Exploring Mobile Development Platforms and Software Architecture Patterns
Published: 2024-07-02 10:30:18

Hi! Welcome to my first blog post! Today, we'll talk about mobile development platforms and the software architecture patterns that power our favorite apps. If you, like me, are passionate about creating mobile apps, this post is for you. I just recently began my journey in the [HNG Internship](https://hng.tech/internship), mobile development track, and I'm excited to share my learnings along the way!

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## Introduction
Smartphones - tiny devices packed with so many functionalities like chat, mail, calculators, cameras, and more. We use these devices every day, so we rarely marvel at how wonderful they are. Imagine telling someone in the 18th century that one day we’d be able to carry a camera, mailbox, calculator and even more within one device that fits into our pockets; they'd probably say that it was only possible in the movies. But here we are, with these incredible tools in our hands — tiny but very powerful. Pretty amazing, right?


![Chat, mail, camera, calculator, and more - smartphones provide all these in one pocket-sized device](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/d44h0urs9r76zrbmwibz.jpg)_Chat, mail, camera, calculator, and more - smartphones provide all these in one pocket-sized device. Source: Copilot AI Image Generator_

So, who makes it possible for smartphones to have all of these features? That's where we, mobile developers, come in. We take those wild, sci-fi ideas and turn them into the apps you use every day. But just as building a house requires a good knowledge of the environment and materials, building mobile apps requires a good understanding of mobile development platforms. Each platform offers unique tools and capabilities that can affect the performance of apps, the user experience, and overall success. This makes understanding and choosing the right platform very crucial.

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## Mobile Development Platforms (MDPs)
Mobile development platforms, or MDPs, are like toolkits that simplify building apps for smartphones and tablets. They hide the complexities of different operating systems (OS) while providing tools and frameworks that make it easier for developers to write code, fix errors, test, and deploy their apps.

There are three main categories of MDPs:
1. **Native MDPs:** They focus on one specific operating system (e.g. iOS or Android). For the selected OS, they provide high performance, seamless user experience and full access to device features and hardware. However, they require separate codebases for each OS, increasing development time and cost.

Examples:

| MDP | Operating System | Primary Programming Language(s) | Main IDE |
|---|---|---|---|
| iOS | iOS | Swift or Objective-C | Xcode |
| Android | Android | Java or Kotlin | Android Studio |



2. **Cross-Platform MDPs:** They focus on building an app once that can be deployed on multiple platforms (iOS and Android).This saves time and resources by using a single codebase, but may have limitations in accessing certain device features. Also, the app performance might not always match native apps.

Examples:

| MDP |  Programming Language(s) |
|---|---|
| Flutter | Dart | 
| React Native | Javascript and React | 
| Xamarin |  C# and .NET| 


Choosing the right MDP depends on your project's needs. For higher performance and a fully native feel, native MDPs are ideal. However, if development speed and cross-platform compatibility are your biggest priorities, consider a cross-platform MDP.

### Mobile Software Architecture
Now that we know what MDPs are, let's move on to mobile software architecture.

In the context of mobile apps, software architecture refers to how the different parts of the app are organized and interact with each other. Just like an architect uses blueprints to define how the parts of a building fit together, mobile software architecture patterns define how the different functionalities of a mobile app work and interact. These patterns help to ensure the app is maintainable, scalable, and runs efficiently on the target mobile devices.

Here's a breakdown of some common mobile app architecture patterns:

**1. Layered Architecture**
This pattern involves grouping parts with related functionalities into distinct layers. The three main layers are:
- Presentation Layer: Handles what the user sees and interacts with, like buttons and text.
- Business Logic Layer: Takes care of the app logic, like calculations and processing user input.
- Data Layer: Connects the app to its data source, such as a database.

The layered architecture is easy to understand and maintain, and it works well for smaller apps. However, it can become very complex for large projects, potentially affecting app performance.

**2. MVC (Model-View-Controller)**

This pattern separates an app into three distinct parts:
- Model: Manages the app's data (e.g., storage and retrieval).
- View: What the user sees on the screen.
- Controller: Controls communication between the Model and the View. 

This pattern is popular due to its clear separation of concerns, making the code easier to maintain. However, in complex apps, the Controller can become overloaded with tasks, making it difficult to manage and modify. This can lead to maintenance challenges down the line.

**3. MVP (Model-View-Presenter)**
Similar to MVC, but the Presenter acts as a mediator between the View and the Model. This improves code maintainability by separating the UI logic from the business logic handled by the Model. The Presenter takes user interactions from the View, updates the Model as needed, and instructs the View to update itself accordingly.

**4. MVVM (Model-View-ViewModel)**

MVVM is quite similar to MVC, but instead of the Controller used in MVC, it introduces a ViewModel that acts as a middleman between the Model and the View. This pattern improves code organization and makes complex apps easier to manage. However, this pattern has a steeper learning curve compared to the first two, and the introduction of a ViewModel means writing more code.

**5. Clean Architecture**
Clean architecture is a software design approach that prioritizes
Clean architecture is a software design approach that prioritizes:

- Loose Coupling: Independent modules with minimal reliance on each other, promoting flexibility and easier maintenance.
- Testability: Achieved through the separation of concerns, allowing you to test each part of the application in isolation.
- Scalability: Each part is independent, so new features can be added without affecting the existing codebase.
- Long-term maintainability.

It consists of the following components:
- Entities: Represent the core data of the application, independent of any framework or UI.
- Use Cases: Define the functionalities the app offers, independent of any presentation layer.
- Interface Adapters: Convert data from a format used by one layer to a format usable by another (e.g., from database to UI).
- Frameworks and Drivers: External libraries or tools used by the application.

Apart from the previously mentioned pros, the clean architecture offers great flexibility but has a 
 steeper learning curve compared to the other architectures.

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## Conclusion
I hope this post has been useful in giving you an idea about Mobile Development Platforms and Software Architecture. 

As I mentioned earlier, I just started out the mobile development track with the awesome [HNG Internship](https://hng.tech/internship). I'm eager to learn, grow, and build apps that make a difference. This internship offers a fast-paced, organized program to gain practical skills by working on real-world projects.(By the way, the internship is free, with a [premium](https://hng.tech/premium) option for extra perks!)


Get ready to join me on this journey! Whenever I get the chance, I'll be sharing my experiences and what I learn every step of the way.

### Additional Resources

- [Top 8 Mobile App Development Platforms] (https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/top-mobile-app-development-platforms/)
- [The mobile app architecture guide](https://decode.agency/article/mobile-app-architecture/)
- [Mobile App Architecture: A Comprehensive Guide for 2023] (https://www.intellectsoft.net/blog/mobile-app-architecture/)