PhoneGap is an open source development tool for building fast, easy mobile apps with JavaScript.
If you’re a web developer who wants to build mobile applications in HTML and JavaScript while still taking advantage of the core features in the iPhone, Android, Palm, Symbian and Blackberry SDKs, PhoneGap is for you.
For a quick introduction to PhoneGap, watch this three-minute video:
March 11, 2010 Seattle PhoneGap Training
April 16, 2010 Washington, DC PhoneGap Training
| iPhone | Android | Blackberry | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geo Location | yes | yes | yes |
| Vibration | yes | yes | yes |
| Accelerometer | yes | yes | pending |
| Sound | yes | yes | yes |
| Contact Support | yes | pending | yes |
An express goal of the PhoneGap project is for the project to not exist. We believe in the web and devices should too. The web is moving off the desktop and into the pockets of people all over the world. Phones are the new window to the internet and, currently, they are second class. PhoneGap aims to move your device to a nice first class window. With a foot rest. Maybe a pillow.
As simple as HTML, CSS and JavaScript. Software development is hard work. Device integration should be simple so you can focus on the application you are building instead of authoring complex compatibility layers. PhoneGap aims to solve device integration by web enabling devices native functionality with open standards.
The Apple iPhone, Google Android and various Blackberry models boast large screens and powerful device capability. Web enabling these devices in a consistent platform saves the developer from having to implement logic in three different software development paradigms.
Hell Yeah! We're all about open web and open standards.
The PhoneGap community is growing at a rapid pace. Get on board!
"Ben and I have been promoting PhoneGap as a great solution for Web developers to create applications with the technology they know and love, without having to jump off of the cliff to other proprietary worlds. PhoneGap is still new, but gets more impressive every day."
"AIR for the iPhone" because this nice little hack, first created at an iPhone BarCamp, wraps the Web view with a container. This container gives the view access to APIs available on the device, that may not be available yet via WebKit alone."
"PhoneGap lets developers wrap web applications inside a native application using WebKit, making development easier for those who aren't familiar with Objective-C and Cocoa. In fact, the framework even includes a tool for easily doing this type of "native web app" packaging. And if a native web app wrapper sounds like it would be right up your alley, you can download PhoneGap for free and give it a whirl."
"In essence, Nitobi is building out a 'write once, run anywhere' platform for mobile application development, with the first three devices supported being the iPhone, Android and BlackBerry. Rob Ellis, one of the co-creators of PhoneGap said, 'The idea is you write one code base and it should work smoothly on all three devices.'"
"If I worked at RIM, I'd take a trip out to Vancouver to talk to the Nitobi dudes. This framework is exactly what RIM needs to counter the trend of developers targeting the iPhone/iPod as the premier environment for mobile device applications."
