD | Visual drag & drop tiles |

| GeneXus for Mobile and Smart Devices | Knowledge representation and declarativ… |

| IBM MobileFirst Studio | HTML5 , CSS3 , JavaScript , and native… |

| Lazarus | Object Pascal |

| LambdaNative | Scheme |

| LiveCode | LiveCode |

| Macromedia Flash Lite | ActionScript |

| Marmalade | C , C++ |

| Meme IDE | MemeScript |

| Monaca | HTML5 , CSS , JavaScript |

| Mono for Android | C# |

| MonoTouch | C# |

| MoSync | C , C++ , Lua , HTML5, CSS, JavaScript |

| NetBeans | C++ , Java |

| OpenPlug | ActionScript , XML |

| OutSystems | OutSystems, CSS , JavaScript |

| PhoneGap and Apache Cordova | HTML , CSS , JavaScript |

| Qt SDK | C++ , QML |

| Rhomobile | Ruby with HTML interface features compi… |

| RubyMotion | Ruby |

| Sencha Touch | HTML , CSS , JavaScript |

| Smartface | WYSIWYG design editor with JavaScript c… |

| Stencyl | Drag-and-drop editor based on Scratch ,… |

| Telerik Platform, and AppBuilder | HTML5, CSS and Javascript |

| Unity | C# , JavaScript , Boo , other .NET -bas… |

| Verivo AppStudio | WYSIWYG, graphical drag and drop, JavaS… |

| ViziApps | WYSIWYG, graphical drag and drop |

| V-Play Engine | Objective-C , C++ , JavaScript , QML ,… |

| Wakanda | HTML5 , JavaScript |

| Xamarin | C# |

| Xojo | Xojo (similar to VB) |

| Platform | Debuggers available |

|---|---|

| Accelerator | Yes |

| MobileTogether | Yes |

| App Inventor for Android | Limited debugging tools built into IDE |

| Appcelerator | Yes, in Titanium Studio. |

| Basic4android | Yes |

| Codename One | Yes |

| Solar2D | Yes |

| DragonRAD | Yes |

| GeneXus for Mobile and Smart Devices | GeneXus utilizes pre-tested code librar… |

| IBM MobileFirst Studio | Yes, Mobile Browser Simulator or integr… |

| Lazarus | Yes, can debug in IDE via ActiveSync fo… |

| LambdaNative | No |

| LiveCode | Yes (integrated into IDE) |

| Macromedia Flash Lite | Yes |

| Marmalade | Yes |

| Meme IDE | Validation is provided in the problems… |

| Monaca | Yes |

| Mono for Android | Yes |

| MonoTouch | Yes |

| MoSync | Yes |

| NetBeans | Yes |

| OpenPlug | Yes |

| OutSystems | Yes |

| PhoneGap and Apache Cordova | Yes |

| Qt SDK | Yes |

| Rhomobile | Yes |

| RubyMotion | Yes |

| Sencha Touch | Yes |

| Smartface | Yes |

| Stencyl | Yes |

| Telerik Platform, and AppBuilder | Yes |

| Unity | Yes |

| Verivo AppStudio | Yes |

| ViziApps | Yes |

| V-Play Engine | Yes |

| Wakanda | Yes |

| Xamarin | Yes |

| Xojo | Yes |

| Platform | Emulator available |

|---|---|

| Accelerator | Yes |

| MobileTogether | Yes |

| App Inventor for Android | Yes |

| Appcelerator | Emulator is available using native emul… |

| Basic4android | Emulator is available using native emul… |

| Codename One | Yes |

| Solar2D | Yes |

| DragonRAD | Uses third-party emulators |

| GeneXus for Mobile and Smart Devices | Publish in the cloud, test native in th… |

| IBM MobileFirst Studio | Emulator is available using native emul… |

| Lazarus | Uses the emulators of the platforms |

| LambdaNative | No but can build and test on the localh… |

| LiveCode | Yes (iOS and Android emulators may be u… |

| Macromedia Flash Lite | Bundled with IDE |

| Marmalade | Yes |

| Meme IDE | Yes, Android emulator can be integrated |

| Monaca | Preview is available on cloud IDE and l… |

| Mono for Android | Yes |

| MonoTouch | Yes |

| MoSync | Yes |

| NetBeans | Yes |

| OpenPlug | Yes |

| OutSystems | Test directly in browser |

| PhoneGap and Apache Cordova | Yes A lot of functionality can be teste… |

| Qt SDK | Yes |

| Rhomobile | N/A, applications can run in Win32 runn… |

| RubyMotion | Yes |

| Sencha Touch | Yes |

| Smartface | Yes |

| Stencyl | Yes |

| Telerik Platform, and AppBuilder | Test right in browser or device |

| Unity | Remote used to simulate device interact… |

| Verivo AppStudio | Test right in browser or device |

| ViziApps | Test right in browser or device |

| V-Play Engine | Yes |

| Wakanda | Yes |

| Xamarin | Yes |

| Xojo | Yes |

| Platform | Integrated development environment avai… |

|---|---|

| Accelerator | Microsoft Visual Studio (no lock-in) |

| MobileTogether | Proprietary IDE on Windows only |

| App Inventor for Android | Web-based interface designer, with conn… |

| Appcelerator | Titanium Studio based on Eclipse |

| Basic4android | Proprietary IDE |

| Codename One | Eclipse, Netbeans |

| Solar2D | Xcode |

| DragonRAD | Proprietary IDE |

| GeneXus for Mobile and Smart Devices | Proprietary IDE |

| IBM MobileFirst Studio | Eclipse plugin, Eclipse-based stand-alo… |

| Lazarus | Lazarus IDE , including integrated GUI… |

| LambdaNative | Eclipse (software) (optional) |

| LiveCode | Yes |

| Macromedia Flash Lite | Macromedia Flash MX2004/8, Eclipse |

| Marmalade | Visual Studio , Xcode |

| Meme IDE | Eclipse RCP |

| Monaca | Cloud-based IDE, Visual Studio, third-p… |

| Mono for Android | Visual Studio 2005 and MonoDevelop |

| MonoTouch | Visual Studio 2005 and MonoDevelop |

| MoSync | Eclipse, Visual Studio 2005 and later,… |

| NetBeans | Java development tools |

| OpenPlug | OpenPlug ELIPS plugin for Adobe Flash B… |

| OutSystems | OutSystems Service Studio |

| PhoneGap and Apache Cordova | Yes Many IDEs exist for Cordova-based t… |

| Qt SDK | Qt Creator |

| Rhomobile | Xcode or Eclipse , on-demand RhoHub ver… |

| RubyMotion | Any text editor. As an IDE, RubyMine . |

| Sencha Touch | Sencha Architect 2 |

| Smartface | Smartface IDE and SDK |

| Stencyl | Xcode |

| Telerik Platform, and AppBuilder | In-browser client, desktop client, Visu… |

| Unity | Unity Editor, also works with Visual St… |

| Verivo AppStudio | Proprietary design studio |

| ViziApps | Online design studio |

| V-Play Engine | Qt Creator |

| Wakanda | Yes Wakanda Studio |

| Xamarin | Xamarin Studio (Mac only; deprecated),… |

| Xojo | Xojo IDE |

| Platform | Cross-platform deployment |

|---|---|

| Accelerator | All platforms, mobile apps are browser-… |

| MobileTogether | Android, iOS, Windows, browser |

| App Inventor for Android | Android devices |

| Appcelerator | Android, iPhone; BlackBerry, Tizen, mob… |

| Basic4android | Android |

| Codename One | Android, iPhone, BlackBerry, Windows Mo… |

| Solar2D | Android, iOS, Nook Color |

| DragonRAD | Android, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile |

| GeneXus for Mobile and Smart Devices | Android , iOS (iPhone, iPad), BlackBerr… |

| IBM MobileFirst Studio | Android , iOS , BlackBerry 6,7, & 10, W… |

| Lazarus | Compiled language available for Windows… |

| LambdaNative | All native binaries: Android , iOS , Bl… |

| LiveCode | iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux, se… |

| Macromedia Flash Lite | Yes |

| Marmalade | All native: Android, BlackBerry, BREW,… |

| Meme IDE | Android , Windows Mobile |

| Monaca | Android, iOS, windows8.1, 10 |

| Mono for Android | Android |

| MonoTouch | iOS |

| MoSync | Android, iOS (iPhone), Java ME, Moblin,… |

| NetBeans | Android (Mobile and Tablet), Nokia (Sym… |

| OpenPlug | Android, iOS (iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch)… |

| OutSystems | Android, iOS, Windows Phone 7 |

| PhoneGap and Apache Cordova | iPhone, Android, Tizen, Windows Phone,… |

| Qt SDK | Android (technology preview), iOS (tech… |

| Rhomobile | Yes, supports Android 1.6+, iOS 3.0+ (i… |

| RubyMotion | Android, iOS |

| Sencha Touch | Android, iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch)… |

| Smartface | Yes Android, iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod to… |

| Stencyl | iOS (iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch) |

| Telerik Platform, and AppBuilder | Android, iOS, Windows phone |

| Unity | Android, iOS (iPhone, iPad), PC, Mac, d… |

| Verivo AppStudio | Android, iOS, Blackberry |

| ViziApps | Android, iOS, Windows Phone planned |

| V-Play Engine | All Platforms |

| Wakanda | Android, iOS, Windows 10 (soon) and bro… |

| Xamarin | Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Windows St… |

| Xojo | iOS, mobile web apps |

| Platform | Installer packaging options |

|---|---|

| Accelerator | Mobile Web |

| MobileTogether | The native distribution for each format |

| App Inventor for Android | apk |

| Appcelerator | The native distribution format of each… |

| Basic4android | The native distribution format of each… |

| Codename One | The native distribution format of each… |

| Solar2D | Native deployment for each platform |

| DragonRAD | OTA deployment |

| GeneXus for Mobile and Smart Devices | The native distribution format of each… |

| IBM MobileFirst Studio | The native distribution format of each… |

| Lazarus | The native distribution format of each… |

| LambdaNative | The native distribution format of each… |

| LiveCode | The native distribution format of each… |

| Macromedia Flash Lite | SIS-CAB deployment or OTA -IR-Bluetooth… |

| Marmalade | The native distribution format of each… |

| Meme IDE | The native distribution format of each… |

| Monaca | The native distribution format of each… |

| Mono for Android | The native distribution format of the p… |

| MonoTouch | The native distribution format of the p… |

| MoSync | SIS , CAB, JAD, JAR, APK, OTA deployment |

| OpenPlug | The native distribution format of each… |

| OutSystems | NA |

| PhoneGap and Apache Cordova | The native distribution format of each… |

| Qt SDK | The native distribution format of each… |

| Rhomobile | OTA deployment, iOS through App store,… |

| RubyMotion | The native distribution format of the p… |

| Sencha Touch | Web delivered, or hybrid via native she… |

| Smartface | The native distribution format of each… |

| Stencyl | The native distribution format of each… |

| Telerik Platform, and AppBuilder | The native distribution format of each… |

| Unity | Native distribution format of each plat… |

| Verivo AppStudio | Native distribution format of each plat… |

| ViziApps | The native distribution format of each… |

| V-Play Engine | The native distribution format of each… |

| Wakanda | apk |

| Xamarin | The native distribution of each platform |

| Xojo | iOS apps are native iPad |

| Platform | Development tool cost |

|---|---|

| Accelerator | Commercial licenses available |

| MobileTogether | Free |

| App Inventor for Android | Free |

| Appcelerator | Free, open-sourced Apache 2.0 licensed,… |

| Basic4android | Commercial licenses available |

| Codename One | Open Source GPLv2 and subscription-base… |

| Solar2D | Free using MIT license |

| DragonRAD | Free & commercial licenses available |

| GeneXus for Mobile and Smart Devices | Free to try, commercial and enterprise… |

| IBM MobileFirst Studio | Developer edition free via Eclipse Mark… |

| Lazarus | Free |

| LambdaNative | Free ( BSD license ) |

| LiveCode | free open-source edition, commercial an… |

| Macromedia Flash Lite | Varies, free but limited with MTASC |

| Marmalade | Commercial licenses available |

| Meme IDE | Free for development |

| Monaca | Free, up to 3 projects. Commercial and… |

| MoSync | Free, GPL 2.0, Free Indie Subscription;… |

| NetBeans | Free |

| OpenPlug | Free & commercial licenses available |

| OutSystems | Free community edition for personal use… |

| PhoneGap and Apache Cordova | Apache 2 |

| Qt SDK | Free and commercial licenses available |

| Rhomobile | Rhodes is free and open source under th… |

| RubyMotion | RubyMotion is a commercial product. |

| Sencha Touch | GPLv3, free for commercial, paid for OE… |

| Smartface | Community license and commercial licens… |

| Stencyl | Free and commercial development licenses |

| Telerik Platform, and AppBuilder | Free to try, commercial and enterprise… |

| Unity | Free and commercial development license… |

| Verivo AppStudio | Free development licenses; per-CPU depl… |

| ViziApps | Free to design, test, demo, update, app… |

| V-Play Engine | Free, Indie and Enterprise licenses are… |

| Wakanda | Open Source and Commercial licenses ava… |

| Xamarin | Free community edition, pro edition inc… |

| Xojo | Free trial with no time limit; commerci… |

Back-end tools pick up where the front-end tools leave off, and provide a set of reusable services that are centrally managed and controlled and provide the following abilities:

• Integration with back-end systems

• User authentication-authorization

• Data services

• Reusable business logic

Available tools include:

| Platform | Programming language |

|---|---|

| Altova MobileTogether Server | Browser-based interface |

| GO!AppZone by Globo plc | JavaScript . Custom integrations connec… |

| IBM MobileFirst Server | HTML5 , CSS3 , JavaScript , and native… |

| Metismo | Java |

| Wakanda | JavaScript |

| Verivo Akula | Java |

| WebORB Integration Server | C# , VB.NET , Java , PHP , ActionScript… |

| Platform | Integrated development environment avai… |

|---|---|

| Altova MobileTogether Server | Proprietary IDE |

| GO!AppZone by Globo plc | Yes, GO!AppZone Studio |

| IBM MobileFirst Server | Eclipse plugin, Eclipse-based stand-alo… |

| Metismo | Eclipse |

| Wakanda | Use Wakanda Studio |

| Verivo Akula | Use any front-end IDE |

| WebORB Integration Server | Works with Eclipse, Visual Studio, inte… |

| Platform | Cross-platform deployment |

|---|---|

| Altova MobileTogether Server | Server available for Windows , Linux ,… |

| GO!AppZone by Globo plc | Android , BlackBerry , iOS , Windows Ph… |

| IBM MobileFirst Server | Android , iOS , BlackBerry 6,7, & 10, W… |

| Metismo | Android, iOS (iPhone, iPad), Java ME, B… |

| Wakanda | Android, iOS (iPhone, iPad), Windows Ph… |

| Verivo Akula | Android, iOS (iPhone, iPad), Windows Ph… |

| WebORB Integration Server | Android, iOS (iPhone, iPad), BlackBerry… |

| Platform | Deployment options |

|---|---|

| Altova MobileTogether Server | On-prem, cloud, or hybrid |

| GO!AppZone by Globo plc | On-prem, cloud or hybrid |

| IBM MobileFirst Server | On-prem |

| Metismo | On-prem |

| Wakanda | On-prem or cloud |

| Verivo Akula | On-prem, cloud, or hybrid |

| WebORB Integration Server | On-prem |

| Platform | Development tool cost |

|---|---|

| Altova MobileTogether Server | Development tools are free, commercial… |

| GO!AppZone by Globo plc | Development tools are free, commercial… |

| IBM MobileFirst Server | Developer edition free via Eclipse Mark… |

| Metismo | Commercial licenses available |

| Wakanda | Community and commercial editions |

| Verivo Akula | Free development licenses; per-CPU depl… |

| WebORB Integration Server | Free development licenses; free and com… |

With bring your own device (BYOD) becoming the norm within more enterprises, IT departments often need stop-gap, tactical solutions that layer atop existing apps, phones, and platform component. Features include

• App wrapping for security

• Data encryption

• Client actions

• Reporting and statistics

Many system-level components are needed to have a functioning platform for developing mobile apps.

| Platform | Programming language |

|---|---|

| Adobe AIR | ActionScript , HTML , CSS , JavaScript |

| BREW | C ; the APIs are provided in C with a C… |

| Firefox OS | HTML5 , CSS , JavaScript |

| .NET Compact Framework | C# , VB.NET , Basic4ppc |

| OpenFL | Haxe (similar to Actionscript and Java) |

| Palm OS | C , C++ , Pascal |

| Python | Python |

| Symbian | C++ |

| Tizen | Web-based : HTML5 , CSS , JavaScript Na… |

| Ubuntu Touch | Web-based : HTML5 , CSS , JavaScript Na… |

| webOS | JavaScript , CSS , HTML , C and C++ thr… |

| Windows Mobile | C , C++ |

| Windows Phone | C# , Visual Basic , C , C++ |

| Platform | Debuggers available |

|---|---|

| Adobe AIR | Yes |

| BREW | Debugger support for the native ARM tar… |

| Firefox OS | Yes |

| .NET Compact Framework | Yes |

| OpenFL | Yes |

| Palm OS | Yes |

| Python | Yes |

| Symbian | Yes |

| Tizen | Yes |

| Ubuntu Touch | Yes |

| webOS | Yes |

| Windows Mobile | Yes |

| Windows Phone | Yes |

| Platform | Emulator available |

|---|---|

| Adobe AIR | Yes |

| BREW | No Emulator for the target ARM code, ha… |

| Firefox OS | No, but simulator available. |

| .NET Compact Framework | Free emulator, source code available, a… |

| OpenFL | Yes |

| Palm OS | OS 1.0–4.1: free emulator provided by P… |

| Python | Add-on to Nokia Emulator |

| Symbian | Free emulator |

| Tizen | Free emulator |

| Ubuntu Touch | Yes |

| webOS | Free emulator |

| Windows Mobile | Free emulator (source code available),… |

| Windows Phone | Free emulator, also bundled with IDE |

| Platform | Integrated development environment avai… |

|---|---|

| Adobe AIR | Flash Builder , Flash Professional , In… |

| BREW | Visual Studio 6.0, Visual Studio 2003 .… |

| Firefox OS | Firefox browser, Firebug |

| .NET Compact Framework | Visual Studio 2008 , 2005, 2003, Basic4… |

| OpenFL | IntelliJ IDEA , FlashDevelop |

| Palm OS | Palm OS Development System (Eclipse), C… |

| Python | Several, including plugins for Eclipse |

| Symbian | Many choices |

| Tizen | Tizen SDK |

| Ubuntu Touch | Ubuntu SDK |

| webOS | Eclipse |

| Windows Mobile | Visual Studio 2010 , 2008, 2005, eMbedd… |

| Windows Phone | Visual Studio 2012 , Visual Studio 2010 |

| Platform | Cross-platform deployment |

|---|---|

| Adobe AIR | Android, iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch)… |

| BREW | Compile for the specific BREW version a… |

| Firefox OS | Web browser on other platform |

| .NET Compact Framework | Windows Mobile , Windows CE, Symbian-ba… |

| OpenFL | Android, iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch)… |

| Palm OS | Palm OS handhelds, or Windows Mobile wi… |

| Python | Interpreted language available natively… |

| Symbian | Compile per target |

| Tizen | Web-based app to be available on web br… |

| Ubuntu Touch | HTML5 app to be available web browser. |

| webOS | webOS, Palm only |

| Windows Mobile | Windows Mobile , Windows CE |

| Windows Phone | Windows Phone |

| Platform | Installer packaging options |

|---|---|

| Adobe AIR | The native distribution format of each… |

| BREW | OTA |

| Firefox OS | Firefox Marketplace , Web URL |

| .NET Compact Framework | OTA deployment, CAB files, ActiveSync |

| OpenFL | The native distribution format of each… |

| Palm OS | PRC files, PalmSource Installer (.psi) |

| Python | Sis deployment with py2sis or can use P… |

| Symbian | SIS deployment |

| Tizen | Tizen through App store, Web URL |

| Ubuntu Touch | Ubuntu Touch through App store, Web URL |

| webOS | OTA deployment, webOS through App store… |

| Windows Mobile | OTA deployment, CAB files, ActiveSync |

| Windows Phone | OTA deployment, XAP files |

| Platform | Development tool cost |

|---|---|

| Adobe AIR | Flash Builder , Flash Professional , In… |

| BREW | Related dev fees typically needed for B… |

| Firefox OS | Development requires Mozilla Firefox an… |

| .NET Compact Framework | Most tools free, but commercial edition… |

| OpenFL | Free |

| Palm OS | Free (POSE or GCC for Palm OS), or comm… |

| Python | Free |

| Symbian | Commercial and free tools available |

| Tizen | Development needs Windows, OS X, or Ubu… |

| Ubuntu Touch | Development requires Ubuntu Desktop 12.… |

| webOS | Free |

| Windows Mobile | Free command-line tools or eMbedded VC+… |

Criteria for selecting a development platform usually include the target mobile platforms, existing infrastructure, and development skills. When targeting more than one platform with cross-platform development, it is also important to consider the impact of the tool on the user experience. Performance is another important criterion, as research on mobile apps indicates a strong correlation between application performance and user satisfaction. Along with performance and other criteria, the availability of the technology and the project's requirements may drive the development between native and cross-platform environments. To aid the choice between native and cross-platform environments, some guidelines and benchmarks have been published. Typically, cross-platform environments are reusable across multiple platforms, leveraging a native container while using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for the user interface. In contrast, native environments are targeted at one platform for each of those environments. For example, Android development occurs in the Eclipse IDE using Android Developer Tools (ADT) plugins, Apple iOS development occurs using the Xcode IDE with Objective-C and/or Swift, Windows and BlackBerry each have their own development environments.

Mobile applications are first tested within the development environment using emulators and later subjected to field testing. Emulators provide an inexpensive way to test applications on mobile phones to which developers may not have physical access. The following are examples of tools used for testing applications across the most popular mobile operating systems.

• Google Android Emulator – an Android emulator that is patched to run on a Windows PC as a standalone app, without having to download and install the complete and complex Android SDK. It can be installed and Android compatible apps can be tested on it.

• The official Android SDK Emulator – a mobile device emulator which mimics all of the hardware and software features of a typical mobile device (without the calls).

• TestiPhone – a web browser-based simulator for quickly testing iPhone web applications. This tool has been tested and works using Internet Explorer 7, Firefox 2 and Safari 3.

• iPhoney – gives a pixel-accurate web browsing environment and it is powered by Safari. It can be used while developing web sites for the iPhone. It is not an iPhone simulator but instead is designed for web developers who want to create 320 by 480 (or 480 by 320) websites for use with iPhones. iPhoney will only run on OS X 10.4.7 or later.

• BlackBerry Simulator – There are a variety of official BlackBerry simulators available to emulate the functionality of actual BlackBerry products and test how the device software, screen, keyboard and trackwheel will work with the application.

• Windows UI Automation – To test applications that use the Microsoft UI Automation technology, it requires Windows Automation API 3.0. It is pre-installed on Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2 and later versions of Windows. On other operating systems, you can install it using Windows Update or download it from the Microsoft Web site.

• MobiOne Developer – a mobile Web integrated development environment (IDE) for Windows that helps developers to code, test, debug, package and deploy mobile Web applications to devices such as iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, and the Palm Pre. MobiOne Developer was officially declared End of Life by the end of 2014.cite-ref-8[8]

Tools include

• Eggplant Functional – GUI-based automated test tool for mobile apps across all operating systems and devices

• Ranorex – Test automation tools for mobile, web and desktop apps

• Testdroid – Real mobile devices and test automation tools for testing mobile and web apps

According to a 2020 Industry Report on Applications, 46% of mobile app users have stated that they have stopped using or uninstalled an app due to poor performance.cite-ref-0-9-0[9] Design experts advocate for the following design principles to create successful and effective mobile apps:

Clutter-free screens – Keeps interactions quick and simple, allowing users to focus on one specific task rather than being overwhelmed with multiple features and tasks. Design experts strongly advocate for one task per screen and recommend breaking down long forms into pages and progressively revealing new tasks or fields to minimize clutter.cite-ref-1-10-0[10]

Reduce cognitive load – Makes the use of the app as seamless as possible, and preserves natural flow through the app. Design experts suggest incorporating autocomplete, spell-check, predictive text assistance, and dropdown menus to reduce cognitive load. Design experts also recommend the state of the app be preserved when users temporarily leave the app and re-enter so that users can continue their use from where they left off.cite-ref-1-10-1[10]cite-ref-2-11-0[11]

Simple navigation – Around 11% of people have uninstalled apps due to their complicated interface.cite-ref-0-9-1[9] Design experts state it is paramount to present the navigation bar visibly in your app to help users navigate to frequently used and high-priority screens instantly. They suggest the use of recognizable icons specific to the device operating system to help users easily take actions such as opening a menu, changing settings, going back a screen, and searching within a page. According to them, a user should not be confused while navigating the app, so an orderly, clear, and logical navigation flow drives engagement and discovery in the app.cite-ref-1-10-2[10]cite-ref-2-11-1[11]

Notifications – It’s reported that around 19% of users uninstall an app due to frequent push notifications.cite-ref-0-9-2[9] Notifications should be sent with careful planning according to design experts. Experts state notifications should be sent at a time most convenient to users in their time zone and the messages should be personalized to bring great value to them.cite-ref-1-10-3[10]

Speed appearance – About 19% of people uninstall apps due to hang up issues.cite-ref-0-9-3[9] Design experts state it’s important to make sure the app is fast and responsive so that users don’t have to wait for content. They state developers should deliver content faster or give the perception of progress. Some approaches suggested by the experts are the use of skeleton screens which show the layout of the app with content grayed out, progress bars or loading spinners, tasks being carried out in the background and delivering the content quickly when the user requests for it, or giving users some tasks or content while they are waiting for a page to load.cite-ref-1-10-4[10]

Usability – Approximately 85% of mobile users use their phone with one hand,cite-ref-0-9-4[9] thus design experts state it is important that the top-level menu, frequently used controls, and common action items are within the reach of the user’s thumb. They also stress the importance of readability and it’s recommended that the text size is at least 11 point font so that users can read it at the typical reading distance without zooming in.cite-ref-1-10-5[10] It is recommended that headers and titles on the app screens be San Francisco 17pt and Roboto 16sp for operating systems iOS and Android respectively.cite-ref-2-11-2[11] The experts also state there should be 4.5:1 minimum contrast ratio between text and the background color.cite-ref-1-10-6[10] Design experts strongly encourage developers to make apps accessible for all users including people with disabilities, so they suggest features such as voice navigation, screen reader compatibility, and user interface adaptability in mobile apps.cite-ref-2-11-3[11]

Many patent applications are pending for new mobile phone apps. Most of these are in the technological fields of business methods, database management, data transfer, and operator interface.cite-ref-12[12]

• List of mobile app distribution platforms

• Lazy user model

• Mobile application management

• Mobile backend as a service

• Mobile business intelligence

• Mobile computing

• Mobile-device testing

• Mobile enterprise application platform

• Mobile games

• Mobile interaction

• Mobile marketing

• Mobile web development

• Mobile workflow

• Multi-channel app development

• MoSoSo, mobile social software

• On-Device Portal

• WURFL and WALL

• JQuery Mobile

• HTML5

cite-note-11. ↑ "Introduction to Mobile Application Development". IBM.com. Retrieved 24 June 2023.

cite-note-22. ↑ "Essential Aspects to Consider While Designing Mobile Apps". GlobalLogic. United Kingdom. 3 October 2016. Retrieved 24 June 2023.

cite-note-33. ↑ "What is a mobile app (mobile application)? – TechTarget Definition". WhatIs.com. Retrieved 24 June 2023.

cite-note-44. ↑ citerefatkinson2017Atkinson, Robert D. (October 2017). "The App Economy in Europe: Leading Countries and Cities, 2017" (PDF). Progressive Policy Institute. Retrieved 3 October 2024.

cite-note-51. "Launching Your App on Devices". Apple Developer. Retrieved 30 April 2016.

cite-note-xamarinrebrand-62. citereflinev2016Linev, Roman (14 November 2016). "Microsoft rebrands Xamarin Studio as Visual Studio for Mac". Winaero. Retrieved 5 March 2023.

cite-note-zdnetxamarin-73. citereffoley2017Foley, Mary Jo (10 May 2017). "Microsoft makes Visual Studio for Mac generally available". ZDNet. Retrieved 2 April 2023. Microsoft is making its Visual Studio for Mac – a rebranded version of Xamarin Studio for the Mac – generally available.

cite-note-88. ↑ "MobiOne Developer 1.0 M4: Create App Store-ready Mobile Web Applications, Experience True Device Behavior on Windows". PRWeb. Archived from the original on 8 October 2009. Retrieved 31 May 2021.

cite-note-0-99. ↑ "Apps Statistics, Usage & Downloads (2020 report)". SaaS Scout (formerly SoftwareFindr). 6 January 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2024.

cite-note-1-1010. ↑ "15 Mobile App Design Best Practices". ThoughtSpot. Retrieved 20 February 2024.

cite-note-2-1111. ↑ citerefcordini2021Cordini, Marcelo (6 January 2021). "The best mobile app design: Examples". Qubika. Retrieved 20 February 2024.

cite-note-1212. ↑ Nowotarski et al., "Increasing Allowance Rates by Selectively Targeting Patent Class" IPwatchdog, April 6, 2011