A Systematic Mapping Study of Cross-Platform Mobile Apps

Cross-platform frameworks for mobile Application (app) development allow developers to deploy solutions on a range of platforms such as iOS and Android. With the increased use of such frameworks, it is of utmost importance to understand the contributions and challenges in this emergent field. Although there have been many studies in this area of research, there is a lack of a coherent view. To address this issue, we have conducted a Systematic Mapping Study (SMS) to categorize the available studies in the area of cross-platform mobile app development. More specifically, we aim to understand the accomplishments, contribution facets and the challenges presented in this field. Thirty (30) studies are mapped to a classification scheme. Different research gaps are identified: more research needs to be conducted using more complex and real-world apps; the point of how cross-platform apps are identified and distinguished from the native is still not clarified; and we argue that there should be more research contribution in the particular area of testing and maintenance.