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Start your free trialDeryck Oñate Espinel
1,488 PointsApache Cordova vs Objective-C in IOS
Hi,
I'm a web designer & developer. I'm really familiarised with HTML, CSS and JavaScript. Now I'm following here (besides other courses) Objective-C development for IOS. I don't really feel comfortable with Objective-C at this point. I found Apache Cordova and the Framework is capable of create a native App using the aforementioned web languages.
My question: Beside the code, there's a real performance or quality difference in using Cordova instead of Objective-C?
Thanks in advance.
17 Answers
Amit Bijlani
Treehouse Guest TeacherApache Cordova is the open source version of PhoneGap. You can build a fully functional app with it. If you are a web developer then it's probably the best way to create a mobile app. Unless you need some specialized UIs, animations or device access which PhoneGap doesn't provide.
Deryck Oñate Espinel
1,488 PointsThanks Amit. That solves my question. Please excuse my insistence and answer to me something else if you don't mind. Can I make those animations using jQuery and CSS3? I'm a newbie in IOS development that's why I have only theories and not real and tested solutions.
Thanks again!
Amit Bijlani
Treehouse Guest TeacherYou can certainly create animations using jQuery and CSS3. You are basically writing a web app which is embedded within a web view (literally a browser) that's wrapped in a native app. Or you could forego all of it and build a completely mobile web app. Check the app http://forecast.io/ on your smartphone. They have a good blog post about why they went complete web: http://blog.forecast.io/its-not-a-web-app-its-an-app-you-install-from-the-web/
Deryck Oñate Espinel
1,488 PointsThanks a lot Amit. By the way, your iOS Development training is awesome. It's only I have this web thinking way. I'm still practicing with Objective-C following you training but it's a mindchanging for me, completelly.
J V
1,774 PointsThis is very interesting thread. if deryck goes to do a completely mobile web app, What are the main skills he needs to develop it? What platforms would he use Phonegap or apache Cordova?
Deryck Oñate Espinel
1,488 PointsI think there's no difference Joswell. I'm a newbie still but so far as my research has gone PhoneGap is the Adobe distribution of Apache Cordova. It's like Webkit, used in Safari and Chrome (before Blink, of course). Two brothers, but the same engine. I don't know if is the correct analogy. Perhaps somebody else could leave a better example or explanation.
J V
1,774 PointsI'm a newbie to coding.. Sorry, I don't really understand. I edited the question above because I think the questions were not clear. I always admired apps that bypass the App Stores. I wonder what are the down side of those apps.
Deryck Oñate Espinel
1,488 PointsAppStore I think it's not the enemy here. In fact there's no enemy here. In my case I ask for PhoneGap because I have been developing for the web seven years and that kind of Frameworks is easier to adopt because of my development skills. If you're a newbie perhaps Objective-C is a better choice for you because you're starting now and the languague is "weird" for me but it's simple and really semantic.
J V
1,774 PointsI also don't think the enemy is the App Store. I just think is cool to develop web apps and users access it directly through your own domain. The owners have full control of the product.
In between I understand your point of view.
J V
1,774 PointsIn order to learn how to Create web apps where do I start?
Spen Taylor
13,027 PointsJoswell Valdez From my understanding you would need to brush up on all things web design/development so a good idea would be to follow the web development learning adventure It covers a lot of the design aspects as well as development.
I have a question of my own also; Am I right to think that doing at least most of the work as a web app, and then wrapping this in a UIwebview would allow for a much easier cross over to other platforms (android & other mobile OS's) as the web build would be render-able/compatible with all of them using their equivalents to UIwebview?
fabh
946 PointsThe Problem with Cordova and Phonegap is, that on older devices all transitions are really really slow and it really does not feel like a native app..
That's why I decided to give up the phonegap version of a app I made and started to learn android now :)
J V
1,774 PointsFabian Hippmann my friend has last years android with metro pcs, he has difficult time running any type of app. The web apps run to slow or most the native apps the device doesn't allow him to download. I think the situation can be the same for native and web apps. They just don't run correctly.
J V
1,774 PointsSpen Taylor thanks for the advice.
Spen Taylor
13,027 PointsJoswell Valdez no problem!
J V
1,774 PointsDo you think a social network or messaging app would work well on web app? Do you think web apps scale well? This post is very informative. Thank you Deryck Oñate Espinel for post.
Deryck Oñate Espinel
1,488 PointsThanks to you Joswell Valdez. Yes I think (after Amit answer), there's no problem on developing a web app. It's true that can run slow on older devices but native apps can run slow too, so there's no big deal, at least with this issue.