In these times that lean culture is already instituted, to build their MVP Apps, startups have understood that they can not predict the future and know in advance that their users are going to need.
The functional growth and product evolution is then based on small steps from what the user tells us their needs in the form of feedback.
Are then required, equally rapid development frameworks that are able to adapt and integrate at least the basic functionality we all expect to see in an app. (Forms, lists, login to facebook, connection to the backend, maps, messages, notifications …)
All of them are integrated with apache-Cordova to build your apps for Android, iOS, Windows, Blackberry and FirefoxOS.
apache-cordova
Apache Cordova builds your web app for every platform
We’re lucky! Already on the market there’re some solutions to help us develop the MVP (Minimal Valuable Product) and have our app ready within a few days. Let’s go.
1. IONIC (AngularJS)
Movile web apps with Ionic
Mobile web apps with Ionic
Ionic is a toy ready to play, especially if you have been years coding AngularJS. Combine Apache Cordova ( a worthy successor to PhoneGap) with AngularJS in a masterly manner. Its great merit, apart from incorporating angular, is to have created CSS styles that are able to simulate perfectly the skins of a native app. Although transitions are perfectly finished.
PROS
Very fast and a lot of documentation on their site. You can get very well done projects on GitHub.
CONS
Its strength is also its weakness. The strong angular dependence is a problem in heavy applications.
It will not fine at all dealing with web services.
The combination of AngularJS with RequireJS is very powerful. I do not plan javascript itching without RequireJS and so it seems, Ionic does not support required.
Where are unit tests? I have not seen in the distro.
2. REACT-NATIVE
Movile web apps framework
React-Native: Top 3 mobile web apps framework
This is one of those times a very big company take our idea. Seriously … we were making a ReactJS mobile-based framework because Ionic gave us problems if we wanted to be fine with design patterns and testability.
React-Native just out of the hand of Facebook is no coincidence that Facebook Groups is made using react. I have been released and you can download it from GitHub.
PROS
We love it, in fact, it is what we will use. Albeit with some changes in the connection layer to improve asynchrony. We release these updates soon … if you are interested can give way to the repo, please email us.
It is very fast, but Ionic and also do not need to upload the whole app in seconds can have feedback.
CONS
The learning curve if you have not played with it, it’s a bit flat. If you do not fully understand how it works you can create a terrible monster.
It is not as well finished as Ionic but … the good thing is that you can pick opensource CSS-styles from Ionic and make a customized react. This is what we have done.
3. ATOM
Atom
Atom: Top 3 mobile web apps framework
We are not all developers. To make an MVP and test whether an idea works should be simple and small … this is Lean.
If you have no idea of programming, you’ll love this.
Atom is a web application so you make your app, simple as that. No need any more.
PROS
Its great advantage is certainly the ability to create apps using a WISIWIG interface (What You See Is What You Get).
CONS
To make an MVP is fine, but when your app is ready for the big market you will need to work to migrate it. Doesn’t have to be painful if you know how.
CONCLUSION
Things are getting better for mobile developers. Anemic frameworks of 5 years for apps with HTML we have gone to powerful and very effective tools. Time to get an MVP are down almost magically and this is good for startups and companies that develop a product.
These frameworks are not as slow. Javascript is getting better and although still a long way,
who knows if in the near future HTML-based mobile apps might look something like native apps performance.
If you are interested in those topics as we are and want to be part of our team, please leave your contact details and we’ll call you.
Apart from these three frameworks there are others in the market … Xamarin special mention, that although is not HTML has certainly a great future ahead.
DO YOU WANT TO WORK WITH US CREATING EXCITING APPS ?
