CODEWITHSUNDEEP
jqueryandroidcordovajqtouchsencha-touch
Volomike
Volomike

Reputation: 24886

Which Javascript Library To Use?

I am new to Android development with Phonegap and just got through these two tutorials:

http://news.softpedia.com/news/How-to-Run-Android-Applications-on-Ubuntu-115152.shtml

http://wiki.phonegap.com/w/page/30862722/phonegap-android-eclipse-quickstart

Now I want to make the index.html do more spectacular things. Do you recommend I use jQuery, Zepto.js, Sencha Touch, jQTouch, or a mix of these, to do what I want? I'm confused. I know jQuery very well, but if it's bloated compared to Zepto.js (which I have only read about), then perhaps I need Zepto.js if it's not too limiting? And then there's Sencha Touch and jQTouch, and I see these provide a framework for controls, but I don't know if they also provide their own Javascript API, or require jQuery, or whatever. I just want to set up the best environment for doing general purpose apps.

My app needs so far are fairly simple and are only two kinds:

  1. Loads a single page and then loads a Flash SWF component. This component may or may not interact over AJAX with a backend web server. (I'm not a fan of Flash, but my client requests it. She runs a lot of games for her business.)

  2. A tabbed interface with 4 static pages and images, but then on the 5th tab, it connects to a website in an IFRAME (or perhaps uses AJAX)

Upvotes: 0

Views: 1031

Answers (6)

James Pearce
James Pearce

Reputation: 2332

For a very simple 'site-like' project, there's not much in it, and it will come down to your choice of declarative development (jQuery) or programmatic (Sencha Touch, my company). The latter is a little more mature.

If you're looking to build a richer, self-contained app (say, with MVC, off-line storage etc), then Sencha Touch would be your only real single choice between the two.

NB Sencha Touch comes with two licences (GPL & commercial) and both are free-of-charge.

Interested to see that you are using a web app approach when your only target is a single platform (Android, because of the Flash dependency)... you might be interested to see what's possible with CSS3 these days and therefore what you could then use more happily across mobile OS platforms: http://dev.sencha.com/animator/demos/

Upvotes: 0

Kandarp Baghar
Kandarp Baghar

Reputation: 1

You can also look at using GWT for writing the application in java and deploy using phonegap. (Only if you like to code in java and not javascript)

Upvotes: 0

Erik
Erik

Reputation: 630

I vote none.
I would recommend keeping the application as small as possible.

If you want a framework, then i would prefer sencha above jQTouch. It is more mature as we speak (don't know for sure as i personally do not use a framework).
But if you go commercial, then watch out for the licence.

Upvotes: 0

Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg

Reputation:

in last days i hear from john about their jQuery mobile who still in alpha but i believe they release them as soon as possible.

you can try them but their is no option to use them because it is not stable. so mainly you can try some other library

or you can just try jQuery mobile but can't be use.

Upvotes: 1

Daveo
Daveo

Reputation: 19872

I have only done some basic pages in jQuery mobile and jqTouch. jqTouch seems to be a little more polished at the moment as JQuery mobile is still alpha. They both rely on jQuery so their performance should be the same and if you are already familiar with jQuery then I would definatly choose one of these 2.

From my test at looking at pages on Andrioid and iPhone they are preety similar. I think as of today jQTouch is better shows the URL bar less, less bugy, but like Jason said once I think jQuery mobile Version 1 is relased I think it will be the better product. All depends if you can wait for it to be finished in time.

Upvotes: 1

Jason L.
Jason L.

Reputation: 2484

I'm currently using PhoneGap to create a cross platform game. I use JQuery and JQuery Mobile. I have not seen many sizing/performance issues with JQuery. As for JQuery Mobile - it is currently in Alpha release stage and does have some issues. This is fine for me as I anticipate a final version of JQuery Mobile being available by time my game is complete but it may not be fine for you and your project. You always have the option of going with JQuery + JQuery Mobile and trimming out what you don't need.

The other libraries I cannot speak too. I would like to note, however, that Sencha Touch requires a commercial license if you'll be using it in a closed source application.

http://jquerymobile.com/

http://www.sencha.com/products/touch/license.php

Upvotes: 4

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