When I develop mobile apps with e.g. the current Delphi version, does the apps also run on a new (future) mobile OS version? Or do I have to upgrate Delphi to compile against the specifc OS version.

-
When I develop mobile apps with e.g. the current Delphi version, does the apps also run on a new (future) mobile OS version?  Or do I have to upgrate Delphi to compile against the specifc OS version.

I am just wondering, because some people here posting, that the apps created e.g. XE8 crash on iOS9 beta, and so on ...

As Windows developer, I am accustomed, that I just compile my application and it runs on all supported versions, also future ones. That means I don't need to recompile & deploy when a new version arrives.

Comments

  1. Uwe RaabeSeptember 16, 2015 at 3:41 AM

    With mobile you should abandon such expectations. You may be lucky, but most of the time you will be not.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Eli MSeptember 16, 2015 at 4:00 AM

    There is no guarantee that apps will continue to work or that they will continue to be supported by apps stores regardless of the tool you use to build it. For example, on Google Play if you have an app that uses an old version of OpenSSL Google will no longer accept that app even if you build it with Android Studio or Eclipse. Google also depreciates old APIs like In-App Payments v2.0 right out from under you. Facebook will also do this to you.

    Embarcadero has said they do not support betas which is why people running beta IOS9 do so at their own risk. Apple itself abandons older devices (like some iPod Touch's which are stuck on IOS6). Part of having a mobile app is that you will be constantly updating it. And in fact a common re-engagement strategy on mobile is to update often because it sends a notification to your users about it which will usually get them to use your app again.

    This is why mobile tool developers are using the SaaS model. The mobile OSes officially supported by Delphi Seattle are iOS 7.x, iOS 8.x, Android Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0.3, 4.0.4), Android Jelly Bean (4.1, 4.2, 4.3), Android Kit Kat (4.4), and Android Lollipop (5.x). According to Google 94% of all Android users have 4.0+.

    It has been reported by some developers that Delphi Seattle apps also work on IOS9 which given it is being released today is a good thing.

    ReplyDelete
  3. David MillingtonSeptember 16, 2015 at 4:10 AM

    iOS can be quite tricky - in fact OSX is like that too, it's not unusual for apps that work on, say, 10.7 to break when 10.8 comes out.  Apple changes APIs, adds and removes features, changes API behaviour, etc.

    As a Windows developer you're just not used to that. This affects people using Xcode etc too by the way - it happens for everyone.

    I don't know the specific reason those apps created in XE8 crashed in iOS9, whether it was something in RTL code, or the compiler, or something in how the RTL coded against one of the Apple APIs. But it's unlikely to be Embarcadero's fault.

    The end result is, you need to plan to be able to recompile for a specific iOS version.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment