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Lots and lots of enterprises are changing their developmental processes by switching to the latest mobile application development frameworks. All of them want to reach their targeted audience fast with the help of the most updated technology.

  • Microsoft to make cross-platform experiences with Windows 10 better Image Courtesy: Richard Hay Microsoft’s efforts to make Windows Phone a popular mobile operating system turned out to be.
  • Cross-play means that the platform you play a game on is mostly irrelevant when you want to play with other players. If a game supports cross-play, it will allow users that play on a PC to play with other users who may be on an Xbox or a PlayStation. Cross-play requires proper support.
  • WPF is the established platform for managed Windows applications with access to.NET Core or the full.NET Framework, and it also uses XAML markup to separate UI from code. This platform is designed for desktop applications that require a sophisticated UI, styles customization, and graphics-intensive scenarios.
  • For example, a cross-platform application may run on Microsoft Windows, Linux, and macOS. Cross-platform programs may run on as many as all existing platforms, or on as few as two platforms. Cross-platform frameworks (such as Kivy, Qt, Flutter, NativeScript, Xamarin, Phonegap, Ionic, and React Native) exist to aid cross-platform development.

Technology is always volatile, and sticking to old traditional methods might make you lose business opportunities. It is agreeable that competition in the mobile application industry has increased when it comes to choosing the right platform, framework, or developmental process. Which in turn, leads to an increasing number of native and application developers because of the broad reach through cross platform mobile application framework.

The vastly used platforms for mobile application development are Android and IOS. When the companies are using native development method, then they need to write individual codes for these different platforms while the cross platform framework permits a single code for both.

With the help of cross platform frameworks, reaching to the target audience becomes easy. In this article, we will closely look over the top cross-application development frameworks.

A Brief About Cross Platform Mobile Application Framework

With the help of cross platform mobile application framework, mobile application development companies can create opportunities for applications that can be compatible with any operating system.


It fundamentally includes compatibility in both Android as well as iOS. This developmental framework enables the components to write the code once and run it on any of the platforms when you hire app developer. There are plenty of benefits associated with this framework which included-

  • Code reusability
  • UI component consistency
  • Cost effect
  • Generalized cloud integration
  • Hosting is not hectic
  • Market time is reduced
  • No significant technical hurdle

In the past few years, few errors were observed in the performance of multi-platform app development frameworks, but the majority of them are precisely correct. It has become one of the most popular trends among developers because in native application development is increasingly in demand. However, like with any other technology, these types of apps have their pros and cons, so before using the cross-platform app development, we should cover its other parameters as well.

Best Cross Platform App Development Frameworks

Let's learn about the top cross-platform application development framework in detail.

1. Ionic Framework

You can call it the most popular cross platform framework which is used by a number of mobile applications Development Company to create mobile applications. It is an open-source framework that is available for free and MIT holds its license.

Technologies like HTML, CSS in JavaScript are used in this framework and can add to developers skills. The mobile app development companies must hire a developer with acute knowledge of this technology.

This framework inherits certain elements from Android and IOS. The ionic framework also causes a major community to offer excellent support and developers can build a native application just like mobile.

Its features include:

  • It can use a single code base
  • if it is combined with angular then it delivers incredible results
  • In order to develop the structure of the application, it can also use AngularJS
  • It provides a library of tools and components.

2. Xamarin

Owned by Microsoft, it is one of the major frameworks which works on write once run any model (WORA). It is an open-source platform which was launched to resolve the issues of the disjoined native technology stack.

This frame uses C# code hands; it can work on server platforms. When companies hire react native developer, they utilize this framework to extract the efficiencies and conduct its frequent upgrade.

Another feature which can amaze you is that code written in this framework can easily be utilized for different platforms. It is based on .NET developers can also access to native APIs with NuGet package and Plug-ins. It has been estimated that around 10,000 companies are using this framework.

Its features include:

  • Developers use Windows and oldest platform to share the quotes
  • It can be tested over multiple devices with the help of cloud services
  • It also provides a cross-platform application development tool for the interface

3. Felgo

Felgo is a cross-platform app development SDK based on the Qt framework, significantly easing the process and time spent on developing apps. The framework supports a variety of target platforms such as Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, Linux, embedded, and web. With Felgo, developers can create modern, flexible & beautiful apps, compiled natively from a single code-base.

It even offers a big set of visual and functional components to build UIs that adapt to the native look & feel of each platform. Additionally, Felgo comes with top of the line modern toolings such as Hot Reload and an IDE with integrated documentation and debugger.

It is a revelation for cross-platform app development today and rightly deserves to feature on top of the list.

Its features include:

  • Native cross-platform apps from a single code-base
  • Hot reload directly on the device, on any platform
  • Declarative development with QML and JavaScript
  • Native performance

4. Adobe PhoneGap or Apache Cordova

Adobe PhoneGap was previously known by the name Apache Cordova is a cross platform framework which is owned by Adobe. This framework utilizes HTML5, CSS and JavaScript for the development and allows the users to share the application which they are developing with the team so that they can get active feedback.

In case the developer wants to build the application directly, then it also provides a cloud solution. It gives independence over convoluted text commands and access to the third-party tools and components. With the help of this mobile development framework, developers can view the change in dynamics easily.

Its features include:

  • This framework can be used to develop the applications for various operating systems
  • With the help of the plugin, developers can add more functions
  • This framework is devoid of any hardware restriction

5. Flutter

Owned by Google, Flutter is an open-source, cross platform application development framework. It was designed to develop the native interfaces for Android as well as iOS is comparatively lesser period.

Developers across the world use this framework as it can work over preexisting code as well. This framework can also utilize the 2D rendering engine to develop the visuals, like- Skia.

Its features include:

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  • Reduce testing effort
  • App development is comparatively faster
  • It is an incredible framework

6. React Native

This cross platform framework was launched in the year 2013 by Facebook. The mobile application development companies can hire react native developer who can use JavaScript with this framework.

The designing of this framework enables the developer to utilize declared components to integrate the rich mobile UI. Developers also get access to features like accelerometer for the camera.

This framework allows developers to preview their reserves and it also hosts code reusability. These features altogether shorten the development timeframe. React native framework also includes react that uses JavaScript to build the applications related to mobile and web.

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Its features include:

  • It is an open-source development framework
  • Web development is easily supported by this framework
  • React native also has a support community
  • Codesharing is enhanced
  • Several plug-inside provided to the developers

Final Words

Mobile application development frameworks are critical aspects of mobile application development companies. The business platforms are using these app developmental frameworks to leverage their possibilities because they are cost-friendly and time-saving as well.

Cross

Before choosing any of the frameworks, you have to initially consider your targets and then your project resemblance to it. Therefore, make up your mind first, whether to go with a hybrid app framework or cross platform framework.

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Dev Technosys started back in 2010, is a perfect fusion of talent, endeavoring over 950+ successful Custom web development and Mobile application development projects. Since our outset, we cultivated a successful history of digital solutions for SMB's and enterprise level companies with utility-based software; designed for wide range of technologies.

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Microsoft's roadmap for developing Windows applications is opposed by some programmers who want to see a cross-platform solution, rather than just being Windows-only.

Spanish developer José Nieto this week raised an issue on GitHub, stating that WinUI, which Microsoft is positioning as “the native UI platform for Windows 10,” should target not only Windows, but also Linux, Mac, iOS, Android and WebAssembly – this last so it would also run in a web browser.

This would go against the normal pattern, where a native UI platform is able to take advantage of all the features of the operating system, fits in seamlessly with its look and feel, and is optimized for performance. Supporting cross-platform is a burden that requires compromises.

The 'conceptual overview' for WinUI, which Microsoft says is the native UI framework for Windows 10. Click to enlarge

The situation with Windows is unusual though. The look and feel of the operating system is less consistent than it should be, thanks to lots of legacy along with the dual personality deliberately introduced for Windows 8.

The modern app platform introduced for Windows 8 evolved into the Universal Windows Platform (UWP). Even in Windows 7 days, the UI was messy. Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) was the new thing and renders using DirectX graphics, while the old Win32 API does not.

While Microsoft calls WinUI the native UI in one document, in another it says that the Win32 API is “the original platform for native C/C++ Windows applications that require direct access to Windows and hardware,” and says it is “the platform of choice for applications that need the highest level of performance and direct access to system hardware.”

The Fluent Design System which Microsoft is promoting to WinUI developers is itself cross-platform, described as “natural on every device,” with examples for Web, Windows, iOS and Android.

Considering all these factors, perhaps the idea of a cross-platform WinUI is not so unreasonable.

Nieto is an enthusiast for XAML, the XML-based presentation language used in different guises by various Microsoft frameworks. If Avalonia can use XAML for cross-platform GUI applications, why not Microsoft?

The ensuing discussion is illuminating, in terms of why Microsoft has lost the loyalty of some of its developers. WPF was well liked for its power and flexibility, but UWP has not been a satisfactory replacement.

“It’s not universal,” says Nieto, since the death of Windows mobile “truncated the One Windows vision.” Sandbox restrictions make it unsuitable for advanced applications, the role of the Microsoft Store is troublesome, and third-party controls are lacking, he said.

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Microsoft does in fact address many of these issues in WinUI, which can use the Win32 app model as well as UWP. It also has an advantage over WPF in that it easily supports languages other than C# and Visual Basic. WinUI itself is written in C++. WinUI is also, according to Microsoft, ideal as a “native Windows target for web and cross-platform frameworks,” an example being React Native.

Canadian developer Mario Pintaric says that UWP is fine for everything other than “kernel level tooling,” arguing that “you have a much better user experience from multiple perspectives (security, ease of deployment, install/uninstall experience, etc). The security sandbox of UWP is an important (essential) feature. In many respects UWP is now well ahead of WPF.”

Pintaric acknowledges though that Microsoft made errors with UWP, both in quality and in failing to meet the requirements of line-of-business (LOB) applications in areas like a Data Grid, and validation states for form applications.

“Most of these have been addressed but it took too long,” he said, concluding that “I completely agree that developers have lost hope Microsoft will do the right thing.”

Perhaps the most telling criticism comes from another developer who observes that UWP was really designed for mobile and touch control. “Most developers use UWP to develop Desktop apps, and the UI does not match that,” he said, giving examples for various controls like scroll bars and radio buttons. “The biggest problem is that things that should take 10 minutes, usually take two hours or more,” he said.

How can Microsoft win back developer loyalty? The company has excellent developer tools in Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code, but the range of choices if you sit down to code a GUI application for Windows remains bewildering.

It will take more than a few statements to convince developers that WinUI really is the future. A strong launch for Windows 10X, Microsoft's latest go at a modernised Windows, would help. In the meantime, developers fall back on another, and more welcome, feature of Windows: that applications built with old and enduring technology like Win32 and WPF still run fine. ®

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