What is the special feature of cross-platform software?

Probably, you were interested in how programs are created that can work on different operating systems of computers and their different versions. But why such work is possible? What mechanism underlies this universality? And what is the cross-platform in the light of such issues?

What is cross-platform software?

Gone are the days when the only platform used was Windows. More and more people are using other operating systems, from which different versions of Linux stand out. What is cross-platform and why is it valued? A feature of cross-platform software is that it can run on different operating systems without the need for additional preparation or processing of the program.

What programming language should I choose?

There is a division into simply cross-platform programming languages and having cross-platform execution environments. So, to the first it is possible to carry С, С ++, Pascal. They can be programmed for different platforms with the help of their compilers. In the presence of quality code, it is enough not to rewrite the program from scratch, but only to refine the small details on which the interaction with the system part depends. Therefore, the created cross-platform software allows you to save time and money, although it puts forward high requirements for the qualification of programmers.

But there are also cross-platform interpreted languages, the converters of which execute the required commands without rewriting the code, and everything depends on the version of the interpreter itself. These include ActionScript, Perl, Ruby, Python, PHP. Additionally, I want to note that JVN and .NET have similar properties, so programs written in Java or C # can also be run on different operating systems without precompiling. The difference between the last two is that it uses not the source text, but a special intermediate code. On cross-platform programming, in addition, we can say that choosing the language for the program should take into account its prevalence and breadth of use among potential customers.

Cross-platform user interface

Regardless of how the result is achieved, the standard design elements of the program can have the same appearance on all versions, and directly depend on the system settings - it all depends on the developer's choice. Developed cross-platform software does not have mandatory quality standards, except for the requirements of the system, so the question arises what style to make for the program. There are several possible answers to this question:

1. A single style that is used in all operating systems. In this case, you can arrange what you want and as you want, but there may be problems with screen fonts or the size of the program window.
2. Self-adapting interface that adapts to different requirements. Allows you to create a program that automatically adjusts to the optimal settings and makes it easier to use. But for the creation of such software, a qualified programmer is required who can perform the task in a qualitative way.
3. Hybrid interface. Allows you to receive fonts from systems and performs certain automation. But the styles are different, and it's hard to make a tight layout.

But here's how to test the performance of not only the interface, but also the functionality? You can buy equipment with the necessary settings, but there is a cheaper way. Especially for this, there are emulators that will allow you to evaluate the work of the program. Cross-platform software without them would be less common.

Emulation

If you want to use a program that is not designed for the current platform, you can use the emulator. In addition, emulation allows you to see how something will work without having the necessary hardware. It should be taken into account that using the emulator can lead to a certain decrease in performance. Even if there is no simulator for the platform that you use, you can install a supported one, and it already has the required simulator. As you can see, the scheme is rather complicated, but with it, cross-platform software can be developed for all operating systems.

Cross-platform programming competitions

The creation of software that can work on many platforms is a complicated business. And here the quality of personnel plays an important role. To conduct selection and to search for the best of the best, various competitions allow, both in our fatherland and abroad. As an example, we can cite TUSUR. The development of cross-platform software in it is connected with the competition of future specialists to find the best and offer them an advantageous job.