Intel XDK - Crossplatform HTML5 App Development

[carnageX]

So this looks pretty sweet:
https://software.intel.com/en-us/html5/tools

Cross platform development for all OS's and mobile platforms by building an HTML5 app and then compiling on Intel's cloud compiler. Can hook into the specific OS's device functions (like Android camera/geolocation/etc.) through a JavaScript Bridge library. Has templates and stuff that also have drag'n'drop designer.

Already downloaded/installed the XDK Studio and am going to play with some demos they have there. Looked at the source code side and yeah...it's all HTML5/CSS/JS (jQuery). Pretty sweet IMO.

 

[office politics]

I might give it a whirl. I've been thinking I wanna try to make a podcast app with the features I want. this may make it easier. I woulda never thought to build it in html5 though. I've had some issues getting html 5 video players to work right across browsers. So I'm skeptical about this being cross platform. Also, what would happen if you wanted to run the app on amd. I'd imagine there's a few gotchas there too.

 

[carnageX]

I might give it a whirl. I've been thinking I wanna try to make a podcast app with the features I want. this may make it easier. I woulda never thought to build it in html5 though. I've had some issues getting html 5 video players to work right across browsers.

All newer browsers should support HTML5 video tags now, at least according to this: HTML5 Readiness

So I'm skeptical about this being cross platform. Also, what would happen if you wanted to run the app on amd. I'd imagine there's a few gotchas there too.

Not sure what you mean by that? The hardware shouldn't matter...as long as the browser (or mobile device) can render the HTML5 / CSS3 / JavaScript content, it should be fine.

 

[office politics]

ok so the point would be that these apps will all run at the application level (the browser). it's really a souped up web dev ide. dreamweaver being a competing product?

 

[carnageX]

ok so the point would be that these apps will all run at the application level (the browser). it's really a souped up web dev ide. dreamweaver being a competing product?

The mobile apps will still run as apps, not open up in a browser. Their interface will just be a "web view" from what I can gather - that is, unless it gets converted over in the compile process because the apps do get sent to Intel's cloud servers to compile and then it sends you back a compiled app file (e.g. an APK for Android). But you still have access to device functionality, such as camera, geolocation, GPS, etc. They're just used using a JavasScript Bridge API.

I wouldn't say DW is a competing product at all because DW is a website development IDE - XDK is an app development IDE. DW doesn't compile anything - it's just a front end to make a templated website. XDK's goal isn't to make websites - it's to develop apps using HTML5/JS as a platform since all devices can render these elements.

 

[office politics]

I found this. It sounds like its using Apache Cordova.

The Intel XDK is a tool to develop mobile Web apps with a native (iOS, Android, ...) wrapper based on Apache Cordova.


it looks like newer versions of dreamweaver are moving into the same direction.

Adobe Dreamweaver * Packaging web applications


if we're getting apks out doesn't that mean the app is run using machine language? it might not cus I know android apps are coded in java so I don't know if there's something running between the app and the hardware; like a java runtime. Apple iPhone apps maybe different though.

 

[carnageX]

Interesting, didn't know DW had that as well.

I'm guessing the web app you develop gets packaged inside of it's respective OS package (Android, iOS, etc.) on Intel's cloud compiler and then that just sends down the compiled app.

 

[brandonsays]

This is super cool!

I am curious to know how good the test and database plug-ins are. It is notoriously difficult to test and get high test coverage on web components, and there is very little built-in support for nosql databases nowadays. So, I am curious to know if they created something more efficient for that kind of stuff. I'd also be interested in knowing if there are any cool integrations with commonly used mobile platforms like PhoneGap. That would be super cool too.

I might have to give this a spin as well.

Good find!