Jump to content

HTML/CSS/JavaScript or Objective-C/Cocoa for iPhone app development?

bjepson's Photo Asked by bjepson O'Reilly Editor Answers Early Bird Foo Peacock
Posted Nov 10 2009 08:02 AM
18869 Views
While I was editing Jonathan Stark's Building iPhone Apps with HTML, CSS, and Javascript (check out an early access version here), I learned a lot more about the capabilities of HTML5, including the offline application cache and SQL database API, both of which open up opportunities for creating useful and interesting apps. Coupled with PhoneGap, it's pretty easy to build apps for the iPhone using standard web technologies.

If you were building an app today, and its specs were such that you could go either way (HTML/CSS/Javascript or Cocoa/Objective-C), which would you choose?

Building iPhone Apps with HTML, CSS, and Javascript

Learn more about this topic from Building iPhone Apps with HTML, CSS, and Javascript.

It's a fact: if you know HTML, CSS, and Javascript, you already have what you need to develop your own iPhone apps. With Building iPhone Apps w/ HTML, CSS, and Javascript, you'll learn how to use these open source web technologies to design and build apps for both the iPhone and iPod Touch, on the platform of your choice. Device-agnostic apps are the wave of the future, especially for mobile devices, and this book shows you how to create, test, and convert one product that can be used on several platforms.

 See what you'll learn

Tags:
5 Subscribe


5 Replies

0
  mikebaas's Photo Answered by mikebaas Answers Early Bird
Posted Nov 10 2009 08:35 AM
Cocoa/Objective-C, since the HTML/CSS/Javascript/PhoneGap method precludes your app from being able to be sold on the iTunes Store, correct?
Comment by bjepson O'Reilly Editor Answers Early Bird Foo Peacock  : Nov 10 2009 10:22 AM
@mikebaas, thanks. Apple recently blessed PhoneGap 0.8.0, which means you can go either way for the app store. Check it out: PhoneGap 0.8.0 is Apple Approved.
Comment by Scott Radcliff Answers Early Bird  : Nov 12 2009 10:33 AM
I think it's relative to what you are building. If it is a fairly simple web app that is similar to a mobile web page, I would use PhoneGap. If it is resource intensive like a game might be, I would go with Objective-C. I hear the native language is considerably faster.

Worth noting I have not developed any iPhone apps yet, just researched the process.
+ 2
  bmclaugh's Photo Answered by bmclaugh O'Reilly Editor Answers Early Bird Conference Speaker Foo O'Reilly Author Peacock
Posted Nov 16 2009 05:50 PM
At this early stage of PhoneGap and the like, I think it depends on how serious you are. If you're looking to become a high-end app-store-selling, hardcore iPhone developer, you've got to suck it up and learn Objective-C. There's just no getting around it; no matter how much we'd like to say otherwise, PhoneGap is still the ugly stepchild in Apple's eyes.

But if you're looking to get your feet wet, or want to play without a huge investment of time, then I think the HTML/CSS/Javascript solution is an excellent one. Besides, with a free early-access look at Jonathan's book and upcoming video (see this post), you can get cranking fast, and see your app in all its glory before you commit hours of learning and cursing at Objective C.

My $0.02.

-Brett
---
Brett McLaughlin
O'Reilly Media, Inc.
"I teach"

email: [email protected]
phone: 214.771.8758
twitter: @oreillybrett
Comment by adfm Answers Early Bird Bee Foo Peacock  : Mar 19 2010 03:51 PM
Does PhoneGap offer cross-platform access to the camera?

 
Sign up today to receive special discounts,
product alerts, and news from O'Reilly.
Privacy Policy >
View Sample Newsletter >