Many people consider a career in software development but are maybe not quite aware of exactly what goes on in different development environments. This course serves as an introduction to a particular environment known as mobile development, which encompasses the area of cross-platform development. This development area is best described as built-in software applications that can run on multiple mobile operating systems. Place that definition in a real-world context. Let's examine a typical mobile development project. As an example, let's assume our project is to create an app. Just to mention that when you come across the term app, it could refer to an app on your phone, or to a web app that runs on a website, or by some other online method. For ease of reference, here the sample project is portrayed as a phone app. It's our first project example. Let's pick an app that is not too complex. Perhaps a productivity tracker. What does the Productivity Tracker aim to do? This app enables a business user to track items such as tasks, dates, times, and appointments to help the user plan their schedule. It will include task list with priority ratings such as low, medium, and high. It will sync with other planning apps such as calendars or project planners. Task can be upgraded to calendar slots so that they become items on the user's schedule. Various screen views are required including weekly, monthly, and yearly overviews. Finally, there is the climate to filter the task and appointments by several criteria, but especially criteria relating back to our task priority ratings. Filtering within specific time periods is also a necessity. Did I mention this app will be released to both iOS and Android phones? If you are creating this app, you face some challenges. Let's list some of them. Don't worry if you don't fully understand all of the terms right now, after all, that's part of the reason you are taking this course. Some challenges in a productivity app project are; cross-platform compatibility, user interface design, program in the code which includes testing and debugging, and connecting to and synchronizing with third-party apps and tools. That is a short example of a not very complex app but it does illustrate the source of tasks and challenges faced by cross-platform developers. During the course, you'll be introduced to these and many other tasks that are the responsibilities of a mobile developer. You will start by learning how the web works. You will discover fundamental components of the Internet, such as networks, web servers, clients, and web hosting. You will also explore web browsers, websites, and web pages. Next, you will learn about different platforms, how they differ, and how developers use cross-platform mobile development frameworks to create products that run on multiple platforms. Then you'll get the opportunity to gain the fundamental skills required to become a web developer using HTML and CSS and discover the vast array of developer tools available to you. Finally, you will explore React and React Native, their relationship to JavaScript and how you can use them to facilitate cross-platform mobile development. Of course, you're not expected to build an app right away. There are many videos in your course that will gradually guide you toward that goal. Watch, pause, rewind, and re-watch the videos until you're confident in your skills. Then consolidate your knowledge by consulting the course readings and put your skills into practice during the course exercises. Along the way, you'll encounter several knowledge quizzes where you can self-check your progress. You're not alone in considering a career as a mobile developer and the course discussion prompts enable you to connect with your classmates. It's a great way to share knowledge, discuss difficulties, and make new friends. To be successful in the course, you must commit to a regular disciplined approach to your learning regime. You need to be serious about your study, and if possible, map out a study schedule with dates and times that you can devote to attending the course. It's an online self-paced course, but it does help to think of your study in terms of regular attendance at learning institutes. In summary, this course provides you for complete introduction to mobile development as part of a program of courses that lead you toward a career in software development.
