Challenges and solutions in cross-platform mobile development: a qualitative study of Flutter and React Native

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Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Perustieteiden korkeakoulu | Master's thesis

Date

2024-05-20

Department

Major/Subject

Software and Service Engineering

Mcode

SCI3043

Degree programme

Master’s Programme in Computer, Communication and Information Sciences

Language

en

Pages

63+3

Series

Abstract

This thesis explores the challenges and solutions in cross-platform mobile application development, focusing on Flutter and React Native frameworks. By engaging 20 developers in semi-structured interviews, this research rigorously examines their firsthand experiences with these technologies. The study identifies main challenges such as performance optimization, UI consistency, and integrating with native functionalities. It also examines the effectiveness of the solutions, including data caching and state management tools, to overcome these obstacles and how such challenges influence the overall developer experience (DX). The findings reveal that despite the efficiency gains provided by cross-platform frameworks, developers encounter complex obstacles, including learning curve of new languages, bridging communication with native modules, and adapting to frequent version updates. The study contributes practical insights for Flutter and React Native usage in mobile app development, with an emphasis on improving DX to address the evolving needs of the mobile app development.

Description

Supervisor

Fagerholm, Fabian

Thesis advisor

Fagerholm, Fabian

Keywords

cross-platform mobile development, flutter, react native, developer experience, qualitative research

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