Intel Announces HTML5 Development Environment

Intel has used the Chinese leg of its IDF (Intel Developer Forum) event to lift the wraps on its new HTML5 Development Environment. The environment is available free of licensing fees and other costs.

This is an integrated software application development system to develop, test, debug, and deploy applications across multiple operating systems — there is compatibility with Apple iOS, Android, Windows 8, and Windows Phone 8.

Intel insists that it "cares" about HTML5 because it believes it is important to help experienced and new developers transition to the cross-platform HTML5 approach so that they can deploy their apps and games on nearly all modern computing platforms.

The firm says that its reasons for HTML5 focus include the motivation to provide HTML5 developers with the opportunity scale their apps to reach more users faster. "Essentially, by leveraging the Intel HTML5 Development Environment, app-builders can develop once and potentially reach billions of devices and consumers," says the firm.

The Intel HTML5 Development Environment includes the "App Dev Center". This includes a free packaging service that lets developers build HTML5 and PhoneGap apps for iOS, Android, Amazon, Nook, Facebook, and other app stores.

Also here is the Intel XDK cross platform development kit. "With the Intel XDK, developers really can "write it once, deploy to many". Build for iOS Tablets, iOS smartphones, Android tablets, Android smartphones, Google Play Store, Amazon App Store, Mozilla App Store, Facebook App Center, and the Google Chrome store," says the firm.

Features also encompass the Intel App Framework (formerly jqMobi). The firm describes this as the definitive JS Library for HTML5 application development. Programmers will be able to use the App Framework and App UI Library as a jQuery-compatible framework for UX (user experience) needs.

The App Game Interfaces in the new software environment are designed to augment the canvas object with multi-channel sound, accelerated physics, and accelerated canvas to provide more realistic modeling and smoother gameplay; i.e., more like native capabilities and performance with HTML5.

NOTE: Mozilla describes <canvas> as an HTML element that can be used to draw graphics using scripting (usually JavaScript). It can, for instance, be used to draw graphs, make photo compositions, or do simple (and not so simple) animations.

There is also App Starter, a quick-start wizard to create an application template, specify screen layouts, customer headers and footers, and navigation.