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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

#61

Post by pjmlp »

bruce_one wrote: post #57
jawngee wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Else even Objective-C apps, with the Obj-C messaging system are not native, e.g. they delegate a lot to C-based APIs... For starters, that doesn't make any sense. Note the `C` part of Objective-C. Secondly, native infers compiled to executable native code, not interpreted or JIT'd via an intermediary.

Wouldn't that definition make Dalvik(/Java) applications on Android non-native?

Yes, that is why there is the NDK, aka Native Development Kit.

Java only became native code on Android with the ART bytecode to native compiler.

However, native can also mean, native to the platform. In this case, Java even with Dalvik is native to the Android platform.

Re: Nativescript: Build truly native apps with JavaScript

#62

Post by pjmlp »

pbreit wrote: post #23
fokinsean wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

Well, it appears there are only 2 in the most interesting category: Titanium and NativeScript. My sense is that it's surprising we still don't have a decent way to build native apps in JavaScript. Titanium looked like the answer but I have trouble following where they're going. NativeScript looks promising so far but cannot figure out the tie-in to Telerik.

Because many of us only touch it in the browser?

Re: Nativescript: Build truly native apps with JavaScript

#63

Post by pjmlp »

pbreit wrote: post #32
Firegarden wrote: post #17

Native apps with JavaScript? Give me a break. The only "Native" apps worth writing in JavaScript are web apps. Thank you coming out Nativescript - pack a lunch.

Whoever eventually delivers a viable offering will clean up in the corporate apps market. Companies have lower expectations for internal apps and don't want to hire Java and Swift developers to create each.

Big corporations doing off shore development with low expectations are already use the web view based solutions.

Re: Nativescript: Build truly native apps with JavaScript

#64

Post by jawngee »

cwyers wrote: post #52
jawngee wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Else even Objective-C apps, with the Obj-C messaging system are not native, e.g. they delegate a lot to C-based APIs... For starters, that doesn't make any sense. Note the `C` part of Objective-C. Secondly, native infers compiled to executable native code, not interpreted or JIT'd via an intermediary.

I don't think anyone considers .NET apps non-native on Windows.

I'm pretty sure they're considered `managed`, not native. Otherwise, .NET Native wouldn't exist:

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn584397(v=vs.110)....

Re: Nativescript: Build truly native apps with JavaScript

#65

Post by doktrin »

coldtea wrote: post #53
jawngee wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Else even Objective-C apps, with the Obj-C messaging system are not native, e.g. they delegate a lot to C-based APIs... For starters, that doesn't make any sense. Note the `C` part of Objective-C. Secondly, native infers compiled to executable native code, not interpreted or JIT'd via an intermediary.

> Secondly, native infers compiled to executable native code, not interpreted or JIT'd via an intermediary And the GUI/Widgets part you get to use through JS here is just that (the native implementation from the OS GUI libs), which, as I said, is what users really care about when they ask for native apps. See also the sibling comment about .NET apps and Windows.

> which, as I said, is what users really care about when they ask for native apps

That's true, but that's not what developers understand "native" to mean. Since most readers here are technical in some fashion, it makes more sense to use the more specific definition of the term (e.g. compiled, not jit'd, interpreted or otherwise managed)

Re: Nativescript: Build truly native apps with JavaScript

#67

Post by jokoon »

That's how every windowing system should work.

Instead of deploying binaries, just fetch some script and execute it.

I dream of the day an OS will allow a scripting language to do the "easy" stuff, like buttons, interfaces, etc.

Of course you might still need to allow the installation of signed binaries for certain programs that need to make some low level stuff, like databases, 3D games.

I wonder if an OS which is very flexible and easy on the developer can win though.

Re: Nativescript: Build truly native apps with JavaScript

#68

Post by attatae »

thoughtpalette wrote: post #5

Really like to see how this compares to React Native

Yes, Facebook Groups for iOS is built in React Native. Unfortunately, it is quite slow.

For my startup, I think we'll use React/RN just to get something "native" on mobile, until we can do it proper with Swift/Java when we have time/devs.

Comparison, FB Groups app and the regular FB app. Latter way better.

Re: Nativescript: Build truly native apps with JavaScript

#69

Post by 360fy »

In my opinion, with current architecture NativeScript won't be that performant.

They have very thin layer of native runtime, but majority of the UI core modules are kept in JavaScript/TypeScript. UI rendering will require too much of to-and-fro between V8 engine (or JavascriptCore) and NativeScript runtime.

Ideally they should have pushed much of the UI core modules in the runtime itself, along with JavaScript modules that have fewer calls to layout a view. Their current methodology would require too many proxy calls just to set layout properties.

Re: Nativescript: Build truly native apps with JavaScript

#70

Post by troymc »

WhitneyLand wrote: post #27
troymc wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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).

What a nice site. A small but useful curation presented in a very simple and clean way. Btw, you may need an addition for Swift, I believe there is at least one cross platform tool for it now.

Good idea. I added a page at http://www.mobilechameleon.com/toolkits-using-swift.html
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