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Using a dead framework for mobile development

Complex situation, need help here please

         

explorador

6:20 pm on Jan 3, 2017 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member Top Contributors Of The Month



Hi Webmasters, the situation seems kinda complex, will appreciate any help, ideally if you have faced the same scenario somehow.

I created a few mobile apps for Android in the past using Mosync (a tool that can create Android, iOS, Windows phone and Wince apps but never succeeded in the market, it's abandoned, dead since 2013). Such apps work perfectly on Android devices directly installing the APK, no problem there. My Mosync installation is quite old but functional and able to create the APKs without problem, it can also create Xcode Projects to deliver iOS apps.

I'm considering releasing some apps via Android Market (Google Play) and Apple iOS Appstore. I know they test your app and can reject it due to several reasons, my concern is having the apps rejected due to technical reasons being Mosync an old framework. Is that concern realistic? I mean I can still create apps using Visual Basic 5 if I wanted and they would work perfectly. Besides I doubt on some apps from the appstore being so old having to be re-packaged, right?

There are other options (Appcelerator, Xamarin, PhoneGap, Cordova, Ionic, etc). The only one I like and I'm using/learning is Corona SDK. Anyway I'm not considering rewriting such apps as an option, I don't have time or interest in that. The market changes quickly and many frameworks have died and some are new. Am I realistic on thinking the only thing that matters is security, user experience and being functional (the app)?

My logic tells me the market changes way fast but developers can't afford changing their tools too often, so, many are staying with their old frameworks.

One thing that I like about Mosync is the compatibility on their APK, it works on many devices, opposed to complex building using new technologies telling you "it will run on ABC processors, but not on DEFG". I understand there are options, but it's not as easy as saying "switch to Phonegap, done!", like I had the time and one week was enough to rebuild the same app using whatever technology around.

Will appreciate your opinion. I have other apps I would like to release, and can do that really quickly using Mosync.

smilie

2:51 pm on Apr 25, 2017 (gmt 0)



An old thread, I'll comment.

Don't release any apps in a dead framework.

Especially if it's not the toys and you plan for them to make money in the future. Instead , spend time learning new one.
Or if you have some money, hire a developer with experience in a new framework of your choice to rewrite you one correctly. Then you can learn from that on your other apps.

explorador

3:32 pm on Apr 25, 2017 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member Top Contributors Of The Month



Thanks smilie, you are right. The reasons I was after this are:

- easy to use
- fast, way fast
- very small binaries (with dual compatibility)
- able to deploy to several platforms
- almost felt like native in terms of performance

Was curious on what kind of technical reviews market/appstore make to the app. Anyway I just dropped this platform, why? is still good for many things but deploying for iOs became a nightmare due to the upgrades Apple performed to Xcode. I agree on Apple pushing technology but they also make you drop old apps, this means you can be good, able, etc on any platform but still Apple will make you drop it, they change so many things and not in terms of writing code, but also on how Xcode Projects are handled, there are gazillion threads on forums about people having terrible times building their binaries after 1, 2, 3 Xcode versions upgrades.

I'm now using other frameworks, one of them being Corona, they take charge of the building for diff platforms so I can save time coding some more. As many other devs I'm moving away of having to handle the exports, and now preferring direct builds.

smilie

3:42 pm on Apr 25, 2017 (gmt 0)



I hear you. Lots of changes in Apple, some are not good too. I've got iPad mini to test some apps, crashed the first day on the first update.

>> I just dropped this platform, why?

Since I come from MS world, we do Unity 3D, that's C#.

I've been on this curve multiple times, it is often hard to guess which of the small companies will survive. Sometimes it's best to not bet on small companies.

smilie

4:04 pm on Apr 25, 2017 (gmt 0)



It's a guess and luck in the long term.

I still have a large niche web portal written entirely in classic asp and vbscrpt. Too much to rewrite and not enough incentive, not bringing nearly enough in ad revenue.

There's a giant pile of the tools and frameworks that are now dead.

At one point I was using Silverstream (late 1990-ies?) for java. dead
Brio BI ... >> Hyperion >> Oracle.
Latest, MS Silverlight - you would know that browser plugins like that have been tried for 20 years by MS and other players and went nowhere.

Basically you have to figure out which technologies and platforms will be there in 5-10 years. At your best judgement as of right now. Bet on large companies to be there and bet on 3 out of 5 small companies to not be there and 1 out of 5 to be acquired by large.

explorador

5:27 am on Apr 26, 2017 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member Top Contributors Of The Month



Basically you have to figure out which technologies and platforms will be there in 5-10 years

Been thinking this way now as a new approach. Many companies have a lot to offer but many times don't survive and we end up with a nice app but no way to cope with OS updates, new features or just being able to deal with the new exports (if we are talking hybrid). For web I'm still using Perl as my personal choice.
 

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