So. I have seen a few sources on google which say that you can “write” an app using HTML, CSS and Javascript. All you have to do is “write” the app, zip it up and “Upload the zip file to [PhoneGap Build]” where the app will be compiled?
Ok so my question would be… how is this “writing” process done? Is it the same as developing a website?
note I am not a mobile developer, so I only have limited direct experience doing this.
So you can build apps using web technologies, as both IOS and Android provide some API’s along the line of Android’s WebView-based Chrome API’s.
Basically this gives you a native app installation, maintenance, and a platform to “wrap” around a web app. This allows developers to use the same code base and be able to “build” their app only once and target multiple platforms. Off the top of my head I know Target’s android app uses this technology, where their mobile website is just served via the apis mentioned above.
Another alternative is using progressive web app APIs to get a more “native” app experience, but using only web apis. (offline capabilities, push notifications, etc)
The most important thing, regardless of which approach you use, is you will save time if you have 1 code base for multiple platforms. On the flip side you will have to have the code be smart enough to handle multiple platforms, screen sizes and platforms (responsiveness).