I am currently on a research understanding the whole buzz around some technologies that claim that they deploy themselves as cross-platform apps once you write your code in HTML5/CSS3/AngularJS/Whatever client side techonology.
I understand those technologies provide you with a bridge to the native-side of the OS you are running on, but I still lack some real important information regarding them.
Do all those PhoneGap/Ionic/Cordova just wrap your client-side code into an application? Is it the same as using the web-browser to get to a URL but with only some native-like additions(Camera/File etc..).
Do those technologies just connect to your website that is online using DNS? Or is the "Website" you are building does not sit on a server but only on the local OS? Can they run that application offline?
Besides the native additions you get with those kind of technologies, why bother developing with them when you can on the other hand develop a responsive website that can also work on desktop?
Can you connect to a server-side using Ionic/Phonegap? Let's say I have an MS-SQL Table I want to communicate with- is that possible?
I really have a hard time understanding what all those technologies are any good. Still, it is growing in popularity. Thanks for any light on that matter.
Do all those PhoneGap/Ionic/Cordova just wrap your client-side code
into an application? Is it the same as using the web-browser to get to
a URL but with only some native-like additions(Camera/File etc..).
They wrap your html, css and javascript code and provide a javascript API to use native features
Do those technologies just connect to your website that is online
using DNS? Or is the "Website" you are building does not sit on a
server but only on the local OS? Can they run that application
offline?
You should have all the html, css and javascript inside of your app, if you do it this way the app will work offline.
You can have it online too, but it won't work offline and have some problems.
Besides the native additions you get with those kind of technologies,
why bother developing with them when you can on the other hand develop
a responsive website that can also work on desktop?
If you don't need any of the native features phonegap provides, then do a responsive website, the idea of phonegap is fill the gap between the browser and the native apps, some day the browser will have access to all the native features and phonegap will die.
BTW, now phonegap have a desktop platform, so you can make it work as native app for phone and still work in the browser
Can you connect to a server-side using Ionic/Phonegap? Let's say I
have an MS-SQL Table I want to communicate with- is that possible?
Sure, you can make XHR calls to the server to get a XML, JSON, etc with the onlyne SQL database, you can do a POST too, and upload files.
Related
Im looking to code a simple point of sale system using HTML as a progressive app, in other words, creating a web app that doesn't run in a browser.
How would be the best way to get an EPSON printer to communicate with the app. I've used JAVAPos API in the past for communication. Is there any way to get JAVAPos to work with a web app?
Since you specifically say that you're interested in developing something that runs outside of the browser, but you presumably want to use web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, pursuing an approach based on an Electron container, and using a library like electron-usb to communicate with your printer, would seem like the best option.
If you're open to other options, it is possible to write a traditional web app that runs within certain browsers and talks to USB devices, using the WebUSB API.
Another approach would be to write a Chrome App that accomplished something similar, but that's deprecated if you don't plan on running on a Chrome OS-based computer.
I have read a few forums and articles on this but can't get a clear answer.
I need to build a mobile app that can run on any platform/device. It looks like HTML5 + jquery is the best option but I need the application to do the following:
The app must run on any platform (Windows Phone, iOS, Android, etc).
It must work as a stand alone application. Meaning it must work without internet connection.
Because it is stand alone, I need a local database on the device. The database can be embedded in the app. I'm thinking SQL CE.
The local database on the device must be able to sync to a SQL Server database.
The app needs to interact with features of the device like the camera, or GPS device.
Is it possible to build such a mobile application?
I am using ASP.net MVC 4 to do the development.
If you want to use HTML5 and JQuery then the PhoneGap/Cordova framework would suit you best.
Phonegap is a cross platform framework that gives you access to the device features like GPS and Camera using a standard javascript API.
The app must run on any platform (Windows Phone, iOS, Android, etc).
Phonegap is compatible with all these and many more including blackberry. See here for full list: http://phonegap.com/about/feature/
It must work as a stand alone application. Meaning it must work without internet connection.
PhoneGap runs as a native application inside each devices webview. It does not need access to a data connection to run
Because it is stand alone, I need a local database on the device. The database can be embedded in the app. I'm thinking SQL CE.
PhoneGap cannot run its own SQL Database like a standard native application but it can use the web standards Web Storage and Web SQL. Though this approach does have limitations. Read more about this here: http://docs.phonegap.com/en/1.2.0/phonegap_storage_storage.md.html#Storage
The local database on the device must be able to sync to a SQL Server database.
This would be upto you to design and implement but can definitely be done
The app needs to interact with features of the device like the camera, or GPS device.
Most device features supported with PhoneGap. See above link for full support list.
If the lack of a full SQL Database support is a problem for you there are frameworks like Titanium Appcelerator that build a fully native cross platform app for you that may be more suited to your situation.
http://www.appcelerator.com/platform/titanium-platform/
But if you're using HTML and JQuery to go cross platform then PhoneGap is your best bet.
Edit: Also there are plugins for PhoneGap to run a standard SQLite DB but this requires extra work on each platform. Every platform you develop for would require a compatible plugin.
http://brodyspark.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/cordovaphonegap-sqlite-plugins-offer.html
Use PhoneGap: http://phonegap.com/
or Apache Cordova: http://cordova.apache.org/
or Intel XDK: http://xdk-software.intel.com/
I have developed an web app using MVC4- mobile and HTML5. Every things is working fine when we enter URL from any phone. But i am wondering how to convert my web app into hybrid app so that i could upload in istore or GooglePlay.
Please help me with the procedure or steps i need to follow and is there any tool other than phoneGap that i could use.
Thanks in advance.
There are few options but I will mention only two of them.
Most commonly used is a Phonegap/Cordova app wrapper framework (Also my main choice). Cordova is a new name for a Phonegap framework. It will give you an access to common mobile phone functionalities (Android, iPhone, Blackberry and WP7+). It is rather easy to use and there are a lot of vorking tutorials available, you can even find them in youtube.
Here's an phonegap link: http://cordova.apache.org/. There you will find tutorials how to install/configure it on all available platforms. This is a older link: enter link description here, it still has usable informations.
If in doubt always search for phonegap examples instead of cordova. For some reason Phonegap is still a mostly used name.
Here's an Phonegap + jQuery Mobile example: http://therockncoder.blogspot.com/2012/07/jquery-mobile-phonegap-and-camera.html, there you will find a github link for Android and iOS implementation.
Through the PhoneGap javascript APIs, the "web app" has access to the mobile phone functions such as Geolocation, Accelerometer Camera, Contacts, Database, File system, etc. Basically any function that the mobile phone SDK provides can be "bridged" to the javascript world. On the other hand, a normal web app that runs on the mobile web browser does not have access to most of these functions (security being the primary reason). Therefore, a PhoneGap app is more of a mobile app than a web app. You can certainly use PhoneGap to wrap a web app that does not use any PhoneGap APIs at all, but that is not what PhoneGap was created for.
Now some disadvantages. With PhoneGap for each platform you have to maintain a different project. The burden for that increases when there is a need to use multiple PhoneGap plugins because you need to search and update different files on each platform.
Mosync is also an excellent solution. This framework has a few things better handled then Phonegap. Like:
With MoSync you’ll have only one project to maintain for all the platforms. For iOS you will still need to use Xcode because MoSync outputs a project for it but, other than just building it, there is no need to dig deeper in Apple’s IDE.
The entire provided functionality for JavaScript is placed in the same file for all of the operating systems. There are no files for plugins because it has none (at least that I know of), but the same extensibility is achieved in ways described in the next section.
If there is some functionality that MoSync doesn’t provide on the JavaScript side, there are no plugins that you can use, but there is another way. MoSync provides a lot of features from the C++ side and if they aren’t accessible from JavaScript by default they can be easily made available. I’m sure that in the future the MoSync team will add more features to the JavaScript library.
With MoSync you are not restricted to only JavaScript frameworks to replicate native UI, you can truly create native UI elements that are more responsive using only JavaScript.
Rhomobile on the other hand is much less used thus a lot less supported.
I heard few good things about this framework but never had time to learn/use it.
RhoMobile applications are OS-agnostic, able to support enterprise-
and consumer-class operating systems including Windows® Embedded
Handheld, Windows® CE, Windows® Phone 7 Series, Apple® iOS, Android®
and BlackBerry®. You have complete control over how applications
behave on different devices. With RhoMobile Suite, you are finally
free from OS design constraints, able to create business applications
that are every bit as elegant looking and intuitive as their consumer
counterparts (This was copied from their main site).
I am presently started working with mobile development and would like to know which is the best way to work with Html,css and jquery/Javascript for WP7.
As I have seen couple of things on the web as Phone Gap,Jquery mobile and Appcelerator Titanium
1.I have some of the problems actually this is not a problem but as PhoneGap gives a starter template with C# solution.
But I'm working on VB.Net.I'm unable to work with the C# solution as If I convert to VB.Net the entire starter template it is not working.
2.Just now I had a look at Jquery mobile there is no specific documentation mentioned how to use it with emulator in WP7.
Can anyone show me the links where I can start with the basics of Jquery mobile with WP7 emulator.
3.Do you think there is any other best way so that I Can work with jquery, html and css in WP7.
It sounds like PhoneGap is your best option here. Right now, it's the best way to deploy an HTML-based application on Windows Phone. The main thing that PhoneGap gives you is a bridge to the phone's hardware (things like volume buttons, vibration, etc.). It also gives you an easy way to wrap up your application into a package that can be installed like a real native app.
By themselves, other frameworks like jQuery Mobile, Sencha Touch and Kendo UI don't provide hardware access or the ability to deploy the app natively. They are purely UI frameworks, meaning they provide the interface widgets you'll use to build your app but little else. Generally, with these frameworks, you need to host the app somewhere like a website and access it through the browser.
Assuming you're running a Windows machine, you could host the app locally for development using Internet Information Services (IIS). Here's a guide to setting up a site. Then you could open the emulator and go to http://localhost to interact with your app. That would work, but it would be clunky.
The ideal scenario is to use both jQuery Mobile (or another UI framework) and PhoneGap to create a nice-looking, natively installable app.
What I'd recommend is trying to get PhoneGap set up in a VB project. From what I've seen, this shouldn't be too difficult. There are probably some details to work out, but mainly it looks like you need to copy the www and GapLib folders over. Then right click on References and browse to the GapLib .dll. You'll also need to get the MainPage.xaml and MainPage.vb files set up, but they probably just host a web browser control, so this should be straightforward.
Migrating the pieces into a new project should work a lot better than trying to convert an existing project.
If you post specific issues that you run into during the setup, I'm sure you could get them answered quickly.
I am contemplating buying an iPad and am wondering what options I will have for developing an app for personal use ... specifically whether I will be able to do it as an offline browser app. The app currently exists as an Android Java app; it interacts with a large local database (about 3MB) and displays images and text drawn from a very large pool of resources stored locally (about 2GB).
My immediate questions are:
How would I get the files (html/javascript, database, images and text) transferred into the iPad's storage from a Windows PC? With Android this is a simple matter of hooking up via USB and using Windows Explorer. Googling suggests that for an iPad I might have to use an app on Windows called DiskAid, but this costs $25 which seems a bit steep for my simple purpose. Are there free alternatives?
Once the files are installed on the iPad how would I run the html app? On Android this appears to be a matter of keying "file:///sdcard/MyBrowserAppFolder/mybrowserapp.htm" into the browser's address box. Does th iPad browser work in a similar way.
There are two basic kinds of applications that run on iOS.
Mobile designed web applications that are hosted on a server and accessed through Safari or another browser.
Native applications built using Xcode and usually objective-c.
For the latter, you could use the phonegap framework to build an app using existing html and javascript.
My personal advice is to invest the time to learning how to code this up using objective-c. Depending on what format your db is in, importing the structure and data might be trivial. It will take an investment of time, but doing things using the native tools is the best choice for iOS development in my opinion. I was in the same situation (PHP, VB.NET and Javascript developer) and just decided to take the time and learn to do it right. This was a great decision and the development time of a simple to moderate application takes very little time now.
Safari on iOS does not support the URL's of type file:// natively. So you either write your own app, purchase an app or use something like a local web server after jailbreaking.
Alternatively, and if you can verify that the app you have mentioned does what you want to do, then maybe $25 is not so much of a price. Depends on what your time is worth :)
However there are cheaper apps around that allow to transfer and read html via wifi and usb. (Not sure I can name them here)
The USB transfer aka iTunes Filesharing is a standard function that a developer can enable in the info.plist of their app. Many apps use this to transfer data between Computer and iDevice.