Is it possible to write shared libraries between iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Mac and Windows?

Question

I'm tasked with "porting" a few apps from a Windows environment to various mobile platforms and Mac as well.

I plan on writing MVC patterned apps in which I write as many controllers as I can in some sort of universal library, probably in C or C++. Then writing the views in various choice languages (Objective C, Java, .NET, whatever) for the target OSes.

I've never attempted anything like this before, so my questions are: Is it possible to write and compile one library that can be used on iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Windows and Mac? Is it even wise to try this?

I understand that certain native methods simply won't be available on each platform.

Answer 1

You can create a library whose source code is portable, assuming that you properly abstract away any platform-dependent calls. You can't, however, create such a library, compile it, then use it anywhere; you'll have to compile it for each platform.

Answer 2

There are services like Rhomobile and Appcelerator which will allow you to do this sort of cross compiling.

I've never used either however.

Answer 3

Your should take a look at the Mono Project. http://www.mono-project.com

...more specifically at :

MonoTouch: To develop iPhone applications in .NET

MonoDroid (BETA): To develop Android applications in .NET

Mono plugin for MeeGo: To develop MeeGo applications in .NET

And you know that you can develop on Windows Mobile in .NET already.

I've haven't found anything related to BlackBerry yet.