The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Cross Platform App Designing

By Author: Yancy Marry
Total Articles: 185
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It was only a few years back that mobile applications were considered a luxury in the enterprise circuit. Today, apps are not only necessary; they are compulsory tools to ensure mobility of business. Also, gone are the days when Apple’s iOS was the solitary operating system for running of mobile applications. The total number of Android users has surpassed iOS users; BlackBerry and Windows Phones customers are also rising every year. The increasing number of operating systems used in enterprises poses a challenge to mobile app developers who find it difficult to design unique applications for every platform.

Enter the concept of cross platform app designing. This model allows the building of mobile applications which can provide the desired results if run on any OS platform. Software development tools available in the mobile market help in creating apps that function well on every major operating system. Though the concept of cross platform application development is cost and time effective for the developer, it comes along with its own benefits and limitations. Listed below are some of them:

Advantages:

1. ...
... Reusable Code – A developer no longer has to write specific sequences or actions while creating apps for each platform. A single code can be used for multiple app development projects. Bits of the same code are used for app creation on every platform in cross platform designing.

2. Reduction of Development Costs – The biggest advantage that the concept of cross platform designing has for developers is the reduction of total costs. Even enterprises with limited resources can use cross platform apps since they do not have to invest in app building teams which are specific to on ecosystem. Merely hiring the services of one development company can provide the company with apps running on all major OS platforms.

3. Easy for Developers to Learn – The scripting languages used as part of every cross platform framework are easy to learn for web developers. All the languages like HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript have native functionality and are easy to master.

4. Easily Deployable – The compilation and deployment of mobile apps in the cross platform environment is a faster process when compared to the other frameworks. This is because of the fact that the cross platform environment has cloud based tools which are quick performing.

Disadvantages:

1. Inability to Use Personal Tools – Developers may have to forgo their IDE preferences in exchange of suites and tools provided by cross app designing frameworks. The PhoneGap framework is the only exception, where developers can use native IDEs for the platforms they support.

2. Code Runs Slowly – Since the same code is used for all OS platforms, they run very slowly during the development process. This means that designing of cross platform apps will take more time than building native apps.

3. Graphics and 3D Support is Limited – Gaming mobile applications are the most popular among all sections of app users. However, cross platform application development does not lend support to high end 3D and graphics, thereby discouraging the creation of gaming applications.

This is the age of cross platform app designing since the demand for mobile applications is higher than the rate of production. Though mobile market analysts often complain that cross platform apps look the same in every platform they are run, these software tools are here to stay if their demand is to be taken into consideration.

Copper Mobile, a Dallas based mobile developer provides mobility consulting solutions to various industry verticals. The enterprise mobility consultants firm has team of mobile app developers in Austin has created over 300 applications on major mobile platforms.