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App-Framework

The App-Framework is an open-source "wrapper" that helps you to transform your web app in a full feature

mobile app that can eventually resides remotely. In few words:

You can build extended websites that can communicate with your device remotely!

You can also forget to compile and update your app for all mobile platform everytime

you need to fix/add functionalities

Thanks to phonegap and web technologies you love.

How to install

  1. download or clone this repo

  2. copy config.xml.dist and paste it with new name: config.xml

  3. copy /www/conf/conf.def.json and paste with new name: /www/conf/conf.json

  4. configure config.xml following phonegap docs and conf.json following instructions below

  5. you've a ready-to-build mobile app!

How it works

The app Framework can be configured to work in 4 different ways ( from most remote solution to local one) :

1. content-src ( everything remote - discouraged )

You can use :

In your config.xml to load directly your web app without having any local asset But this approach is discouraged by us, phonegap and app stores since most of the time they could be not validated.

In this case , however, you need to upload all cordova libraries ( cordova.js and all plugins ) inside your remote website to allow it to communicate with device.

2. webview ( recommended for advanced solutions )

This approach is similar to content-src method, but allow you to create a sort of "boot" process where you can show advanced splashscreens in html5, use the app-framework built-in connection check and many other things.

  • You just have to configure conf.json as specified below.

  • You still have to load cordova libraries remotely to use device API and re-implement/import built-in app-framework functions in your remote app if you need.

3. iframe ( recommended for simple, clean and working solutions )

The recommended way is to use an iframe load type instead. It uses a customizable built-in communication system between the local cordova app and the remote web app taking advantage of postMessage cross-origin mechanism.

Pro:

  • It allows you to have a persistent local wrapper that can be a fallback "place" in case of connection lost for example.

  • With iframe method you can build phonegap and remote hybrid applications.

  • You don't need to load cordova libraries remotely

Cons:

  • You can't direct use cordova functions in web app but you need to use our built-in methods to send cross-origin requests. Anyway you're eventually able to continue to use cordova functions.

4. local

Of course you can fully include your web app inside this wrapper without using the url config. In this case, this framework for its built-in functions.

Conf.json Configuration

Below you can find conf.json specifications

appTitle

it's the title of app used internal

url

the url of external app

urlCrossOrigin

if your app has a specific address for cross origin requests using ajax, then insert it here Otherwise "url" configuration will be used.

skipAjaxCheck

if you want to skip the ajax url check , you can set this conf to true. This check is used to avoid remote loading if the specified url is not reachable.

skipConnCheck

enable/disable connection check and periodic message box that appears if no connection available.

customScript

If you want to load external app using some custom logic, then you can add an url to your script here Otherwise the external app will be loaded automatically if "url" has been set.

loadType

The external app can be loaded by this framework in two different ways, and here you can insert following values:

  • webview
  • iframe
iframeTarget

In case iframe loading type has been selected, this is the query selector element where to load the iframe

evalPostMessage

enable/disable evalutation of all strings received by postMessage event. Enabling and combining with loadType: iframe , you're able to execute javascript [phonegap] functions directly on device from your remote web-app loaded in iframe. NOTE: Don't use it with untrusted domains!