Suppose you are a beginner and need to develop an app that works on any type of mobile device. But before you can get started, you’re overwhelmed by seeing all the different programming languages used for each device separately. So you do further research and you come across Html5 which works for all devices. But how to develop an Html5 mobile application? We will address that very question below. So read on!
Key Benefits of Choosing HTML 5 to Develop a Mobile App
There are many aspects of Html that changed in the Html5 version. Some of the major differences include: support for video and audio without Flash Player, use of SQL database instead of queries, allow JavaScript to run in the background, more responsiveness, etc.
That being said, let’s look at some of the key benefits that come with building mobile web apps with html5 —
● Cheaper to build
Using Html5 means you can create a single piece of code and it can be used anywhere. This means that if you continue to develop a mobile app with Html5, your app will be responsive. So you won’t have to pay extra to provide access to your site across multiple devices.
● Easier to learn
Html5 is a relatively easier language to learn in comparison with other coding languages. . Tags are much simpler and easier to remember in case of Html5 compared to Html. So even beginners can learn the language and develop a mobile app using Html5.
● One code for every device
We already mentioned before that developing an Html5 app for smartphones means So, we can conclude that Html5 based mobile apps are much more mobile friendly than HTML apps, so you can use the app you develop on any type of mobile device, tablet or iOS.
● Supported offline browsing
Html5 uses local storage for databases and content when you use it to develop a mobile application. So if you want to develop an application that supports both online and offline usage, Html5 is very beneficial. This is even more useful if you want to develop a reading application.
● Supports cross-platform and remote updates
Two very important benefits of using Html5 for mobile apps are that it supports cross-platform and remote updates. Having a cross-platform app means that your app will easily run on any operating system or iOS device. Remote updates mean no need to manually upload apps!
Strategy for developing Html5 mobile app
Since we now know the benefits of using Html5 for mobile app development , let us see what strategy you can follow.
● Generate an app idea
Generate an idea is the first step you should take in developing an app. You cannot start your journey in something without knowing the destination you want to reach. So first of all you should think and decide what kind of app you want to develop and then move on to other things.
● Do your research
Once you have generated an app idea, you should research how to develop a mobile application using Html5 and also about the type of application you want to create. It would help if you also test apps like the one you want to build to find out what features you like or don’t like.
In addition, researching native, hybrid, and html5 mobile web app development can help you better decide the nature of the app you want to build.
● Plan a rough design
You can do it yourself, or you can discuss it with a web designer and use Html5 mobile developers to plan a rough app design for you. You can then get a rough perspective of your mobile app in its head and weed out features that may not look aesthetically pleasing or work well with your primary target user base.
● Pin a Budget
Once you’ve done your research, generated an app idea, and planned out a rough app design, your next task is to come up with a rough budget that you’re willing to spend on your app. This can vary depending on the type of application you want and whether or not you are hiring a web designer. The average cost to build html5 mobile apps can range from $124 to $50,000.
● Prototyping
Prototyping means developing a sample mobile web app using html5 that is not accessible by the general public and is mainly used to test how users might react to the app and how the app might perform in the market.Prototypes can be said to be drafts of the actual application, and you can decide what modifications you want by using an application prototype.
● Start the development and design process.
Once you have completed all the steps mentioned above, you can proceed with designing and developing your actual application. Using platforms like Cordova or capacitor can be useful if you want a hybrid app.
However, for native and web apps, you can use Android Studio, Swift, Visual Studio, Xcode for iOS, or the markup languages themselves. If you are designing your own application, you can use Html5 UI Kits to do so.
● Test the application and publish it if it is stable
Once you have completed developing your application, mobile app, it’s time to test your app. This is to find and fix any flaws in the development of the app. If you find your app stable, you can release it on general app stores or just give access to a fixed audience you may have in mind. Even after launch, it is imperative to constantly test and update the app to provide a smooth user experience.
2 Effective Methods to Develop Mobile App Using Html5
Now that we are done with the strategy, let’s see how to create a mobile application using Html5 in 2 highly effective methods. We will list and discuss the methods below.
- Using the Framework Toolkit to Create an Html5 Application
- How to Develop a Mobile Application Using Html5 in jQuery mobile
1. Using the Framework Toolkit to Create an Html5 Mobile App
The App Framework Toolkit is a JavaScript library that allows a user to create an Html5 application. It uses jQuery for inspiration and can enable you to easily build mobile-friendly and responsive apps. The steps to do so are:
Step 1: Create a proxy.
To start developing an Html5 mobile app using a framework toolkit, you need to make an ajax request. The framework toolkits we are talking about cannot request their own, you need an APACHE and PHP server to do so, and therefore you need to create a proxy via PHP to make and fulfill these cross-domain requests like first step.
Step 2: Create a page and set up your framework
Creating a page will act as the skeleton that holds the body of your application together. To do this, you need to start with the Html doctype as the root of your index.html file, although the doctype header is of almost negligible importance in Html5 compared to Html.
But remember that omitting it can hinder other functionality of your application. Once you’ve created a page, you need to set up your framework toolset on the page.
Step 3: Develop a menu.
Your next step is to develop your page’s menu. mobile device request. The framework toolkit can easily create two varieties of menus. The first is a navigation panel; the other is the left screen panel for mobile apps.
Since we are focusing on the mobile use of the application, we have to develop the second type of menu. Doing so will help users get a better user experience and give the app a better perspective as the menu won’t take up much space on the screen.
Step 4: Build your selectors.
Creating a proxy, page, and menu were just setting up the building blocks of your mobile app. But the following three steps will help make your application dynamic and complete. So building your selectors is the next step. Such selectors may include login, register, submit, show password buttons, etc. They help the user to perform basic functionalities with just a touch of their fingers.
Step 4: Make the ajax request.
Once you have done the above steps, the Ajax request, the one we talked about at the beginning, is the next in line. The role of the proxy that we created first comes into play here since, without the proxy, you cannot make a cross-domain Ajax request.
We start with the RSSParse() function command and specify the true URL in our proxy, making the Ajax request itself to the PHP server.
Step 5: XML parser and DOM Modification
Finally, collect XML data and use the XML parser provided in the application framework to modify the DOM. Once you’ve done that, you can add your app’s files to the page, and the parser will parse all the data, and your app is ready to be tested in a browser that’s compatible with the app framework you’re using.
Read More: How to Convert Sketch to HTML
2. How to Develop a Mobile App Using Html5 in jQuery mobile
The first method we discussed is more like a fusion of using Html5 and JavaScript to create a mobile application.However, the method we’ll be discussing now focuses solely on Html5 and uses an Html5 UI system called jQuery mobile to do it. So let’s see what steps there are to building one.
Step 1: Establish the basic structure for the application.
Without a basic structure, you can’t start building your application. Developing the skeleton involves creating an index.html, CSS, JavaScript, and an images folder. Then you need to code the basic Html5 format in the index.html file.
Once you’re done, link the style sheets in JavaScript, add the CSS and js files, and include regular jQuery, jQuery mobile, and JavaScript. Lastly, check if the Ajax loader works. If everything is in order, you now have the base of your application.
Step 2: Create different pages inside the index page with the div tag and link them
An application is created of many pages linked together, just like websites. But unlike websites, they use local storage instead of cookies. So the next step after setting up the base is to create different pages within the index.html file. You can do it using the div element. But you need to link them so that a user can be redirected from one page to another when necessary.
Step 3: Set up the headers and menu and add content.
If you have created your pages, the header is important so that both the user and the server know that you are coding in Html5 and what each page will contain. Next, you need to create a menu that users can navigate through your app from your landing page. You then need to add content to your app, both image and written.
Step 4: Add buttons, forms, icons, functionality, and design the app and test it
Once You’re done with all of that, add all the necessary buttons, forms, icons, and functionality to each page, and style the app using the CSS and js stylesheets we initially created. The jQuery mobile framework has a built-in tester where you can test your app as you build it.
Therefore, you don’t necessarily need to launch or prototype beforehand to see how your app performs. So if you follow all the instructions we provided correctly, you now have an app.
Final Note
To conclude, you need to learn or you already have some knowledge coding before creating a mobile app using Html5. You can’t blindly start building an app by simply watching tutorials and expect it to work well or maintain consistent app performance. I hope you found our informative article.
Good luck developing your Html5 mobile app!
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