Inside the Play Business: The Influence of JavaScript in Android Applications

Featured article by Makkus Jones, web developer and technology author

The mobile gaming industry is one of the most creative, dynamic and revolutionary creations of the 21^st Century. From stakeholders, software developers, coders to consumers, many parties have played an active role in the development of this thriving industry. Games like Angry Birds, Transformers and Clash of Clans have taken the industry by storm. Currently, millions of consumers worldwide spend time and money playing their favourite games on their tablets and smartphones.

A game for all

As observed by Peter Warman, the mobile market industry enjoys a significant growth both in developed and emerging markets. So as it stands, it is a source of revenue for all. In the United States alone, the figure is expected to grow at an annual rate of 51%. For emerging markets in the East like China and Japan, the projection is expected to soar up to 86%. That is impressive if not incredible. The games on Android smartphones and tablets seem to be the ones enjoying even greater profits. The development of various smartphone and tablet brands has promoted the gaming business even further.

For the industry executives, time spent playing such games is seen as money spent. The seamless Google Play Store has encouraged creativity leading to release of more Android applications in the market. The result is that developers have been able to expand their gameplays and business models.

The role of JavaScript

The development of FastTrack Android gaming applications is a process, one that takes both individual efforts and collective responsibility with coding being the main business tool. For many years, one of the programming languages that have been at the forefront of mobile game development is JavaScript. For those who might not be familiar with it at all, JavaScript is normally used in combination with html to design web applications. It is easy to learn. Although it has been used extensively in web development, it has found its way into the world of android applications in the recent past.

With the recent shifts in trends, it is agreeable that the mobile gaming industry is more than just about fun. It is financially rewarding for gaming developers. That is why many developers are becoming increasingly aggressive in learning various programming languages. For most android applications, the basic language is Java. However, knowing additional languages such as JavaScript comes with added advantages. JavaScript gives the provision of using various frameworks, which aid in building of Android applications. Among the popular frameworks used together with JavaScript in the development of Android applications include:

Tabris.js

For the past few years, Tabris.js has proved itself a perfect framework for the development of native android applications. The single code used in this framework is written completely in JavaScript. It gives someone who wants to increase his JavaScript knowledge an easier time. Unlike other frameworks used with JavaScript, Tabris.js does not use web views in rendering UI. However, that doesn’t stop one from using existing JavaScript libraries, Cordova plugins and node modules in building your apps.

Meteor

With Meteor, you can develop web and mobile applications using JavaScript. With this framework, it is possible for developers to build applications for android, iOS, and web using the same code. For those who have prior knowledge of Meteor from sites like <a href=”http://www.discoversdk.com/blog/javascript-in-android-applications”>http://www.discoversdk.com</a>, it is easy to transform most of the web applications into native android applications without necessarily learning a foreign programming language. It is based on a technology commonly known as Cordova. It is one of the rare technologies that makes it possible to run both JavaScript and HTML on mobile phones without the need for a browser. Take, for instance, a developer writing a JavaScript code for accessing the camera function of the webcam on a computer. With the use of Cordova, he can comfortably write a similar code for accessing the camera function of an android device.

Chiefly, Meteor simplifies the powerful and desirable functionalities of Cordova. The user-friendly interface makes it almost irresistible. Trust me, you will not spend countless hours trying to figure out how the framework works.

Ratchet

It was initially used by Twitter in the creation of their mobile app prototype. What followed was its public release. It contains several JavaScript plugins and User Interface collections. It is best used in the development of simple mobile applications. Amazingly, it gives provision for reusable HTML classes. Ratchet 2.0 version featuresRatcheticon, which is a font icon, together with a User Interface theme for android and iOS.

Node.js

This is a platform established on Chrome’s JavaScript Runtime. It can be used for developing scalable applications. It takes advantage of non-blocking model, making it faster and more efficient. For applications involving intensive data, this is a perfect choice of framework.

PhoneGap

This is yet another software development framework that can be used in building mobile applications. To use PhoneGap, you do not need knowledge of mobile programming languages, say Java. With ample knowledge on web development languages such as JavaScript, HTML, and CSS, you will be good to go. It can be used in the development of mobile applications for various platforms including android, BlackBerry and even Windows phone. The framework takes advantage of web technologies to find a common ground for mobile devices and web applications.

PhoneGap was created by Nitobi. Since then, they have forwarded extensive contributions towards the development of this framework. After the acquisition of Nitobi by Adobe in October 2011, the team majored its focus on the development of PhoneGap, resulting in impressive enhancements.

Conclusion

There is no doubt that the mobile gaming industry is expanding by the day. For the developers, it is more than just fun. Both traditional mobile gaming companies and new players in the market have played their role in the extension of this market. Most notably, the entry of JavaScript as a programming language, alongside its frameworks, has revolutionised this billion-dollar industry. That is worth appreciating.

Bio

Makkus Jones is a California-based web developer. He is passionate about mobile application development with several apps in Google Store being accredited to his name. For further insight on his work and related content, feel free to visit http://www.discoversdk.com/.