Abstract
The development of mobile apps during the last decade has had a significant increase in its share of the software market. While there are specific characteristics that separate it from traditional software development, there is a lack of guidance on issues encountered during the mobile software development process. With the aim of defining a mobile application development framework that considers the specific characteristics of developing mobile apps, we started by carrying out a systematic mapping study of the software development process for mobile applications, then we administered a survey and completed a qualitative study with industry experts. These studies allowed us to identify the main trends in the software process for mobile apps, and to uncover the main challenges for app development. We have organized the findings in a framework that integrates the specific challenges of mobile development, which we call Mobile Ilities, with software development activities that are linked through an agile process. The results of early tests carried out with computer science students are encouraging. Our proposal has served as a guide for novice developers throughout the process of creating a final product, combining the existing knowledge of developers about Scrum with the specific characteristics of mobile development, and providing mechanisms to link these characteristics with the elements of the development process.
Highlights
1Mobile applications, known as apps, made their debut in 2007 when Apple launched the first iPhone
We propose an Integrated Framework for Mobile Application Development that presents a catalogue of relevant development activities which address the specific constraints of the mobile environment
EVALUATION OF RESULTS The evaluation of the results of application of the framework has been carried out by means of three instruments: first, the report presented by the students as part of the course assignment, from which the selected activities, tasks and Mobile Ilities were obtained; second, a survey administered to the developers at the end of the development process to assess the impact of the framework usage, that is, how it has affected the overall app development; third, a focus group with the developers to discuss the results of the first two instruments
Summary
Mobile application development resembles the development of traditional software applications. There are several special characteristics that set it apart, such as the potential interaction with other applications, sensor management, native versus hybrid applications, security management, user interface for small screens and energy consumption [1]. Mobile application development presents new challenges for developers, such as how to effectively create applications operating in a heterogeneous environment with limited resources that, at the same time, require. The development of apps needs to be completed quickly and at low costs if they are to succeed in such a competitive marketplace [2]
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