Web-based application frameworks include a set of tools which help in building native or native-like mobile apps. PhoneGap and Appcelerator Titanium are the most popular ones.

PhoneGap

PhoneGap was developed by Nitobi Software and it quickly became very popular because of its usefulness. It helps in building apps in HTML and JavaScript and makes the best use of iPhone/iPod touch features too along with features of many other mobile platforms including Android, Palm, Symbian and even the Blackberry OS. This is what a mobile developer would need to create apps easily, isn’t it?

PhoneGap projects require the installed SDKs for building the applications and the coding is done through Xcode. PhoneGap then renders files during the building process inside a native WebView Objective-C or Java. Access is provided to native features including the contacts list and the Accelerometer and even the camera functions and list notifications through its API.

The actual interface uses HTML and CSS which gives an altogether different look to the interface elements including buttons and the performance will differ from that of the native elements.

PhoneGap app is basically a web app which is encapsulated by WebView. It is rendered by HTML, CSS and JavaScript in mobiles and . It currently supports development for the iPhone, Google Android, Symbian OS, BlackBerry and Palm operating systems.

Appcelerator Titanium

Appcelerator Titanium is alike PhoneGap, to develop apps for the mobile operating systems with the help of HTML, CSS and JavaScript. It resembles J2ME Polish which is actually a library for Java Development for creating native UI elements. Titanium is good at providing a binding layer that maps JavaScript function calls to APIs which are available natively. Here are some of the main differences between Appcelerator Titanium and PhoneGap:

Compared to PhoneGap, Titanium can convert the code into native application code. The app code is being interpreted and written in JS. It runs during runtime through bridge layer too.

Titanium now supports only Javascript and no support has been extended to HTML and CSS. Titanium followed the strategy set by PhoneGap before version 1.0 and hence the app code consisted of the regular elements including HTML, CSS and JavaScript. But after version 1.5 and beyond, the native device services are now connected to a unique and specific JavaScript API. After version 1.0, one cannot find HTML and CSS in the codeset. The code is now purely in JavaScript which functions to run Titanium. It can even access the special platform features including the camera options but the developer is given the choice to render native UI elements like buttons and maps along with tables.

The native application has one primary advantage which is performance and efficiency. The UI is expected to do much better only if native OS elements are used compared to the performance delivered by the combined trinity of HTML, CSS and JavaScript in a browser instance. Additionally, the native look-and-feel can easily be maintained.

In Titanium, building and packaging does not happen within the IDE unlike PhoneGap but through Titanium Developer, the software. The tool can set up the new projects and even test them or package them. Any IDE of the developer’s choice can be used for writing the codes.

The leading Titanium Development company providing Appcelerator Development by certified and experienced Applicator Titanium Programmer who creates great apps at affordable rate.

PhoneGap mobile application development has picked up considerably due to the emergence of cross-platform mobile app development.

PhoneGap helps create native applications using different technologies including HTML, CSS and JavaScript. It first was created to hack into the iOS system. When iPhone was released in 2007, Apple exhorted developers to create web apps. PhoneGap gained traction in Nitobi and started out in 2008. In 2009, PhoneGap got rejected by Apple but people noticed the value behind it. PhoneGap added Android, Blackberry, Symbian and webOS support. Even Sony Ericsson had contributed to the PhoneGap project. All PhoneGap-developed apps were rejected since they were named “PhoneGap”. But it got great publicity and Apple took them in, shortly after.

IBM began tag-teaming with the PhoneGap founder and added 5 developers to the project. In 2011, RIM and Microsoft also became contributors to the project. Adobe took over the company and contributing to the growth presently.

The Vision

PhoneGap founders believe that the web is a first class platform so it is important to create web apps for the platform. They also believe that the idea should be picked up by all browsers to adopt the model for standard working patterns.

The founding company feels that the web has the ability to reach various devices of diverse capabilities and also feel that all technology deprecates. With these beliefs in mind, we believe that adhering to a single platform or technology could have disastrous consequences. Some technologies manage to stay out decades. But change is certain and hence relevant modifications to present technologies are required from time to time.

Advantages of using PhoneGap web apps

PhoneGap is not a compiler or even an IDE or predefined framework. It's a project which is Apache, MIT and BSD-licensed and absolutely free. It has been contributed to Apache Software Foundation. Many mobile app development projects are based on PhoneGap. Here are some of the best-known advantages and disadvantages of PhoneGap web apps and its development.

Here are some PhoneGap Advantages:

• One can easily code in standard web development technologies like HTML, CSS and JavaScript without having to use Objective-C or Java, thus ensuring quick app development.
• One can develop the app once and deploy it in multiple platforms thus saving time and money.
• It is easy to make use of many of the built-in features of a mobile device including location services, instant messaging and push notifications
• The apps have a branding advantage since their icons are well represented
• The interface of all PhoneGap apps is extremely clean. It does not need a browser frame too, around them.
• The apps can be distributed through app stores of multiple mobile platforms.

• PhoneGap offers support to seven different mobile platforms, including the most popular OS, iOS, and the followers: Android, BlackBerry, webOS, Symbian, Samsung Bada and Windows Phone.

• It’s open source and free hence there are constant enhancements and new modules being added continually.

PhoneGap web apps might not support all built-in phone features or might work uncertainly when new features are introduced. The apps might look the same in different phone environments and function more generically. But by using PhoneGap, one makes certain apps which have cross-platform run ability which actually manages to offer affordable mobile app development for multiple clients. It is important to keep experimenting and innovating since the future in store has much more things to offer.

Elan Emerging Technologies is the leading PhoneGap App Development company providing PhoneGap Web Apps by expert and experienced PhoneGap Developer who creates apps for open source mobile frameworks.

Appcelerator Titanium works well as a prominent development platform for the mobiles and recently has some favorable trends in the market compared to other platforms.

Appcelerator Titanium is a useful cross-platform mobile development platform which supports rapid app development for different smartphones including the iPhone, iPad, Android phones and tablets. The advantage of choosing Appcelerator Titanium is that one can get feature-rich apps which work on any mobile device, irrespective of the platform.

There are many Appcelerator Titanium app developers who have always created innovative apps as per the demands of the market and for varied purposes. The apps have been in different domains such as finance, healthcare, education, social networking and the like. There are various benefits associated with services provided by an adept Appcelerator Titanium Developer:

• Experienced Appcelerator Titanium app developers and engineers
• Third party API integration of different sites including Facebook, eBay and others
• Tested apps for error-free working
• Timely delivery with reasonable prices suited to one’s budget
• Constant and intermittent support even after project completion and delivery
• Source code security with integral security policies

Not many of the Appcelerator Titanium app developers and development companies are efficient enough and globally trusted partners. Some of the best developers and app designers will have the willingness to go the extra mile to deliver superior apps. Some of the general services provided by such Appcelerator Titanium app development companies include:

• Extra-ordinary UI implementation and development
• Custom Appcelerator Titanium applications tailored to needs
• Rich apps development and customization
• Advanced app testing services including black box testing
• Implementation and integration of enterprise apps

One of the recent Appcelerator/IDC reports revealed the mobile app development market today in statistical measures. The report revealed that HTML5 has been cited as important for mobile developers. iOS is doing well while Android has slipped a little in its efforts. As regards, Windows Phone 7, it is still interesting while BlackBerry has not managed to do something innovative and hence is down.

This report was extracted from the responses of a survey which included 2,173 mobile developers from more than 250,000 Appcelerator Titanium users.

Mobile app development is certainly on the rise and the demand is sky-high. More than half of the respondents of the survey revealed that they intend to accelerate their efforts in the mobile app development arena compared to 2010. Appcelerator users also thought that Apple's operating system takes the spotlight since more than 89% of the developers present showed their interest in creating apps for Apple’s iPhone and the iPad. Appcelerator Titanum developers also expressed interest for developing Android apps but the percentage was a drop of 4.7% from a quarter back at 78.6%.

Modest sales of Windows Phone 7 revealed that there was interest being generated on a moderate scale while Black Berry was not the preferred OS wherein apps were to be built since interest dipped to 15.5% from 20% in the last quarter. The developers also expressed interest in integrating cloud services for mobile apps based on location, notifications, ratings and reviews, photos and different places.

Titanium currently sits 4th on the list of tools that most developers prefer and are using it according to Vision Mobile reports.

Elan Emerging Technologies is a Titanium Mobile Development company offers affordable Cross Platform Native Apps. Our dedicated and experienced Appcelerator Application Developer creates apps for open source mobile frameworks such as Android, iPhone and iPad.