Webapps
                     WEB APPS Applications
                          
INTRODUCTION
 According to a recent study  more than 1 billion people use mobile phones and tablets as 
primary computing devices  68% of customers prefer mobile websites over full desktop 
versions  There are several approaches to developing mobile Web apps, but given the fast 
speed of mobile software evolution, it’s crucial to understand the basic technologies.
WEB APPS AND MOBILE APPS
Web Apps Mobile apps
APPS DEVELOPED WITH OS 
PROVIDER’S LANGUAGE AND 
FRAMEWORKS.
Binary executable files on the device. 
Can access all API’s made available by OS vendor. 
SDK’s are platform-specific. Each mobile OS comes with its own unique tools and GUI 
toolkit. 
IBM, Native, web or hybrid mobile app development, 2012. 
IBM Software Thought Leadership White Paper
                                PICTURES
PROS EASY LOW-LEVEL 
HARDWARE ACCESS SERVICES
 Easy access to high level services important to personal mobile experience.
  Full use of all functionalities that modern mobile devices have to offer.
  High usability. CONS Code Reusability : Low Development & maintenance: Time- consuming 
& expensive.
  Designers are required to be familiar with different UI components of each OS. Upgrade 
flexibility: Low.
USE STANDARD WEB 
TECHNOLOGIES 
 web technologies such as HTML 5, CSS 3 & JavaScript. 
  Features of HTML 5 - Advanced UI components, access to rich 
media types, geolocation services & offline availability. 
  Increasing popularity of HTML 5 in rendering engines such as 
WebKit.  Runs on a standalone mobile web browser.
   Installed shortcut, launched like a native app.  UI logic resides 
locally; makes the app responsive and accessible offline.
HYBRID DEVELOPMENT
  Combines native development with web technology.
   The web app runs inside a thin wrapper native app.
   Hybrid apps are mobile Web applications packed into a native app. 
 They behave like a native app in that they’re installed from a Web store and have access to 
the same capabilities as a native app, but they’re developed using the same tools used to 
develop Web applications—mainly, HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript. 
  The communication between web app and native app normally happens over JavaScript 
via custom built API’s.
CODE AND REUSABILITY
 PROS Code Reusability Plugins Easy for web developers Reduced development costs 
Support for enterprise & cloud services Easy Deployment CONS Might not support every 
feature of OS Cannot use own tools/IDE Slower.
  High end graphics & 3D support limited Vendor lock-in