It is very easy to see the opportunity involved with Android mobile application developmentAs it’s only been a few years since the first Android device was released, and it has already become such a complex piece of technology.
At the time, it wasn’t even compared to the popular iPhone, but then again, that was just the first version of the Android device. Since then, advancements have given the Android name a whole new meaning. After the G1 there was the Donut, also known as Android 1.6, closely followed by 2.0, and here we are today with version 4.2 Jelly Bean that implements new camera features. “So”, you may ask, “what’s next?” Well now everyone is waiting for version 5.0, which is coming in the near future.
Operating system: what hardware do you need?
You can make use of several different operating systems such as Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X to develop your Android mobile applications. For the purposes of this tutorial, I use the Windows 8 operating system.
The following platforms are supported by Android:
– Windows 8 – 32 and 64 bits
– Windows 7 – 32 and 64 bits
– Windows Vista – 32 and 64 bits
– Windows XP – 32 bit
– Mac OS X 10.5.8 or later – x86 only
– Linux
If you use a 64-bit operating system, you need to make sure that it can handle 32-bit applications as well.
Making sure your app doesn’t crash
Your users’ phones will not necessarily run your application on their own; they will most likely do other work behind the scenes, such as downloading files or playing music from another app. You need to know the answers to questions like these:
• Will downloading files affect my application?
• Will my application crash if a necessary internet connection is not available?
You need to know the answers to such questions; I call this thinking outside the bounds of your application.
Not all apps are on the same level – there are some great and some depressing, trust me! Before you go and broadcast your application to the world, you need to make sure you know your limits. You should know that it will continue to run when users navigate the screen or perform routine tasks; otherwise everything could be a bit bungled.
Mobile application development for iPhone
An Intel-based Macintosh computer with the latest version of Mac OS is required to begin programming your first iPhone mobile application. The iPhone Software Development Kit (SDK) must also be downloaded for free upon becoming a registered iPhone developer.
For starters, we’ll assume you have a background in object-oriented programming and a form of C language like C ++ or C #.
The first step you need to take is to find an idea for a great iPhone mobile app. Let’s say you have an idea for an app to calculate your net worth in euros or a data-driven app to help you find the best sandwich in Philadelphia. Your next step is to think about the best iPhone mobile apps and what makes them outshine other apps. What steps are taken when clicking on that app that will seamlessly lead the user to the perfect sandwich in town?
Testing your application on real devices
To test your application, all you need to do is start it and check all its features.
In order for you to test your new app on your iPhone or iPad, you must be registered with the ios developer program and you must also have a developer certificate installed on the device you are using. This is one of the biggest problems developers have come across, but Apple has it for security reasons – they say all apps must be digitally signed and this can’t be done without joining the developer program.
Objective-C and cocoa
Tea ios Application development uses Objective-C, a superset of ANSI-C, with Smalltalk-style syntax, the most widely used language. You can quickly gain knowledge of Objective-C if you have written in any current programming language (such as C ++, Java, or even PHP).
The combined name given to the frameworks made available by Apple for OS X and iOS application development it is cocoa. Cocoa will be used throughout this book to indicate the iOS specific Apis.
Create an engaging user experience
IPhone mobile apps are incredibly easy to download and this is another important factor as to why the apps are so popular with businesses and individuals.
But it’s not just about the fact that the mobile app you need is ready to run right there on your phone; it is (equally important) how the mobile app is designed and implemented. It has to be able to function smoothly and in an ideal world that requires as little involvement from you as possible once it is up and running.
So having the app is only part of the story, while having an optimally designed app is another thing. These first two elements refer to what I describe as content: what an application actually does.
For example, a tourist guide app may have a brilliant user interface, for example, but the downside is that it may not give me the most up-to-date information, or it may not tell me exactly when my delayed flight leaves New York.
Mobile app development is quite a creative and interesting job and I would recommend it for you to get started with mobile app development for Android or iPhone devices.
