Using Third-Party Libraries for Mobile App Development

Every developer strives to write clean, efficient code that solves problems in the most elegant way possible. And while they need to have a proper know-how of technical aspects of app development, developers also follow some basic rules of thumb that are essential to achieve their goals. The principal ones are:  

DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself) 

KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) 

YAGNI (You Ain’t Gonna Need It) 

And  

Don’t Reinvent the Wheel  

Which basically means that instead of spending countless hours trying to solve problems that others have already tackled, we should make use of existing solutions whenever possible. That's where third-party libraries come in handy. They offer pre-built solutions that can save you from writing code from scratch. 

What are Third-Party Libraries? 

Third-party libraries are pre-written code modules that can be integrated into your app. They are often created by other developers and can provide a variety of functionalities, such as database access, user interface design, and social media integration. Using these libraries can save developers time and effort in writing code from scratch, which can be beneficial, especially when time is of the essence. 

The Role of Third-Party Libraries in Mobile App Development 

Third-party libraries play a significant role in mobile app development. Here are some of the ways in which they can help developers: 

Reduced Development Time 

 By using pre-built code, developers can save time and focus on other important aspects of app development, such as user experience and design. 

Access to New Features 

 Third-party libraries and SDKs provide access to a range of features that may not be available natively on the platform, such as push notifications, in-app purchases, and analytics. 

Improved App Performance: 

SDKs are often designed to optimize app performance by reducing the memory footprint and improving the app's speed. 

Cost-Effective 

Using pre-built code can be a cost-effective solution, especially for small businesses or startups with limited resources.  

There remain challenges as well! 

Stability and reliability 

Third-party libraries can’t be trusted when it comes to stability and reliability. For example; in May 2020, Facebook's software development kit led major third-party apps to crash on launch. And in July 2020, a bug in Facebook SDK led to a repetition of the same incident. Hundreds of third-party apps were affected by this crash causing them a financial loss in the duration of the outage.  

Hard to do third-party library updates 

Third-party library updates are sometimes difficult to do. Sometimes an update can affect the app performance and put you in a situation of either spending time on fixing it or leaving it just like that only. And even after updating, you need to test your app and keep an eye out for any crashes or bugs that may arise as your app grows. 

Dependency 

If you are relying on third parties that means your code is also tied to that particular library. And in case you have to switch libraries your code will have to go through significant changes in order to adapt to the new library. There is a list of evaluation criteria that several mobile teams go through before switching to another third-party library. The list involves areas like App size, upgrade risks, no maintenance risks, etc. 

Security Issues 

Last but not least, the use of third-party libraries might raise some security concerns as vulnerabilities in open-source libraries are increasingly targets for hackers. 

Avoiding the pitfall 

Evaluate Your Needs 

The first step in choosing the right third-party libraries is to evaluate your app's needs. Determine the functionalities that you require and search for libraries that offer those functionalities.  

Check the Quality 

Quality is a critical factor when selecting third-party libraries. Make sure to check the library's reviews and ratings to ensure that it is of high quality and free of major bugs and errors.  

Consider the License 

Make sure to check the license of the library to ensure that it is compatible with your app and does not have any restrictions.  

Check the Support 

When choosing a third-party library, make sure to check the support offered by the creators. Ensure that the library is regularly updated and has an active developer community.  

Consider the Size 

The size of the library can also impact the performance of your app. Make sure to choose a library that is lightweight and does not affect the app's performance. 

Third-party libraries are an essential component of mobile app development. They offer ready-made functionalities that can save time, reduce development costs, and enhance the user experience. When choosing third-party libraries, developers must evaluate their app's needs, check the quality, consider the license and support, and choose a library that is lightweight. 

At Hashbrown Systems, we help organizations transform their ideas into applications and build high-performing enterprise apps at lower comparative costs. 

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