iWebKit + PhoneGap = Native apps for all platforms at once

[mijoroJordan]

http://phonegap.com/

Phonegap is a system that wraps webapps in a native client and exposes the hardware API's for that device. So you can have a webapp that uses contact info, location and accelerometer (Phonegap supports more, I'm just saying) into an iphone, blackberry, android and webos native app and have the same code work correctly on all devices.

I'm not affiliated, but my brother and I have started adding to it in our spare time.

Would anyone have any interest in a version of iwebkit that is compatible with phonegap, so that webapps made with iwebkit can actually be sold as native apps on all the platforms? Right now I think you'd have to make some kind of hack to get the filestructure to work on the iPhone client, and the Palm client breaks when the webapp browses to a new URL.

Being able to write apps in one framework, that work on all platforms would be very nice.

~Jordan

[arronhunt]

I have found an amazing tutorial on how to do this exact thing on YouTube

I am not very experienced with XCODE, so at the moment I don't know how to export it as an application. But it runs fine in the iPhone Simulator that is included.

What I love about the idea, is you don't have to know any advanced C programming, just basic HTML and/or JavaScript. If your willing to pay Apple the $99 fee to become a developer, this might be a worthwhile investment.

[mijoroJordan]

Hey, I didn't realize they worked together so well. That's a sweet video.

Any downside to using this method for phone development?

[tarnfeld]

Phonegap = BAD
49% of their apps are rejected.
Nimblekit.org is much better, way simpler to use and less complicated JS - no apps have been rejected on the basis of using nimblekit as there are no private API's
I built SnippetySnip with it for the app store (Search) and there are tonns of cool new features since that app.

[mijoroJordan]

nimblekit looks neat, but it seems like you can only use it on the iphone...

[tarnfeld]

Indeed, but i mean why would you use iWebKit to build an iPhone interface and then pop it onto another device?

[mijoroJordan]

its a very quick way to make a nice looking interface. Then you can drop it into any device. Seems like the fastest and easiest way to get from prototype to selling product on all devices.

[tarnfeld]

don't waste your time with the app store then, it will most likely get rejected

[mijoroJordan]

because of iwebkit or phonegap?

[arronhunt]

I don't think there is any way to say that they where rejected because of Phonegap, maybe since it is so easy to use, then almost anyone can make an app. If anyone can make an app then there will be a ton of small little "not-so-great" apps. Nimblekit is a bit more complicated, which means beginners will be intimidated an not attempt, thus only "professional" coders will make apps which will be higher quality. I don't know, just my two cents.

PhoneGap appeals to me the most, and I like it more then NimbleKit.

[tarnfeld]

Apple are rejecting Phone Gap because of the way Phone Gap is built:

"that PhoneGap apps make use of unpermitted or 3rd party APIs, something that violates the terms of service for the app store."

Source: http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/wh ... e_apps.php

[mijoroJordan]

Is there a version of phonegap that you can get that doesn't include these API's?

[tarnfeld]

Nope.

[arronhunt]

Apple are rejecting Phone Gap because of the way Phone Gap is built:

"that PhoneGap apps make use of unpermitted or 3rd party APIs, something that violates the terms of service for the app store."

Source: http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/wh ... e_apps.php

Well that is quite unfortunate. I will still continue to use Phonegap, because I don't ever plan to submit it to Apple.

[tarnfeld]

Fair enough, personal use i guess - or jailbreak'age.
Have fun

[crmunro]

you can also distribute apps through the iphone configuration utility, a free download from the apple website... it does require users to be with you, but only takes 5 seconds for each one

[tarnfeld]

You can't install ANY native code, onto the iPhone unless its jailbroken or code-signed, which required an AppStore membership. You can install web clips through the utility, yes.

[JesseM]

Surprised this is still coming up...
Phonegap does not use any private APIs and does NOT violate Apple's terms and conditions.
There are hundreds of apps in the app store that were written with PhoneGap.
See my post here: http://bit.ly/4wiVOL

[tarnfeld]

Nice, although i must say - NimbleKit is easier to setup / install, simply pick "Nimble Kit App" when you start XCode and you're all ready... good news that PG is being accepted now

[mijoroJordan]

Nice, although i must say - NimbleKit is easier to setup / install, simply pick "Nimble Kit App" when you start XCode and you're all ready... good news that PG is being accepted now

You sound like you're going out of your way to hype nimblekit. Phonegap has the same xcode template easiness. I've also been running this thread back and forth between here and the phonegap google group... No one seems to think there are private API's or problems with the app store.

Also, phonegap is free. I like that.

[tarnfeld]

haha
well i personally used PhoneGap to start with, but at that point it was absolutely awful... i couldnt work out how on earth to make a new project and integrate contacts and the calendar, so i used nimblekit... this could have changed now.

[abartender]

Sorry for bumping this up. Has anyone tried the iWebKit + PhoneGap solution recently?

[freerunner]

Apple told PhoneGap in emails that their setup is fine with apple and apps made with it won't be rejected because they use PhoneGap, they then sent an update email when the 4.0 developer agreement changed to block flash to say yes your still fine.