Almost every American has access to a smartphone now. In a world where building an app is like child’s play, making yours should not be any difficult.
This article intends to highlight how an individual can build his/her own app using mobile app development tools.
Although there are a lot of different mobile apps that are enough to confuse you even before you start your own project, don’t worry, we are here to help you guide you through the process. Before we move on with the article, just a quick reminder that you can always take assistance from a mobile app design company if you feel that you cannot do it on your own.
What is a mobile app?
Before we dive into the realms of developing a mobile application, let’s understand the basics first.
A mobile application is commonly referred to as application software that is particularly designed to run on mobile platforms like tablets and smartphones.
A mobile application provides a similar service as on desktop PCs but is small software with limited functionality. Mobile applications are designed for a specific purpose.
People are often confused when mobile apps are referred to as web apps, although they share some characteristics but aren’t the same thing.
Michael Facemire, an app developer in Forrester Research, once said;
“A mobile application is a platform that is built by developers using tools like paintbrushes. It comes down to personal preferences. There are a plethora of mobile apps, but one that is widely popular is called Android Studio because it allows development quickly”.
Open Source Mobile App Development Tools
Some mobile applications tools are open source; some are not. The ones that are open source can be a boon to mobile application developers because they are free and easily tweakable.
Open source platforms and tools have their own setbacks. They often include steeper curves, and if you have time to learn them, they can save you some bucks.
With that said, let’s dive deeper into some open source development tools that you can leverage to build your own application.
Framework 7
It used to be an iOS-only platform, but now it offers Android support as well. In case you are looking to develop an app that looks fresh, clean and intuitive to iOS and Android, then Framework 7 is for you.
Ionic
The Ionic Framework is based on the Sass CSS language. It is cross-platform, which means that it can run on numerous operating platforms. It’s really simple to utilize and can be integrated with AngularJS to create applications.
Ionic has a library of mobile-optimized HTML, CSS, and JS CSS parts; it works with predefined components.
It is very easy to use Ionic; thus, it eliminates the need to hire separate developers for Android and iOS.
JQuery Mobile
More than half of all mobile application development are using JQuery mobile. It’s one of the most seasoned application developers use out there. JQuery Mobile is known as the “swiss armed force blade of mobile application because of its diverse nature.
While jQuery brings all the notable JavaScript highlights to the table, the mobile part of the update is generally answerable for CSS and HTML. While it lacks some native-like functions, it compensates for this by being just about as close as conceivable to the “write once and run everywhere” dream.
Native Mobile App Development Tools
Native mobile applications are created specifically for a single operating system. They work with the platform and make full use of the software and features of the operating system.
Some native mobile app development tools are as follows.
Fastlane: It’s extremely valuable to computerize assignments. You set up a rundown of activities, and anybody in your group can run these undertakings from the control centre. It is exceptionally convenient & straightforward.
CocoaPods: It’s the most famous dependency manager on iOS. The vast majority of iOS projects use it for integrating external dependencies into their projects.
Screenhero: You can do remote programming, all thanks to this framework. You can impart the screen to someone else, and you’ll have the option to control it with your cursor and keyboard.
Sip: It’s a colour picker that incorporates MacOS on the status bar. To get colour and the portrayal in your programming language, you can simply use the tool, click the colour of your choice, and you’ll get the colour values duplicated to the pasteboard.
Zeplin: It is a very valuable instrument to use for both creators and designers. Designers can share the plans with you by utilizing this tool, and development engineers can investigate the designs on the web, get colours, shades, textual styles, sizes and many more.
Mobile App Development Tools That Require No Coding
Building a mobile app is not always about coding; you can also build your own mobile application without writing a single code.
There are more drag-and-drop mobile app builders being created every day than the ones who know how to code because not everyone is good at writing long codes.
BuildFire
It is a web-based cloud creator that does not demand any background knowledge of coding.
On this platform, you can build apps for iPhone, Android or iPad.
It is a free platform that allows you to build your application for free; however, once you decide to publish your application on Appstore or Playstore, then it asks for payment.
EachScape
It is s cloud-base drag-and-drop development framework that creates native iOS and Android applications.
It is free to start; however, just like BuildFire, you have to pay for the application to publish it on the Appstore or Playstore.
