PhoneGap makes it easy to create mobile apps using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It allows developers to access native device features like cameras and accelerometers from web apps. PhoneGap supports developing apps for many mobile platforms like iPhone, Android, BlackBerry and more. It aims to simplify cross-platform mobile development and allow web developers to build native mobile apps using open web technologies.

1. PhoneGap
Easy Mobile Apps with JavaScript
Monday, December 7, 2009

2. THANK YOU!
> var web = {};
undefined
> web.next();
[”javascript”,”mobile”]
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3. me.
• github.com/brianleroux
• twitter.com/brianleroux
3
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4. http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1126812
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5. Mobile app dev is hard.
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6. Device Platform Fragmentation
Platform Language Notes
Apple iPhone Objective C Requires an Apple machine.
Left arm.
RIM Blackberry OS Java Requires a Windows based
machine. WTF.
Google Android Java (Dalvik VM) Runs mostly anywhere.
Windows Mobile .NET or unmanaged C++ Requires a Windows based
machine.
Nokia Symbian C++, Java, Python, Flash, Runs mostly anywhere.
WRT
Palm WebOS HTML, CSS and JavaScript Runs mostly anywhere.
Monday, December 7, 2009

7. App Distribution Fragmentation
Apple App Store
Android Market
Blackberry App World
Nokia Ovi Store
GetJar
Palm App Catalog
Samsung App Store
LG Application Store
Mobango
Sony Ericsson PlayNow
Windows Marketplace
Vodafone App Store
Java App Store
Verizon VCast
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8. Dev and distribution nightmare.
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9. This is why the internet works.
cross platform
open standards
open source
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10. Cross Platform iPhone
Android
Blackberry
Windows Mobile
Nokia
Palm *
Maemo*
* releasing VERY soon
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11. HTML5
sorta
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12. Webkit APIs
SQLite
Cache Manifest
CSS Transitions / Transforms / Animations
Custom fonts
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13. PhoneGap API
Geolocation
Accelerometer
Notifications
Media playback
Camera
Device info
Contacts
Online/Offline
SMS / Telephone
Magnetometer
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14. Future APIs
File IO
WebSocket
SQLite Wrapper
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15. Free: as in freedom.
MIT Licensed
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16. PhoneGap Philosophy
The purpose is to cease to exist.
Make the web a first class dev tool.
Be open, transparent and free.
Adhere to standards when possible.
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17. Sony Ericsson WebSDK
http://developer.sonyericsson.com/websdk
17
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18. Yeah way.
Geolocation
Accelerometer
Notifications
Media playback
Camera
Device info
Contacts
On these devices:
Online/Offline
SMS / Telephone iPhone / iPod Touch
Magnetometer Android
Blackberry
Nokia
Windows Mobile
Palm webOS
Monday, December 7, 2009

19. Problems with the PhoneGap project
documentation
app store FUD
no fucking tests
many webkit variants
perceived competition
tooling is not consolidated
source is a bit of a gong show
no standard technique for extending the project
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20. docs.phonegap.com
http://github.com/phonegap/phonegap-docs
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21. App Store Rejections?
Rename your project.
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22. No fucking tests?!
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23. mobile-spec
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24. Webkit
24
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25. Yay Webkit!
Good!
sqlite
cache manifest
css awesome
custom fontage
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26. Bad *
* many variants
** not mozilla
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27. Ugly
• Blackberry less than 4.6 have no XHR
• Windows Mobile runs IE 4
• Or worse: IE 6 + 7
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28. The many flavours of Webkit
iPhone OS 3.0 Webkit 528.16 Build
iPhone OS 2.2 Webkit 525.20 Build
iPhone OS 2.02 Webkit 525.20 Build
iPhone OS 1.5 Webkit 419.3 Build
Android 1.5 Webkit Nov 2008 Fork
Android 1.1 Webkit Rev r30692
Android 1.0 Webkit
PalmPre OS Webkit
Nokia S60 Webkit Fork
Nokia WRT Webkit Fork
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29. Not to mention what isn't Webkit
Blackberry
Windows Mobile
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
...yet.
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30. The web still rocks.
(even if the browsers do not)
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31. Other options?
Option Supported Platforms Language License
BigFive iPhone HTML, CSS and JS GPL2
LiquidGear iPhone HTML, CSS and JS* MIT
Corona iPhone Lua Proprietary
Appcelerator iPhone HTML, CSS and JS* Apache
Android
Rhodes iPhone HTML, CSS and JS. GPL3
Symbian Ruby for native code.
Android Accessed client/server
BlackBerry style.
Windows Mobile
NimbleKit iPhone HTML, CSS and JS* Proprietary
* Renders native controls via JavaScript.
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32. PhoneGap supported devices
http://rubyurl.com/jtNs
32
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33. Wash, Rinse, Repeat...FAIL
1. First, install all these:
o iPhone SDK
o Android SDK
o Blackberry SDK
o Windows Mobile SDK
o Nokia WRT SDK
2. Download the PhoneGap source.
3. Map to each SDK.
4. Copy your app into each.
5. Build for each.
6. Fix a bug.
7. GOTO 3.
Automation FAIL.
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34. phonegap-dev
coming soon...
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35. is demo time nao
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36. Extending PhoneGap
Plugins
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37. Many codebases.
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38. Great but how to get started?
Small screens.
Less memory.
Less CPU.
Less hard drive space if any.
Sketchy connectivity.
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39. Constraints == Focus
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40. JavaScript Sucks
(But it is ubiquitous.)
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41. jQuery / Dojo / YUI / MooTools
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42. XUI
2.2 kb
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43. XUI + Emile
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44. Good enough.
DOM / Event / Style / XHR / FX
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45. What about UI components?
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46. FUCK UI components.
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47. Apps built w/ components look like it.
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48. Solve your unique problem.
goals > features
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49. Tapbots, for example.
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50. This is the modern equivalent of
Outlook Express.
Fuck components. Especially native components.
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51. Solve your unique problem.
And you will do it better than a generic solution.
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52. Maybe you don't even need native features?
Use a mobile specific stylesheet.
Progressive enhancement of functionality w/ js.
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53. The Future
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54. More devices.
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55. OMTP BONDI
Spec.
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56. W3C Device API Group
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57. Get involved.
• code: github.com
• docs: docs.phonegap.com / wiki.phonegap.com
• test: mobile-spec
• blog about it
• tweet about it!
• tell your mom about it (I already did)
• help on mailing list
57
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58. Now... go write some apps!*
http://phonegap.com
http://groups.google.com/group/phonegap
Brian LeRoux
brian@nitobi.com
http://twitter.com/brianleroux
* After beers. Ideally at least 12 hours after beers.
Monday, December 7, 2009