Is PhoneGap suitable for developing Android app - Web App Development

I want to learn developing Android app. I don't know much about java, however, I am skill at web design. PhoneGap seems an easy way for me to start learning developing mobile app. I'm not sure apps that build upon PhoneGap are good choice?

any help?

While Phonegap may be a tempting framework, try not to fall into it's trap. No matter what you'll do, it will get slow. Trust me, I've been there. Just try to display a table with 200 rows and it starts to lag.
You can forget your web experience because what you'll be doing is trying to get a normal web code to work on mobile. Most things will not work as you would expect it to work in Firefox or Chrome. You'll end up doing frustrating optimizations. 95% of your time will be wasted on shouting with your computer
Nothing compares to the look and feel of a native app, especially a native Android app. iOS did not really have a uniform design before version 7 but Android always had one. And there is no need to try and reproduce it with laggy html pages. Go the native way

Do not forget about browser touch lag http://updates.html5rocks.com/2013/12/300ms-tap-delay-gone-away
There are ways to remove it for example with http://ftlabs.github.io/fastclick/
From my experience - if you can write native app - do it. Web apps are slower and less responsive.

Wicia said:
Do not forget about browser touch lag http://updates.html5rocks.com/2013/12/300ms-tap-delay-gone-away
There are ways to remove it for example with http://ftlabs.github.io/fastclick/
From my experience - if you can write native app - do it. Web apps are slower and less responsive.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was of the understanding that Chrome and Firefox for android removed this touch lag with one of their recent updates.. I may be wrong though.
Edit: link
http://www.geek.com/android/google-removes-300ms-touch-input-lag-in-chrome-32-for-android-1579721/
I would also highly recommend Codenameone for creating native apps for BB, IOS and Android that compile from Java..

crisdo98 said:
I was of the understanding that Chrome and Firefox for android removed this touch lag with one of their recent updates.. I may be wrong though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are right, but Phonegap apps run inside a WebView, not in the browser, and I think WebView still has this lag, even in Android 4.4 where it is based on Chrome 30 (this tweak comes in Chrome 32).

and also note,
WebView in GB behaves lil bit differently than webView in ICS and soo on...
for and android app, almost all of us developer try to support GB/ICS at minimum, but webview are not consistent.
I really am struggling to support my app on GB. and I think on KitKat Webviews are awesome, but the market share of KitKar are minimum so its not much of more use to us until few couple of months more

PhoneGap
According to me PhoneGap is a good choice for developing cross platform mobile apps. PhoneGap gives a extreme support for HTML5 language which enable developers to create hybrid apps with less amount of knowledge of other language.

hire phonegap developer
Phonegap ruled the mobile application development world by launching a platform on which universal app can be developed. The application developed on PhoneGap is widely recognized as cross platform mobile development framework which is known as single app accessible to multiple operating systems. PhoneGap considered being a king of app as its combination of HTML 5, JavaScript and CSS3 to produce hybrid applications.

It really depends on what kind of app you are developing. If it is an app just displays some static data or pic, the phonegap should work just fine.

Related

It's official: Silverlight, XNA, 'clean break'

"For us, the cost of going from good to great is a clean break from the past. To enable the fantastic user experiences you’ve seen in the Windows Phone 7 Series demos so far we’ve had to break from the past. To deliver what developers expect in the developer platform we’ve had to change how phone apps were written. One result of this is previous Windows mobile applications will not run on Windows Phone 7 Series."
http://blogs.msdn.com/ckindel/archi...e-new-windows-phone-developer-experience.aspx
He also specifically mentions developers in it for learning and fun. I have to think they'll embrace free apps and not charge a dev $99 to submit an app if it's going to be free.
Another softie's blog post on the topic... http://www.artificialignorance.net/...ne-7-series-developers-developers-developers/
Yupe, and all WM5.x, WM6.x applications will NOT run on WP7:
To enable the fantastic user experiences you’ve seen in the Windows Phone 7 Series demos so far we’ve had to break from the past. To deliver what developers expect in the developer platform we’ve had to change how phone apps were written. One result of this is previous Windows mobile applications will not run on Windows Phone 7 Series.
Well, this is just a NEW mobile OS, it is not an upgrade / update of current WM, this kinda expected.
From the article:
ckindle article said:
We took the feedback we gathered from developers, looked at the full potential of Windows Phone 7 Series and landed on 3 basic goals for the platform we’re delivering;
1. Enable end users to be able to personalize their phone experience through a large library of innovative, compelling, games and applications.
2. Enable developers to profit.
3. Advance the “3 screen plus cloud” vision
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Definitely WP7 is customizable, this is good, but how far the customization will be? For sure, no more Sense UI, TouchFlo kind of customization, nor SpB Mobile Shell.
I hope a "launcher" like still possible? Microsoft mentioned that we can put app as a tile in the start screen. I am wondering if that app would be some kind of app launcher ... icons grid
ckindle article said:
When we talk with developers we hear them talk about three different “currencies”: making money, learning, and recognition. Some developers are in it for the money. They are either literally being paid to write code or they are writing code with the hope it will generate coin.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This could mean professional mobile developer who earn and make money for living developing mobile applications.
Give them free tools! free submission charge! That would certainly be more attractive.
ckindle article said:
Other developers tell us they are interested in advancing their knowledge – love of the game. They love learning about computers, programming, games, social connections, etc… So they build software to learn. They profit by being smarter.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does this mean "hobbyist" aka XDA dev?
ckindle article said:
Other developers are clearly motivated by pride. Maybe there’s a bit of money and learning involved, but to these developers being noticed or recognized as doing wickedly epic sh*t is top of the list for how they measure profit.
We think all three “currencies” are valid and important and we are explicitly trying to build the platform and developer experience to support “profit” in each.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or this?
From what I'm reading MS is actually listening to all of us and I think that is a damn good thing.
gogol said:
Definitely WP7 is customizable, this is good, but how far the customization will be? For sure, no more Sense UI, TouchFlo kind of customization, nor SpB Mobile Shell.
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Click to collapse
As far as I know it OEMs are not allowed to add their own UI extension, but I didn't hear it that you can't just add a 3rd party app like Morbid Shell. It's only an app, and you can install apps, can't you!?
RAMMANN said:
As far as I know it OEMs are not allowed to add their own UI extension, but I didn't hear it that you can't just add a 3rd party app like Morbid Shell. It's only an app, and you can install apps, can't you!?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's much more than an app.
@gogol Tiles can also be shortcuts. But I doubt that one tile can link to multiple apps.
seed_al said:
It's much more than an app.
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Click to collapse
I know what Morbid Shell is. But by definition it's an app. You download it from Marketplace or somewhere and install the cab. Sense is not a cab but part of the ROM and you can say part of the OS. That's the difference as I see it.
Catalyst
WP7 is the catalyst that is getting me back into school to learn code. I have a degree in electrical engineering, but with the possibilities unfolding in the mobile OS world today, I want to be apart of that. The Star Trek dream has begun.
Don't expect any Haret.exe this time around.
This has turned into the same crap Apple did, a retarded OS for retards that have no clue in anything, but like the "oh so cool" flashy menus.
I think in regards to haret we are forgetting one very important thing as we compare this to iphone
jailbreak does broaden the possibilities on the iphone so I'm not so sure this is the total end of haret
what if the tiles based home screen is just a today plugin like Sense is, wouldn't we be able to disable it? if so, maybe the devs here @ xda can come with a kickass UI xperience. i've got some great and unique ideas... too bad i'm not a codewarrior.
hyellow said:
what if the tiles based home screen is just a today plugin like Sense is, wouldn't we be able to disable it? if so, maybe the devs here @ xda can come with a kickass UI xperience. i've got some great and unique ideas... too bad i'm not a codewarrior.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm pretty sure that the start screen on WP7 is definitely not a plug-in of any kind. It's hardcoded to the system and as far as we have been told no one is allowed to write different UI's on top of it. Not to say that it won't be possible. It just won't be carriers and OEM's doing it.
So basically... this means we probably won't be seeing apps like Opera Mobile (or any custom web browsing rendering engine), and things like that, that are really required to be written in native code for speed.
~Johnny said:
So basically... this means we probably won't be seeing apps like Opera Mobile (or any custom web browsing rendering engine), and things like that, that are really required to be written in native code for speed.
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I don't believe so. These are still apps. MS is creating a single baseline that all developers will be able to use so the platform is uniform and easier to develop for. This will create a stable Windows Mobile experience and hopefully make it more enjoyable for noobs and vets alike without providers and manufacturers messing it up. Opera and Opera Mini are simply applications so they should be able to work once developed for the new UI and OS.
Opera and Opera Mini are simply applications so they should be able to work once developed for the new UI and OS.
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It's not that simple.
Of course
seed_al said:
It's not that simple.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
seed_al said:
It's not that simple.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please explain.
Re browsers, you just won't ever get decent performance with managed code, so you need native. Even if you could, porting the whole thing to a new language would just be too expensive. Most people just seriously underestimate how complex browser engines are these days.
Opera Mini, on the other hand, is of course perfectly possible, it's not a browser really.
And I have no problem at all with Opera Mini, except Flash ... but for that, I use SkyFire or YouTube app.
Opera Mini would be my top app to port to WP7 ... because I doubt the new IE is good to use.
vangrieg said:
Re browsers, you just won't ever get decent performance with managed code, so you need native. Even if you could, porting the whole thing to a new language would just be too expensive. Most people just seriously underestimate how complex browser engines are these days.
Opera Mini, on the other hand, is of course perfectly possible, it's not a browser really.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
vangrieg said:
Re browsers, you just won't ever get decent performance with managed code, so you need native. Even if you could, porting the whole thing to a new language would just be too expensive. Most people just seriously underestimate how complex browser engines are these days.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, and Opera have their own engine. They still have not even released their Android port. Opera Mobile on WP7 is not going to happen anytime soon.
Same for lots of other things that heavily rely on native code or are hard to port over.
Sorry, guys. It's just not that simple.

no extra browsers?

looks like i was wrong & MS is being a A$$
there arent letting browser devs use native code at the moment...this is wack, IE better be the bomb or else this is gonna suck
From Mozilla
"While we think Windows Phone 7 looks interesting and has the potential to do well in the market, Microsoft has unfortunately decided to close off development to native applications. Because of this, we won’t be able to provide Firefox for Windows Phone 7 at this time. Given that Microsoft is staking their future in mobile on Windows Mobile 7 (not 6.5) and because we don’t know if or when Microsoft will release a native development kit, we are putting our Windows Mobile development on hold"
http://wmpoweruser.com/?p=14599
No native code = no alternative browers. At least not anytime soon.
That was clear all along.
You're not going to see any "big" applications on WP7S. Fart apps and twitter clients are easy to do, however...
A twitter client is already on board isn't it?
Probably they'll also add a fart app to the final retail version. so the only thing you could do is add customized fart sounds!
I really wish it was different but to be honest I don't see any potential for interesting apps on WP7.
seems counter-productive to not release their native client to bigger development studios as yet. They certainly want a library of applications for launch, it's a bit strange they the silverlight/xna libraries 1st, when those would typically be shorter to right than something like a Firefox, Opera, etc.
gom99 said:
seems counter-productive to not release their native client to bigger development studios as yet. They certainly want a library of applications for launch, it's a bit strange they the silverlight/xna libraries 1st, when those would typically be shorter to right than something like a Firefox, Opera, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah but firefox did take awhile to produce nothing on Wm6 with access to native code so maybe MS doesnt trust them with native code cuz those fennec browser cause the phone to crash sometimes..im holding out hope that they give opera permission
gom99 said:
seems counter-productive to not release their native client to bigger development studios as yet. They certainly want a library of applications for launch, it's a bit strange they the silverlight/xna libraries 1st, when those would typically be shorter to right than something like a Firefox, Opera, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
.NET apps are much quicker to develop than native stuff. That's why they focus on .NET. They will eventually have quite a big app library by the end of the year, but most of it will be "fart apps".
Will there ever be an NDK? Who knows...
C:Sharp! said:
No native code = no alternative browers. At least not anytime soon.
That was clear all along.
You're not going to see any "big" applications on WP7S. Fart apps and twitter clients are easy to do, however...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL..I hate those fart apps...or fart jokes for that matter.
The latest IE that I have on the Prime-II ROM is very good at rendering and formatting the columns for readibility, esp when used in mobile mode. Panning large pages is also very smooth and does not show any blank/white "still loading" when moving rapidly left or right or top or down. I actually stopped using opera because it suck memory and still shows white spaces when panning pages.
I'm using the word "fart apps" as an explanation for a certain kind of apps. I don't mean that they're all useless, but they're the kind of apps that are easy to develop in .NET and will likely form the majority of apps that we'll see in the WP7S marketplace by the end of the year.
(To be honest, I'm also going to make some . Useful ones, however.)
C:Sharp! said:
.NET apps are much quicker to develop than native stuff.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But .NET in Windows -- at least from my understanding -- has access to native/lower-level APIs.
See: PowerShell, which is unashamedly built directly on top of .NET, and yet is a viable replacement to the command prompt due to the fact it can do pretty much anything.
Spike15 said:
But .NET in Windows -- at least from my understanding -- has access to native/lower-level APIs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, that's correct. You can do that via P/Invoke.
You could also do that on Windows Mobile.
But not on Windows Phone 7, this feature is officially gone.
C:Sharp! said:
But not on Windows Phone 7, this feature is officially gone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had guessed.
I was just pointing out that .NET on Windows Mobile and Windows is more powerful than it's going to be on Windows Phone.
C:Sharp! said:
I'm using the word "fart apps" as an explanation for a certain kind of apps. I don't mean that they're all useless, but they're the kind of apps that are easy to develop in .NET and will likely form the majority of apps that we'll see in the WP7S marketplace by the end of the year.
(To be honest, I'm also going to make some . Useful ones, however.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
make some musical ones, to live up to your name!
Hehe
But actually, the name is inspired by the programming language.
No more. Now you will be a music apps developer for WP7!
Maybe. But they have to be programmed in C# nevertheless
C# is the language that's used for .NET, thus all development for WP7 will be done in C#, in case you didn't know.
C:Sharp! said:
Maybe. But they have to be programmed in C# nevertheless
C# is the language that's used for .NET, thus all development for WP7 will be done in C#, in case you didn't know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope. I did not know. Thanks for the info. Now I know just a bit more about the WP7 platform
havox22 said:
looks like i was wrong & MS is being a A$$
there arent letting browser devs use native code at the moment...this is wack, IE better be the bomb or else this is gonna suck
From Mozilla
"While we think Windows Phone 7 looks interesting and has the potential to do well in the market, Microsoft has unfortunately decided to close off development to native applications. Because of this, we won’t be able to provide Firefox for Windows Phone 7 at this time. Given that Microsoft is staking their future in mobile on Windows Mobile 7 (not 6.5) and because we don’t know if or when Microsoft will release a native development kit, we are putting our Windows Mobile development on hold"
http://wmpoweruser.com/?p=14599
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am sure .net framework in wp7s can access all hardware,so why Mozilla need native api access? just performance issues...but Mozilla do a sucked Firefox on WM6.X
Finally, I think .net framework good enough to develop great browser and developer can get benefit by GUI Acceleration
Managed is slow? May be but not critical
http://www.grimes.demon.co.uk/dotnet/man_unman.htm
It's not just about performance. A browser is a huge complex app with millions of lines of code. You can't just sit down and rewrite it in a different language when your engine is done in C++ for all platforms. That's a massive endeavor that will cost millions of dollars. In addition to that, there's no access to APIs necessary to do it. You can't open a socket and work with it directly in WP7's Silverlight.
vangrieg said:
It's not just about performance. A browser is a huge complex app with millions of lines of code. You can't just sit down and rewrite it in a different language when your engine is done in C++ for all platforms. That's a massive endeavor that will cost millions of dollars. In addition to that, there's no access to APIs necessary to do it. You can't open a socket and work with it directly in WP7's Silverlight.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So,this is not .net or Wp7 problem
All about the money
Everything in business is about money, so what? Restricting development to Silverlight makes developing alternative browsers for WP7 impossible because of a huge investment barrier.

[APP] Lemon v1.3.0.1

Lemon
MODERN BROWSING
FEATURED
Massive Overhaul - completely rewritten to optimize the code and unify the overall interface
OTA Updates - updates require little to no user interaction
Security - hide and lock the browser with the touch of a button
Privacy - browsing history is only stored locally and can even be automatically deleted on exit
Auto Complete - suggests words depending on your history
Screenshot - nothing special, but you may take HD screenshots right within the browser
Notepad - notes that save automagically
Open Source - the source has now been released
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
NEW
Privileges Fixed - no longer runs needs to run in administrator mode thanks to @SixSixSevenSeven
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
BUGS
Outdated Browser Component - this browser is based off IE7 on some computers
Mishandles Links - links that open in a new window or tab will most likely open in your default browser
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lemon has been abandoned for quite some time now and I have removed the screenshots and download links. I am considering coming back to this project in the near future when I have time to put Windows on my MacBook. Until then, however, you may play with the source.
Source // Website
Maybe post some screenshots, or possibly a download?
netham45 said:
Maybe post some screenshots, or possibly a download?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for the recommendations Just uploaded 3 screenshots and added a download link towards the bottom.
Nice start. No go on RT.
cx1 said:
Nice start. No go on RT.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wonder why this is not working on the RT.. I wish I had this device to test some things on. Anyways, this build was focused on 4.0 .NET framework made in visual studio 2012 for windows 8 Desktop. Thanks for trying.
EDIT: Problem is with the installer, download the ZIP below it and use that. I will try to find a fix for the installer. Sorry for the inconvenience.
mellowdev said:
I wonder why this is not working on the RT.. I wish I had this device to test some things on. Anyways, this build was focused on 4.0 .NET framework made in visual studio 2012 for windows 8 Desktop. Thanks for trying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try targeting 4.5 for Windows RT.
netham45 said:
Try targeting 4.5 for Windows RT.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just updated to .NET 4.5
Nope will not run on RT unless I'm doing something wrong?
THEBIG360 said:
Nope will not run on RT unless I'm doing something wrong?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hmm, any errors being displayed? Or just not opening?
EDIT: Problem is with the installer, download the ZIP below it and use that. I will try to find a fix for the installer. Sorry for the inconvenience.
You would need to target "Any CPU" in the .NET code, and recompile any third-party x86 libraries that you are using to target ARM, and it would probably work then. Most (although not all) of the system libraries on Win8 are also on Windows RT, and (at least in the case of .NET libraries), the ones that aren't can sometimes be brought over from a Win8 box anyhow.
GoodDayToDie said:
You would need to target "Any CPU" in the .NET code, and recompile any third-party x86 libraries that you are using to target ARM, and it would probably work then. Most (although not all) of the system libraries on Win8 are also on Windows RT, and (at least in the case of .NET libraries), the ones that aren't can sometimes be brought over from a Win8 box anyhow.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
At the moment, I am trying to get geckoFX 15 and xulrunner 19 added to the project so I do not have to use the default WebBrowser component given in Visual Studio. If you would like, I could send you the source and maybe you could help porting to Windows RT and adding geckoFX? Btw after v1.0 this will be Open Source to all Thanks for all the support guys.
Works now thanks, scrolling is a little hitchy how ever its a great start. On another note would it be possible to make the onscreen keyboard auto pop up?
Will the flash be optimized, the browser is really fast. Its just the flash side of things that is buggy.
Seems to bypass the Flash whitelist on Windows RT. That's quite handy.
Re: [APP] Lemon Browser v0.9.7.3
I can surely attempt the auto pop up on screen keyboard, also the glitchy scrolling will be fixed soon. Thanks
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
Just FYI: a web browser requiring Administrator to run is absolutely unacceptable. Browsers should run with extremely limited permissions (lower than standard user, ideally) rather than elevated permissions. I fixed this by hand-editing the .EXE file's embedded manifest to run AsInvoker (rather than RequireAdministrator). You should change the manifest in VS. Preferably, the whole thing would run in a low-IL sandbox the way IE does, and/or use some other sandboxing technique.
Also, there's little reason, especially for RT-targeted builds, to use Debug unless you include the source files and expect people to use them when reporting bugs. Release builds are typically smaller and faster.
Finally, could you get this to use a somewhat less awful rendering engine than IE7? I don't mind using Trident in general, but IE7 is archaic and awful. How do you justify "faster than Chrome" on a browser that can't even pass Acid2, much less run a modern speed benchmark? Gecko would be awesome, though I don't believe anybody has managed to port it to RT yet so that would be x86-only at first.
There are other things I'd like to see, ranging from simple UI conventions (double-clicking the tab bar, tapping Alt to show the menu bar, etc.) to some significant security issues (loading mixed content - that is, HTTP content on an HTTPS site - is a potentially serious risk).
Re: [APP] Lemon Browser v0.9.7.3
I appreciate the feedback, about the debug, i honestly did not even think about that, its just much faster to update using the debug folder. I will make it the release build next time. Next - about the admin permissions - Unfortunately this is needed to enable the temporary download of version.txt (allows OTA updates). And I was not planning on targeting the RT at all. I simply made this on my windows 8 laptop and released to the public for however they would like. I am now working on a 3D FPS though and will be releasing the code to this very shortly. And for the IE7 subject, I tried using firefox component but it does not allow the "LoadComplete" sub. Simply put, I do not know how to do 'if web page loaded' do this. I need this feature so i can load favicons etc. Please understand that this was made < 1 week ago. I highly appreciate all the comments though because I can not even begin testing all of these. Plus with school and other activities I do not expext this to be a huge project. Just simply a fun project (focused on gui) to add to my projects. Thanks again
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
No worries on the Debug/Release, just a tip.
The admin thing, though... that's a serious problem. If the problem is just downloading a file, download it to the local application data folder instead of the install directory. If auto-updating is desired, make a separate updater that runs as Admin, and have the browser launch the updater program when it detects an update.
That said, though, admin is only needed if the browser is "installed" to a location where Admin is required to write. Programs installed in (for example) the user profile don't require this. In fact, on machines where the user *can't* get Admin (think about computers at a school, library, or office), the fact that it can install and run without requiring admin is a major advantage.
I understand that this is a side project for you, and I applaud you for hobby programming and sharing it with us, that's fantastic to see. I also do quite like the GUI, although I find it a bit bare-bones at the moment. Additionally, you getting it to work on RT is fantastic. However... I cannot in good conscience recommend using a web browser that sets the state of environment security back by nearly seven years. The web is an extremely hostile "place" and we've learned many lessons over the years. one of the critical ones is that web browsers are simply too easy to attack for them to be trusted; the only safe way to use one is to assume it will be compromised, and run it in a suitable contained environment. Microsoft did his with the IE7 Protected Mode on Vista betas in 2006, but even on XP it was possible to run IE as a non-Admin.
Re: [APP] Lemon Browser v0.9.7.3
I will admit chrome will always be my favorite browser Just wanted to throw something visually appealing together though after seeing all the horribly designed ones on youtube lol. If anyone would like the source just email me. The code is (slightly cluttered) but OCD friendly. everything labeled and named properly. If someone would like the source, i recommend also downloading the android holo icons from their site. That is what I am currently using and this allows identical pre-made light / dark icons.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
Hello !
really thank for this build ! :good:
A question:
Can you integrate a download manager which allow us to download files with screen off but which avoid the complet stand-by state of the tablet during the download ?
Because with IE it's impossible to download something with the Surface screen OFF.
It could be a really cool feature, and the only browser which allow that ! :highfive:
@+
*********_
Edit:
Oh......
Your browser yet intagrate this feature !
Cool... Now I can download big files with screen Off !
I love you
samco08 said:
Hello !
really thank for this build ! :good:
...
Cool... Now I can download big files with screen Off !
I love you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! I appreciate that aha. Major update (kinda lol) will be released soon. Have to work on Mango Tools first (I might toss a thread up on this tool) but this can be found on my site mellowdev.net It just allows you to easily perform ADB commands on android phone. Anyways right after this I will work on v0.9.8! Hoping to add lots of cool, unique features to give this browser an edge. I know that speed means a lot and I have received many complaints on using the IE7 component. However my focus at the moment is to add features. Web browsing for most is just type in words and search. I want this to be so much more. So anyways aha thanks again. Love the support here!

Transition from Android to Web App?

Namaste my fellow developers.
I am a rather young developer, who started off with Android and have developed about 10-15 apps till today out of which 2 are up on Google Play.
Just to increase my knowledge and sector I was planning to make a shift into web apps. I did learn Java specifically for Android but want to get my hands on the other platforms as well. So my questions, Sirs and Madams, are:
1.Technically, How is Android and Web Apps different?
2.Should I make the transition?
3.How do i start? (some resources would be helpful)
All and Every feedback would be appreciated. Thank YOU!
hi karantrehan, my two cents on the matter
1. you can think of a web app as a web site running inside an Android Webview, with all its files (html, images, javascripts, css, ...) bundled inside the app. The enclosing app just launches an Activity with a webview, everything else is done by html and javascript (although you can bind java code to javascript function to exploit Android's APIs).
2. It depends: I think web apps are a viable choice in two situations:
you're a web developer that want to build an app without having to learn Android
you want to build a cross-platform app, reaching Android, iOS, WP without learning every single language
Otherwise, I would not advise it, I don't see particular advantages... unless you want to learn something new!
3. for the Android integration part, take a look here: developer.android.com/guide/webapps/webview.html
For the html/css/js part.... well, web development is as old as the web itself, there are tons of guides out there Don't miss some helpful projects like jQuery Mobile.
karantrehan said:
Namaste my fellow developers.
I am a rather young developer, who started off with Android and have developed about 10-15 apps till today out of which 2 are up on Google Play.
Just to increase my knowledge and sector I was planning to make a shift into web apps. I did learn Java specifically for Android but want to get my hands on the other platforms as well. So my questions, Sirs and Madams, are:
1.Technically, How is Android and Web Apps different?
2.Should I make the transition?
3.How do i start? (some resources would be helpful)
All and Every feedback would be appreciated. Thank YOU!
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1. Web Apps are made using multiple languages. Front-side/Client-side, they are developed in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Out of the three, JavaScript is the only programming language. HTML is a markup language, and CSS is used for UI and UX. You could also use the Dart language. Dart is a new client-side language developed by Google. Currently, however, no major browser supports it (not even Google Chrome), and so in the end, it gets compiled into JavaScript.
Server-side (backend), there are a multitude of programming languages you could use. Java (through JSP), PHP, Ruby on Rails, Python. Typically you're using PHP and SQL for anything in regards to a database.
Web Apps can be hosted in a browser, or you can submit them into App Stores using things like Apache Cordava.
2. As a developer of any sort, you should always improve and learn new languages. Its better for marketability, improves your skillset, and overall can make you a better developer. So, in the end, the choice is up to you. I would highly recommend you to do so.
3. There are tons of resources available. You can search for tutorials on google or youtube. When I got started, I used w3schools to learn HTML, CSS, and PHP. I would really recommend using YouTube as well if you are a visual learner like me.
1. Like reProgrammed said, web apps are a bit different in that there's a couple of layers to them as opposed to Android apps. The back-end logic that does your database fetches and such is programmed in PHP, Python, ASP.NET (C#/VB.NET), etc. The front-end website, the pages and stuff you interact with, are done with primarily (X)HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. And for databases you've got SQL Server or MySQL, mainly.
2. Absolutely. I'm a developer myself, professionally and as a hobby, and it's never a bad idea to learn a new language or framework or environment. It'll make you a better developer and can get you jobs, or foot in the door, if that's your profession.
3. I don't really have many resources. However, in the past I've used:
W3Schools
MSDN (for C#)
Stack Overflow
Google
And then there's always books. They can get outdated but they can be great resources. I still sometimes refer to my "Android for Dummies" book when I'm working on my Android app, even though I Google search more often. Hope that helps.

Use Apache Cordova?

Hey everyone! In response to a recent suggestion by a colleague, I've determined Cordova may be the best course of action for my current project. The reason we determined this, is because what I'm developing is already a web-app, that is complete, in which I can make a responsive style for mobile browsers & use Cordova to use a webview to access the app. So I'm looking for advice from experienced developers to see if this would be a viable option.
Let me start by giving you a run-down of the project. The project is called SecurSend. It is a private messaging platform that allows the user to submit sensitive information, without the worry of being monitored or keylogged. The end-user will compose a message which will generate a unique URL to the content, the recipient will receive this URL, and when accessing the content, it is permanently destroyed from the server. I don't currently have the site live, or it'd be much easier to show you, but the premise is security.
There is no current mobile theme for the site, however, it wouldn't be too difficult to implement. For something like this, do you feel Cordova would be the best option? Also, if you have any advice on Cordova, I wouldn't mind!
AutonomousHC said:
project is called SecurSend. It is a private messaging platform that allows the user to submit sensitive information, without the worry of being monitored or keylogged. The
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re: the app:
thinking some combo of xmpp + OTR and webrtc might do it
(OTR adds end-to end encryption to xmpp and as browser support for webrtc improves there's peer-to-peer udp possibilities in webrtc)
Re Cordova:
. not yet sure but from looking at some javascript-based apps I've seen done with it what I've seen of it looks like an easier place to start for installable web apps (curious too)
Yes cordova is great for this. The only thing Cordova is not great at is high performance games but that is changing soon.
wowbro said:
Yes cordova is great for this. The only thing Cordova is not great at is high performance games but that is changing soon.
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This sounds like an interesting concept, but I have heard you don't get the full native experience with Cordova (the UI seems different than that of native applications).
Do buttons and dialogs look the same as native apps?
Can you, for example, create transparent action bars, or side bars?
Or, notifications or watch faces for Android Wear?
wowbro said:
Yes cordova is great for this. The only thing Cordova is not great at is high performance games but that is changing soon.
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Alternatively, you could use Steroids.js which has most native features built-in -- even Native UI components, MAPS API, Camera API, etc.
Cordova can achieve this, but as stated before, you will suffer some performance issues (especially Android 4.4 and lower)
I believe that doing web apps is the best for trying new ideas on all major platforms. The effort is very low compared to native development and performance is sufficient.
Ionic Framework has great performance and is continuously improving.
Though I wouldn't recommend web apps for games I recently released an open source zombie game called zland (zland.io).
Maybe React Native could be interesting for you as well. You will get true native performance.
With React Native you can share a code base between platforms but have to rewrite platform dependent thinks.
They recently released it for Android so you can deploy to both iOS and Android.
I estimate the effort somewhere between web apps and native apps.

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