Android Development...Using Web Technologies
- 1. Rich Web Experience 2010 Android Development... Using Web Technologies
- 2. Setting the Stage ● Traditional Android Development – Source = XML and Java – Executables = APK files ● Distribute on the Android Market ● Distribute by other means as desired – Fun! Exciting!! No Resemblance to the Web!!!
- 3. Setting the Stage ● Web-tastic Alternatives! – HTML5 – Web App Containers ● PhoneGap ● Rhodes ● Titanium Mobile – Adobe AIR
- 4. HTML5 ● The Good News: Built-In Browser Support – Local Storage – Offline Caching – <video> Element
- 5. HTML5 ● The Bad News – No distribution support – No launcher support – HTML5/related specs still a work in progress – Limited device integration
- 6. HTML5 ● Alternative Browser Support – Firefox Mobile (beta) – Opera Mobile (beta) – Dolphin HD 4.0
- 7. Web App Containers ● Concept: Augmented HTML – Native APIs – Native APKs – Other benefits ● Language ● Widgets
- 8. PhoneGap ● What You Get – Javascript bridge to native APIs – Packaging as an APK for distribution – Cross-platform portability
- 9. PhoneGap ● How You Get There: Local Development – Requires Android SDK and dependencies – droidgap script to generate application stub – You create HTML, CSS, Javascript – Use Apache Ant build system to create APK – Test on emulator, device
- 10. PhoneGap ● How You Get There: Cloud Development – build.phonegap.com (in private beta) – Upload HTML, CSS, JS assets ● ZIP, Git, SVN – Download APK and binaries for other devices – Free for open source, non-free for commercial
- 11. PhoneGap ● Extending the Framework – Plugins – Replacement wrappers – Code generators ● OpenLaszlo – Open source
- 12. PhoneGap ● Issues and Limitations – Permissions – Look and feel
- 13. Rh0des ● What You Get – Ruby interpreter – Rails-esque Web app framework – Ruby bridge to native APIs – Packaging as an APK for distribution – Cross-platform portability
- 14. Rhodes ● How You Get There: Local Development – Requires Android SDK and NDK, plus dependencies – Ruby gem supplies command to create project ● Also other generators, etc. – Rake script to build application, install to emulator, etc.
- 15. Rhodes ● How You Get There: Cloud Development – RhoHub TaaS (Tools as a Service) – Generates Git repo for your app – Request builds as needed ● Specify platform and version
- 16. Rhodes ● Issues and Limitations – Application size – Permissions – Look and feel – Programming paradigm (classic vs. JS-centric)
- 17. Titanium Mobile ● What You Get – Javascript bridge to native APIs ● Focus on native GUI widgets, laid out using HTML/CSS – Packaging as an APK for distribution – Cross-platform portability
- 18. Titanium Mobile ● How You Get There – Download Titanium development tool – Create project template – Fill in project using own tools – Package and test using Titanium
- 19. Titanium Mobile ● Issues and Limitations – Permissions – Hybrid look and feel – Increased dependency on proprietary API
- 20. Adobe AIR ● What You Get – Ability to take AIR desktop applications and convert to Android APKs ● What You Don't Get – Flex – Deep device integration
- 21. Adobe AIR ● How You Get There: Standard Choices – Creative Suite – Flash Builder – FlashDevelop – AIR development tools and your own environment
- 22. Adobe AIR ● Issues and Limitations – Requires runtime engine as separate APK – Requires Android 2.2+
- 23. What's Still Needed? ● More HTML5 Discoverability ● More Seasoning and Experience ● More Mobile-Friendly Frameworks – Examples: Sencha Touch, Jo
- 24. Where Do We Go From Here? ● Web App Containers – PhoneGap: phonegap.com – Rhodes: rhomobile.com – Titanium Mobile: appcelerator.com ● Adobe AIR: www.adobe.com/products/air/
- 25. Where Do We Go From Here? ● Rich Web Experience 2010 – Today ● The Future of Mobile: Learn to Build W3C Widgets and Device APIs with PhoneGap ● Choices in Mobile Application Development
- 26. Where Do We Go From Here? ● Rich Web Experience 2010 – Friday ● Ted Neward's all-day Android-a-palooza (a.k.a., workshop) ● Easy Mobile Development Workshop: Mobile GUI Frameworks ● Easy Mobile Development Workshop: Appcelerator Titanium
- 27. Q & A