How to develop a mobile application

[music_man]

I have an idea that I'd like to develop for mobile phones. What programming language is most commonly used for mobile applications? And, are there any guides for building these apps?

It would be fantastic if I could use Ajax...

[phranque]

there is no "standard" yet.
the state of the art is in flux.
javascript enabled mobile browsers are not the norm.
at this point, the best place to start is probably WAP.

[music_man]

Thanks for your reply. I'd like to use something like Ajax so that the page doesn't need to reload for every request...

[phranque]

it partly depends on how much mobile market share you are going for.
some phones are java enabled which may work for your application...

[jtara]

It depends on just what you call a "mobile application", and whether your target is phones or smart phones (e.g. PDA phones).

It sounds like you want to develop an application that won't use airtime, at least part of the time. That rules out WAP.

Most GSM and some (in the U.S. only a very few) CDMA phones can load Java applications.

Most CDMA phones can load Brew applications, which typically have to be approved by and sold through the carrier, and are typically written in C++ (though there's no specific language requirement - they are compiled to machine code.)

"Smart", or PDA phones can load applications written typically in most any language (as with Brew) and using the APIs of their respecitive operating system. (e.g. Windows Mobile, PalmOS, or - emerging - flavors of Linux).

[brycen]

You face more barriers than just technology. The wireless carriers control the browsing experience for many users, it's a "closed shop". You need a relationship with the carrier to get your content seen.