Android Application Building Alternatives

I'm beginning to look into Android programming.

When developing a mobile application, are there other options besides using the SDK to develop a native application?

For instance, is it possible to develop an application using only web technologies?

If s开发者_开发问答o, what is your experience on the different techniques (limitations, etc)?

Thanks

With Gingerbread now you have the possibility to create an app just with the NDK using NativeActivity.

This release of the NDK includes many new APIs, most of which are introduced to support the development of games and similar applications that make extensive use of native code. Using the APIs, developers have direct native access to events, audio, graphics and window management, assets, and storage. Developers can also implement the Android application lifecycle in native code with help from the new NativeActivity class. For detailed information describing the changes in this release, read the CHANGES.HTML document included in the downloaded NDK package.

If you are willing to use web technologies I would recommend you this book: Programming the Mobile.

For instance, is it possible to develop an application using only web technologies?

Yes. You can use PhoneGap, Rhodes, or Titanium Mobile for this.

If so, what is your experience on the different techniques (limitations, etc)?

Of the three, I prefer PhoneGap, as it seems the cleanest and simplest. Rhodes might be good if you are a Rails developer and want to use that style of Web development on-device.

You can also develop applications on top of Adobe AIR.

So it seems you have quite a few options:

• Java based app
• Native app
• Adobe AIR
• Mobile website