So I am currently using Xamarin for multi-platform mobile applications. I really like the way this works, and I want to improve my flow. My developers have said that they would be much faster when programming natively (i.e. Swift for iOS in XCode).
I have looked for a solution, where I can create a shared project and use it in native apps, but I have only found ways that involve programming in one language for all platforms.
Is there a way to create a shared project, which can be imported into a native application (or better, can be run together, like a shared project in Xamarin)?
The language for the shared code is not important, as long as it isn't slow.
My developers have said that they would be much faster when programming natively (i.e. Swift for iOS in XCode)
Swift can be used natively for iOS apps. RemObjects' Silver is supposed to make Swift ready for Android and .NET. I've never tested it. Try it out, it's free.
RoboVM can be used to write iOS apps in Java. I didn't try it out either.
Language mixing with Xamarin
In case you want to mix Swift code with C# code using Xamarin then you can bind Objective-C compatible Swift code and use it in iOS projects only. You are not able to execute Swift code on Android or Windows Phone! It's not possible to write platform independent business logic in Swift and and use it in a shared library or PCL with Xamarin.
You face the same restrictions for Java code on Android: You can bind JARs and use them in a Xamarin.Android project but you cannot use them on iOS or Windows Phone.
You are also unable to execute C# code in a Swift based app on iOS or in a Java based app on Android.
You can use native code in Xamarin apps via Binding Libraries. You cannot use Xamarin libraries in native apps.
If the goal is to use truly native tooling, in their standard languages (meaning not Xamarin) and still share code between iOS and Android, this can be achieved by writing your non-UI code in C++.
Here's a very interesting article about how Dropbox does exactly this.
C++ is natively supported on iOS and it is very easy to interface
between Objective-C and C++ using Objective-C++.
On Android, calling into C++ can be done through the NDK, which
reportedly is not a pleasure to use. Dropbox found Google’s meta-build
system gyp to work reasonably well. In addition, the Java Native
Interface is a pain you have to accept. But none of these issues is a
roadblock, and Steven expressed hope that Google or the community will
build better tooling support over time.
And here's a simple example of how to do this from another StackOverflow post
Related
How are Rhodes, Phonegap, and Appcelerator able to take Javascript or Ruby, and compile them into binaries for app SDKs that normally require apps to be written in Obj-C, Java, and others?
Jeff Haynie, Appcelerator co-founder, explains how Titanium Mobile works here.
Phonegap uses the default browser rendering engine, and uses that to display your application.
The javascript is then handled by the native (compiled) part of the framework.
Appcelerator uses something simular, but compiles the whole application if i remember correctly.
MoSync uses a somewhat simular setup as javaME.
Rhodes uses local server. It uses this to communicate with the device.
A Javascript interpreter is built into the webkit browser engine, and the iPhone/iOS SDK gives enough access to this interpreter to run nearly an entire app written in Javascript, with just a tiny Objective C wrapper to start things up.
Android supports native ARM machine code though the NDK, so nearly any language with a compiler that can create a stand-alone ARM binary (but requiring little to no OS access) can be used as a library and accessed via the NDK interface from a Java app stub.
I've created an open source project http://propertycross.com that helps select a cross-platform mobile framework by showing the same application implemented with Sencha, Titanium, Xamarin and more. The project also includes details of how each framework works. It should help you compare end-user experience, code, developer experience and code shared between the various options.
What programming languages can one use to develop iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad (iOS) applications?
Also are there plans in the future to expand the amount of programming languages that iOS will support?
Apple lifted the restrictions on non-Objective C/C/C++ apps -- you just can't load code that isn't in the app bundle.
MonoTouch lets you use .NET languages -- C# is directly supported, but if you have Windows, you can make assemblies in any .NET language and use it.
There are rumors that Apple is going to support other languages directly -- I keep hearing ruby, but they are just rumors.
I think Lua is being used for game logic on a lot of apps.
EDIT (in 2018): Generally you can use any language that you can get to compile for iOS or even install language interpreters. The main thing you cannot do is load code from the Internet that wasn't in the app bundle.
People do this all of the time anyway (see React Native apps loading JavaScript from servers), but, technically, it's not allowed. The main thing that will get you attention from Apple if you make some kind of App Store that loads whole App-like things.
EDIT (in 2020): from #Pylot in comments: I know this is a long time ago, but now at least technically you can load code that isn’t embedded in the app, as you can write with JavaScript using the webview. Not staying your answer is wrong or anything, I definitely agree with you. but I was looking for something and found this post on the way. Figured if anyone sees this it might help them out.
The SDK agreement and App store guidelines have been changed (circa Sept 2010).
You can now probably use any compiled language that will compile to the same static ARM object file format as Xcode produces and that will link to (only) the public API's within Apple's frameworks and libraries. However, you can not use a JIT compiled language unless you pre-compile all object code before submission to Apple for review.
You can use any interpreted language, as long as you embed the interpreter, and do not allow the interpreter or the app to download and run any interpretable code other than code built into the app bundle before submission to Apple for review, or source code typed-in by the user.
Objective C and C will likely still be the most optimal programming language for anything requiring high performance and the latest API support (* see update below), as those are the languages for which Apple targets its iOS frameworks and tunes its ARM processor chipsets. Apple also supports the use of Javascript/HTML5 inside a UIWebView. Those are the only languages for which Apple has announced support. Anything else you will have to find support elsewhere.
But, if you really want, there are at least a half dozen BASIC interpreters now available in the iOS App store, so even "Stone Age" programming methodology is now allowed.
Added: (*) As of late 2014, one can also develop apps using Apple's new Swift programming language. As of early 2015, submitted binaries must include 64-bit (arm64) support.
With plans to slowly retire the long-used Objective-C, Apple has introduced a new programming language, called Swift, for designing apps and applications to run on Apple iOS devices and Apple Macintosh computers.
Apple says:
"Swift is a new programming language for iOS and OS X apps that builds on the best of C and Objective-C, without the constraints of C compatibility. Swift adopts safe programming patterns and adds modern features to make programming easier, more flexible, and more fun. Swift’s clean slate, backed by the mature and much-loved Cocoa and Cocoa Touch frameworks, is an opportunity to reimagine how software development works."
Introducing swift
What programming languages can one use to develop iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad (iOs) applications?
Ruby, Python, Lua, Scheme, Lisp, Smalltalk, C#, Haskell, ActionScript, JavaScript, Objective-C, C++, C. That's just the ones that pop into my head right now. I'm sure there's hundreds if not thousands of others. (E.g. there's no reason why you couldn't use any .NET language with MonoTouch, i.e. VB.NET, F#, Nemerle, Boo, Cobra, ...)
Also are there plans in the future to expand the amount of programming languages that iOs will support?
Sure. Pretty much every programming language community on this planet is currently working on getting their language to run on iOS.
Also, a lot of people are working on programming languages specifically designed for touch devices such as iPod touch, iPhone and iPad, e.g. Phil Mercurio's Thyrd language.
The programming language of iOS(and Mac OS) is Objective-C and C. You have to use Xcode platform to develop iOS apps, on the next version that is now available on beta release, Xcode 4 supports also C++.
It is also now possible to use OCaml for developing iOS applications. It is not part of the standard distribution and requires modifications provided by the Psellos company. See here for more information: http://psellos.com/ocaml/.
This might be an old thread, but I'd like to mention Appcelerator Titanium, which allows anyone versed in HTML5/JavaScript/CSS to develop iOS applications.
Only Objective-C is allowed by now... but since a few months ago you are allowed to write scripts that will be interpreted in your application.
So you may be able to write a LUA interpreter or a Python interpreter, then write some part of your application in this scripting language. If you want your application accepted on the App Store, these scripts have to be bundled with the application (your application cannot download it from the Internet for example)
see new app store rules
objective-c is the primary language used.
i believe there is a mono touch framework that can be used with c#
Adobe also is working in some tools, one is this iPhone Packager which can utilize actionscript code
You can use "smart BASIC" programming language. It is a genuine but very advanced BASIC language with all its power and simplicity. Using its free SDK, BASIC code can be easily published as a standalone App Store application. There are many apps in App Store, written in "smart BASIC" programming language.
I'm new to mobile phones development, but I wonder whether there is any way to develop native apps (HTML-based apps is another story) that would run both on Android and iPhone? I know that there exist applications available for both OSs, so I wonder how are they ported/developed for both targets?
You can simply have two different projects, with same design and graphics, or, you can do it with some frameworks like PhoneGap or Rhomobile.
The best way is to have two different versions of the code, so you can take advantage from the platform that you are using.
http://www.appcelerator.com/
You can share a significant amount of Non-UI logic and code libraries by taking advantage of MonoTouch and MonoDroid. They are native frameworks which provide C# bindings around iPhone's and Androids native APIs. They have the added advantage of being able to develop in C# which IMHO is nicer than Obj-C and Java.
develop android apps that should support iphone,ipad,android.is there any way for developing this kind of generic app or we need to develop aps depending on mobile os
Though it is possible to create an universal application for iphone and ipad i don't think you can do the same for Android.
In my opinion it is always better to port your application to Android based on your requirements so that you can take advantages of the API's that the platform is offering you.
You can try using a framework named Titanium Appcelrator. This framework will help you target iPhone, iPad, Android with the same code base. This also lets you access most of the Native hardware features available with these platforms but not all. It seems that this also may support Blackberry soon.
We are struggling with the same question at the moment. Since we are working for Android, Maemo, Meego, iPhone and Blackberry (+Symbian 3 soon), HTML5 looked promising, and we dedicated quite some time investigating it. The end result was HTML5 is not yet ready for the development we were hoping for. It's fine if you need simple functionality, but as soon as something more advanced is needed, you need to create a different version. Even if it suits your needs, every platform requires different HTML5-to-native bridge, and every platform has a different engine. As you can see, only front end part could be partially used.
In your case, you need two different applications, one for Android, another one for iPhone/iPad. Try to see if you could take advantage of HTML5, if not, you are unfortunately stuck with separate development for some time to come. Unless you will create a web app and use it with device's browser.
You can create common functionality libraries with C or C++ and use these libraries in iPhone/iPad and use Android's NDK tool to integrate theses libraries with Android
On Android, you're using Java as the main language, and you can also use C and C++ . On iOS, you're using Objective-C as the main language, and also can use C and C++. So the common denominator would be C (at least on the iPhone there are no C++ GUI classes). I have no idea about developing on Android, but on iPhone it's no fun to purely work in C (and I'm not sure if it's even possible, maybe it is but should I when working with Objective-C/Cocoa is fun).
What you can do is write generic logic and share that between both systems, like a library. For example, I worked on a project where we used a C++ SIP/VoIP library that also compiles and runs on Symbian. It shouldn't be a big problem to write C code that can be shared between iOS and Android, as long as it is mostly about logic and not about calling system-specific stuff (you can of course include system specific stuff and guard that with #ifdef but you don't want your library to have more system-specific than system-agnostic code, I guess). For example, if you intend to write a networked game you could implement the network protocol in a way that could be shared between iOS and Android.
But as soon as you're hitting the GUI level I don't think you can share any code, and even if you could you probably don't want to because if you use the native languages/IDEs you are faster designing the GUIs each in their respective main languages/IDEs than trying to find a common way and then have to live with compromises and trying to make it work on both systems all day long. Better to implement the GUI native to each platform (e.g. Xcode has a very good graphical tool called Interface Builder that can save a lot of work/typing).
we can go for the XML VM to run the android apps in iphone.
Check this for more info.
xmlvm.org
This is a question to all of you out there who develop for both Android and iPhone. How do you maintain support for the two platforms? Specifically, do you
maintain the two products totally separate from each other?
create "native" GUIs in Java/ObjC and a "core" library in C/C++?
write both versions in the same language (e.g. Java) and a third-party tool to generate code for each platform?
write everything in the same code base and use an even more fancy tool to generate native bindings for each platform?
I do create "native" UIs in Java/ObjC and core library is usually in C/C++. That's when the application I am maintaining requires a complex core library.
When the application is simple enough, I just maintain two code bases: Java/ObjC-CocoaTouch.
As far as I know, there are no fancy tools to generate binding for each platform. Maybe Monotouch will officially support Android at some point and you will be able to do everything in C#: Android, iPhone and Windows Phone 7!