Navigation Flow Modeling as a Basis for the Automatic Generation of Android APPs

摘要

According to a marketing survey conducted in 2017, Android currently accounts for the largest market share of smartphone operating systems. However, demand for increased functionality from smartphone applications (apps) has greatly complicated program logic, data structure and operational flow. A lack of systematic schemes for the development of complex apps often hinders initial delivery and maintenance, compromises software quality, and leads to discrepancies between design specifications and implementations. In this study, we developed a novel scheme to facilitate the development of Android apps from the perspective of navigation flow (i.e., a series of screens through which one navigates in order to perform a specific function related to a specific mobile app). The proposed model-driven architecture (MDA) makes it possible to automatically transform navigation flows (specified in wireframes) into Android project code within the context of the Android project structure. The objective of the proposed system is to enhance productivity in the development and maintenance of Android apps.