Cross-platform programming is the process of adapting an application developed for a single platform to other platforms. Applications developed with a single code base can be adapted to many platforms such as Android, iOS, Windows, Linux. In this way, there will be no need to create extra projects for each platform while developing applications.
Most programming languages have major frameworks that can be used when developing cross-platform applications.
These are frameworks such as React Native in JavaScript, Ionic, Sencha, PhoneGap Cordova, Ionic, Flutter in Dart, Kivy in Python, Bee Ware, Qt in C++ and Xamarin, Unity in C#.
Advantages of cross-platform app development over Native app development
- Adapting a single code directory written to more than one platform, ensuring that the application works on multiple platforms.
- Since the hardware and software tools to be used while developing will be less, the development cost will be less.
- More users will be accessed as the application will appeal to multiple markets and multiple segments.
- Reducing team cost by using fewer developers instead of using different developers for each platform.
- There will be less development time as it will be multi-platform accessed through a single code directory.
- Since there is only one code directory, software tests on the code will be less.
Disadvantages of cross-platform app development over Native app development
- Inability to access platform-specific SDK information because each platform has its own features.
- Since each device has its own aspect ratio and resolution value, a UI / UX design suitable for all devices and the inability to make a specific design
- Less performance work in small-sized applications.
