Interpretation of APP development postures in 3 major mobile application methods

We all know the current mainstream mobile application development methods: Native App, Web App, Hybrid App. So what are the connections, advantages and disadvantages between them?

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1. Native App: Local application (native app)

Native development is also known as native development. If you are doing Android development, most of it is written in Java. If you are doing iOS development, it is written in Objective C or Swift. These are official standards, and the benefits are obvious. Using the official API, the developed APP has better performance, can achieve various cool effects, has better compatibility, and provides a better experience for users.

The specific advantages are as follows:

（1）Create a perfect user experience

(2) Stable performance

(3) Fast operation and smooth operation

(4) Access local resources (address book, photo album)

(5) Design excellent animations and transitions

(6) Have system-level thoughtful notifications or reminders

(7) High user retention rate

The specific disadvantages are as follows:

(1) High distribution cost (different platforms have different development languages ​​and interface adaptations)

(2) High maintenance cost (for example, an App has been updated to version V5, but some users are still using versions V2, V3, and V4, requiring more developers to maintain previous versions)

(3) Updates are slow. Different platforms have different processes such as submission, review, and launch, which makes the process more complicated.

2. Web App: Web application (mobile app)

Web App, as the name implies, refers to a web-based application, which is basically written in Html5 and does not need to be downloaded and installed. It is similar to what we now call a light application. An application that runs based on a browser can basically be said to be a touch-screen version of a web application.

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The specific advantages are as follows:

(1) Low development cost

(2) Fast update

(3) Updates do not require notification to users and do not require manual upgrades

(4) Ability to work across multiple platforms and terminals

The specific disadvantages are as follows:

(1) Temporary entrance

(2) Unable to obtain system-level notifications, reminders, animations, etc.

(3) Low user retention rate

(4) The design is subject to many restrictions

(5) Poor experience

The reason is performance requirements. The reason why Web apps can occupy the development market is mainly because of their fast development speed, simple use, and wide application range. However, in terms of performance, they cannot call all the underlying hardware functions. At present, they are still inferior to native apps. Of course, the rapid development of front-end technology is also obvious to all. With the breakthrough of various framework technologies, it is not impossible for Web apps to completely replace native apps one day.

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3. Hybrid App: Hybrid Application (Hybrid App)

Hybridapp refers to a hybrid App software that is semi-native and semi-web, which has both the "benefits of native App software improving the communication experience with users" and the "benefits of cross-platform development of Web App software". It needs to be downloaded and installed. It looks like a local application, but there are only a few user interface web views, and the content accessed is a web page. One reason why hybrid apps are becoming more and more popular now is that "hot updates" are possible, without being restricted by complex processes such as monitoring and online.

E-commerce, news, and video apps in the AppStore generally use Native frameworks and Web content, such as Taobao and Tencent News. Hybrid Apps try their best to create an experience similar to that of Native Apps, but are still limited by technology, network speed, and many other factors. Currently, there are several popular cross-platform application packaging methods.

Development History:

Overseas, the largest one is Cordova (PhoneGap, widely popular in 2011), which was open sourced in December 2012.

in the country, in chronological order, there are: AppCan in 2012, APICloud in September 2014

1. AppCan

AppCan was founded in 2010, launched its product and tested it in 2011, officially launched its brand in 2012, formed its business model in 2013, and had about 700,000 registered developers in 2014. AppCan is not an open source platform, and its enterprise version and some plug-ins are charged. In other words, AppCan is just a commercial company that sells software. We believe that this will have a direct impact on its market share. Since it is closed source and has no monopoly, its prospects will not be very good.

2. APICloud

APICloud provides functional modules for local applications (e.g., device access, interface layout, open source SDK), and developers can call them in JS. Front-end engineers are responsible for page layout, user interface demonstration, and simple interactions, while native modules are responsible for performance and functional implementation, which combine to form a complete application. In addition, APICloud also provides cloud database functions. The front-end does not need to understand PHP, but understands the back-end language and implements other changes to the database through JS interfaces or rest-style APIs.

However, APICloud updates very quickly and its version is not very stable. Moreover, it is designed for people who don’t understand APP development and is not suitable for technology companies and programmers.

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