In one of my projects, the client wants to have an installable app ( native ) but this app will show just a web content in a WebKit ( the web page is built with iWebKit ).
My question is this: Will apple accept this app because the content can be changed, and should it be a web app, not a native one?
If this just opens a website, then no apple will probably not accept it.
If the app is build using javascript and HTML which is bundelt with the app then yes, this is what tools like PhoneGap use.
I believe they should(you never know with apple...), phonegap is using a similar approach, and if you go here, you will see quite a few apps made for iphone.
Related
I am new to IOS development (currently, I'm developing websites in ASP.NET) and I found out that one can create an IOS app using just html 5 and javascript.
Well that is great news for me since I don't have the time to learn Obj-C and xCode way of writing apps.
I have heard some opposing statements, though, on whether I will be able to submit my app into the app store.
Will I be able to submit such app in the app store?
If not, is there a way to 'wrap it up' somehow, so it could be submitted?
Thanks!
No, only native app will be listed in the App store. To submit apps to the appstore you will always need a paid Apple Developers account.
Native in this case meaning real apps that can be installed.
You can build an app in HTML and Javascript in tools like Phonegap and Titanium. These tools will create a native app which loads the local HTML and try to make it feel like a native app.
You will need to use a wrapper, like AppMobi (where I work). This lets you write your app in html, javascript and CSS only.
You need to wrap your application in a UIWebView container. As far as I know, there's no way to package an HTML5 only app for the App Store. I have four apps in there that are HTML5/Javascript apps, wrapped in a UIWebView. There are also third-party frameworks available for this.
EDIT:
See my answer
I saw some interesting frameworks to build applications for mobile platforms like Android and iPhone with HTML and Javascript so you can use your current web-development skills without learning a new platform language. That's very interesting because you can write just ONE application for many platforms. Very easy to maintain.
But, you cannot sell it in the App stores, so I’m wondering if it is possible to use an embedded webbrowser in the application that loads an external/included html file.
I have seen that it is possible to create Android and iPhone apps with flash, that's is easy, so i want to create a simple 'host' application that only loads content and I can use it over and over again to distribute a new app.
So the question is, is it possible to create a simple app with flash that embeds a webbrowser to load a html file?
When it is possible, next question is, it possible to communicate with the embedded webbrowser? Also a question is, will Apple allow such application in it app store?
I hope my question is understandable.
In a very strict sense, yes, you can make an app that is just a simple WebView wrapper pointing to your web-hosted app.
This is usually frowned upon though in the android market community, and i'm fairly positive such an app won't make it through Apple's closed-doors decision committee.
On the iPhone, if your app only consist of a UIWebView it is very likely that you app is going to be rejected. What you could do is ask your users to bookmark your webapp adding an icon to the home screen. Think Basecamp for iPhone.
After all this time i got the answer.
Phonegap uses a WebView to display the HTML content. It is a compiled native App with embedded WebView.
Apple accepts phonegap generated applications but it still not sure if it made it to the AppStore, it depends on what you doing with it. I think simple apps will made it. See also: http://www.phonegap.com/faq
EDIT/UPDATE:
I tried allot of tools/solutions to create crossplatform apps but all of these seem to do the same thing: It's a executable for the specific platform with an embedded browser. None of them compiles HTML to native code.
Flash (Builder) is something different, it requires AIR (can be compiled into the executable). When you using a WebView (only) with Flash, it is overkill because in fact you do not need AIR to display the HTML in a WebView. I think it is better to use phonegap to 'compile' the executable.
I came across this link:
http://ofps.oreilly.com/titles/9780596805784/
which seems to suggest web app can be converted to native iphone without writing a single line
of objective-c code. But the book mentioned there is outdated now and things may have changed a lot.
Are there open source software that will allow me to automatically convert my web application to native iphone ( or android) application? By the way my web application is html5 canvas based animation application with lot of html and css as well.
PhoneGap doesn't generate native code for you: it creates an application consisting of a WebView and throws your HTML code on it. From personal exerience I can add that the performance is quite slow, on both iPhone and Android, compared to a native app.
jqTouch creates a nice way to access your web application, but the application remains a web application residing on your site, plus you have to use some jquery for styling.
Apparently the only one that actually does generate native code is Appcelerator Titanium. On RhoMobile I never managed to get to the point to actually write some Ruby code because you have to know all the Ruby in he word just to install it on your Mac.
So the verdict was to sit down and develop the app in objective-c.
Have you looked at PhoneGap?
Simple steps to put your html app into iOS native container, without coding:
Download xCode
Download simple web view app from https://github.com/nomtek/iOSWebViewApp
Open simple web view app within xCode
Add your HTMLs to the project file structure
Run your app and voila :)
This approach is good if you don't need access to any phone specific features, just a standard Web View. Loading time will be short as this approach doesn't load any extra libraries.
I am building a hosted mobile application so I can write once and deploy to many mobile platforms. My plan is to write a native application with a single screen that is a browser that navigates to my hosted application. Of course this is so our application is in the App Store, Android Market, etc.
Is it possible to use the PhoneGap JavaScript so my hosted applications can use local APIs? For example, I would like to be able to upload pictures taken from the camera.
Short answer: no.
More information: PhoneGap: It's possible to use only the phonegap.js and it's functions only in a Website (doesn't want an App only a Webpage)?
Short answer
No. You need to add pctures upload logic in each framework
In addition to what has been answer it will also depend on your application store offering. If you're intending to offer the app in the iPhone App Store, these kind of apps aren't permitted. In the guidelines it states that apps that basically launch a browser or UIWebView will be rejected.
Additionally, you could always create the app as a "home screen" app, that runs without the chrome, etc on the iPhone. Hope this helps.
I have seen few apps having exact same UI when you access the app through stand alone app or through their mobile website. What are the pros and cons of both approaches while developing the app?
Edit - This is a general question. Not necessarily android. Iphone apps are also in similar categories.
If you have a mobile website service that works in a HTML5 browser, that is a good business. But in order to show up in the Markets you need to have a native application as well. So the folks create a native application, that simply loads the website in a webview UI object, as a wrapper for the website.
Take care if you are developping an app that is just a webview displaying a mobile website, because iOS app review team does not always like it.
I reccommand you to read carefully the iOS App Store Review Guidelines. For example:
2.12 Apps that are not very useful, unique, are simply web sites bundled as Apps, or do not provide any lasting entertainment value may be rejected
2.17 Apps that browse the web must use the iOS WebKit framework and WebKit Javascript
12.3 Apps that are simply web clippings, content aggregators, or a collection of links, may be rejected
Hope it helps