Wal Mart E-Retailer Shopping App Development Framework Recommendation

This report, submitted by Ashanti Spearman, Matthew Lestourgeon, and Elliott Miller, evaluates mobile app development frameworks, focusing on the needs of a shopping application for Wal Mart E-Retailer. It compares the requirements and costs associated with iOS, Android, and Windows Mobile platforms. The core of the report centers on recommending an Android-based framework, detailing five prominent options: PhoneGap, Appcelerator Titanium, Jquery Mobile, Corona SDK, and App Builder. Each framework is assessed for its capabilities and suitability for the project. The report also analyzes potential issues related to the user interface, functionality, ease of use, aesthetic design, push notifications, and social media integration. It concludes with suggested enhancements, particularly focusing on improving the in-app purchasing process. The analysis emphasizes Android's flexibility and adaptability, advocating for its selection due to its compatibility with a wide array of devices and its support for various programming languages and cross-platform testing.

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Shopping App Development
Ashanti Spearman, Matthew Lestourgeon, Elliott Miller
MBL/400
May 15, 2017
Earl Campbell

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Shopping App Development
To: Senior Manager,
From: Wal Mart E-Retailer
Subject: Recommendation of the Mobile framework in Android.
Mobile Frameworks
iOS Requirement
IOS application requires following requirement for development.
 IOS-related code and Mac OS is used for application development.
 Latest XCode version is required, the Apple SDK for creating iOS apps
 Simulator/device used for compilation is of your choice.
 Objective-C and C language are used.
 Cost from $500,000 to $1,000,000 for large companies and cost from
$150,000 to $450,000 for agencies that built savvy application.
Android Requirement
Android application requires following requirement for development.
 Android Software Development Kit is required.
 Apache Ant (Another Neat Tool), an open-source tool that automates aspects
of the Android build process.
 Gradle (It is used to manage dependencies and used to outline custom build
logic)
 Cost from $500,000 to $1,000,000 for large companies and cost from
$150,000 to $450,000 for agencies that built savvy application.
 For native code (If some parts of your code C++ instead of Java, or you can
access native libraries) make sure you compile it for a real device.
Windows Mobile Requirement
Windows Mobile application requires following requirement for development.
For Windows mobile devices requirement

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Second Level Address Translation (SLAT) supported processor.
 Windows 8 Pro edition with the 8.1 update
 6.5 GB of internal storage
 8 GB memory
 Windows Phone SDK 8.0
 Visual Studio Express 2013 for Windows
 Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1 Emulators
Recommendation for Platform
The five major framework used in the development of the Android application. It is
mandatory to choose the right framework for the development of application. The selection of
right framework may lead to the development of application ecological and convert it into the
mobile application for another ecosystem. We are Choosing Android for the development of the
application. As Android is capable of developing the flexible application. There is some the
framework that Android offers.
 Phone Gap
Phone gap is sponsored by the Adobe and Apache for the Android development
framework. Any changers done in the application by the developers are visible to the users. It is
a cross-platform application that supports CSS, HTML, and Java Script development.
 Appcelerator Titanium
Appcelerator Titanium is the mostly utilized Android mobile application framework that
helps in developing the native mobile application from a unique Java Script code. Manual
Testing is also done in Appcelerator Titanium as it provides test automation which is time-
demanding.
 Jquery Mobile

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Jquery is the framework that is used in HTML5. It is one of the biggest frameworks in
which one can write the code in one version and that code is utilized in all other devices. This
framework enables the single website can run on the different operating system and different
devices. Jquery is open source so the user can download it a stable version or use it as a custom
download.
 Corona SDK
Corona SDK is one of the latest framework used in the development of the Android
application. It is used for the development of the exceptional application. If we are using this
framework and Lua development is adaptable to any language. This types of the framework are
mostly utilized by the game developers. But this framework is also utilized for other types of
application as well. Corona SDK consists of more than 500 native UI support and APIs.
 App Builder
App builder is also the framework used in the development of Android application. This
framework utilized in the combination of HTML5. The type of interface this framework
provided is cordless that helps in the fastest development of the application. The major benefit of
this framework is that we can directly submit the application in google play.
Potential Issues
 User interface
The user interface for the app feels pretty clean and responsive throughout the duration of
my use of the app. However, the one gripe that I do have about the application is with its
shopping cart and purchasing procedures. Whereas with most sites, purchases are handled within
the app without a lapse in service or transition to a web app within the app. With the gamestop

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application if a user decides they would like to make a purchase and check out they are
redirected onto the web out to complete the checkout process. This can feel a little sloppy and
unresponsive sometimes and also require a second login in order to complete and purchase which
could potentially confuse some users throughout the purchase process.
 Type of functionality provided
This app can include the purchase of products within the application as well as the
presentation of the gaming rewards membership card once logged into the app. Another function
provided by the application is the redemption of rewards points for items redeemable in the built
in rewards shop on the app. This is useful as it allows the user to save a purchased coupon on
their phone until they are able to get into a store and properly relieve the coupon.
 Ease of use
This application is very easy to access and use. In order to properly log in a user only have
to enter their password and identification information once. After this initial login the user is able
to constantly access the application without the need for entering another password. This can be
very useful and allow users to access their files quickly after a break without entering the
password again.
 Aesthetic design
The aesthetic design for the application is very sleek and minimal. This helped to present
information in a way that wasn’t overwhelming and helped me to keep my focus on the
information that I was looking after. This is a very good way to develop an app as the focus of
many object or games at once in narrowed down to simply one screen or time that is large
enough for the user to read and make an educated guess

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 Availability of push notifications
Push notifications are available within the app and are customizable allowing the user to
customize whatever notifications they would like to receive. This can range from a simple sale to
specific products that the customer is keeping their eyes on for a special occasion. This better
helps the user get more value out of having the app without constantly being spammed with
information that are not going to use and is not pertaining to them.
 Integration with social media
GameStop offers plenty of social media integration from services such as Facebook,
twitter, google plus, and YouTube. This allows app users to quickly share information and deal
with other people using the app as well as those like to them on social media services. This can
help the company to better market their products to increase sales. Within the social media scene
GameStop is also active in posting updates and new releases of games for social media users to
see and share with their friends.
 Enhancements Suggested
Enhancements to the website that I would suggest to be the purchase methods established
by GameStop. I would choose the make the application easier to purchase items through the
application UI vs a redirect to the web based application page within the app and using that UI to
finish the purchase. This would allow users to make purchases quicker and have less of the
chance of a user giving up on a purchase due to the redirects and the need to use a sluggish web
based UI that is being pull from an installed application.
User Interface

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When looking for the right mobile platform having an understanding of the
interface will be a big help in our decision. We are looking for the interface that allows the most
freedom to do what we want along with it being changing to adapt to our needs. Android looks
like the best one to choose as it has the most variety on what we will be able to do as it adapts
and has capabilities of different arrays and devices. It also allows having different types of
programming and cross platform testing making it the easiest to use, allowing us to do anything
we want with it. Most of all of the android applications can be used with any device unlike the
other competitors making it so you are only allowed to use specific applications made for that
device.