Choosing between cross-platform and native front-end programming frameworks for mobile devices

 

When you create mobile applications One of the initial options you must make is which front-end technology stack you should use.

There has been the distinction between two types of stacks of technology which are: native (meaning capable of developing apps for iOS and Android) or hybrid (iOS and Android) built on web technologies, such as HTML or Javascript. The primary factors that were taken into the decision making process included performance (how quick can my app be run) and reuse of code (how many platforms do I accommodate while writing the smallest quantity of codes).

It was logical at the time, since just the last few years, Microsoft and BlackBerry were trying to be a player in the market for smartphones with their operating systems. However, in order to reach the largest audience possible, developers needed to be able to work with at least three platforms. After the announcement of the ending support for both Windows Mobile and BlackBerry OS it's enough to launch an app for iOS and Android to be able to reach over 90% of users of smartphones.

Before 2015, hybrid meant mobile apps which were developed with HTML, JavaScript, and CSS which were then wrapped within a native shell which allowed the apps to be packaged to be made available through either the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The major drawback to this method was that it was believed to be performance-related since the code was running inside an integrated web browser (WebView) that was provided through the shell native to. After the introduction of React Native to the public in 2015, it uses JavaScript as an programming language, and also binds with native UI widgets, and also with Microsoft buying the open source Xamarin in the year 2016 that runs on the platform's runtime (either as JIT or AOT) The cross-platform tools have seen a significant performance boost that is close to native tools in pure performance.

That's why, in the present there are more factors that team leaders, developers and architects to consider when deciding on front-end technologies for mobile devices that go beyond the realms of reuse of code and performance.

Coding vs. Execution

Let's create new concepts for a closer look at the contrast between native and. cross-platform code and native as opposed to. cross-platform execution.

What is native and cross-platform programming?

• native (coded) applications are created using tools and programming languages that are made available by the company that creates the platform and OS the apps run. For instance native iOS apps are written mostly by using Objective-C and Swift while native Android apps are written with Java as well as Kotlin.
• cross-platform (coded) applications are created using programming languages and are that are not part of the development tools provided by the organization that developed the platform and OS that they are running on. It is a broad category that includes frameworks and stacks such as Ionic, Xamarin, React Native, Apache Cordova, Flutter and other frameworks and stacks.

Let's take a examine the differences between hybrid and native execution.

• Native (executed) applications are developed with native languages or languages that cross platforms. They they are either compiled to assembly code ahead of time (AOT) or just-in time (JIT) that still use native UI widgets. For instance, applications created with Xamarin, React Native, and Flutter belong to this class. It is a relatively new idea which is confirmed with the knowledge that all of these frameworks have been released recently (Flutter was the first to get a stabilized release on December of 2018) or in the beginning phases of maturity (although they are often used in production), React Native versioning is still way off from the release "1.0" since the most current version at the date at the time of this writing was 0.59).
• Hybrid (executed) apps are written in cross-platform web-based programming languages (HTML, CSS and JavaScript/ECMAScript or their supersets such as SCSS and Typescript) and are executed within a native shell, usually a WebView or equivalent. Applications developed with Cordova as well as Ionic are two examples of this kind of app.

There is a comparative list of IDEs as well as CLIs and OSs as well as programming languages for these native as well as cross-platform stacks in Table 2 in " Getting started with full-stack mobile development." It's important to note that for this piece, the emphasis is on full-code stacks for development, therefore the comparison parameters assume that there's code to write and there isn't an app with no code or a low-code development tool.

The tradeoffs to consider when choosing the mobile framework for development

In the first place, let's begin by saying that implementing an all-native technology stack is the only way to build an application development framework for mobile devices. If you're considering the use of an open-platform technology stack to making mobile applications There are other factors that influence your choice (such as time for development and reuse of code) which could require you to compromise. These tradeoffs do not have to be about the performance of your app, but they do deal with different aspects related to mobile app development like upgrade paths and timing of tools and support for mobile languages. OS updates.

Performance

The most significant perceived difference of native and unnative mobile applications is performance as hybrid mobile applications performing more poor than native apps for mobile. Performance refers to 2D mobile apps and not 3D applications that require the use of a 3D engine.

Although there aren't any 3D graphic you need your mobile app's UI to be fluid even during the processing of large amounts of data to give users a smooth experience. Since mobile processors are multithreaded you don't want your mobile application's UI logic to be running in the same thread as the data processing takes place. Although poorly written mobile apps can slow down on any platform Native mobile frameworks come with this capability built-in and have APIs that allow you to fine-tune the execution of different operations across multiple threads. Web applications and hybrid apps which are built on web technologies must run their content in an embedded web browser . doing intensive processing, like the processing of an API response in the browser results in the UI being blocked (or alternatively, it displays large-screen "Loading" indications to block the user from engaging with the user interface).

The most recent cross-platform mobile development frameworks tackle the limitations of performance in various ways. Some of them are considered native apps about running time.

• React Native utilizes JavaScriptCore, the JavaScriptCore engine that executes Javascript code, and also native widgets for the UI that result the Javascript code not affecting UI actions.
• Xamarin compiles code in advance into ARM assembly languages that is compatible with iOS along with for Android, the MonoVM virtual machine available for Android that is located at the same level with that of JVM within the Kernel.
• Flutter can compile to 32 and 64 bit ARM software that is compatible with iOS as well as Android.

All of these approaches have limitations that vary based on the platforms you use that you should go through the page on limitations when creating your mobile application to determine the extent to which you need to meet such requirements that a specific framework might not be suitable for your needs.

Resources or staffing

If you choose to choose an open-platform mobile development framework you'll be in a position to create apps that work on various platform (iOS, Android or even Universal Windows Platform and Web) with the same capabilities. The possible drawback to hiring or resources is creating an entire team consisting of "generalists." Designers who are generalists risk not being aware of the capabilities of every target platform, and they will create UIs that aren't fish or fowl. The generalist developer may not know about specific APIs for the target platform and will attempt to "rebuild the wheel" using a different toolkit. You should make sure that your team is equipped with an established design and architecture guideline when it comes to staffing resources for mobile apps that cross platforms.

Don't fall in the trap of thinking that mobile development frameworks for cross-platforms are more user-friendly as opposed to native frameworks. Most of the time when you're creating a complicated app it is necessary to make use of certain features native to devices through bridges or plugins which can only be coded with native language code. Therefore, you'll need skilled developers who have an advanced level of knowledge.

Reuse of code and development time

Time-to-market is a crucial aspect for new mobile apps Companies are constantly trying to cut down the time needed to create mobile applications as much as they can. Although it is possible to create dual-native applications on iOS and Android in tandem and launch them at the at the same time, this technique may require you to extend the development time or expand the team size.

A mobile development framework that is cross-platform together with a good architecture for applications, can help speed up development by allowing code reuse. For apps that don't make use of frameworks in a large amount It is possible to consider 90% code reuse with those using the Xamarin, React Native, and Ionic frameworks. Certain tools, like Ionic allow the identical codes to reused not only for mobile, but with web apps too (by developing Progressive Web Apps).

The risk in seeking to maximize reuse of code is that you could lose the perspective of each platform's unique strengths when you design for the common user, without making use of frameworks that are specific to the platform.

Future upgrade pathways

Mobile platforms are continuously changing, so you have be thinking about the long-term viability of the mobile application you're about to create. The longer you wish for your app to be available to the public without having to undergo a major changes and the greater you need to select a platform with clear upgrade paths. Selecting a stack of technology which does not come with an enduring roadmap or tiny support network could put the possibility of having to write a new application at a specific date in the near future, which can be an investment of a significant amount. If you opt for an native mobile development platform it is likely that the vendor will likely offer a clear migration guide, a migration process and tools for automated migration. If a major change occurs, like the conversion of Objective-C into Swift and Java to Kotlin the platform's vendor will provide tools and guidelines in place to support these new language. When it comes to cross-platform mobile development technology there is a higher risk. To reduce this risk, it is important to pick tools that are supported by large communities or large corporations. A support fee could be helpful in this situation, however it may not be the most important thing when the vendor is one of the niche companies.

OS updates Support, timing, and effort

This means that you must address the issue "What happens when an updated OS version comes out?" as well as addressing other related issues like "How fast will my framework work with the most recent features?"

Native tools and languages are supported on the date of release however cross-platform applications will undoubtedly have a delay from the final OS release and the inclusion of the same features in the framework for cross-platforms. This trade-off can be addressed by asking these concerns: "How vital is it that your app is able to handle the latest features on launch day?" "Are you planning to be present at conferences hosted by Google or Apple to showcase upcoming features for your app?" If the answer to these questions is "yes then you'll want the native stack.

Also, you should consider the possibility that the latest OS release includes API modifications that require code changes in order for the app to function smoothly in the latest OS update, or modifications to the build toolkit which cause builds fail. As an example the time Xcode 10 was released, it came with a new build tool that stopped cordova-powered Ionic Framework apps from being correctly packaged for iOS. While the resolution can be straightforward (in this instance you needed to add an "build flag") but it required our team's DevOps experts to find the problem and seek assistance from the community for solution. If you select an open-platform stack with broad participation from the community or gets the vendor "push," this trade-off can be minimized.

Considerations for development when choosing the best mobile framework for development

With these points explained, let's examine aspects that can influence your decision between a cross-platform or native developing framework for mobile devices. The most important driver for these decisions is the type of app you're developing and its users and the devices you intend to accommodate. I am going to assume that, in accordance with best methods, if working in a fast-paced way, you will have fast release times for all kinds of apps and try to provide the most user-friendly experience possible in every scenario.

What kind of application you are building? (Audience, devices, complexity)

The first and most important thing is that the framework for mobile development you select will depend on the kind of app you're developing:

• Enterprise applications that cater to B2E employees, such as an audit tool, or a maintenance tool for plants. These applications are expected to last a long time and are likely to be complicated regarding business logic however, you might not need immediate support for new OS features. For enterprise apps the company may be operating a device plan which stipulates that all apps will be built exclusively on one platform.
• Applications for productivity that are B2C customers-facing like shopping apps. It is likely for these apps to be quite complex, will last for a long time in the App Store and you'll would like them to work as well as they can because your brand's name will appear alongside the App Store's rating. You should expect that you'll have to focus on both of the top platforms available and at present iOS as well as Android.
• Marketing applications that are B2C designed for B2C, like an app to run a campaign or the organiser of a conference. These apps can be fairly basic, however they will need to have attractive features. Except for a few limitations, these apps will not be required to remain on the app store for a lengthy period of time, and will only be available for sale for the duration of the duration of the event or campaign. Because they are apps intended for the general public, they have be made available to all platforms in the market. You might even consider an online version.
• Apps for productivity that are designed intended for business partners B2B for example, an app for tracking orders from wholesalers or an inspection application. From a complexity and usage point of view, it'll be similar to employee-oriented app (fairly complicated and with an extended life) however the major distinction is that your business does not control the strategy for devices for your B2B business partner, which means you'll need to create apps that work on various platforms.

How well-versed is your team's knowledge of the tools of mobile development?

If you are putting together your mobile app project it is important to determine what the mobile development capabilities you have in your team. If you work in a setting that requires an extensive knowledge of a particular tool or language for mobile development, cross-platform mobile frameworks might be a good fit for your needs. For instance, Xamarin offers tools for developing native applications (from the processor viewpoint of architecture) and is compatible with the platforms of Android as well as iOS. For instance, a group consisting of React web developers will be more comfortable building React Native apps than switching to native development languages.

In addition to different programming languages and syntax, a common feature of a variety of cross-platform mobile development frameworks is that they support the "hot refresh" also known as "live reload" method of development. Because modifications aren't directly compiled into native code, when you modify an application's developing environment, your application will be refreshed immediately in the simulator you're using to develop. Developers are enthralled by this feature.

Regardless of which platform you are using, if there is a cross-platform development framework your team may be experienced with, the team is likely to need assistance from experts in your native operating system. If the cross-platform stack isn't able to provide a plugin right that is built-in to the features that your application requires and you'll need to depend on other sources to get these capabilities.

How complex is your application?

Complexity of apps can be assessed in a variety of ways and the amount of available frameworks/SDKs or frameworks as well as features on the device is definitely the best way to choose between cross-platform and native mobile development platforms. Sometimes, the complexity of an app can be measured by "number of webpages" (or screen sizes) however this isn't the way you want to determine it. A smaller app might require an extensive integration of platforms, and the calculation of the complexity must be made prior to the start of the solution development, when your Mobile Architect or Lead Developer is the one who makes decisions regarding how to use the various frameworks as well as capabilities of mobile platforms that can provide the required business features.

If your app requires to incorporate specific capabilities for a particular platform (such such as ARKit which is for Augmented Reality, CoreML for Machine Learning, or ApplePay for iOS) You'll have to research thoroughly and determine whether it's worthwhile to develop a cross-platform application and then implement or create bridges and plugins for these technologies or go completely native.

Additionally, based on the backend technology you are using in your full-stack app, it is possible to must add integration SDKs for notifications, databases API integration, or notifications. For instance, if you develop an app for Salesforce it will need an SDK for Salesforce. Salesforce SDK. The availability of the appropriate SDK that is compatible with the backend platform you want to use is a crucial to make a decision about a specific technology. While all native applications have the associated SDK however, certain cross-platform frameworks are not.

What support will you provide for your app following its launch?

Any software made available to users must have some kind of support, ranging from fixing bugs to ensuring that the app functions on the latest OS versions. Mobile applications are never "done," and you are likely to develop your application over time with new features added over time.

If you're using an agile, agile process as well as DevOps ideal practices then bugs and enhancements are added to the backlog, and will be addressed in the next update by the team who developed the application. The shared database is one of the factors which can help reduce the amount of time spent solving issues, since your team will be able to fix the issue in one spot. Additionally, should your business make the unwise decision of outsourcing support functions to another group using a shared codebase, it could help in reducing the amount of resources allocated to support functions.

Is there a predicted lifespan for your application?

Before you start developing your next mobile app you must be aware of how long the app to be available. While mobile apps can be a bit short-lived in comparison to other solutions that are more traditional however, I think it's feasible to plan for a 3-year lifespan for your mobile app (before considering an extensive rewrite) especially in environments with employees.

Making sure that the technology you choose ensures that you are always able to update to the most current support levels offered through the platform for mobile is crucial when it comes to apps with longevity, and it is not an issue for marketing campaigns or events apps that might be changed or put to the trash when their purpose has been completed. While some cross-platform platforms are supported by major corporations, like the case with Facebook and Google for React Native, the support may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Naturally, if you have an adequate user base, the project will continue to exist but it's difficult to sell in the event that you design an application with a long-term lifespan.

Conclusion

The article presented the tradeoffs I have identified and development considerations to make a decision between hybrid and native Frameworks for mobile-based development.

What was initially known as "hybrid" has evolved over the last few years to become more advanced toolkits for cross-platform design. The disadvantages of the older hybrid (web-based) strategies are now no longer a problem and more innovative ways are being developed to provide the development experience across multiple platforms and provide native code that is fast and efficient.

Cross-platform frameworks provide in certain cases more advanced tools than native ones. Think of hot reload or live reload. While Instant Run for Android as well as SwiftUI in iOS provide similar functionality This is one feature which was moved over from hybrid and back into native.

Cross-platform development stacks can be powerful. They are also, as you've probably guessed the power of great power comes with big responsibilities. In the past, a framework for mobile development across platforms, (especially a web-based one) could be utilized to help speed up the development of new developers or give a pathway that allowed Web developers to rapidly gain mobile-specific skills. With the advancement of modern mobile operating systems and the plethora of frameworks and features to develop for, you require experienced cross-platform developers with native guidance to create solutions that make use of the latest capabilities of smartphones.

It is not difficult to build native apps. You will have an easy upgrade path as well as a tooling that is supported on day-0 of any new OS releases and there are no trade-offs in performance to consider. In the end these are some general rules of thumb to consider when deciding to go with native and cross-platform framework for mobile app development. It's not a black-and-white issue in the realm of technical choices, and you should record all the elements that affect your decision:

• Are you creating a complicated mobile applicationthat has significant dependence on native frameworks and "first-of-a-kind" mobile apps based on the latest technology? Develop it using Native stack. Period.
• Are you creating an B2C application for the retail stores, and with a longevity of many years? Create it with native stacks. Your team may still play creating partial features using cross-platform software (for instance, Airbnb and Facebook have experimented using React Native in this way).
• Did you conduct your research and are you sure that your solution meets an acceptable level of complexity? Are staffing, code reuse and time to market your primary factors? Consider cross-platform frameworks, bringing in guidance from senior native developers/architects/designers as needed.

The most important factor that determines your success is always your team. Although the selection of the most appropriate stack will definitely have a role to play in the success of your business, a well-motivated and agile team is the key to achievement.