What is cross platform

What is Cross-Platform Software?

Cross-platform software is a type of software application that which works on multiple operating systems or devices, which are often referred to as platforms. A platform means an operating system such as Windows, Mac OS, Android or iOS. When a software application works on more than one platform, the user can utilize the software on a wider choice of devices and computers.

The benefit of cross-platform software

The benefit of a cross-platform software app or program is that you can use the same program whether you’re on a Windows PC or whether you’re logging in from your laptop or smartphone. The Microsoft Office suite of applications, which includes Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, are available on Windows, Mac OS, iOS (iPhone/iPad) and Android. While there are differences based on how the platforms work, you’ll have a similar experience within the application between all of your devices.

Having a similar experience across any platform means there’s a much smaller learning curve, if one even exists at all, so you’ll be more productive and be able to use a software product you’re familiar with regardless of the operating system or device you choose. In addition, your files can be moved much more easily between your devices so you can use the software with whatever device you have with you at the time. And there’s a way to keep all of your work in sync across all of your devices, by using the cloud.

Examples of Cross-platforms

Unity3D

First, let’s talk about Unity3D. I think the game engine should be preferred by people who want to write mobile games.
You can develop games on 17 platforms using multiple languages, including Linux. Of course, ios, android and windows phone is also the most ideal game engine to develop games.

You can develop your application using C #, JS, C ++.

Xamarin

Xamarin Some time ago, it was purchased by Microsoft and is a perfect fit for developers using C #.

Because it is a C # language, it has a lot of documentation, and because of Microsoft support, Xamarin is the choice for C # developers.

In addition, you can do everything you can do in Objective-C, Swift and Javada with the Xamarian library.

React Native

React Native is an open-source JavaScript library developed by the new generation of React — Facebook, which was open to Github in 2013. Native application creation means writing applications only for a specific operating system. React Native helps developers reuse their code over the web and on the mobile. Developers will not have to create the same app from scratch for iOS and Android. They will be able to reuse the code in each operating system. The great thing about React Native is that there is little difference between a finished application in Objective-C or Java and an application built using React Native. Android and iOS code development environments are very different. So it takes time to remove the application to two different platforms. However, with React Native, only one developer can write on different mobile operating systems.

In addition, you can create practical applications where you can with cross platforms such as PhoneGap,Sencha and Appcelerator Titanium.

Кроссплатформенность — это круто

Ни для кого не секрет, что сегодня мобильные игры очень популярны. Возможность написать одну из таких игр есть у каждого разработчика, даже начинающего. Часто возникает вопрос с выбором платформы. Конечно, хочется, чтобы игра была сразу везде: на iOS и Android, на WP7 и MeeGo, на десктопе и в браузере. И чтобы все это можно было лекго реализовать с помощью бесплатных инструментов.

В этой статье я расскажу вам, как сделать основную часть кода платформонезависимой, а для остального использовать удобные средства разработки для каждой конкретной платформы.

Цель игры, изображенной на рисунке выше — успеть попасть по яблоку, пока оно летит вниз. Со временем количество яблок увеличивается, и не пропускать их становится все сложнее. Яблоки падают под произвольным углом, вращаясь и реалистично отскакивая от границ благодаря физическому движку Box2D. Игра будет запускаться на Android, платформах с поддержкой Qt (Symbian, Maemo, MeeGo, Windows, Linux, Mac OS X) и в браузере Google Chrome.

Выбор удобных инструментов

Так как основную часть кода я буду писать на чистом С++ (почему, читайте в конце статьи), IDE для этого подойдет любая. Я выберу Qt Creator, хотя ничего не мешает мне использовать Microsoft Visual Studio или Eclipse, например.

Для платформы Android я остановлюсь на библиотеке libgdx. С ее помощью легко можно рисовать текстуры, проигрывать звуки и делать другие необходимые вещи.

В качестве инструмента для разработки игры на десктопе я возьму Qt. Я давно знаком с этой библиотекой, и она не перестает меня радовать. При использовании Qt я также получу приятный бонус в виде поддержки мобильных операционных систем Symbian, Maemo и MeeGo.

Также специально для этой статьи я с помощью HTML5, javascript и Google Native Client сделаю так, чтобы игра запускалась в браузере Google Chrome. Я буду использовать HTML5 Canvas и Audio, и вы увидите, насколько это легко и просто.

Реализация логики не сложная, поэтому я не буду писать о ней (желающие могут взглянуть на код). Вместо этого я сконцентрируюсь на том, как заставить игру работать на всех операционных системах.

Абстрагируемся от конечной платформы

Как я уже говорил, основная часть кода будет общей для всех платформ. Назовем ее «движок». Мне нужно будет решить две задачи. Первая — вызов методов движка на каждой платформе:

Для этого движок предоставит платформам следующий интерфейс:

Вызовы обработчиков рисования и ввода на различных платформах будут вызывать методы из класса Application, например, при использовании Qt это будет выглядеть так:

На Android выйдет немного сложнее, потому что из Java нужно попасть в C++:

После этого в C++ вызываются соответствующие методы:

При использовании Native Client в браузере из javascript нельзя напрямую обращаться к С++, вместо этого надо отправлять сообщения модулю, например, строки:

В С++ сообщения анализируются, и в зависимости от содержания вызывается тот или иной метод:

В итоге движку не важно, из какой платформы был вызов, он абстрагировался от этого. Но он знает, что произошло касание экрана в точке (x, y) или пришло время для обработки физики и вывода изображений на экран.

Обратное взаимодействие

Вторая задача — обратное взаимодействие движка с платформой:

Это нужно для того, чтобы движок командовал, когда выводить изображения и текст на экран, проигрывать звук, вибрировать. Для этого все платформы должны реализовать общий интерфейс. Назовем этот интерфейс Platform:

На уровне движка я не привязываюсь ни к какой конкретной платформе, я не загружаю картинки или аудио файлы, вместо этого я использую числовые идентификаторы. Когда я хочу вывести изображение на экран, или проиграть звук, я делаю следующее:

Таким образом движок абстрагируется от деталей реализации различных операций на каждой платформе. Привожу для наглядности диаграмму классов:

Сложно ли все это сделать? Вы убедитесь в том, что нет. Время, конечно, придется потратить, но в большинстве случаев им можно пренебречь в сравнении со временем, потраченным на программирование логики приложения. Я приведу код для платформ Android, Qt и Native Client для каждой необходимой операции:
Рисование изображения, Android (libgdx):

Рисование изображения, Qt:

Рисование изображения, javascript (HTML5 Canvas):

Рисование текста, Android (libgdx):

Рисование текста, Qt:

Рисование текста, javascript (HTML5 Canvas):

Проигрывание звука, Android (libgdx):

Проигрывание звука, Qt:

Проигрывание звука, javascript (HTML5 Audio):

Вибрация, Android(libgdx):

При реализации для Android придется немного повозиться с вызовом java кода из C++ — один раз получить ID нужных java методов:

и потом вызывать их:

Нетривиальная ситуация и с Native Client — нужно отправлять сообщения из С++ кода в javascript:

И в javascript эти сообщения парсить:

Результат

Эта простая игра называется «Поймай яблочко». Предлагаю запустить и попробовать продержаться пару минут, у меня вначале не получалось:
— Native Client версия (убедитесь, что у вас последняя версия браузера Google Chrome, и Native Client включен в about:plugins и about:flags). Размер исполняемого файла nexe — 4.2Мб для 32-битных систем и 4.9Мб для 64-битных, при медленном соединении придется немного подождать;
— Windows версия — для тех, кто не любит Google Chrome.

Игра прекрасно запускается на Android эмуляторе и моем LG Optimus. Та же ситуация с Qt Simulator (скриншот с Nokia N9 в самом начале темы).

Код можно взять тут, я думаю, он может пригодиться кому-нибудь, особенно участки, которые отвечают за связку Java и C++, javascript и C++ (если по этому поводу у вас возникнут вопросы — задавайте, не стесняйтесь, с удовольствием отвечу).

Зачем все это?

Многие из вас подумают, зачем писать велосипед? Если есть Marmalade или Unity, например. Есть, но они стоят денег, да и зачем такие тяжеловесы для простой 2D игрушки? Некоторые говорят также, что Qt заводится на Android и iOS, но на самом деле на Android не очень так заводится, без звука и OpenGL, а на iOS так вообще, только ролики на YouTube. Мне очень нравится Qt, и я надеюсь, что в недалеком будущем приложения для iOS и Android можно будет писать так же просто, как сейчас для MeeGo, но пока лучше пользоваться другими инструментами для этих платформ.

Преимущества

Используя подход, описанный в этой статье, вы не привязаны к платформе, вы можете использовать те инструменты, которые хотите, а в последующем легко их менять. На десктопе — Qt или GTK, на Android — libgdx или AndEngine, на iOS — cocos2d, выбор за вами. Можете вовсе отказаться от движков, используя API, предоставляемое платформой. Большую часть времени вы можете писать и отлаживать код в вашей любимой IDE на великом и могучем C++.

Недостатки

Недостатки, конечно, тоже есть, например, вы не сможете пользоваться готовыми UI компонентами — вам нужно будет реализовать их на C++. Либо выносить UI часть приложения в каждую платформу. Также вам обязательно придется тесно познакомиться с каждой платформой, но как показывает практика, полностью уйти от этого знакомства никогда не удается.

What is Cross-Platform App Development?

Cross-platform apps are riding the popularity of mobile application development. Its ability to run on multiple mobile platforms allows startups to save costs and decrease development time. In this article, you will know more about cross-platform mobile app development and how it can significantly benefit startups.

Do you know how many smartphone users are in the United States? Smartphone users in the US are estimated to reach 275.66 million by 2020. What’s more interesting is that 80% of their mobile time is spent on mobile applications.

It is no wonder mobile application development is growing in demand. Businesses are joining the race by building mobile applications that they can launch in both Google Play Store and Apple Play Store to gain an advantage over their competitors.

When we say mobile apps, two options come to mind: native and cross-platform. For today, we will discuss the most cost and time-efficient of the two, cross-platform apps.

What are Cross-Platform Apps

Cross-platform mobile applications are mobile apps developed to function for multiple mobile platforms. These apps are compatible with more than one operating system, such as iOS and Android.

With cross-platform mobile app development, developers can build applications that can run on different platforms with one single code system. It means the company can release the product faster and with better quality. Since it is compatible with various mobile operating systems, the application can reach a broader audience.

Its rapid development, turnaround time, and cost-effective quality make it very suitable for startups. Building a cross-platform app can help with some common mobile application development challenges.

Native vs. Cross-Platform

Choosing between native and cross-platform mobile app development is a never-ending debate for developers. In their way, both frameworks have their advantages and disadvantages.

Native apps are relatively different from cross-platform apps. One of its notable differences is the loyalty of native mobile apps to running for a single operating system. Native applications use a specific programming language for a particular operating system—Objective-C for iOS and Java for Android.

Native apps are deemed superior compared to cross-platform apps. Mobile apps in native perform faster and provide a high degree of reliability. This is expected for applications that are built solely for a single operating system. It is specially made to match the layout, UI, and functions that use the utmost advantage of the mobile platform.

However, creating a native application can be very costly for startups. This is the very reason why the advantages of cross-platform apps outshine native apps.

Since native apps are built solely for a single platform, companies are forced to create duplicate versions of the app that can also run on other platforms. This process requires additional development time as well as developer costs.

Rather than spending more time and money developing multiple app versions, startups prefer single-code cross-platform apps to launch one application for every platform.

If you are concerned about performance issues, then your worry is misplaced. Cross-platform development technology is constantly innovating to create better apps. Currently, there are a lot of tools and technologies that app developers can use to create cross-platform apps that can run similar to that of a native app.

Choosing between a native and cross-platform framework notably depends on the current state of your business. Weigh the pros and cons of both frameworks and see what works better.

To help with that, here is a brief overview of how a cross-platform app is created.

Choose a Cross-Platform Development Tool

As mentioned before, there are a lot of current tools and technologies that developers can use to create fast and reliable. And here are a few popular tools that you can choose from:

React Native

This cross-platform framework was introduced by Facebook in 2015. React Native caused an enormous wave in the trend for hybrid frameworks. Since its debut, it has become one of the most popular mobile application development frameworks.

Well, it is due to its code reusability feature and ready-to-apply elements that considerably shortens development time. Also, this framework can render a native-like interface that users love.

Xamarin

Xamarin is the oldest cross-platform framework in this list, launched in 2011. The framework was once independent but later acquired by Microsoft. Xamarin is an open-source framework that uses C# coding, which means it can work on any platform, including Android and iOS.

Flutter

Flutter is the latest framework among the three on the list. This is another open-source, cross-platform framework that seamlessly creates native interfaces for Android and iOS. This framework is perfect for startups building a minimum viable product (MVP). Instead of creating two separate apps for Android and iOS, you can build Flutter cross-platform apps that look native on both platforms.

Deal with Multiple Platforms

Be aware that platforms are diverse. Yes, you are building a single app for multiple platforms, but keep in mind that these platforms have different requirements. You will find guidelines for UI, platform-specific attributes (screen size, keyboards, touch, and gestures, etc.), and device-specific features (camera, maps, social media apps, etc.).

Don’t focus your learning on one platform; again, they are diverse. Once you are familiar with the guidelines and requirements for every platform, you can confidently create a cross-platform app design for all engines.

Testing

Never forgo the testing process. Before you publish or launch the app in the market, make sure to do thorough testing of the mobile application. You must conduct different testing levels to ensure objective testing results. First is the developer-level unit testing, then conduct beta testing.

Looking for Cross-Platform App Developers?

In creating a mobile application, you need to keep in mind two essential things. One is the speed of the app, and then the user experience. You must make sure to monitor the loading speed of your mobile application, as well as the application functionalities.

Yes, indeed, cross-platform tools can likely duplicate the performance of native apps, but this will depend on how capable your developer is.

If you want to launch cross-platform apps that are visually appealing and highly reliable, then you should hire skilled and experienced cross-platform app developers. It would be best if you employ developers from Full Scale.

We know the long and tiring process of screening and selecting the right developer for your team. All you need to do is tell us what kind of developer you need, and we will provide you with a list of developers to choose from.

Our developers are on top of their game. They have immense mobile application development knowledge, years of experience, and an excellent track record.

You choose your team and monitor their progress for every development stage. With that, you eliminate the hectic process of recruiting and focus your time on more critical innovations for your startup. What are you waiting for? Schedule a FREE consultation right now!

Cross Platform

Table of Contents

What Does Cross Platform Mean?

A cross-platform computer product or system is a product or system that can work across multiple types of platforms or operating environments. Different kinds of cross-platform systems include both hardware and software systems, as well as systems that involve separate builds for each platform, as well as other broader systems that are designed to work the same way across multiple platforms.

Cross platform is also known as multiplatform or platform independent.

Techopedia Explains Cross Platform

In general, the term cross-platform is used in a multitude of different ways across many parts of the IT industry. Resources from development communities and open-source projects point out that the definition of the term can relate to running a program or system over different operating systems, over different programming environments, or even over different types of physical hardware devices.

Each device and operating system has its own programming interface for dealing with applications. Manipulating these in various ways can help IT systems run effectively in many different environments. One common type of cross-platform system is a virtual product or system that will run in a cloud computing or wireless network environment. Here, developers will look for synergy between front-end and back-end systems that may be connected remotely through a global IP connection. Developers or users may talk about cross-platform systems that can be made to function on an end-user’s device regardless of the manufacturer, or on any number of vendor-supplied or open-source end-user environments. In many cases, cross-platform operations include not only working with application programming interfaces, but also with any licensing requirements that exist. Open-source software and operating systems have decreased the use of the traditional software licensing agreement, but many of the top operating systems and other environments are still provided under traditional licenses.

Cross-Platform App Development – Explore Frameworks, Technology and Business Benefits

In the following article, we will discuss what cross-platform development is, what benefits it brings, and what frameworks you can use for it. Let’s dive in!

What is a Cross-Platform App Development?

The driving force for cross-platform application development is to produce software that works well in more than one specific digital environment, with the main purpose of selling it to a wider customer base.

Business Benefits of Cross-Platform Development

Let’s review the benefits associated with cross-platform application development.

Launching the software simultaneously on various platforms

When you work on cross-platform app development, you can launch your software quickly on various platforms. The source code is written once for all platforms. This means you don’t need to hire a separate software development team for each platform, as it’s possible to launch and update the software by using a variety of cross-platform development tools.

The number of smartphone users worldwide is predicted to hit 3.5 billion by the end of 2020. 87% of smartphone users spend their mobile time on apps. The mobile app market will generate up to $581.9 billion in revenue by the end of 2020.

Faster development time

It requires the deployment of a single script instead of writing separate scripts for each platform. This significantly speeds up development time and cuts time to market, which benefits everyone, from the dev team all the way to marketing.

Reaching a wider audience

Cross-platform application development offers you an opportunity to reach a larger audience. How so? Think about it – if your app is compatible with multiple platforms and operating systems like the web, iOS, and Android, it can be used by a larger number of users. It’s a great way to maximize your exposure – with less effort and time.

Faster and easier updates

Since cross-platform applications are Internet-based, updates are nice and easy. Users don’t have to download separate updates, which would require the maintenance and support of multiple app versions. The app is updated automatically for all customers to ensure they always have the most current version of the app, which positively impacts its performance.

Cost savings & shorter time to profitability

All of the above-mentioned advantages entail significant cost savings. With the development speed cross-platform development brings, your time-to-market for each platform is shorter than if you had to create each app from scratch. This means you can get your software to generate revenue much sooner. You don’t need to maintain a software development team for each platform you launch your app to, which will bring significant savings over time.

Cross-Platform applications are often the best choice for our partners. In case the company wants to deliver the product quickly on a reasonable budget, this technology gives the best results. There is also a growing awareness of customers who ask for such solutions themselves. This is particularly popular in the first phase of launching a digital service. Mike Jackowski COO, ASPER BROTHERS Contact Me

That said, you might be wondering whether there are any disadvantages you should be aware of. As explained by Techopedia, cross-platform development can make programs less efficient in that you will need to maintain file storage for all the systems the software supports. This could also mean that you would be limited by various technologies’ constraints when choosing the right software environment. All in all, these drawbacks do not make cross-platform development any less popular, with the advantages outweighing the solution’s limitations.

Cross-Platform Technology and Frameworks

Hopefully, we’ve managed to persuade you that cross-platform application development is an approach worth considering. Now it’s time to look at some of the frameworks you can use while building your apps, starting with Flutter.

Flutter

Flutter is considered the perfect framework for developing high-performance web apps. Brought to life by Google in 2018, it’s an advanced, open-source software development kit (SDK). Since it is one of the descendants of the above-mentioned tech giant, it’s pretty much guaranteed that Flutter will be continuously developed, and its community of supporters will grow.

Using Flutter as your cross-platform app development framework can bring benefits like:

React Native

React Native is a cross-platform app development framework most frequently chosen by developers, as indicated by the graphic below. It was launched in 2015 by Facebook. It’s a mobile framework based on JavaScript, which enables building natively-rendered mobile apps for iOS and Android.

Here are the main benefits of using React Native as your cross-platform app development framework:

React Native is not without reason so popular. It is a great tool that will work in most cases. / source: statista.com

Progressive Web App (PWA) frameworks for web applications

Next to native app development, PWA is also a popular cross-platform development method. Let’s look at three popular progressive web app frameworks below.

Angular

Angular is an open-source, cross-platform framework owned and controlled by Google. It utilizes TypeScript and HTML for the creation of single-page web applications. It is one of the most popular, powerful, and efficient JavaScript frameworks.

What are the benefits of using Angular?

The front-end of the digital version of Forbes Magazine is based on Angular Framework. / Source: Forbes.com

Vue is a popular JavaScript framework used by developers for creating simple-paged web applications and User Interfaces. It is also referred to as Vue.js. Developers can utilize Vue’s high decoupling capability to create progressive web applications. Vue is used in thousands of companies all over the world. Companies like Alibaba, Gitlab, and Xiaomi use Vue for their web development projects.

Here are a few benefits of using this cross-platform app development framework:

React.js

React.js, also referred to as React, is an open-source, JavaScript front-end framework that lets you build interfaces quickly and efficiently. It is not mistaken with the above-mentioned React Native, a native mobile app development framework.

Created by Facebook for internal use (such as powering the platform’s News Feed and Instagram functionalities), React became open-sourced in 2013. According to Stack Overflow’s 2020 annual survey, it is the second most loved web framework among the developer community.

React.js is one of the most appreciated technologies, according to recent research on developers. /source: insights.stackoverflow.com

What makes React this popular? Let’s take a look at the top benefits:

Summary

Cross-platform app development has become an important alternative to traditional, native development. There are many reasons behind its rising popularity. Firstly, it allows you to launch your app on various platforms simultaneously. This means you can reach a wider audience than in the case of developing an app for a single platform. Secondly, it offers a quicker time-to-market, as the code doesn’t need to be written from scratch separately for web, iOS, and Android. Finally, this translates to significant savings in the development and maintenance phase, as you only need one development team to cover all platforms.

You will see two types of cross-platform app development services in your search online – native and PWA. The first approach includes the popular React Native and Flutter, while the latter lets you create your app with React.js, Vue, and Angular, among others. When deciding on the right approach, we recommend that you refer to the article above to make an educated business decision.

Good luck with your app development project!

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