Home·Blog·JavaScript for Mobile Development: should I?
JavaScript for Mobile Development: should I?
One of the most important current trends in technology is mobile app development, now days the acquisition of mobiles and the rise of the app industry have shown a great impact in every aspect of technology. Many languages are used to develop all kinds of coding but the main languages are HTML, CSS and JavaScript. These 3 code styles complement each other, being HTML the markup that tells the browser how to display a website’s words and Images, CSS is the style sheet, which means it creates a uniform look across the entire website while JavaScript the enhances the site’s experience; It generates an interactive and dynamic interface allowing web pages to react to many variables suh us events, variable, detection of a user’s browser, effects and so on.
Despite the above, JavaScript is not a primarily language for app development as it is the language used to develop and manage websites and even though there are ways to develop an application using only javascript there are other more efficient ways to make them. None the less, JavaScript (JS) has one great advantage and it is that you can reuse you code for frontend and backend (Node.js), helping you save time. Another advantage of JS is that it is very compatible with all browsers which imparts ease to the developing process.
The JS framework is gaining popularity everyday. Even companies like Apple and IBM are using JS. It doesn’t stop there, now the angularJS team is working in a partnership with Google and Microsoft.
Creating apps in JavaScript is easy since you have to code the app once and you may release it on all the platforms (Android, iOS, and Windows).
JavaScript’s Key features:
One of the easiest languages out there.
Fast and efficient.
It is executed on the client-side which means it saves bandwidth by not using the server.
Used for dynamics and creating animations on otherwise dull and boring websites.
While standard JavaScript is used for operating basic client-side functions, many web developers now promote the use of JavaScript libraries like jQuery to add more advanced dynamic elements to websites.
There are several frameworks that can be used to create a professional JavaScript app such as PhoneGap, jQuery Mobile, and Ionic.
React Native
As mentioned in our article about React Mobile App Development, React is a cross-platform JS development framework that has been gaining momentum. It was initially created by Facebook and it allow developers to create state-dependent views. It is an almost perfect way of creating apps that run in both Android and iOS with seamless performance.
One of React’s main benefits is how it allows companies offering JavaScript development services to build apps even if they are on tight budgets or timeframes. It also uses less resources which means better performance enabling it to run like a native app.
“jQuery Mobile framework takes the “write less, do more” mantra to the next level: Instead of writing unique applications for each mobile device or iOS, the jQuery mobile framework allows you to design a single highly-branded responsive website or application that will work on all popular smartphone, tablet, and desktop platforms.”
PhoneGap
With PhoneGap you can “reuse existing web development skills to quickly make hybrid applications built with HTML, CSS and JavaScript. Create experiences for multiple platforms with a single codebase so you can reach your audience no matter their device.”
“From open source to pro services, Ionic helps you build, deploy, test, and monitor apps easier than ever before.”
There are many other frameworks to develop mobile apps with JavaScript but these are the most used one by many developer being JQuery the leader between them. If you want an assessment on what is the best language and framework to develop your do not hesitate to send us a message below.
