Cross platform/mobile recommendations?

General Developers
#1

Ok, guess some one should get this started.

As a new/learner developer I find myself stuck between all the different languages for all the different scenarios and devices.

So I suppose one of the most appropriate questions to ask is what is, in your experience, the best way to build an application which will work across numerous mobile platforms?

Clearly I don’t want to write a JS app for browsers, an Andriod app on Samsung and an app for iphone (not looked in to their offering which I know to be different). And then there is windows and any other platform I have missed.

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#2

For text-based games, I think your best bet would be sticking to web and optimizing your web app for mobile usage (e.g. making it “responsive” or making a PWA out of it).

This way you can serve your project as a desktop website or a semi-mobile app with a single codebase, while having the authority on the backend side.

#3

There’s no real single answer to this. Like most dev matters, it depends on several things, including:

  • What kind of app are you building?
  • What are your larger goals?
  • What is your budget?

What kind of app are you building?

The needs of a cross-platform “web-like” experience are far different (simpler?) than something that breaks away from typical web design.

For example, are you building a typical website experience or are you designing a graphically heavy game with 3d visuals that also uses mobile device features like the gyroscope? Something in between? Something else?

The answer to that question will influence some of your decisions.

What are your larger goals?

There are all kinds of frameworks out there, but not all of them are based on the same technologies. A hot new tool might sound great but it may also require you to learn something that you don’t already know.

That’s absolutely not a bad thing, but different people have different goals.

For example, a developer who is running a business might lean towards familiar tech to ship his app faster. On the other side of that, a developer who wants to gain experience might opt for unfamiliar tech to widen his skillset.

What is your budget?

Paid tools aren’t necessarily better, but you will have more options available to you if you are willing to spend some money.

If you’re looking for free options, there are open source frameworks available. Also consider that what you don’t pay with money you often pay with time to do it yourself.

This is all a bit of a non-answer, but the reality is that there isn’t an an answer to this other than “it depends”. You’ll notice I didn’t mention any specific options here. The reason is that people sometimes try to find a solution, and then shoehorn it to fit around their problem. That’s very backwards.

Your question here is a natural one to ask, but it’s a bit too vague. There are far too many types of scenarios that suit different app and dev circumstances for there to be a “one size fits all” answer here.

Do you have any additional info about a specific application you’re trying to make?