Supporting energy-efficient mobile application development with model-driven code generation

Energy-efficiency is a critical attribute of mobile applications, but it is often difficult for the developers to optimize the energy consumption on the code level. In this work we explore how we could use a model and code library based approach to assist the developer. Our vision is that developers can specify the operation on a high level and the system automatically converts the model to an appropriate software pattern. In this way, the developer can focus on the actual functionality of the app. We exemplify our approach with several energy-efficient software patterns, which focus on wireless data communication which is one of the biggest energy hogs with typical mobile applications. We discuss the pros and cons of different implementation alternatives and suggest open questions needing further exploration. © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2014