5 ms·

Great. Now master Java, C#, and Objective-C to build the same app on multiple platforms. JavaScript is the only language that let's you target every platform.

MrScruff 12y ago
The overhead of learning a new language is pretty small. The overhead of learning a new framework is much bigger.
zoomerang 12y ago
> JavaScript is the only language that let's you target every platform Ironically, the three languages you listed - Java, C#, and Objective-C are all available on all major platforms. I could write code in any of those languages and have it run on - Windows - MacOS - Linux - Android - iOS Furthermore, the apps would all be native. That closest Javascript can come is to use the uncanny-valley of HTML5 without native widgets or performance. Frankly, Given that the burden of learning a new language is tiny, I see no reason why we should try and cram Javascript into every nook and cranny. It's a fairly mediocre language at best. tl;dr The three languages you listed are all capable of better cross platform support than Javascript.
- radmuzom 12y ago
  Can you write Java applications for Windows Phone 8? (without buying a third party software which allows you to do so)
  - pjmlp 12y ago
    No, but you can in C and C++. Not only that, certain APIs are only available if you use them.
  - zoomerang 12y ago
    Yes. Java can be compiled to native machine code via GCJ, and can expose a normal C++ Api. Whether you'd want to do this or not is another story. C# and Xamarin would be a far better choice for a one-size-fits-all cross platform codebase.
- taf2 12y ago
  Really? Seems like HTML/JS is the best choice for cross platform application development. These days with Chrome, Firefox and even Safari you can create really full featured applications. The new HTML5 API's are incredibly full featured. Just the other day I created an App for my daughter to helper her login to her school computers - so I decided to create a login screen and then I realized with HTML5 audio API, I can also read aloud each key press as well as an intro text so even though she can't read yet she can use the App. It's 100% JS and HTML/CSS for UI. At my job we spend thousands of hours building our native App for Android and IOS for work and it's painful - when I can open the browser and nearly all the capabilities are in browser and the browser already cleanly abstracts the process of editing UI via HTML/CSS. I've yet to find another UI framework as powerful or quick to develop in as HTML/CSS - and the performance is looking really good in the browser. Native app performance is a myth unless maybe you're writing a video game?
  - vertex-four 12y ago
    > I've yet to find another UI framework as powerful or quick to develop in as HTML/CSS - and the performance is looking really good in the browser. Really? Until a couple of months ago with the advent of flexbox, you couldn't reliably do columns that fit dynamically to the browser window (frameworks like Bootstrap simply define three different window sizes and switch between them, rather than allowing for fluid resizing) as well as you can in every other UI framework I've used, never mind vertical layout. (See all the hacks for "sticky footers" over the past decade.)
    - woah 12y ago
      It may not be powerful, but it is quick to develop in.
      - pjmlp 12y ago
        If all you know is web related stuff.
    - zoomerang 12y ago
      "Quick" - sure. HTML5 lets you spin up UIs fairly quickly. "Powerful" - I'm not so sure. Generally I find native toolkits, while requiring a bit more effort up front, generally yield much nicer user experiences.
- doublerebel 12y ago
  Actually, JavaScript can create native controls and calls on all of those platforms through an API layer, using a framework such as Titanium. JavaScript has not been limited to webviews for at least 5 years now. Many Gnome (Linux) apps original language is JavaScript (GJS). iOS 7 came with a JS API. It is such a powerful language for async and UI design that it adapts well to all these platforms.
pjmlp 12y ago
Well, C and C++ come to mind.

MrScruff 12y ago

The overhead of learning a new language is pretty small. The overhead of learning a new framework is much bigger.

zoomerang 12y ago

> JavaScript is the only language that let's you target every platform Ironically, the three languages you listed - Java, C#, and Objective-C are all available on all major platforms. I could write code in any of those languages and have it run on - Windows - MacOS - Linux - Android - iOS Furthermore, the apps would all be native. That closest Javascript can come is to use the uncanny-valley of HTML5 without native widgets or performance. Frankly, Given that the burden of learning a new language is tiny, I see no reason why we should try and cram Javascript into every nook and cranny. It's a fairly mediocre language at best. tl;dr The three languages you listed are all capable of better cross platform support than Javascript.

radmuzom 12y ago
Can you write Java applications for Windows Phone 8? (without buying a third party software which allows you to do so)
- pjmlp 12y ago
  No, but you can in C and C++. Not only that, certain APIs are only available if you use them.
- zoomerang 12y ago
  Yes. Java can be compiled to native machine code via GCJ, and can expose a normal C++ Api. Whether you'd want to do this or not is another story. C# and Xamarin would be a far better choice for a one-size-fits-all cross platform codebase.
taf2 12y ago
Really? Seems like HTML/JS is the best choice for cross platform application development. These days with Chrome, Firefox and even Safari you can create really full featured applications. The new HTML5 API's are incredibly full featured. Just the other day I created an App for my daughter to helper her login to her school computers - so I decided to create a login screen and then I realized with HTML5 audio API, I can also read aloud each key press as well as an intro text so even though she can't read yet she can use the App. It's 100% JS and HTML/CSS for UI. At my job we spend thousands of hours building our native App for Android and IOS for work and it's painful - when I can open the browser and nearly all the capabilities are in browser and the browser already cleanly abstracts the process of editing UI via HTML/CSS. I've yet to find another UI framework as powerful or quick to develop in as HTML/CSS - and the performance is looking really good in the browser. Native app performance is a myth unless maybe you're writing a video game?
- vertex-four 12y ago
  > I've yet to find another UI framework as powerful or quick to develop in as HTML/CSS - and the performance is looking really good in the browser. Really? Until a couple of months ago with the advent of flexbox, you couldn't reliably do columns that fit dynamically to the browser window (frameworks like Bootstrap simply define three different window sizes and switch between them, rather than allowing for fluid resizing) as well as you can in every other UI framework I've used, never mind vertical layout. (See all the hacks for "sticky footers" over the past decade.)
  - woah 12y ago
    It may not be powerful, but it is quick to develop in.
    - pjmlp 12y ago
      If all you know is web related stuff.
  - zoomerang 12y ago
    "Quick" - sure. HTML5 lets you spin up UIs fairly quickly. "Powerful" - I'm not so sure. Generally I find native toolkits, while requiring a bit more effort up front, generally yield much nicer user experiences.
doublerebel 12y ago
Actually, JavaScript can create native controls and calls on all of those platforms through an API layer, using a framework such as Titanium. JavaScript has not been limited to webviews for at least 5 years now. Many Gnome (Linux) apps original language is JavaScript (GJS). iOS 7 came with a JS API. It is such a powerful language for async and UI design that it adapts well to all these platforms.

pjmlp 12y ago

Well, C and C++ come to mind.