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Nativescript: Build truly native apps with JavaScript

nativescript.org

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Re: Nativescript: Build truly native apps with JavaScript

#11

Post by basiliothecat »

deitcher wrote: post #3

I like the idea, but I wonder if it will ever take off. So many "build in your preferred language, publish to some other" platforms have been released, it is hard to keep track. I will admit that html+css is a relatively good (set of) language(s) to describe a UI, and JS is the way to tie the dynamism together and provide client-side logic. But is it better than just learning the native version for each platform?

I doubt this or other solutions built by a for-profit businesses in a seemingly open fashion will go far. Facebook is a different case and having some hands on experience with current players, believe them coming up with a better engineered solution.

As for the general concerns, i can add that it's not just 'i know JavaScript and don't want to learn anything else', but rather having some common ground while building products/services on the web. It's probably ok for a big company to support say 3 platforms (web, android & ios), but hardly an option for a small startup or a one man band. Now i'd be more than happy to just stick with web, or at least the solutions bringing the others closer to it (that's by the way where Titanium is pretty weak).

Re: Nativescript: Build truly native apps with JavaScript

#12

Post by albemuth »

jakejake wrote: post #10
wlindner wrote: post #2

How does Nativescript compare to Appcelerator Titanium or React Native? I know React Native hasn't been released, but they described their approach at the recent React Conf and was curious if it's similar.

I don't know about React native, but I used Titanium for a while and this looks very similar. The biggest conceptual difference from what I can see is that Nativescript allows you to make calls to any native API method. With Titanium you can only call those native APIs that have been wrapped. With Titanium, I suppose you could say that the cross-platform wrapper API and the product are one in the same. Nativescript p…

Titanium's Hyperloop/Ti.next tackles this problem, too bad the timeframe for release seems to always be 6 months from whenever you happen to check.

Re: Nativescript: Build truly native apps with JavaScript

#13

Post by IanDrake »

Svenstaro wrote: post #8
wlindner wrote: post #2

How does Nativescript compare to Appcelerator Titanium or React Native? I know React Native hasn't been released, but they described their approach at the recent React Conf and was curious if it's similar.

Or Cordova/Ionic/PhoneGap?

Those are rendered with a webview. Nativescript is rendered with native components.

Re: Nativescript: Build truly native apps with JavaScript

#15

Post by fokinsean »

IanDrake wrote: post #13
Svenstaro wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or Cordova/Ionic/PhoneGap?

Those are rendered with a webview. Nativescript is rendered with native components.

How do "native" hybrid apps such as, react native, titanium, etc. access the native components of the phone?

I have been developing a side project using ionic and have had a fairly positive experience so far, but from what I understand ionic/phonegap apps are just wrapped web browsers is that right?

Re: Nativescript: Build truly native apps with JavaScript

#16

Post by joshuahutt »

gagege wrote: post #14

I tried out their little Tasks app on Android that is supposedly build with this. It's very unfinished. Slow too. I was kind of getting excited about this, but so far I'm not impressed.

Agreed. Quite unimpressive. The transition between views was sluggish at best.

Re: Nativescript: Build truly native apps with JavaScript

#18

Post by fokinsean »

jakejake wrote: post #10
wlindner wrote: post #2

How does Nativescript compare to Appcelerator Titanium or React Native? I know React Native hasn't been released, but they described their approach at the recent React Conf and was curious if it's similar.

I don't know about React native, but I used Titanium for a while and this looks very similar. The biggest conceptual difference from what I can see is that Nativescript allows you to make calls to any native API method. With Titanium you can only call those native APIs that have been wrapped. With Titanium, I suppose you could say that the cross-platform wrapper API and the product are one in the same. Nativescript p…

I just took a look at Titanium and holy moley their documentation was overwhelming. I haven't used a "native" hybrid app framework yet (only have experience with ionic), but NativeScript looks a bit more accessible to me than Titanium does.

Re: Nativescript: Build truly native apps with JavaScript

#19

Post by mark_l_watson »

gagege wrote: post #14

I tried out their little Tasks app on Android that is supposedly build with this. It's very unfinished. Slow too. I was kind of getting excited about this, but so far I'm not impressed.

I haven't tried NativeScript, but I am curious why it would be slow. Slow JavaScript engine on mobile platforms? Emulation library perhaps is not efficient?

I would appreciate some feedback. I just wrote a Firefox addon to work with a rich web app I am working on, and it would be nice to also provide "native" apps. BTW, most of my client code is Clojurescript; has anyone tried NativeScript with Clojurescript?

Re: Nativescript: Build truly native apps with JavaScript

#20

Post by fokinsean »

troymc wrote: post #4
deitcher wrote: post #3

I like the idea, but I wonder if it will ever take off. So many "build in your preferred language, publish to some other" platforms have been released, it is hard to keep track. I will admit that html+css is a relatively good (set of) language(s) to describe a UI, and JS is the way to tie the dynamism together and provide client-side logic. But is it better than just learning the native version for each platform?

I try to keep track of all those platforms, and you're right, it's hard. My findings are summarized at http://www.mobilechameleon.com/ (hosted for free by Weebly, a YC alum).

Holy shit I never realized how many hybrid app frameworks there are. Nice site by the way.
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