Developing Downloadable Mobile Apps Using HTML5 and PhoneGap
- 1. Developing Downloadable Mobile Apps Using HTML5 and PhoneGap “Apache Callback” Ron Perry, CTO, Worklight Inc.
- 2. Agenda Downloadable (native) apps vs. Web apps • HTML5 web apps vs. Downloadable apps Using HTML5 in downloadable apps: the hybrid model • How hybrid apps work • Advantages and disadvantages Writing an app with PhoneGap • The concept • Accessing device APIs Our experience with PhoneGap
- 3. Critical HTML5 features are supported on mobile iOS5 Android 2.2, 2.3 WinPhone 7.5 • Canvas • SVG • Audio • Elements Desktop: • Local Storage • CSS3 position:fixed • Geolocation • Drag & Drop • Video • Files • CSS3 borders, anim • WebGL • Web Applications • IndexedDB, WebSQL
- 4. HTML5 makes mobile web apps possible
- 5. Native apps can still do much more VoIP Access Camera Audio Processing Video Processing App-Store Presence
- 6. Downloadable (Native) Apps File System Native App (on Mobile (Java/Obj-C/C#) Device) Mobile OS
- 7. Web Apps Mobile Browser Web App (HTML, CSS, JS) Web Server Mobile OS
- 8. Hybrid to the rescue Combine HTML/CSS/JS with native code Special functions User interface in Logic and interaction written in platform- HTML/CSS in JS specific native code Advantages Reuse of Access to App-store Portability existing skills device APIs presence
- 9. Hybrid Apps Native Container File System (on Mobile HTML, CSS, JS Device) Mobile OS
- 10. App Development Comparison Device Development Approval Speed App Store Access Cost Process Native Full Very Fast Expensive Available Mandatory Native Low Hybrid Full Speed as Reasonable Available Overhead Necessary Not Web Partial Fast Reasonable Available None
- 11. Architecture of a hybrid app Native container: • Creates instance of UIWebView / android.webkit.WebView / etc. • Navigates to main html file • Implements listener/handler for requests coming from JS code • Activates JS code when necessary HTML5/CSS3/JS code: • Implements UI and app logic • Activates native handlers through OS-specific mechanism (custom URL scheme) • Receives responses through JS handlers HTML resources can be packaged into downloadable app for performance boost
- 12. PhoneGap – Open Source Framework The de-facto standard for hybrid app development Now in transition into becoming “Apache Callback” Provides: • A template implementation for the native container • Implementation of the JS<->Native bridge for 6 mobile OSs • OS-independent JS APIs for activating device functions
- 13. PhoneGap provides JS access to device APIs
- 14. PhoneGap run-time (native+JS) is part of the app
- 15. Example: raising a native alert from JS code
- 16. Example: getting device info
- 17. Example: accessing the camera
- 18. Worklight Platform: PhoneGap-based client-side The Worklight Platform provides an enterprise-grade infrastructure for mobile apps Includes features such as security, authentication, data-integration, push notifications, diagnostics, direct update and more We chose PhoneGap as the basis for our client-side technology, (while exposing the PhoneGap APIs) and are very happy with the result!
- 19. A couple of Worklight-based apps Lotte Card (Korean credit card company): RealNews (for iPad): • Combines 150 HTML5 screens with a • Developed by RealCommerce, Worklight’s native augmented reality screen distributors in Israel • Developed very quickly for iPhone and • Lists “hot” Israeli news articles by # of likes Android • Freely available on the app store
- 20. For More Information Resource Location PhoneGap Site http://www.phonegap.com Apache Project Page http://incubator.apache.org/projects/callback.html Worklight Webinars http://www.worklight.com/resources/webinars-and-tools Thank You!
Editor's Notes
- #11: So to summarize, let’s look at all 3 development approaches compared to each other.Native excels in performance and device access, but suffers in cost and updates.Web is much simpler, less expensive, easier to update, but is currently more limited.Hybrid provides a middle ground, which in many situations is the best of both worlds – especially if you’re targeting multiple operating systems.Which should you choose? That really depends on your specific needs. There isn’t a single approach that works for everyone.So to provide you with a few more tips that will help you decide, I’d like to transfer the microphone over to Jonathan - who will examine the approaches from a business perspective, and discuss how they fit into the bigger picture of defining the mobile strategy of your organization.