1. Cross Platform Mobile
Applications
• Why build Cross Platform ?
• What are Cross Platform Mobile Applications ?
• What are the most popular development frameworks
available ?
• Which framework do I use ?

2. Desktop App Evolution- an analogy
Command Line Native Apps Web Apps Rich Internet Apps

3. Mobile Web applications
• The number of people accessing the mobile Internet is
growing fast and is expected to overtake the PC as the most
popular way to get on the Web within five years.
• Many mobile Web users in emerging markets are mobile-
only.
• Most consumers prefer browser to apps for most mobile
activities.
• Limited access to complete hardware potential in a smart
phone.

4. Mobile Web frameworks
JQuery plug-in Mobile counterpart of Mobile counterpart of
JQuery UI EXT JS
Progressive Extensive Progressive Extensive DOM based on JavaScript
approach approach objects.
Limited UI widgets and Extended UI widgets and Very extensive UI
controls controls, more web components.
standards compliant
Limited Support and Good community support Good community support.
ongoing development Paid enterprise support
available

5. Cross Platform applications
• Doesn’t bet on a particular smart phone platform to
succeed.
• Leverage existing web app expertise.
• Doesn’t compromise in use of powerful native (hardware)
features.

6. Cross Platform Frameworks

7. Phone Gap
• A Web Application in a native wrapper.
• Completely built using web technologies (HTML,
JS and CSS)
• API provides bridge between JS and native device
APIs.
• Look and feel identical to Web App

8. Titanium Appcelerator
• Native application developed using web
technologies, compiled into appropriate Native
binaries for respective target runtimes.
• UI components can be built using HTML and CSS,
however Appcelerator also provides a JS API that
provides access to native UI components.
• Native looking apps can be built using
Appcelerator.

9. Rhodes
• Similar to Titanium- built using web technologies
and compiled to native apps.
• MVC framework allowing all business logic to be
separated, written in Ruby.
• Rhohub – Hosted development environment
• Rhosync – Data sync framework using web
services for enterprise class applications.

10. Phone Gap vs. Appcelerator vs. Rhodes
Platforms Supported
Phone Gap Appcelerator Rhodes
iPhone Yes Yes Yes
Android Yes Yes Yes
Blackberry Yes Limited Support Yes
Symbian Yes No Yes
Windows Mobile Yes No Yes
HP / Palm WebOS Yes No No

11. Phone Gap vs. Appcelerator vs. Rhodes
Phone Gap Appcelerator Rhodes
Native hardware Yes Yes Yes
features
Enterprise sync No No Rhosync, PAID
Multi-threading No No Yes
Application No No Yes, RhoGallery
Distribution
support

12. So.. What do I choose ?
Phone Gap
Pros
– Supports many platforms.
– Completely FREE.
– Looks completely like a Web Page
Cons
– Limited Plug-ins
– No access to Native UI components

13. So.. What do I choose ?
Appcelerator Titanium
Pros
– Powerful API allows apps that are almost identical
to native apps.
Cons
– Support mainly for iPhone and Android.
– Only the basic features are free.

14. So.. What do I choose ?
Rhodes
Pros
– Enterprise class framework- MVC, Rhosync,
rhohub, etc.
– Large number of platforms supported.
Cons
– Ruby
– Only the basic features are free.