I have one simple question, that is can I convert my android .apk app into ios using any software? If yes, then please give me the name of that software. If any alternative method for that please guide me.
Google has a tool to convert the back-end, nothing for front-end though
http://www.xda-developers.com/google-tool-helps-developers-port-android-apps-to-ios/
There is a new startup that clains to convert the APK to IOS.
It's called MechDome.
The goal is very simple and attractable:
Reduce time to market by eliminating cross-platform development. Automatically convert your existing Android apps to high-fidelity, native iOS apps.
There is nothing out there that would convert apk into ios app. To my knowledge there is also nothing out there that could translate android code to IOS. The operation is simply too complex for a simple tool to manage.
However, there are tools you could use to make your apps (developed by you) work across multiple platforms. I'm sure there are more, but here are 2 of them I found in minutes (look into them if you are interested): Apportable, Phonegap (discontinued as of 2020/03. It was made obsolete by ProgressiveWebApps - PWA).
In past decade or so WebApps have been picking up for anything that is not too graphically demanding as they can run on anything that has a Web Browser. With this style devs pretty much open their website in a platform-specific executable and it looks like an app.
As for your existing app depending on complexity of your software you have to rewrite from a little to a lot of code to adapt to IOS APIs.
In short: No. Unless your app is build on multiplatform framework, converting means manual adaptation.
There is no known way to convert an android app to iOS. MechDome which is a Developer Tool that Automatically Converts Android Apps into iOS Apps seems to have stopped as of 30/03/2021. link
However if it is your plan to launch android and iOS app from one coding project, use Flutter which allows you to launch on both platforms simultaneously.
Flutter is Google’s mobile UI framework that provides a fast and expressive way for developers to build native apps on both iOS & Android, using a single codebase.
Get started here link
Related
I want to create a Android Application.
Altough I want to use HTML5 for creating that application.
Later on I even want to get the application to multiple platforms like for Apple.
I have tried Eclipse but couldn't get it to work.
When I create a new "Project > Web > Dynamic Web Project" I can't export this into a Android Application.
PhoneGap looks interesting.
Although I'm not sure how you can create a .apk (for android) there.
Or should this work together with Eclipse?
Could anybody give me a headstart?
What Application should I use to make a HTML application?
How do I create a .apk file?
Thanks in advance.
If you really want to dive right into developing with Phonegap, you can try out Telerik's AppBuilder (http://www.telerik.com/appbuilder). The demo project uses KendoUI Mobile (which I can also recommend) is comprehensive enough for anyone. As far as I recall you can use it for free for up to 2 projects.
There is also Intel's XDK (http://xdk-software.intel.com/), which is completely free - but the simulator and deployment features aren't as far developed as Telerik AppBuilder's are.
I strongly recommend AGAINST doing it the "real way" with eclipse/xcode if you have no prior experience with developing native android/iOS apps.
Start with the following project:
http://code.google.com/p/html5webview/
This will give you a good start. You can download it and import it into eclipse.
Phonegap does create an APK.
Essentially what Phonegap does is present a WebView and a simple API for calling native methods on the respective platforms. This allows you to write the same app and deploy it on multiple platforms with minimal or no changes. The majority of what you would do in Phonegap is set up the projects to pull in the cross-platform libraries.
The major limitations come from lack of access to native UI components. As you progress in app development you may find that it's a significant limitation. I rarely build HTML5-based UIs anymore, and instead go with native apps.
There are other cross-platform frameworks out there as well. Here's an article describing some pros and cons of each:
http://www.developereconomics.com/pros-cons-top-5-cross-platform-tools/
I am an app developer and I use Xcode to develop all my apps, but seeing in today's market a lot of people now have non apple devices. So I guess I'm wondering if there's an easy way to take my code for my apple apps and convert it to android format so I can submit to both markets?
Also does Android have their own version of "iAds"?
I agree with Ben, I was in the same boat a few months ago since the only mobile development I had done was on Xcode and I was trying to find ways to convert my existing project but instead I opted to just build a new version using Android Studio. As Ben said, even if you convert the iOS app, some of the UI and design patterns are different when comparing an iOS App to an Android App (for example iOS uses tableviews and the cells can have disclosure indicators while on Android you would need to use a list view and not use a disclosure indicator since it goes against the design patterns for Android). I would suggest taking a look at the Android documentation, specifically the recommended design patterns as that will help give you an idea of how much you would need to change to make your code work for Android.
You can use your iOS app's code as a guide to your Android app since even though the language is different, the overall structure would be pretty close.
You could share some parts of your android application with iOs using j2objc which converts java to objective-c. However anything that relies on the android framework will not work (the same would apply if you found something to convert it obj-c to java).
You could use something like Phonegap or Appcelerator. You would write code in javascript, HTML, CSS and then it would create iOS and android applications for you.
However there is some things that cannot be done using these technologies. I know that to get around this appcelerator allows you to create native modules.
You will never get an app on both platforms for 'free' there is always a cost involved whether it requires more work or you loose some features on one or both the platforms.
You need to work out how complex your application is going to be and what parts could be separated into a shared module/library. You would also need to consider how you are going to visually represent your app, it would be easier to come up with some middle ground between android and iOS than it would be to create iOS visuals on android or vice-versa.
If your making a game take a look at unity
Is it possible convert a native Android app in to PhoneGap?
There is a script on: http://www.elvenware.com/charlie/development/android/PhoneGap.html which claimed it was possible, however it doesn't seem to have worked, and I am now stuck as to where to go.
Any help would be appreciated.
Is it possible convert a native Android app in to PhoneGap?
You can rewrite it.
There are bits and pieces of stuff that, in theory, could be used by a large development team to try to create an automated Android->HTML5 translator. However, many Android apps could not be translated that way, as they do things that are not presently possible using HTML5, even with the assistance of a hybrid app container like PhoneGap.
I am now stuck as to where to go
I would recommend that you start writing the PhoneGap app.
We are currently making a solution which can address this specific problem: how to convert existing android native java app to cross platform (Javascript). It includes Java->Javascript compiler, resource compiler (XML->HTML+CSS) and Javascript implementation of Android API. More information about the project and its current status can be found here: https://wellevo.com/android-js/
I hope this question is specific enough. I have a client for whom I made an iOS native app and an Android native app (same app, different platform). It's a fixed pixel design (I made this work for Android somehow:) and it works on iPad, iPhone and most Android devices (with some letterboxing). Now I am asked to write the same app for the Windows store and they want me to use HTML and JavaScript. My question is, when I use HTML and JavaScript, would it be "easy" for me to use this code into some sort of hybrid solution (PhoneGap, etc)? The app doesn't need much complicated functionality but does need to support push notifications on iOS and it needs to be able to play videos, preferably HLS. Any advice on what the best hybrid solution and do hybrid solutions allow you to build for Windows 8?
I'm a cross-platform developer working on PhoneGap and Titanium Appcelerator. The correct answer is "It depends". Currently the state of cross-platform development is not very recommendable. Yes, you can write plugins for PhoneGap and it does support windows phone but you will have a ridiculously hard time getting them to communicate with each other properly. I learnt this from experience.
If it was a hacking/hobby project to further the cause then I would say go for it but for a time-bound client project like yours, I would recommend against cross-platform solutions and go native instead. Plus native always gives considerably better control, speed and ease of development. You will probably develop it faster in native than cross platform anyway. I've played around with windows SDK and it seems easy to use and well-built with good documentation and you can use C# which is similar to Java since you have already used it on android.
You can also build windows 8 desktop apps using html and javascript natively but this isn't present in windows phone 8 yet.
As I mentioned, If you don't need too many native controls, then you can go cross-platform. For your requirements, it can be done. If you have already developed android and ios apps and only need windows app now, then going native would be easier. But if you have to make all 3 then you can go cross platform if your requirements are restricted to what you mention. Here's a good quora thread that discusses the pro's and cons:
http://www.quora.com/Is-Titanium-good-for-developing-iPhone-apps
Take a look on Xamarin
Main idea - they brings real native code for all platforms.
They have instruments to compile C# code that it can be used at all platforms
For example you should create UI in XCode (for iPhone) and use ModoDevelop to create DAL/BLL, then you can re-use C# code base over all other platforms
They have cross-platform iPhone/Android/WP7/W8 samples on GitHub
Also see Q&A on Stackoverflow tagged Xamaring
We are starting to build multiple apps for multiple clients both in IOS and Android native platforms. The problem is we are going completely native which is taking too much time.
I would like to look at the linked in method (http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2012/10/a-behind-the-scenes-look-at-linkedins-mobile-engineering/) which is a more hybrid approach using HTML and native code.
The problem is I don't think Phonegap is that good - good for prototyping but maybe not for full versions of apps as it can be a bit slow and a bit buggy.
I would like to look into doing a model where we create like 65% HTML and 35% native to that device (like linked in)
Would anyone have any suggestions for this? Would people say we need a massive development team to pull such an approach off?
I welcome thought:)
Thanks
I'm searching for a framework to create apps for both Android and iOS from one codebase. I'm aware of Appcelarator and PhoneGap etc. However I need a different kind of product. I'm not sure if it exists. I can't find it here or on google.
We are a team of Android and iOS developers and aren't afraid to build natively. What I want is a tool to help me jumpstart development. Preferably a tool where I can create the basic UI and Models and generate native code to use as basis for further development.
Does such a tool exist?
Have you seen Mono??
iOS
Note: Make sure you following the instructions on the MonoTouch website re installation
Development tools (Free): XCode + Interface Builder (http://developer.apple.com/devcenter/ios)
MonoTouch ($399USD): http://monotouch.net/
Register for developer program/app store ($99USD): Register
Android
Note: Make sure you following the instructions on the MonoDroid website re installation
Development tools (Free): Java JDK, Android SDK
MonoDroid (public beta): monodroid-download
Register for developer program/market ($25USD): Register
Don’t forget for the iOS component you’re going to need to go buy a Mac to use.
Have a look at LiveCode 5 from RunRev.
http://www.runrev.com/
Have you checked out DAPP? I like it quite a bit.
http://dapp.kerofrog.com.au/
Yes you can Generate the code for both Android/ios and many more languages using the Tool Swagger
Please Check the tool,this tool gives the basic UI and Models and generate native code to just like your Requirement.
But You have to right the Swaggger Specification file(it will be on Json or Yaml) for that. And after Writing Swagger Specification file You can downlaod the code for Android/ios and other language as well. So kindly follow the document of swagger. You will get clear idea about that.
Here i list down usefull links of swagger :
https://swagger.io/
https://github.com/swagger-api/swagger-codegen
https://editor.swagger.io/
https://swagger.io/docs/
There's a tool called Genexus for Smart Devices, which is a code generator that supports iOS, Android, Blackberry and Windows 8.
However, you need to learn the tool, and I've found it useful only for simple CRUD apps. It does enable extremely fast development of said apps, it's a good fit for simple LOB apps. I've tried it and deployed to Android (haven't tested on iOS or other platforms).
http://www.genexus.com/SD/mobile-application-development?en
If you're experienced with iOS and Android, you'll probably get frustrated though (and I'm sure the code it generates isn't pretty).
I've used the generator for desktop and web .NET and Java, and works reasonably well (with those caveats), so I'm sure the Smart Devices generator will continue evolving.
Take a look at Flutter, from their docs:
Flutter transforms the app development process. Build, test, and deploy beautiful mobile, web, desktop, and embedded apps from a single codebase.