Mobile App Creation (Where to start)

[vitinho444]

So i need to learn ASAP how to create a Mobile APP to a website, let's say a trading website. So the app needs to connect to the main website servers (mysql) and present a mobile version of the website (if it makes it easier im saying that the website is responsive).

I know Java, C++, C#, PHP, MySQL, HTML5, Javascript, if it needs coding I can handle, but i need a place to start.
Also, since I'm probably needing to make Android and iOS apps, do you know some tool/ide/engine (if there are app engines xD) that can export to the several mobile OS' with one code?

Thank you

[Script47]

I've tried PhoneGap, that's about it. But from what people have said PhoneGap is a bit slow when it comes to big games (or maybe just games). So use something like CocoonJS. For them you can use HTML5, CSS and JavaScript to make applications.

[Jackolantern]

PhoneGap will work fine for standard apps like trading sites. For games it is slow.

Aside from HTML5, the only other truly viable way to make apps is natively in Java.

As for mobile websites, many people use a combination of Bootstrap and jQuery Mobile. If you are wanting to build a Single Page App (SPA), AngularJS + Ionic is quite common.

[vitinho444]

Saw the intro on Phone Gap and seems just about right, from all the languages I know, HTML5/CSS and Javascript are definitely the ones i feel most comfortable with.

As for mobile websites, many people use a combination of Bootstrap and jQuery Mobile. If you are wanting to build a Single Page App (SPA), AngularJS + Ionic is quite common.

Yeah the main website will be created using bootstrap and jquery to be responsive enough to display it on every device. But with Phone Gap there's no problem creating a "new website" i guess.

One thing, Phone Gap is built using HTML5, CSS and Javascript, but can it run php? If so, that would be awesome because I would only need to create a new css for mobile devices and the php would be the same

[Xaos]

Hell if you are just doing that, make a mobile site and a "shortcut" app for the easy way out.

[vitinho444]

Hell if you are just doing that, make a mobile site and a "shortcut" app for the easy way out.

Yeah but the clients want a mobile APP, What I first though was, since the website is responsive, to make a APP that all it did was display the website responsively for that device. Like in VB.NET Windows Forms Applications, you can drag a WebBrowser Controll to your form and put there a website running, if that would be possible, it would be my first thought.

[Jackolantern]

One thing, Phone Gap is built using HTML5, CSS and Javascript, but can it run php? If so, that would be awesome because I would only need to create a new css for mobile devices and the php would be the same

No, PHP is not included with Phone Gap builds because PHP is server-side. The code never leaves your server. You can however connect to a RESTful web service built in PHP from your mobile app.

Hell if you are just doing that, make a mobile site and a "shortcut" app for the easy way out.

That really isn't a great strategy because you are hosed when you don't have a connection. The idea that they downloaded an "app" falls apart petty soon after.

[vitinho444]

Hell if you are just doing that, make a mobile site and a "shortcut" app for the easy way out.

That really isn't a great strategy because you are hosed when you don't have a connection. The idea that they downloaded an "app" falls apart petty soon after.[/quote]

Actually no Jacko, since the app is for a trading website, you actually need to be connected to view the products listed in the database, so the user needs a internet connection anyway!

One thing, Phone Gap is built using HTML5, CSS and Javascript, but can it run php? If so, that would be awesome because I would only need to create a new css for mobile devices and the php would be the same

No, PHP is not included with Phone Gap builds because PHP is server-side. The code never leaves your server. You can however connect to a RESTful web service built in PHP from your mobile app.

So Phone Gap allows me to make the app only to "showoff" (html5 and css), with little features (javascript)? Where are the main features of the site like login and stuff... i need php.

[Jackolantern]

The HTML5, CSS and Javascript are only for the client. The PHP back-end would actually authorize logins, supply the data to display, etc.

It isn't any different than the way you would build the app in native Java. The client would be Java, but all the same functionality would be on the client and all the same functionality would be on the server. No matter how much logic you put on the client, you still need a layer to send the data to the client, provided it is your server's data and not someone else's web service. If it is the latter, you could get away with not making any customer server-side component because someone else already made the server-side data access layer.

[Script47]

Thought about using JQuery mobile and SQLite?

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1921 ... ery-mobile