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I have the following task:

  • Develop an html5 hybrid application for major platforms (ios, android, wp8) with some native device features like push notifications and local storage.
  • The exact copy of this application should work in desktop browser, customers should use it as a mobile app 'preview'.

I am new to the HTML5 mobile development and tried only phonegap+jquerymobile, it had some performance issues. Sencha, as I understand, is not compatible to desktop browsers.

Which set of tools would you recommend for such problem?

Aleksei Petrenko
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  • I can use it with phonegap, right? I should try this combination if it has better performance. – Aleksei Petrenko Dec 11 '13 at 20:22
  • Obviously I've heard about bootstrap, just wanted some comments to consider more options) – Aleksei Petrenko Dec 11 '13 at 22:09
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    Regarding performance issues, check here my answer where I list additional UI frameworks to use with phonegap http://stackoverflow.com/questions/20158108/custom-css-for-mobile-development-using-phonegap-cordova/20167603#20167603 and improve the performance compared to jQM – VicM Dec 12 '13 at 07:10

3 Answers3

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The framework we develop meets a lot of your requirements.

Have a look at qooxdoo Mobile:

http://demo.qooxdoo.org/devel/mobileshowcase/index.html#%2F

It works on

  • IE 10,11
  • Firefox Desktop
  • Google Chrome Desktop
  • Windows Phone 8
  • Android 2.3+
  • iOS 5+
  • Blackberry OS
czuendorf
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  • Which exactly are covered? What about native features? I think the experience in the desktop kinda sucks... Isn't it better to have a slightly different app for desktop? – code4jhon Dec 11 '13 at 21:33
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    As Alex just needs a preview, an additional desktop view would be to much effort. qx.Mobile runs great on all supported platforms. – czuendorf Dec 11 '13 at 21:43
  • My mistake, misunderstod "mobile app preview". By the way Sencha Touch apps can also be rendered on modern browsers and in all platforms you mentioned above. – code4jhon Dec 11 '13 at 21:53
  • qooxdoo works perfectly on both my phones (a bit slow on Lumia 620 in fact). I quite like it, good option) – Aleksei Petrenko Dec 11 '13 at 22:20
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I would go with Sencha Touch + PhoneGap and optionally ExtJs for a full working version of mobile app unless some of the native features weren't unavailable.

They are awesome.

http://dev.sencha.com/deploy/touch/examples/production/kitchensink/#demo/tabs

code4jhon
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  • By the way I your example works on my Android phone and completely does not work on WP8. Dunno why. – Aleksei Petrenko Dec 11 '13 at 22:16
  • www.sencha.com/blog/sencha-touch-with-windows-phone-8 it should work, do you get an error in your browser console? – code4jhon Dec 11 '13 at 22:28
  • I'm wathching a legend "Welcome to Sencha Touch 2.0.1" in that example and as it says in the blog post support for WP8 was added later... you can try an app made with a later version on your WP8 – code4jhon Dec 11 '13 at 23:01
  • @AlexPetrenko Wp8 is supported after sencha 2.3 you can check my solution https://thebestofpets.com/production (its just to test in wp8) same solution is packed with phone gap – Vova Bilyachat Dec 12 '13 at 09:09
  • http://cdn.sencha.io/touch/sencha-touch-2.3.1/built-examples/kitchensink/index.html#demo/buttons --- this example "works" on my Lumia, but the interface is SO ugly! Is it necessary to imitate native controls? Anyway they look and feel not even near to native ones. I want to have exactly the same fair interface on all platforms instead of trying to make fake native apps. – Aleksei Petrenko Dec 13 '13 at 09:42
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I would like to add one more note about PhoneGap + SenchaTouch

  1. Sencha touch is html5 framework which can work in webbrowser or to be packed to native.
  2. If you dont need camera, coordinates and some other advanced tools you can pack it with native sencha compiler (but for WP8 you still need PhoneGap).
  3. in build.phonegap.com you can create 1 build for free to compile you sources to wp8, android, iphone, bada and some other.
  4. Sencha touch is well documented http://docs-origin.sencha.com/touch/2.3.0/
  5. Same sources will be able to work (if you done it right :) ) on phone as native app or as javascript solution on web.
  6. and probably last one sencha touch is light weight, in my case application which takes photos also it has geolocation feature for search product in compiled mode it has near 600kb.
Vova Bilyachat
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