Mobile Development Tools

Question

I'm researching various tools available for developing and deploying an app to mobile devices. The existing app is available in two versions: as a traditional desktop application and as a browser-based "Lite" version. We're building out the features of the "Lite" version to make it a full implementation of the flagship software, but thinking about mobile development as well.

What are the best tools available for cross-platform deployment of an Internet-enabled application to mobile devices? Which is the better way to go, native applications developed on a cross-platform API or a mobile-ready website? What tools are available for each?

One person suggested looking into "Agile" as a solution. I'm not quite sure what he meant, or even if that was the right reference ... does it ring a bell for anyone (I'm familiar with "agile development," but he was referring to "Agile" as a mobile development tool ...)?

Answer 1

It turned out "Agile" was a misstep. At the time, he was referring to tools like Mobify that automate the development and deployment of simple mobile websites. For our situation (a membership-based RIA), though, this wouldn't work.

The best tools I did find, though, for anyone interested:

Sencha Touch

• A fantastic JS library for building RIA system for the iPhone and Android
• GPL licensed for free software
• Commercial licenses are also available
• Uses HTML5 and CSS3 to deliver smooth animations and an incredibly "squishy" UI

jQTouch

• Another great JS library (Sencha is actually based on this one).
• Built on jQuery, so it's an easy framework to learn
• MIT licensed - more versatile than GPL licensing when it comes to JS libraries
• Also uses HTML5 and CSS3

Raphael

• A great library for interactive/animated SVG displays (I need to graph data, so this is important
• Also MIT licensed

In reality, Sencha Touch is based on both jQTouch and Raphael, so if you're looking for an all-in-one solution, I'd recommend you go that direction. Unfortunately, it doesn't work well in situations where your server-side applications are closed-source (which is a necessary security requirement for medical or financial web applications). Though Sencha does offer a corporate license, it's currently a "beta" license and they may or may not charge $199/developer in September (they're unsure of the schedule). Their interpretation of the GPL is also more viral than most, so I would not recommend using their GPL license if there's any code on your site (even on the back-end) that would even remotely fall into non-compliance.