Isn’t it cool to be able to develop mobile applications using only Web technology? Ionic can do that! Ionic is a cross-platform development technology that has become very popular in recent years, making it possible to develop iOS and Android apps simultaneously using familiar HTML, CSS and JavaScript technologies. Take a look at the Ionic!

1 what is the ionic

Ionic makes building Hybrid applications faster, easier and more aesthetically pleasing by integrating a variety of technologies and features. Ionic’s ecosystem is based on Angular, a Web application framework, and Cordova, a tool for building and packaging native apps.

The following diagram shows an overview of the entire technology stack

The technology stack starts when the user opens the application on the device. Let’s say it’s an iPhone running iOS or a Nexus 10 running Android. The following is an introduction to each part.

  • Devices – Devices can load applications. The operating system on the device installs apps downloaded from the platform store. The operating system also provides apis for a range of features that apps can use, such as GPS locations, contact lists, and cameras.

  • „Cordova Application wrapper – this is a native application that loads Web application code. Cordova is a platform for building native applications that execute HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, called Hybrid mobile applications. It acts as a bridge between the platform and the application, creating a native application (called an application wrapper in the image above) that can be installed. The native application includes a WebView (essentially a separate browser window) that runs the Web application through the JavaScriptAPI.

  • „Cordova JavaScript API – A bridge between applications and devices, application wrappers can use JavaScript apis to connect Web applications to native platforms. Don’t worry about the implementation details, but eventually Cordova will help you build native apps.

  • Angular – A Web application that controls application routing and functionality. Angular Web applications run in a WebView. Angular is a popular Web application building framework that manages the logic and data of Web applications.

  • „Ionic – Controls the rendering of user interface components in applications. Ionic is built on Angular to design user interfaces and user experiences. Ionic contains visual elements such as tabs, buttons, and navigation headers. These interface controls are at the heart of the Ionic and provide a near-native interface experience in Hybrid applications. Ionic also offers a number of features and features to help you through the build-preview-release process.

Ionic combines these technologies into a very powerful platform for mobile app development. Now that you have an idea of Ionic and its related technology, let’s compare the three major mobile apps and introduce the advantages of Ionic.

2 mobile development type

There are several approaches to developing applications for mobile devices, and it is important to know the advantages and disadvantages of each approach. There are three basic types: native apps, mobile websites, and Hybrid apps, and we’ll cover the differences in detail.

In the figure below, you can see the design and architecture contrast of the three types. The figure also shows how the application can load data by accessing a database or Web service API.

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2.1 Native mobile apps

To create native apps, developers need to use the mobile platform’s default language, objective-C or Swift for iOS and Java for Android. Once you’re done, compile the application and install it on the device. Developers can use the platform’s software development kit (SDK) to communicate with the platform API to access data on the device or load data from external servers using HTTP requests.

Both iOS and Android offer a set of predefined apis to help developers use platform features within their control. There are many official and unofficial tools available to help develop native apps. It is common for developers to use frameworks in native applications to simplify development.

Benefits of native apps

Native apps have many advantages over Hybrid apps and mobile sites, mainly due to their close integration with the device platform:

  • „ Native apis – Native apps use native apis directly within applications, which are the most platform friendly.

  • „ Performance – Native applications have the best performance.

  • „ Same environment – Native apps written using native apis are easy to understand for other native developers.

  • But native apps have a lot of downsides.

Disadvantages of native apps

The main disadvantage of native apps is that they are difficult to develop and maintain.

  • „ Language requirements – Native apps require developers to know the language of the platform (such as Java) and how to use the apis provided by the platform.

  • „ is not cross-platform – each platform needs to be developed separately.

  • „ is time consuming and labor-intensive – typically, a lot of build work is required, adding to the cost.

If you have to use Java and Objective-C, or if the team has a lot of resources and really needs the benefits of native apps, native apps are the best choice. Beyond that, you might want to consider other types of apps.

2.2 Mobile Website (Web Application)

Mobile websites, or Web applications, are ideal for mobile devices and can be accessed in a mobile browser. Web apps are websites that are accessed in a mobile browser and are specifically designed to fit the phone’s screen size.

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Some web designers create a version specifically for mobile devices. When you visit a website on a mobile device, you may be redirected to another version with limited functionality. Visit eBay, for example, and you’ll be redirected to the http://m.ebay.com subdomain. Visit other sites, such as www.bostonglobe.com, and you’ll find that the site’s design changes depending on the type of device and screen size. This uses a technique called responsive design. Content is automatically resized according to the browser window size, and some content is even hidden.

Advantages of mobile websites

Mobile sites have many advantages, mainly in terms of efficiency and device compatibility.

  • „ maintainability – Mobile web sites are easy to update and maintain without any review process or the need to update applications on devices.

  • „ Installation-free – The website is on the Internet and does not need to be installed on a mobile device.

  • „ cross-platform – All mobile devices have a browser that can access your app.

Mobile sites also have many disadvantages compared to native apps.

Disadvantages of mobile sites

Mobile sites run in mobile browsers, so there are many limitations and disadvantages.

  • „ does not have native access – because mobile sites run in a browser, they do not have access to native apis and platforms, only browser-provided apis.

  • „ requires a keyboard – users must type an address into a browser to find or use a mobile site, which is much harder than clicking an icon.

  • „ Limited user interface – It is difficult to create touch-friendly applications, especially when it is compatible with the desktop version.

  • „ Mobile visits decline – Users spend less time visiting websites on mobile devices and more time using apps.

Different products and services have different needs, and even if you already have a mobile application, you may still need a mobile website. But overall, the importance of mobile sites is declining, with studies showing that users are spending more time using apps.

2.3 Hybrid application

A Hybrid application is a mobile application that contains a separate browser instance, often referred to as a Web-view, that can run a Web application within a native application. Hybrid applications use native application wrappers to communicate with webViews and native device platforms. This means that Web applications can run on mobile devices and have access to device functions such as the camera and GPS.

There are a number of tools that enable communication between webViews and native platforms, making Hybrid applications possible. These tools are not distributed on official iOS or Android platforms, but on third parties such as Apache Cordova. When you compile a Hybrid application, your Web application is converted into a native application.

Advantages of Hybrid applications

Hybrid apps have some advantages over mobile sites and native apps, which makes them a strong competitor.

  • „ cross-platform – Can be developed once and deployed to multiple platforms to minimize development costs.

  • „ and Web development common technologies – Mobile applications can be developed using the same technologies used to develop Web sites and Web applications.

  • „ Device access – Because WebView is wrapped in a native app, your app gives you access to all device functionality just like a native app.

  • „ Simplified development – The development process is simple and quick, and there is no need to build repeatedly for preview. You can also continue to use the same set of development tools you used to build your site.

Hybrid apps allow you to develop mobile apps using the technology of the Web platform, and you can develop most of the functionality of the app just like you would develop a website. When a native API is needed, the Hybrid application framework Bridges the API into JavaScript. Your app can detect swipes and pinches as well as clicks and keyboard events. But, as you might expect, Hybrid apps have some downsides.

Disadvantages of Hybrid applications

Because it is in a WebView and limited by native integration, Hybrid applications have the following disadvantages.

  • WebView limitation – Applications can only run in WebView instances, which means that application performance depends on the browser.

  • „ Access native functionality through plug-ins – The native API you need may not be implemented by plug-ins at this time and may require some additional development work to bridge it.

  • „ No native UI controls – Without tools like Ionic, developers would need to create all UI elements.

With Ionic, you can build Hybrid apps using knowledge and skills that Web developers are already familiar with.


The relevant books

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Ionic Combat: AngularJS based

Mobile Hybrid Application Development

Integrated Cordova | presents hot technology

Rapid implementation of iOS | Android cross-platform application

By Jeremy Wilken

Strange dance company translation

Published in July 2016

Ionic’s biggest strengths are its integration with Angular and Cordova, which makes it easier for experienced front-end engineers to navigate, and its ability to use existing third-party libraries and frameworks. This is an exhaustive Ionic how-to guide that shows you not only the ‘how’ but also the ‘why’ that most introductory books lack. Review images

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