This document discusses the challenges of developing cross-platform mobile apps. It notes that initially developing separate native apps for each platform (iPhone, Android) is time consuming and expensive. Other options like write once run anywhere (WORA) don't provide a good user experience. Wrapped or hybrid apps that use a common code base with platform-specific APIs provide a good balance between user experience, resources required, and support for multiple platforms. The document presents OpenPlug as an example of a cross-platform framework that allows developing native apps using a common codebase.

1. Cross-Platform AppsWHY? How?Guilhem Ensuque, Sep 13, 2011@gensuque_op #openplug #vdc2011http://slideshare.net/gensuque

2. Boss: “I need an iPhone app!”Engineer: “OK I go learn Objective-C and do it…”Engineer (3 months later): “Done!”Typical App Story – Episode 1

3. Typical App Story – Episode 2Boss: “Ah but…how about Android?Engineer: “I need to learn Java!”Boss: “I don’t have the money nor the time for that!”

4. Lessons LearnedYour mileage may vary …User ExperienceResourcesPlatforms

5. User ExperienceHow do users get my app?TailoredvsGeneric?How muchintegration?

6. Case in Point: FacebookiPhone: appiPad: website

7. PlatformsTablets, TVs, cars, fridges?Which to target?Smartphonevs featurephone?

8. Platforms – Global Data Worldwide smartphone OS Shipments Q2 2011Smartphones: 30%, 108MFeature phones: 70%, 258M6 smartphones are being shipped every secondSource: TomiAhonen Consulting – August 2011

9. Platforms – US data

10. ResourcesDo we have legacycode?What aremy teamskills?Time vs money?

11. “γνῶθι σεαυτόν “ “Know Thyself”Resources – Socratic Approach

12. No Silver Bullet…WORANATIVE WEB X-PLATFORMWRAPPEDTechnical Solutions

13. Write Once Run Anywhere#FAILUser ExperienceNot GoodSo-soResourcesPlatformsGood

14. Wrapped / Hybrid Web Apps#GOODUser ExperienceSo-soResourcesPlatformsGoodGood

15. Architecture of an Hybrid AppApplication PackageClient App UI & core logicAPI libraries, e.g. Verizon SMS, MMS, Location RESTful calls implementationJavascriptAppFrameworkAPIlibsPhoneGappluginse.g.ContactsDevice OSWeb Browser Core

16. X-Platform Native Apps#FTWUser ExperienceGoodResourcesPlatformsGoodSo-so

17. OpenPlug App Example

18. Native Apps#EXPENSIVEUser ExperienceGoodNot GoodNot GoodResourcesPlatforms

19. ConclusionUse the right tool for the right job

20. A Bit of Self-Advertisinghttp://developer.openplug.com