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I would like to create an application that support in both Android and iPhone.
It will be a interactive system for people to chat,share photos, etc.
So, it will consist lo-gin system, and all information for users will stored in mysql.
The question is here, should I write two sets of code for Android and iPhone or use some cross platform tools such as Phonegap + jQueryMobile for development.
1)I am wondering if html + css + javascript can complete all the functions that I want to include in this application if I use Phonegap.For example, how to handle the data transfer when loading data from db, should I create many .html for different pages. And the performance of using Phonegap...

2)Also, how about the time of development. Suppose there is one developer for Android, and one for iPhone. If we develop separately, we cannot help each other. On the other hand, web may be easier and we can research on this together.

3)Then, for the UI, it is easier for native language. But it is much difficult for web to make the things like mobile application.
I have asked a lot of questions. But I really think about this kind of issue for a long time and this is the time for me to have the decision.
Can anyone help me and give me some idea? Really thx....

red23jordan
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    Finally, a mobile social application. – Dave Newton Jun 10 '12 at 17:05
  • if only that had been done before! – Kristopher Micinski Jun 10 '12 at 18:26
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    If your are targeting only IOS & Android, Check this framework Titanium [Appcelerator](http://www.appcelerator.com/). Also, check this link which has a clear cut difference between [PhoneGap & Titanium](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1482586/comparison-between-corona-phonegap-titanium) – nuthan Jun 11 '12 at 11:53

3 Answers3

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  1. It depends on what your requirements are. Evaluate if all your requirements are possible with Phonegap. For a list of supported features see: http://phonegap.com/about/features Note that you can only use the native phone functionality that phonegap provides.

  2. The development time depends on various factors, such as complexity, size of project and developer skill. I think the main difference here is developer skill, as the complexity and size of project are the same.

  3. This is a tradeoff you have to make. An example phonegap application can be found here: http://coenraets.org/blog/2011/10/sample-application-with-jquery-mobile-and-phonegap/

Kristopher Micinski
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Frank Anemaet
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Consider these Factors & Make your own wise decision,
which coding technique are you familiar with (HTML, CSS, JS) or (Java, C#).

For your First Question about data transfer from db,(your question is not clear internal db or server side db) if internal db Here is My Question
I couldn't find the solution with the given answers, Help me if you can solve the same.
(if you are talking about server side db) both for native & Cross platform it has to be achieved by API's

Time of Development is less in PhoneGap, when consider for both platforms since you are coding for both platforms simultaneously.

UI is Easier in Native ONLY when you go with Default styles,
For example consider yourself adding a Customized Button in *.png format. you are gonna add single button multiple times in multiple sizes.
If you wanna achieve clicked or Hover Effect you are Gonna add 2 more Customized Buttons. Which makes totally 3 images for single click for single Screen & Single Orientation, to achieve Correct Quality, u have to add same image in different sizes in ldpi, mdpi, hdpi, x-hdpi, no-dpi which finally brings you 5x3=15 images for single Button.(imagine the size of your app).
Finally you have to add few lines of Codes to achieve Clicked effect

The same can be achieved in CSS with few lines of Codes(hardly 5 KB). Many animations also can be achieved easily with js.
UI can be changed when ever you want with change in few lines of codes.
UI - PhoneGap Wins

your app runs in Browser, both Android & iOS use the same browser engine Webkit, but still significant differences even in Webkit
Here are few more issues in PhoneGap,
Performance
Native wins.
In PhoneGap your browser has to load js, CSS which gives you notable delay, which cannot be ignored.

If you want awesome UI go with CrossPlatform.
To achieve performance choose Native.
Finally time to take decision.

Community
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VenomVendor
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  • I don't agree that you get an awesome UI using a cross-platform implementation. What you typically end up with is an app, which ignores the design principles of one of the platforms (app, which runs on Android, but looks like an iOS app, or vice-versa). – Shade Oct 25 '16 at 11:48
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1.If you build application using cordova with more page, you app will get slow and some time it will get more bugs of design. So it is better if you use single html page with different dives for each pages and use "display: none;" from your java script or JQuery to show and hide you current pages.then your application will more fast.

  1. there a lot of plugins in cordova those are supporting for both iOS and android so you don't need a iOS developer or android developer if you have proper html and css design like responsive web site.

  2. UI won't be problem if you build a responsive html pages using bootstrap

Shanaka Nuwan
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