An automation component for cross-platform, context-aware applications development

Abstract

Context-aware computing faces many challenges mainly due to the increasing number and heterogeneity of context sources, since the Internet of Things introduces billions of devices. The development of context-aware applications is thus becoming a complex and cumbersome process, which is also augmented by the availability of different mobile platforms. This requires a modular approach that aims to automate the development of these applications, by enabling developers to easily add context-aware functionality. In this paper, an automation component is presented that allows novice developers to select context plug-ins (e.g., Geolocation, Facebook profile, battery level) and generate a sample application that includes these context-aware functions. This application serves as a basis for the development of more complex crossplatform, context-aware applications. The code generation support of the automation component is demonstrated through a case study. Finally, a basic evaluation is performed to showcase the benefits, issues and identify potential future work. © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2015.