3 ms·

I've mostly stayed away from mobile development because Android projects look too complicated to get started on even NDK projects. The value of learning those A

I've mostly stayed away from mobile development because Android projects look too complicated to get started on even NDK projects. The value of learning those APIs to me isn't even close to what you get by learning Web APIs. So if I invested my time to learning it I don't feel Is get as much out of it. Maybe something like Kotlin/Compose Multiplatform can help. But, really if they made Android APIs (or React-native/Flutter/Compose) into a ISO/ECMA/ANSI whatever standard it would feel like I'm not just throwing away my time on some proprietary API that may change in a way that I have to update my app or loose my investment.

cageface 3y ago
I used to favor the web for the same reasons but the churn in web technology is at least as bad in mobile. The knowledge I had three years ago is almost useless now. And on top of that you have to deal with a platform that is really a big pile of quick hacks that was never intended for building complex and performant applications.
- novok 3y ago
  Ironically mobile has been one of the most stable api platforms to develop against in my entire career, especially in iOS. New libraries and languages are mostly iterative and make sense to support a new feature.
- bobajeff 3y ago
  I don't use frameworks or compile to js languages. I've only learned the plain html, css, js and DOM APIs. I have the same reservations about React and Typescript as I do these mobile APIs. Then again my use of these things is that of a hobbyist so I have a choice in these things.
brabel 3y ago
Try Flutter. It's amazing how easy it is to get started with a desktop app in any OS, and then just run it on mobile (or emulators which are easy to install via Android Studio or VS Code) when you want to without having to deal with almost any of the crap iOS and Android developers need to... Flutter generates all manifests and what not, and the docs show exactly what to do to sign artifacts and stuff that requires you to very briefly have to open XCode to set up those things.
- bobajeff 3y ago
  I did some time ago. Back then it seemed like Flutter was like a parallel world where a different set of languages and APIs existed instead of the Web APIs. Which I thought was interesting. However unlike Web APIs Flutter didn't have the girth of resources tutorials and documentation available. I don't know exactly if that's what stopped me or maybe I'm just just not meant for learning UI libraries of any sort as even something like Dear Imgui has been unattractive to me.
- evereverever 3y ago
  [flagged]

cageface 3y ago

I used to favor the web for the same reasons but the churn in web technology is at least as bad in mobile. The knowledge I had three years ago is almost useless now. And on top of that you have to deal with a platform that is really a big pile of quick hacks that was never intended for building complex and performant applications.

novok 3y ago
Ironically mobile has been one of the most stable api platforms to develop against in my entire career, especially in iOS. New libraries and languages are mostly iterative and make sense to support a new feature.
bobajeff 3y ago
I don't use frameworks or compile to js languages. I've only learned the plain html, css, js and DOM APIs. I have the same reservations about React and Typescript as I do these mobile APIs. Then again my use of these things is that of a hobbyist so I have a choice in these things.

brabel 3y ago

Try Flutter. It's amazing how easy it is to get started with a desktop app in any OS, and then just run it on mobile (or emulators which are easy to install via Android Studio or VS Code) when you want to without having to deal with almost any of the crap iOS and Android developers need to... Flutter generates all manifests and what not, and the docs show exactly what to do to sign artifacts and stuff that requires you to very briefly have to open XCode to set up those things.

bobajeff 3y ago
I did some time ago. Back then it seemed like Flutter was like a parallel world where a different set of languages and APIs existed instead of the Web APIs. Which I thought was interesting. However unlike Web APIs Flutter didn't have the girth of resources tutorials and documentation available. I don't know exactly if that's what stopped me or maybe I'm just just not meant for learning UI libraries of any sort as even something like Dear Imgui has been unattractive to me.
evereverever 3y ago
[flagged]