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You don’t have to step out of the house or have social interaction with another human being; everything is accessible on your smartphone! And since companies are improving their customer service game, application developers are putting their best foot forward with pre-designed frameworks. If you are one of such growing businesses looking for best application frameworks Android app development, check out the following options!
Table of contents
Mobile applications have made people’s lives so much easier. From ordering food to updating your Cox cable deals, everything is at your fingertips now.
What is an application framework of Android?
Like most major software and OS systems, the Android Application Framework layer provides various higher-level services to applications in Java classes. These services are permitted to be used by application developers in their apps.
The following critical services are included in the mobile development frameworks:
- Activity Manager − Controls the entire application lifecycle and activity stack.
- Content Providers − Applications can publish and exchange data with other applications using this feature.
- Resource Manager − Non-code embedded resources such as strings, color settings, and user interface layouts are accessed.
- Notifications Manager − Allows applications to show the user alerts and notifications.
- View System: A set of views that can be used to build user interfaces for applications.
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Best Application Frameworks for Android App Development
The following are 5 of the latest, most modern app development frameworks that offer functionality, UX, and incredible performance.
#1. Flutter
Flutter, launched in 2017, is the reincarnated version of Sky for Android operating systems. Since its release, it has become one of the most popular Android frameworks in the market. However, the key feature of this framework is that it requires manual application updating. This feature is an advantage for some people and a disadvantage for others, so it depends on how you look at it.
If you want absolute control of what your app looks like and you want the design as per your preferences, you will love it. However, if manual updating drains you and you are not the person who enjoys doing it, then it might be somewhat of a drawback. Overall, Flutter is efficient and a crowd-favorite for Android, IOS, and other systems with incredible testing capabilities.
#2. React Native
Developed by Facebook in 2015, React Native is a cross-platform, open-source framework. Developers use it to make applications for the Web, UWP, Android, and of course, IOS. As the name suggests, this framework also allows developers to build mobile applications using React as well as JavaScript. The key feature of React Native is that it enables developers to create user interfaces backed by a special kind of JavaScript.
Since it utilizes native Android blocks, the apps created by React Native are technically native applications. But that’s not even the best part! The highlight of this framework is that you don’t have to redesign or update the native components in your Android application. Instead, the system auto-updates everything simultaneously. As a result, React Native allows you to maintain multiple applications at a time for no additional cost or added work from the developers.
#3. Apache Cordova
This one was released in 2009 as an open-source, free Android framework enabling the development of hybrid apps. Developers can create applications using multiple basic technologies and web development languages, including CSS3, HTML5, and JavaScript. Also, it enables developers to build multi-platform applications using one code base, a feature not offered by many frameworks on the market.
The good parts about Apache Cordova are that it is battle-tested, pretty steady, and supports many different platforms, like Unix-like. Furthermore, the user interface of an application developed by Cordova functions like one in a native container; hence, many believe it is technically a bridge between web and mobile application development. Lastly, it supports multiple platforms, including Blackberry 10, OS X, Ubuntu, Windows, IOS, and Android.
#4. Xamarin
Developed in 2011, Xamarin is one of the oldest frameworks in the market. The Microsoft-owned framework comes with tools and libraries specially designed to build applications for macOS, IOS, Android, and several others. Apart from the framework’s high performance and native feel, users love this particular product because of how high-quality it is. In fact, many industries, like healthcare, have selected Xamarin to create their mobile projects because it is free, open-source, and very efficient.
Xamarin also has a very extensive ecosystem comprising Microsoft Visual Studio, .Net, and C#. This diversity makes it one of the few complete mobile application frameworks on the market to date. Other than that, it also offers a very vast template library. Developers find this library very helpful as they can reuse the different codes across various platforms or even customize elements manually. As a result, it offers an enhanced and improved user experience.
#5. Ionic
Last but not least is Ionic, which is an MIT-certified, open-source application developing framework. It uses an incredible combination of JavaScript, CSS3, and HTML5. Plus, it allows developers to create interactive hybrid applications and progressive web applications. Considering all of this, it is not hard to guess that Ionic is one of the most highly-recommended and powerful frameworks on the market.
It is efficient reliable and offers incredible features, like multiple software tools, cross-platform functionalities, and much more. Web developers who have work experience and good hands-on skills can master the Ionic framework very quickly. It is easy to maneuver, so completing tasks, programming, and developing does not take much time. Lastly, it integrates with AngularJS and other libraries very easily.
Conclusion
As the world of technology advances, not only are applications becoming easier to use, but they are also getting simpler to develop. Thanks to these frameworks, the chance to make historic mobile applications is now accessible to both new and experienced web developers. You just need two things: the basic knowledge of web development and the creative mindset to use them!
