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Ask HK: Quickest way to develop mobile apps as back end engineer in 2021?

by trashtestcrash on 8/15/21, 3:56 PM with 24 comments

I'm a backend engineer who has very limited experience with mobile engineering. I would like to build an app which is simple e.g. filling forms, showing charts, register/login etc. Basic presentation layer on top of backend API. I'm looking for the quickest way to build this, preferably hybrid app which can compile to iOS & android from the same codebase. What are my best options for framework in 2021?

  • by c_ris on 8/15/21, 4:08 PM

    Take a look at Flutter: https://flutter.dev or React Native https://reactnative.dev Both should do the job pretty well.

  • by s1k3s on 8/15/21, 8:15 PM

    After you get past the initial pain, it's native Java & Swift. Implementing something twice seems like a bad idea, but after fiddling with "cross-platform wannabe" solutions I can safely say that native is the way to go. I can do it for you if it's as easy as you make it feel, if you want to.

  • by bjacobt on 8/17/21, 10:28 PM

    As others mentioned flutter is good! Google codelab has good tutorials on getting you started for simple apps [0], follow the two part write your flutter app tutorial and then others.

    I've heard about some jank issues with iOS so you may want to check on that [1]

    [0] https://codelabs.developers.google.com/?cat=flutter [1] https://thomasmiddel.medium.com/flutter-its-poor-ios-perform...

  • by hotgeart on 8/16/21, 10:27 PM

    From the easiest to the most "difficult":

    - https://capacitorjs.com

    - https://reactnative.dev

    - https://flutter.dev

    Build a todo list with the 3 tech and make your choice.

  • by snisarenko on 8/18/21, 3:03 AM

    Hey I am working on a low code framework for a use-case like yours for both WebApps and Mobile Apps.

    Think of it as combination of glitch.com and bubble.io / www.adalo.com

    My contact info is in my HN Profile. I would like to learn more about your use-case.

  • by bodqhrohro on 8/17/21, 11:40 AM

    Why wouldn't you just make an old school website that renders all the stuff on the server and is mobile frindly the same time?

    If you really strive for an "app" experience, wrap it in a WebView or look at the PWA approach.

  • by kinj28 on 8/18/21, 1:08 PM

    I would suggest resort to low code/no code tools - it will enable you to build apps without learning much on frontend. Ideally tools like Dronahq or retool can help.

    Disclaimer: I run marketing at DronaHQ

  • by timclark on 8/15/21, 4:25 PM

    If you don’t know front end development Flutter can get you a very long way very quickly.

  • by sitkack on 8/15/21, 4:30 PM

    Does it need to look pretty or are you looking for barebones functionality? Is a mobile web app ok or is there a lot of interaction on the client and it needs to work over a poor or non-existent net connection?

  • by yagami_takayuki on 8/15/21, 9:03 PM

    Flutter is great, but I don't recommend going down the state management rabbit hole. Some solutions take something that is fast, productive and fun, and turn it into something that is overengineered.

  • by satya71 on 8/15/21, 7:03 PM

    Use Adalo[1] or something like it.

    [1] https://www.adalo.com/

  • by GoldenMonkey on 8/16/21, 3:21 AM

    What doing hybrid buys you is… learning 3 paradigms. The hybrid language/framework needs to be learned. The ios and android paradigms need to be learned. And you will do plenty of debugging. Across all three.

    Don’t ask me how I know. Coding mobile apps since 2009. In native and in all hybrid platforms. Android and iOS and sadly Microsoft.

  • by ipaddr on 8/15/21, 9:20 PM

    As a backend myself I would go with the Ionic framework.

    https://quasar.dev/ if you prefer Vue.js