Is it possible to write cross-native apps in 2020 ?
- 1. Meero
- 2. Meero • Create dedicated tools for photographers to make their life easier • Prospecting • Community • No photo editing during production process
- 3. Objective Results • Teach our algorithm the different improvements performed by image professionals • Make it resistant to variations in lighting (such as white balance ), and image flaws (such as noise or motion blur)
- 4. How we designed our iOS and Android apps with same architecture And without cross-platform frameworks
- 5. Plan • History • State of cross-platform • Considering developing iOS and Android apps in the same way • Devsign thinking • Future • Conclusion
- 6. History 2007 2011 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Android iOS Fragment RecyclerView UIAlertViewController Widget / Extension UIStackView SFSafariViewController ForceTouch Permissions CustomsTabs AppShortcuts ConstraintLayout Room ARKit Files HomeIndicator Notification provisionnal Navigation arch ARCore HomeIndicator SwiftUI Combine Geoloc permission Darkmode Compose Flow Geoloc permission Darkmode
- 8. State of cross-platform Mobile market development is still looking after the best cross-platform solutions: • PhoneGap/Cordova, Titanium, Appcelerator, SenchaTouch… • ReactNative, NativeScript, RubyMotion, … • Flutter, KotlinNative
- 9. State of cross-platform Sharing Business and UI logic code Reducing Time of development by reducing the time to market Ownership Of the rendering engine Updating OTA with code push Designing Isomorphic application Offering Simple way to target and develop for specific platform
- 10. State of cross-platform Hard to choose Because too many choices Need to wait Developers to give access to the latest native SDK features Reduce Or equalize native performances. Increase size of apps Hidden cost With additional bugs, limitations new skills needed, technical stack Are dropped Titanium, Xamarin, Angular? (Ionic) Subjected To the rules of app stores for code push restrictions Api violations (Electron) or webview shell
- 11. • Legacy projects • Not started at the same time • Started with different choices • Beliefs and experiences of developers. iOS / Android apps Why ? • Two different architectures • Functional differences on same features
- 12. Is it possible to write cross-native apps in 2020 ?
- 13. Languages
- 14. • Optionnals • Sealed class, data class • Extensions, interface implementation, generics • Immutabilité • map - reduce - join - filter • Delegated properties (by) • Spannable string • let?. / val ?: return • … • Optionnals • Enums, structs • Extensions , protocol extension, generics • Immutabilité • map - reduce- join - filter • Property wrappers (@) • Attributed string • if let / guard let • …
- 16. Appcode et Android Studio 😏
- 17. iOS et Android components
- 18. • Activity, Fragment, RecyclerView • ConstraintLayout, LinearLayout, Compose • Permission • WorkManager • Notifications (silent, local, push) • DialogFragment / IntentChooser • ARCore / Sceneform • CustomTabs • Room • … • ViewController, ChildViewController, UITableView • Autolayout, UIStackView, SwiftUI • Permissions • Background Modes • Notifications (silent, local, push) • UIAlertViewController / UIActivityViewController • ARKit / SceneKit • SFSafariViewController • CoreData • …
- 20. Librairies
- 21. • Share same apis • Same behaviours • Needs • Maintenance, security, … • Integration complexity • Cost saving • Licence • … Specific criteriaCommon criteria
- 22. • RxJava / RxAndroid • Dagger2 / Koin • Mockito - Spek - Atrium / AssertK • Picasso / Glide / Coil • Retrofit • MPAndroidChart • Realm • … • RxSwift • Swinject • Cuckoo - Quick - Nimble • KingFisher / SDWebImage • Alamofire router • Charts • Realm • …
- 23. Mockito test code Cuckoo test code
- 25. Architectures
- 26. Architectures • MVC, MVP, MVVM, MVI • Clean architecture • Router / Coordinators • Delegation • Decorators
- 28. • Modifications must be done twice • Rigorous respect of naming conventions, folder tree, … • Complicated to be 100% • Synchronous update to avoid divergences Pros Cons • Common reflexion • Fatest bugs detection, same bugs • Seamless switch from iOS to Android, quick learning curve • Same functional behaviours • No architecture debate during reviews between platform
- 29. Tooling
- 30. • Ktlint, AndroidLint • Ktlint (--format) • Bitrise, Fastlane, Danger, … • SwiftLint • SwiftFormat • Bitrise, Fastlane, Danger, …
- 31. Team
- 32. Team • At least one Team Lead • Guardian of the rules and process • Experience on both platform • Developers • Knowledge at least on one platform • Motivated to learn developing / reviewing the other platform • Open minded • Curious
- 33. • New constraints for work • Must hire people that can embrace this vision of cross-native development • Communication is mandatory Pros Cons • Share ownership of the apps • Share technic knowledges • Co-construction • Create communication • A “single” team • Natural for feature team
- 34. How to succeed ?
- 35. Devsign thinking
- 36. Devsign thinking • Design thinking for developers • Development cycle in three steps Reflexion DevelopmentCross reviews
- 37. First step - reflexion • Discussing and picking about the best solution for design the new feature in the same way on both platform • During grooming and / or specific technical meeting • At least one iOS and Android developer
- 38. Second step - development • Keys to achieve: • Respect the technical choices and decisions • Communication for problems or enhancement
- 39. Step three - cross reviews • iOS code should be reviewed by Android developer for the same feature • Should be reviewed by third person to improve or definitely validate • Cross testing • Communication ! • No compromise without validation from both parties
- 40. Conclusion
- 41. • Some step could be complicated to perform on big legacy project • Communication • Technical debates could be long • Bigger is the feature, longer will be the review Benefits Obstacles • Easy to perform for a new project • Force conventions • Opportunity for refactoring legacy portion of code • Opportunity for develop on other platform • Makes you more valuable, new career opportunities
- 42. Once you tried it, you can’t go
- 43. Future • Use Danger to automatically check naming function, files and folders trees • Continue with web front-development for same features (react native strength) • Prepare the field if tomorrow we really have to deal with ReactNative, Flutter or KotlinNative.
- 44. Thank you + = ❤
- 45. Christopher SAEZ Mobile developer @meero christopher.saez@meero.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/saezchristopher/