Hybrid Mobile Apps are those that you can use on both a rooted Android device and an Apple iOS mobile phone. Hybrid mobile apps aren’t new, but they’ve become more popular over the past year or so. They’re basically applications which are written in a language (C++, Java, etc.) that can run on either a rooted Android phone or an Apple iOS device. The idea is that if the application works on one platform it can run on either one.
These hybrid mobile apps that you see now aren’t the same as java script programs that you used to see. Instead, they’re “translated” through a web browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Opera, etc.) and then executed on the targeted device. Because these apps run in a web environment just like a native application, they share many of the same features, just in a different format.
For example, a C++ program that you may have developed for Android might end up as a cross- platform JavaScript app since most of the programming and coding is already there. But since the programming is in a different platform there are some differences, you’ll see. For instance, JavaScript libraries will likely not be available natively on iOS devices. Instead, you would have to go out and find them or use an alternative format. This is where hybrid mobile apps come into play.
If you want your Hybrid Mobile Apps to be displayed properly on iOS devices, you’ll need to make sure that your app uses the best hybrid mobile development framework. There are a few different options out there including: XCode, PhoneGap, Native Script and Janus. XCode is the developer platform that many Cocoa Mobile developers are familiar with and it’s free.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t have support for the native code platform, so you’ll likely need to use a different platform for your Hybrid Mobile Apps. It’s not the best option but if you have limited experience in developing Hybrid Mobile Apps it may be the best option for you.
PhoneGap is a freeware that works on both iOS and android devices and has a very clean layout. It allows you to develop custom apps and has an intuitive interface. Native Script is another great cross platform framework that is used for creating simple UIs and native codes. On the other hand, Janus is an open-source framework that provides a fully featured JavaScript engine, great browser compatibility and access to XML resources.
The Hybrid Mobile Apps you develop must integrate with the native programs you intend on using. Many developers choose to use native libraries and widgets, which allow you to tap into the underlying platform functionality. In turn, this results in a cross platform mobile app that runs fluidly across multiple devices. Hybrid Mobile Apps are the future. The sooner you get started the sooner you will enjoy the benefits.
