Best tool for developing mobile apps / environments?

Question

I would like to develop a mobile application that can access all the functions of the mobile device on which it works (camera, files, phone and network connection). I intend to create a series of applications, each of which has a specific function for execution, and not one application with a large set of functions. My programming background is C, C # and web applications.

What will be the best tool to be used for this? I looked at using NetBeansIDE to create Java ME applications using LWUIT - this looks promising, but what is the caveat?

I want to target the largest mobile device universe.

Answer 1

J2ME is a way to reach the masses, in the consumer market or in the business market. From a consumer perspective, most mobile phones support J2ME. From a business perspective, most global smartphones support J2ME.

Nokia owns a 40% share of the smartphone market (and the entire market) worldwide. Next in line is Blackberry with a 13% stake. Both have standard J2ME implementations on their devices (although Blackberry also has its own version of Java). In addition, most devices running Windows Mobile also have JVMs (I recently developed a game originally targeting the Sony Ericsson W810i and it worked flawlessly on my HTC Tilt JVM). Add in that Android has a Java SDK and the only segment you really miss is the BREW and iPhone phones.

I am not a big supporter of J2ME. I just know that every other mobile platform has disappeared from my life over the past 3 years, because it simply gives financial opportunities for companies to focus only on the J2ME segment in the industry.

Answer 2

You are faced with the usual main problem of mobile development: targeting as many phones as possible using only one programming language means using J2ME, which does not quite give you access to all the phone's functions.

Most open phones will support J2ME, but different phone manufacturers implement it differently, and fragmentation is excessive on board. Unfortunately, most open phones (those where you can install third-party applications) allow you to develop only in J2ME

The only good news is that your intention to write only small applications will greatly ease fragmentation issues.

J2ME also has huge restrictions on access to the file system, the complete lack of a telephony API, and very poor interaction with managing system applications ...

To get the full features, you always need to use your own open platform technology that you are aiming for, be it Android, iPhone, several variants of Symbian OS, Brew, Windows Mobile or Palm OS. Each of them has its own technology.

Writing your application many times in many different languages ​​at an expensive price for the fact that you need both a large number of target phones and access to the full functions of each of them.

I myself am a Symbian / J2ME veteran, and given your stated background and goals, I suspect you are trying to learn about mobile technology. Therefore, I will shamelessly connect my book, which is meant as an introduction to the Symbian development ecosystem:

http://www.amazon.com/Quick-Recipes-Symbian-Smartphone-Development/dp/0470997834/

Good luck.

Answer 3

If your primary goal is to enter the consumer market , then it is probably best to use Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME). All popular mobile phones (from Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung) come with a Java virtual machine installed. For example, if you look at Google, they develop all their mobile applications (like Gmail and Google Maps) in Java.

If you target business customers , the Microsoft.NET Compact Framework is the way, in my opinion. The Windows Mobile operating system has a strong position in the business market, mainly due to Outlook Mobile and integration with Exchange.

Answer 4

I respectfully disagree with Fost.

If you want to reach the masses, the Internet is your best bet. It's much easier to write a simple web application that will run on millions of devices.

And the best thing is that you can easily update your application and improve the daily work with the website .