iOS developement and non-Objective-C languages

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Level 1

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iOS developement and non-Objective-C languages

Is it possible to do development for iOS without having to learn Objective-C? For example, can I use another tool or programming language, HTML, JAVA, to do development then port that to iOS devices?

Macbook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.6)

Posted on Feb 14, 2011 12:16 PM

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Answer 1

Feb 14, 2011 12:31 PM in response to kp.ramen

You can use HTML (not Java) but if you want to fully use the iOS capabilities (and APIs) you should use Objective-C.
Some C may also be required (for interacting with the SQLite database).

Mihalis.

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Answer 2

etresoft

Level 9

56,990 points

Feb 14, 2011 1:21 PM in response to kp.ramen

HTML and Javascript are considered first-class languages for iOS. No need to port anything. Look at DashCode.

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Answer 3

sptrakesh

Level 4

1,785 points

Feb 14, 2011 1:49 PM in response to kp.ramen

I have not used it, but take a look at PhoneGap. No need to restrict yourself to just iOS if you go with HTML5.

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Answer 4

kp.ramen Author

Level 1

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Feb 15, 2011 6:37 AM in response to etresoft

Thanks! I've been looking into Dashcode, but I'm still a little fuzzy on how it works for iOS.

I understand that you can use Dashcode to develop, in HTML, a website designed to be compatible and intuitive on the mobile version of Safari on iOS devices. But that just seems like building any other "mobile" website, granted Apple helps make it easier for you. But can you take that mobile site and create a native app for the iOS? For example, can you build a lean, native app, perhaps with a few off-line features such as taking notes and storing a few pages, but have it access all of the features when it's connected to the Internet?

Cheers,
Kiet

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Answer 5

etresoft

Level 9

56,990 points

Feb 15, 2011 6:59 AM in response to kp.ramen

With Safari's support for HTML5, the only differences between a mobile web site and an application are the menu and the OS desktop/Finder interface. On iOS, you don't have the menu or the OS desktop/Finder interface so there essentially is no difference. You can create an app that is a WebKit wrapper and has all of its HTML and Javascript in the application bundle. It can have full functionality even without an internet connection.

If at some point you find that you can't do something in HTML5 and Javascript, then you might want to consider Objective-C.

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Answer 6

Feb 15, 2011 7:19 AM in response to sptrakesh

PhoneGap is interesting. Basically, you write your App in HTML5, but with the addition of their toolkit which grants access to the other features of the phone (such as the photo catalog, contacts, etc.). The way it does this is that it basically has the HTML5 run in a UIWebView component (basically, a hosted browser), and then adds objects to the JavaScript interpreter by binding native components to the JavaScript (via WebScript).

So, the practical upshot is that you can write an app entirely in HTML5 and then PhoneGap will package it up into a native iPhone application with most of the features normally available to native apps and not to regular web-based apps. As an added bonus, PhoneGap will also package the same app for Android and RIM.

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