Apache Cordova 3 Programming

Using Apache Cordova 4, you can leverage native technologies and web standards to quickly build cross-platform apps for most mobile devices. You can deliver a high-end user experience where it matters, while radically simplifying code maintenance and reuse. Apache Cordova 4 Programming is the most concise, accessible introduction to this remarkable technology. In this essential guide, expert mobile developer John Wargo quickly gets you up to speed with all the essentials, from installation, configuration, and tools, to building plugins and using Cordova’s powerful APIs. Wargo helps you make the most of Cordova 4’s major enhancements, while offering practical guidance for all versions, including Adobe PhoneGap. Full chapters are dedicated to five major mobile platforms: Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Firefox OS, and Ubuntu. Using rich, relevant examples, Wargo guides you through both the anatomy of a Cordova app and its entire lifecycle, including cross-platform testing and debugging. Throughout, he illuminates Cordova development best practices, streamlining your development process and helping you write high-quality apps right from the start. Topics include Installing and configuring Cordova’s development environment Working with the Cordova command line interfaces Creating Cordova plugins, using Plugman and the PhoneGap CLI Cordova’s support for Firefox OS and Ubuntu devices Automation (Grunt and Gulp) and Cordova CLI hooks Microsoft’s hybrid toolkit for Visual Studio Third-party tools, such as AppGyver, GapDebug, THyM, and more Beautifying Cordova apps with third-party HTML frameworks, such as Bootstrap, OpenUI5, Ionic, and Onsen UI Running, testing, and debugging Cordova apps on each major mobile platform Access the full code examples at cordova4programming.com, where you’ll also find updates reflecting Cordova’s continuing evolution. This book is an ideal companion to Wargo’s authoritative collection of Apache Cordova code recipes for each Cordova API, Apache Cordova API Cookbook (Addison-Wesley, 2015).

Covers PhoneGap 3.X Written for experienced mobile developers, Apache Cordova 3 Programming is a complete introduction to Apache Cordova 3 and Adobe PhoneGap 3. It describes what makes Cordova important and shows how to install and use the tools, the new Cordova CLI, the native SDKs, and more. If you’re brand new to Cordova, this book will be just what you need to get started. If you’re familiar with an older version of Cordova, this book will show you in detail how to use all of the new stuff that’s in Cordova 3 plus stuff that has been around for a while (like the Cordova core APIs). After walking you through the process of downloading and setting up the framework, mobile expert John M. Wargo shows you how to install and use the command line tools to manage the Cordova application lifecycle and how to set up and use development environments for several of the more popular Cordova supported mobile device platforms. Of special interest to new developers are the chapters on the anatomy of a Cordova application, as well as the mechanics of Cordova development. Wargo also covers the development process and the tools you can use to test and debug your Cordova applications, and provides a complete chapter that introduces the Cordova APIs, in addition to a chapter that shows you how to create your own plugins. Filled with lots of examples and code, the book includes includes complete coverage of Android, iOS, BlackBerry 1,0 and Windows Phone development for Cordova. Topics covered include How to install and use the Cordova CLI and associated tools How to configure the Android developer tools (ADT) to run, test, and debug your Cordova applications for Android How to use Xcode—Apple’s development tool for iOS development—to run, test, and debug Cordova applications for iOS devices How to use the Safari browser to debug Cordova applications on iOS devices How to use the Microsoft development tools to run, test, and debug Cordova applications for Windows Phone 8 How to set up and use the PhoneGap Build service to package Cordova applications and share those applications with others How to create Cordova plugins for both Android and iOS The author maintains a web site for the book at cordovaprogramming.com where updates, errata, and the source code for the book are available.

Using Apache Cordova, mobile developers can write cross-platform mobile apps using standard HTML5, JavaScript, and CSS, and then deploy those apps to every leading mobile platform with little or no re-coding. Apache Cordova API Cookbook provides experienced mobile developers with details about how each Cordova API works and how to use the APIs in their own applications. Coverage is included for all Cordova/PhoneGap 3 APIs. Instead of just showing short snippets of code to explain a particular API, this guide is chock full of complete examples. You’ll find more than thirty complete Cordova applications that work on Android, iOS, Windows, and more. The sample applications demonstrate exactly what each API does and how it works, while the chapter content describes the limitations on the leading target platforms (and even offers possible workarounds). Through realistic “cookbook” example code, mobile developer John Wargo helps you master the Cordova APIs and understand how to use them in your Cordova applications. Topics include Accelerometers, compass, and geolocation Image, video, and audio–capture, playback, and management Determining connection and device information Interacting with the Contacts application Responding to application events Accessing the device file system Globalizing apps Using the InAppBrowser Notifications Custom splash screens Special care has been taken to make the code easily readable and digestible by the reader. This guide provides the most accessible coverage, anywhere, of Apache Cordova APIs.

Summary Apache Cordova in Action teaches you to create and launch hybrid mobile apps using Cordova or Phonegap. By following carefully selected examples, step-by-step tutorials, and crystal-clear explanations, you'll learn to build apps from the Cordova CLI, how to make use of device features like the camera and accelerometer, how to submit your apps to Google Play and the Apple App Store, and more. Purchase of the print book includes a free eBook in PDF, Kindle, and ePub formats from Manning Publications. About the Book Developing a mobile app requires extensive knowledge of native programming techniques for multiple platforms. Apache Cordova lets you use your existing skills in web development (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript) to build powerful mobile apps. Your apps also get the power of integration with native device features like the camera and file system. Apache Cordova in Action teaches you how to design, create, and launch hybrid mobile apps people will want to use. With the help of straightforward, real-world examples, you'll learn to build apps from the Cordova CLI and to make use of native device features like the camera and accelerometer. You'll learn testing techniques and discover the PhoneGap Build service and how to submit your apps to Google Play and the Apple App Store. Along the way, this helpful guide discusses mobile app design and shows you how to create effective, professional-quality UI and UX. What's Inside Build mobile apps UI, UX, and testing techniques Deploy to Google Play and the Apple App Store Employ libraries like Bootstrap, jQuery Mobile, and Ionic About the Reader Readers should be familiar with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. No experience with mobile app development needed. About the Author Raymond Camden is a developer advocate for IBM. He is passionate about mobile development and has spoken at conferences worldwide. The Table of Contents PART 1 GETTING STARTED WITH APACHE CORDOVA What is Cordova? Installing Cordova and the Android SDK PART 2 CORE CONCEPTS Creating Cordova projects Using plugins to access device features Mobile design and user experience Considerations when building mobile apps Tools for debugging Cordova and other hybrid apps Creating custom plugins Packing options for Cordova projects Using PhoneGap tools PART 3 APPLICATION RELEASE Submitting your app Building an RSS reader app with Ionic

This book is intended for developers who wish to use PhoneGap to develop useful, rich, secure mobile applications for their enterprise environment. The book assumes you have working knowledge of PhoneGap, HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript, and a reasonable understanding of networking and n-tier architectures.

If you are a native mobile developer, with some familiarity with the common web technologies of JavaScript, CSS, and HTML, or if you are a web developer, then this learning guide will add great value and impact to your work. Learning how to develop mobile applications using Apache Cordova is of particular importance if you are looking to develop applications on a variety of different platforms efficiently.

Use Service Workers to Turbocharge Your Web Apps “You have made an excellent decision in picking up this book. If I was just starting on my learning path to mastery of Progressive Web Apps, there are not many folks I would trust more to get me there than John.” —Simon MacDonald, Developer Advocate, Adobe Software developers have two options for the apps they build: native apps targeting a specific device or web apps that run on any device. Building native apps is challenging, especially when your app targets multiple system types—i.e., desktop computers, smartphones, televisions—because user experience varies dramatically across devices. Service Workers—a relatively new technology—make it easier for web apps to bridge the gap between native and web capabilities. In Learning Progressive Web Apps, author John M. Wargo demonstrates how to use Service Workers to enhance the capabilities of a web app to create Progressive Web Apps (PWA). He focuses on the technologies that enable PWAs and how to use those technologies to enhance your web apps to deliver a more native-like experience. Build web apps a user can easily install on their local system and that work offline or on low-quality networks Utilize caching strategies that give you control over which app resources are cached and when Deliver background processing in a web application Implement push notifications that enable an app to easily engage with users or trigger action from a remote server Throughout the book, Wargo introduces each core concept and illustrates the implementation of each capability through several complete, operational examples. You’ll start with simple web apps, then incrementally expand and extend them with state-of-the-art features. All example source code is available on GitHub, and additional resources are available on the author’s companion site, learningpwa.com. Register your book for convenient access to downloads, updates, and/or corrections as they become available. See inside book for details.