The module will focus on the tools and environments that exist to help developers create real world applications that run on wireless and mobile devices. A strong emphasis will be placed on providing students with hands on experience in the programming and testing of applications for mobile devices. Throughout this module students will use an object oriented programming language, basic APIs and specialised APIs to develop applications for mobile devices.

Challenges to be faced when developing applications for mobile devices. Platform specific mobile applications and/or mobile web applications; mobile application lifecycles. Mobile applications and their architectures. Overview of operating systems (OSs) and Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) to choose from when developing applications for mobile devices. Comparison of native development environment options; software development kits (SDKs) and emulators. Installing and configuring the development environment. Managing application resources; designing user interfaces; data storage and retrieval options; synchronization and replication of mobile data. Communications via network and the web; networking and web services; wireless connectivity and mobile applications. Performance consideration: performance and memory management; performance and threading; graphics and user interface performance; use various facilities for concurrency. Security considerations: encryptions, authentication, protection against rogue applications. Location based application; location API. Packaging and deploying applications for mobile devices.

On successful completion of this module, students should be able to: 1. Identify and compare technologies that enable the development of applications for mobile devices. 2. Assess different approaches to data management and persistence. 3. Make use of existing application and system level frameworks and development stacks. 4. Use an object oriented language and reuse libraries to develop applications for mobile devices. 5. Develop applications for mobile applications that take into account application architecture, client application requirements as well as performance and security considerations. 6. Use various facilities for concurrency and operation management as alternatives to the traditional explicit multi-threaded model.

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The module has undergone significant revision. This part of the new Module Leader's delivery of the material: which emphasizes a direction focused on the submission of a working app prototype, group work and collaboration than exam evaluation. We believe that this reflects both the needs of the industry, in respect of how apps are developed, and the student's understanding and reflection of this process. Thus, graduates will be well equipped to deal with the needs of the software industry and the app development market specifically, through a curriculum focused on group work and portfolio submission.