Mobile application development is the process by which software is created for handheld devices. This article focuses on tools which help developers create applications for mobile phones. The purpose of application frameworks and libraries is to enable developers to spend their time on the creative and interesting part of development, alleviating the repetitive overhead associated with common development patterns.

A multiple mobile application framework is software that helps developers to create phone applications that are written as embedded dynamic websites and also make use of native phone capabilities.

The leading mobile platforms are Android, iOS, Windows Mobile, Blackberry, Symbian, and Palm WebOS (formerly HP webOS). The platforms support application binaries as found on personal computers with code which executes in the native machine format of the processor. With the diversity of mobile platforms, the mobile developer needs help in creating and managing versions for different platforms. Step forward a mobile application framework that supports multiple mobile platforms, allowing developers to apply their skills to create native applications for multiple platforms.

These platforms have an integrated development environment (IDE) which offers tools to help developers write, test and deploy applications.

To provide an insight into the quality of software that is available, we have compiled a list of 4 high quality open source mobile application development frameworks that offer an excellent way to develop mobile apps.

Now, let’s explore the 4 development frameworks at hand. For each title we have compiled its own portal page, a full description with an in-depth analysis of its features, together with links to relevant resources and reviews.

Mobile Application Development Frameworks PhoneGap Create mobile apps using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript Appcelerator Titanium Platform for developing mobile, tablet and desktop applications Rhodes Uses a Model-View-Controller pattern for building native apps ZK Ajax Web application framework

Return to our complete collection of recommended free and open source software including our latest additions.

Related articles