Hybrid Mobile App and Ionic Framework

In this blog we are going to see and analyze what are hybrid mobile applications at root level description and a quick introduction to start with Ionic Framework, why Ionic Framework only and not other like Famo.us, Steroids, PhoneGap, Ti and much more… that we’ll analyze soon.

But this is not the restriction of topics because in between we should be aware of Sass (scss), AngularJS and NodeJs etc, nothing to worry, i will provide the topic introduction blog links in between to run faster on track.

~So what you understand by Hybrid Mobile App-

Like the websites on the internet, hybrid mobile apps are built with a combination of web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. The key difference is that hybrid apps are hosted inside a native application that utilizes a mobile platform’s WebView. (You can think of the WebView as a chromeless browser window that’s typically configured to run fullscreen.) This enables them to access device capabilities such as the accelerometer, camera, contacts, and more. These are capabilities that are often restricted to access from inside mobile browsers. Furthermore, hybrid mobile apps can include native UI elements in situations where necessary.

~How are hybrid mobile apps built?

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~source: developer.telerik.com[/caption]

By taking an example of websites that we use in same manner Hybrid mobile applications are built. Both use a combination of technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. However, instead of targeting a mobile browser, hybrid applications target a WebView hosted inside a native container. This enables them to do things like access hardware capabilities of the mobile device.

Today, most hybrid mobile applications leverage Apache Cordova, a platform that provides a consistent set of JavaScript APIs to access device capabilities through plug-ins, which are built with native code. As a side note, Apache Cordova originally started as a project named PhoneGap. These days, PhoneGap exists as a distribution of Apache Cordova that includes additional tools. For more context about this history, check out PhoneGap, Cordova, and what’s in a name?

These plug-ins include APIs for accessing the device’s accelerometer, contacts, camera, and more. There is also a number of plug-ins that are built and maintained by the developer community at-large. These can be found in the Apache Cordova Plugins Registry. A curated subset of these plug-ins that have been throughly tested, documented, and extended can also be found at the Telerik Verified Plugins Marketplace.

~Why Ionic Framework:

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~source: stackshare.io[/caption]

~Features:

Phonegap / Apache Cordova is a framework for developing hybrid mobile application using HTML5, Css and JavaScript.

• Ionic that uses apache cordova (phonegap) for accessing mobile hardware (api) such as camera, contacts, Accelerometer, Vibration and more.
• Ionic has a beautiful UI Components for mobile applications
• More Developer Support, & of course much much more…

~Overview of Ionic:

Ionic is a powerful HTML5 SDK that helps you build native-feeling mobile apps using web technologies like HTML, CSS, and Javascript.

Ionic is focused mainly on the look and feel, and UI interaction of your app. That means we aren’t a replacement for PhoneGap or your favorite Javascript framework. Instead, Ionic simply fits in well with these projects in order to simplify one big part of your app: the front end. We recommend reading Where does the Ionic Framework fit in? to get a good understanding of Ionic’s goals.

Ionic currently requires AngularJS in order to work at its full potential. While you can still use the CSS portion of the framework, you’ll miss out on powerful UI interactions, gestures, animations, and other things.

We will be releasing Cordova/PhoneGap plugins in the future to expand the capabilities of your apps.

CONTINUE: Quick introduction to start with Ionic Framework… Read Here

Sources:

• ionicframework.com/docs
• developer.telerik.com
• stackshare.io