8

I am very new to mobile application development. Now I am into a mobile application project which should work on IOS, Android, BB and WP.

After googling to learn what can I do on this, I felt Phonegap fulfils my requirement. I have downloaded and installed phonegap on eclipse to start develop for Android.

I have downloaded, SDK, AVD, eclipse etc to get started with Phonegap for Android.I followed the procedures in the Getting Started Guide.

For User Interface, I took Intel App Framework as my tool of choice.

Everything goes fine with me, other than my doubts in Cross Platform mobile application development.

1) I have read about PhoneGap build, it just requires html,css and js file to wrap up an application for different platforms. So downloading and linking phonegap.js in an the application is not required unless I need to access the device's native function ?

And just create a responsive HTML5 application and build with PhoneGap Build is all I have to do ?

2) If I can just do like above, then why I should install eclipse and android SDK to create for android when I can just make HTML5 application and build with phonegap build and put it on google play.

3) I have came across Intel XDK and they have similar service like phonegap, if I use Intel XDK then I don't have to use any assets of phonegap ?

Please answer these question as these things are confusing me a lot.

Pooya Estakhri
  • 1,129
  • 1
  • 11
  • 25
Bala
  • 3,576
  • 10
  • 46
  • 74

4 Answers4

10

As per my knowledge these are the answers,

1) I have read about PhoneGap build, it just requires html,css and js file to wrap up an application for different platforms. So downloading and linking phonegap.js in an the application is not required unless I need to access the device's native function ?

Yes, until your application need to access devices's native function or any inbuilt or custom plugins, no need of phonegap.js.

And just create a responsive HTML5 application and build with PhoneGap Build is all I have to do ?

2) If I can just do like above, then why I should install eclipse and android SDK to create for android when I can just make HTML5 application and build with phonegap build and put it on google play.

Phonegap applications need to be developed as native applications using web technologies, ex: IOS apps need to developed on MAC (using IOS SDK) etc.

3) I have came across Intel XDK and they have similar service like phonegap, if I use Intel XDK then I don't have to use any assets of phonegap ?

Intel XDK using cloud based development where your html,css etc are uploaded into the Intel server and the application will build their and give your the final build. In this case you no need of MAC for IOS application development.

AndroidDev
  • 888
  • 3
  • 13
  • 27
  • Thanks for the answer. I still have the doubt on the 2nd quesiton, Do you mean, if my application needs to access native functions, I have to use phonegap.js with appropriate SDK ? – Bala Nov 11 '13 at 08:30
  • And regarding intel XDK is that do the same as Phonegap Build ? – Bala Nov 11 '13 at 08:31
  • Yes, to access native functions or plugins, you have to use phonegap.js with appropriate SDK. – AndroidDev Nov 11 '13 at 08:34
  • 1
    No, XDK building approach and Phonegap building approach is different. In phonegap you build the application by provided appropriate resources(all including sdk), In case of Intel XDK you just need to mention the sdk details and provide the resources(like html, images etc not SKD) the servers will the build the applications for you. – AndroidDev Nov 11 '13 at 08:37
  • So lets assume, if I wanna develop an app which access native functions of IOS, I should have a MAC and develop the same application on different sdks in order to use native functions of other platforms? – Bala Nov 11 '13 at 08:38
  • So using Phonegap Build is efficient or XDK ? sorry for asking too much :) – Bala Nov 11 '13 at 08:39
  • 1
    Yes! you need to follow the some steps for IOS but you will reuse the html, css, and js files which are used for other app say Android. – AndroidDev Nov 11 '13 at 08:39
  • just to note: you DO need mac to upload your app to the app store, there is some services that you can pay for them to upload for you, intel xdk cant help you with this stage – Amir Bar May 11 '15 at 10:28
2

In my experience developing with Phonegap and its Build service I generally use a plain web IDE which is based on eclipse called Aptana. It's primary use is for just HTML web development. I never install iOS or Android SDK's since the whole reason you use Phonegap's online build service is so you can be free from having to set up multiple development environments.

All my project specifications are configured in the config.xml. I don't include a copy of Phonegap's libraries since they are bundled at the time of compilation in via Phonegap's online build service.

For general testing and debugging I use either the Chrome debug inspector or Chrome and the Ripple emulator. When I've finished testing and need to compile the binaries I send my code up to Phonegap's build service using maven and Chris Price's Phonegap build maven plugin.

This allows me to :

  • Unlock the signing keys (maven-ant-plugin and an http get call)
  • Upload my project for compilation to Phonegap's Build service
  • Sign my project with a specified signing key
  • Download a compiled binary for a specified platform

All from one single command. When I develop on my Mac Mini I installed a ruby script which will deploy the downloaded binary straight to my iOS device as final step.

I came up with this solution with the idea that I wanted to be able to checkout my code and be able to compile it online using only maven on any machine. This achieves that.

BenMorel
  • 34,448
  • 50
  • 182
  • 322
JavaJedi
  • 399
  • 3
  • 7
1

To answer #2. For phonegap you only need to download eclipse and android SDK or Xcode(iOS) if you are NOT using phone gap build. If you use Phonegap Build (included with Photoshop subscription) you can build with their servers and download the app straight to the device through the phonegap site. Its real simple for Android, a bit harder for iOS.

Loran
  • 398
  • 2
  • 8
  • Bit harder ? what makes iOS development with Phonegap Build make harder from Android development ? Could you explain? – Bala Jan 04 '14 at 05:12
  • 2
    Sorry for the late response, Apple makes for testing on their devices much harder. You have to register a Dev account and link it with a Dev device (iPhone/iPad). While any Android device can download directly from phonegap and install. – Loran May 31 '14 at 08:29
0

My understanding is that you have to subscribe to iOS Developer Program (US$99pa) to generate an iOS-installable app (even just for testing it), and publishing/distribution is also a bit more complicated than e.g. Android as well. That is completely regardless of what tool you use to build it, you need an Apple key code to install it. Of course, you can always just build and publish it as a a web application that be viewed in any browser. Then you don't need the iOS developer sub.

David Smith
  • 89
  • 1
  • 6