Like Ionic
I’m I always going to be a Web Developer
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Yes. No. Maybe.
Building performant applications for all relevant platforms and devices is not so easy. Especially, with the dawn of more devices and the advancement of existing ones.
However, in the vast realm of application development there is cross-platform application development and native application development. Particularly, when talking about ubiquitous platforms like Windows, MacOS, Android, & iOS.
In the context of cross-platform application development, where React Native makes it relatively smoother for React software engineers to build native applications. Angular has a number of tooling options & alternatives that can equip applications for these platforms. Still, one of the best ways to start the cross-platform safari is with PWAs.
PWAs — Progressive Web Applications.
These are web applications that are at the cusp of being native applications. One of the hallmarks of PWAs is that they are installable and work when the device is offline. Like when YouTube tells you “You’re offline”.
Does this mean learning another framework? Yes. No. Maybe.
PWAs can still be built with vanilla Angular simply because…
However, you can introduce another framework, with a reasonable learning curve, that targets a specific aspect of the PWA. For example, responsive design…like Ionic.
Pair it with a tool like Capacitor to access those native APIs, and ultimately package it for distribution through app stores with a utility like bubblewrap.
These tools and concepts will probably shift the usual habits and practices of development. Moreover, they come with their own pros & cons. What doesn’t?
Nonetheless, they may serve as uncomplicated, a li’l fun, intros to the wonderful world of native application development. Or, make you a more versatile software engineer🤷🏽♀.
References & Further Reading:
