Mobile application development is the process by which application software is developed for small low-power handheld devices such as personal digital assistants, enterprise digital assistants or mobile phones. These applications are either pre-installed on phones during manufacture, or downloaded by customers from various mobile software distribution platforms.
Execution environments
Android, iOS, BlackBerry, HP webOS, Symbian OS, and Windows Mobile support typical application binaries as found on personal computers with code which executes in the native machine format of the processor (the ARM architecture is a dominant design used on many current models). Windows Mobile can also be compiled to x86 executables for debugging on a PC without a processor emulator, and also supports the Portable Executable (PE) format associated with the .NET Framework. Windows Mobile, HP webOS and iOS offer free SDKs and integrated development environments to developers. Machine language executables offer considerable performance advantages over Java.
Platform development environment
Each of the platforms for mobile applications also has an integrated development environment which provides tools to allow a developer to write, test and deploy applications into the target platform environment.
The following table summarises the elements in each of the development environments.
Testing
Definition
Testing is a technique to uncover the hidden bugs in the application developed on mobile platform.Mobile Application Testing is a challenging process as it involves testing of applications across different handsets, carriers, languages and locations.
Types
Mobile application testing involves Functional testing, Security testing, Load testing & Performance testing, Localization testing, Usability Testing Many types of tests are automatable.
Tools
- FoneMonkey: Free Mobile Application Testing tool for iphone apps
- Robotium : Automation tool for Android Mobile Application
Factors affecting success of testing
- Use of test automation.
- Use of emulators and actual device
- Testing for mobile environment and application complexity
Application stores
Several initiatives exist both from mobile vendor and mobile operators around the world. Application developers can propose and publish their applications on the stores, being rewarded by a revenue sharing of the selling price. Most famous is Apple's App Store, where only approved applications may be distributed and run on iOS devices (otherwise known as a walled garden). HP / Palm, Inc have also created the Palm App Catalog where HP / Palm, Inc webOS device users can download applications directly from the device or send a link to the application via a unique web distribution method. Recently, mobile operators such as Telefonica Group and Telecom Italia have launched cross-platform application stores for their subscribers.
Patents
There are numerous patent applications pending for new mobile phone apps. Most of these are in the technological fields of Business methods, Database management, Data transfer and Operator interface.
Patent Enforcement
Main article: Lodsys
On May 31, 2011, Lodsys asserted two of its four patents: U.S. Patent No. 7,620,565 ("the '565 patent") on a "customer-based design module" and U.S. Patent No. 7,222,078 ("the '078 patent") on "Methods and Systems for Gathering Information from Units of a Commodity Across a Network." against the following app developers:
- Combay
- Iconfactory
- Illusion Labs
- Shovelmate
- Quickoffice
- Richard Shinderman of Brooklyn, New York
- Wulven Games of Hanoi, Vietnam
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