The document discusses options for building mobile apps with JavaScript and PHP. It outlines that JavaScript offers the best option for cross-platform development and notes frameworks like PhoneGap and Titanium that allow deploying JavaScript apps to mobile devices. It provides details on these frameworks, their capabilities, and supported platforms. It also discusses building RESTful APIs with PHP and frameworks like FRAPI.

1. Mobile apps with JavaScript and PHP
Ed Finkler
Fictive Kin
@funkatron
http://funkatron.com
http://joind.in/3389
Thursday, May 26, 2011

2. Me
• I work on Gimme Bar (http://gimmebar.com)
• I work on Spaz (http://getspaz.com)
• Sometimes I write PHP, sometimes I write JavaScript
Thursday, May 26, 2011

3. Why JavaScript?
• Offers the best option for cross-platform mobile dev
• strong, diverse community, good tools
• deployable from server or locally-installed
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4. Most options are JavaScript + HTML + CSS
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5. Strong webkit implementations on most platforms
• iOS
• Android
• webOS
• BlackBerry
• Symbian
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6. Deploy on server:
• limits your access to device functionality
• far easier to update
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7. Deploy on device
• access more platform-specific functionality
• updating can be a pain
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8. Shim libraries bridge JS and device functionality
• HP Palm webOS special case – all apps build on JS/HTML/CSS
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9. Options for device deployment
• PhoneGap
• Titanium Mobile
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10. PhoneGap
• Wrapper + shim layer – very basic, works on several platforms
• Much more flexible; lets you pick any approach for building the app
• Potentially slower; less access to platform-specific APIs
• http://www.phonegap.com/
Thursday, May 26, 2011

11. PhoneGap device API support (varies by device)
• Accelerometer • Geoloc
• Camera • Media
• Compass • Network connectivity
• Contacts • Notications
• Device Info • Storage
• Native Events • Plugins can add additional
https://github.com/purplecabbage/
• File phonegap-plugins
Thursday, May 26, 2011

12. PhoneGap + Your preferred approach
• Lots of JS DOM frameworks work well in PhoneGap
• jo (http://joapp.com)
• jQuery Mobile (http://jquerymobile.com)
• Enyo (http://developer.palm.com/)
• Sencha Touch (http://www.sencha.com/products/touch/)
• Many more!
Thursday, May 26, 2011

13. Titanium Mobile
• Full-stack, access to native UI components via JavaScript. Works on Android
and iOS.
• Potentially faster
• Anecdotally, can be kinda buggy
• http://www.appcelerator.com/
Thursday, May 26, 2011

14. Titanium Mobile device API support
• Similar base support to PhoneGap, plus
• Android Calendar
• Facebook APIs
• Map
• XML
• Yahoo APIs
• Plugins can add additional functionality; can be written in native code
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15. Spaz in Enyo
• Dev in Chrome
• Test with emulator VM
• We can build really fast with this
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16. Server Side: PHP
• You can build your server side stuff lots of ways
• Pick what works for you and STFU
• Some simple FWs
• koi
• slim
• breeze
• limonade
• glue
• flight
Thursday, May 26, 2011

17. RESTful implementations with JSON responses
work best
• Make a simple HTTP call w/ basic query data
• respond with JSON structure
• https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/webservices/library/ws-restful/
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18. FRAPI
• A great framework for rapidly building RESTful APIs
• Using it at Gimme Bar
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19. Examples!
• WildGarlic
• in Jo
• in jQueryMobile + Backbone.js
• in Enyo
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20. Examples!
• FRAPI
• api.getspaz.com
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21. Code from examples
• http://getfrapi.com
• https://github.com/funkatron/wildgarlic
• https://github.com/funkatron/WildGarlic-jqmobile
• https://github.com/funkatron/Spaz-Web-APIs
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22. Q&A
• Axe me
• http://joind.in/3389
Thursday, May 26, 2011