Thinking of developing an awesome app? But you are only familiar with CSS, HTML, and Javascript, while developing a mobile app will require you to code in Objective-C (for iOS), Java (for Android), and .NET (for Windows). This makes it more difficult to develop an app, that can be run on all these platforms.
But PhoneGap is a great compiler that will help you in making these apps, while you still code in your preferred language. You won’t have to learn a new language, because PhoneGap will compile it for you, that will enable it to be used on all the different platforms. But if you think that this will not do the work as you want it to, there are more different platforms, that assist you in your task, and make sure that your app will work as you expected. So, without any further due, let’s see the platforms that will help you to build another top-selling app.
Cordova / PhoneGap
As mentioned above, PhoneGap is one of the most preferred platforms that will help you to build your cross platforms apps. But few people know that it is Cordova based and that is set as a Javascript API, so that it is able to connect with the phone’s other functions, like the camera, contact, etc. The best thing about Cordova/PhoneGap is that you don’t need to know any programming language. Just be creative, and you will end up making another top-selling app for yourself.
Sencha Touch
Another mobile framework that will help you produces an app that can be use on iOS, Android, Blackberry, Windows Phone, and Tizen. It is based on CSS3, and HTML5which enables it to run on almost any smartphone. Optimized for touch based mobile phones, you can first design your app in Sencha Touch, and then just submit it to the appropriate app stores for approval.
Ratchet
Another most preferred platform to build mobile apps, Twitter was previously using Ratchet for creating their own mobile apps. It has in-build collection of different types of User Interfaces, Javascript Plugins etc that will help you get started on the right foot. These user interfaces are only compatible with Android, and iOS devices.
Ionic
Want to provide the best app performance and feel? Ionic is for you, because not only it is based on the mobile framework of HTML5, it will also accelerate the hardware of any smartphone on which it is run. Also, it doesn’t require any third party Javascript library, which further increases the performance of your app. Just like the Ratchet, Ionic also provides different kinds of HTML classes which are reusable, which will further help you to build an exceptional user interface.
Lungo
Another lightweight framework which is based on CSS3 and HTML5, which also provides different types of UI components along with different types of Javascript API’s to help control the functionality of your app. It supports all the famous platforms, along with the Firefox OS.
jQT
One thing that is the most attractive about jQT, is that it allows the developers to extend the functionality of their apps with their own required functionalities. You can modify the UI of your app using Sass or Compass, and include different types of transitions which can be adjusted, and controlled via CSS3.
Junior
This is more alike jQT, but it is fully dependent on different kinds of JavaScript libraries, such as the Backbone. JavaScript, Ratchet and Flickable. JavaScript, for designing a UI.
Jo
More focused towards Chrome OS and Tizen, Jo is one of the most preferred web development platform for developers, because it allows experienced developers of any kind to understand its functionality, and not only that, it can also be used with Cordova or Phone Gap to develop applications for different mobile platforms.
Famo.us
Its still in the beta phase, but the ambitions of this new company seems to give a hard kick to the mobile platforms leaders, such as PhoneGap and Sencha, because it assures developers that it will remove all the performance issues regarding mobile devices by eliminating the usage of HTML5, and instead, use their own lightweight Js engine, which is only 64k. It also assures the web developers, that it will soon introduce the cloud based, so that you are able to pack your app, and directly publish it to the respective app stores. If this sounds legit to you, join them as beta tester, and maybe you will be able to gain some benefits of it.
jQuery Mobile
Optimized for touch enabled mobile phones, jQuery Mobile is an awesome and one of the best platforms that will help you develop an app that will run on desktop, any smartphone or tablet, and even ebook readers, such as Kindle or Nook. And if you are not sure about designing a user interface, check out the jQuery UI.