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Process Platform HTML5 SDK enables easy development of hybrid and Web apps over Process Platform for the mobile and tablet devices. The apps built using this SDK will work as Web apps when launched directly from the browser. They will behave as hybrid apps with access to the native features when launched using the Process Platform App, the native container from Process Platform.
Process Platform HTML5 SDK consists of a set of plug-ins that are useful for building the mobile (Hybrid or Web Apps) or Web applications. These plug-ins are used for the following purposes:
- To interact with various Process Platform artifacts such as Web services, Business Processes, Workflows, and Cases
- To access the mobile device capabilities
It uses various familiar open source technologies, such as the following:
- jQuery and jQuery Mobile: Optimized for browser independence
- KnockoutJS: Cross-browser JavaScript library designed to simplify dynamic JavaScript UIs
The following three different approaches are available for developing the mobile apps:
- Native apps are developed using a specific programming language supported by the device. These apps run on the device and can access the native features of the mobile. These are fast, reliable, and have a look and feel closest to the ones available on the device. The disadvantage is that the development is complex and cumbersome as these require different skill sets and code-bases to support different mobile devices.
- Web apps are developed using Web technologies (HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript) and they run on a browser in the mobile. These apps cannot access the native features of the mobile, are slower, and not as reliable as a Native App. The advantage is that you can run the same code as all the devices support the Web technologies used. One skill-set and one code base only is required.
- Hybrid apps are similar to Native apps and run on the device, but they are developed using Web technologies (HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript). These apps run inside a native container. They leverage the browser engine of the device, not the browser, to render the HTML and process the JavaScript locally. They are capable of accessing the native features of the mobile.
For more information on the different approaches to develop the Mobile Apps, refer to Native, HTML5, or Hybrid: Understanding Your Mobile Application Development Options.
Hybrid Apps have an advantage over the Native Apps and the Web Apps. Process Platform has used the hybrid approach to develop Mobile Apps. Process Platform provides a Process Platform HTML5 SDK to enable easy development of Hybrid Apps and Web Apps on Process Platform for the mobile and tablet devices. The Process Platform App is built using Apache Cordova or Phone Gap and the open source technologies, such as jQuery, jQuery Mobile, and KnockoutJS. For more information on the layers used for the mobile development, refer to Framework.
The mobile development framework helps the user access the native features of a mobile phone such as Camera, File, and Notification. This allows developers to utilize existing skills such as JavaScript, HTML5, and CSS3, rather than starting form scratch with a device-specific compiled language such as Objective-C (iPhone).