HTML5 developer appMobi has this week announced version 1.0 of its jqMobi open source HTML5 mobile app framework. Originally conceived as a means of addressing what appMobi calls the "poor cross-platform performance" of JavaScript frameworks on iOS and Android, jqMobi now aims to speed the development of HTML5-based mobile apps that are deployed as web apps or as hybrid iOS and Android apps created using appMobi or PhoneGap/Cordova.
Note: PhoneGap (also known as Apache Cordova) is an HTML5 app platform that allows developers to author native applications with web technologies and get access to APIs and app stores. Originated (via an acquisition) by Adobe, PhoneGap exists for mobile application development using JavaScript, HTML5, and CSS3.
The jqMobi HTML5 mobile framework includes three functional libraries:
- jqMobi — a query selector library with jQuery-compatible syntax
- jqUI — a touch-based user interface library for WebKit browsers that handles headers, footers, transitions, scrolling lists, transitions, forms, carousels, and Android bug fixes
- jqPlugins — a jQuery-compatible plugin manager for WebKit browsers
With bug fixes and tablet enhancements that have been contributed by the open source community, jqMobi has progressed from having only 30 API functions and basic event support at the time of launch, to now sporting over 60 API calls. There is also now expanded event support and query selector compatibility, along with six color themes to choose from and vector-based iconography.
"Today jqMobi has been rapidly embraced by the mobile HTML5 development community, with over 10,000 downloads, 80 'forks', and over 500 watchers on its GitHub repository. While most JavaScript app frameworks deliver a good user experience on iOS devices, many have difficulties with the highly fragmented Android platform. jqMobi offers developers a solid framework that delivers equivalent user experiences on iOS and Android platforms," said the company.
In terms of numbers, the Android platform dominates the mobile industry, with an estimated 850,000 new devices being authorized per day.
