Why Ionic, or another such library, for hybrid apps?

0
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I'm building a mobile web app that I very soon intend to convert to a PhoneGap based hybrid app. Every resource and example I have read uses Ionic or a similar toolset to help with layout etc.

Now in my prototype app, bootstrap - and my design - is doing very well at making the app responsive and equally usable on my phone and on my laptop. Why introduce a third tool? I understand that PhoneGap itself provides hooks into the mobiles native resources like the camera, or does Ionic also take part in this bridging process?

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twitter-bootstrapcordovaionic-frameworkionichybrid-mobile-app
some people don't have enough design or UI skills (or time), so they have to use a 3rd party UI frameworks. – jcesarmobile

2 Answers

2
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I actually answered a similar question:

An answer which will, I hope, solve your doubts and in the end you'll choose and love Ionic.

Disclamer: This will sound like advertisement, so I have to say I'm in no way affiliated with Ionic, I just happen to like it so much that I'm sharing the love for it.

Ionic is so much more than "just" an UI framework. Ionic allows you to:

  • generate icons and splash screens for all devices and device sizes with a single command: ionic resources. This alone saves you at least a day of image preparing for various sizes.
  • instantly update your apps with code changes, even when running directly on your device with ionic run --livereload
  • build and test iOS and Android versions side-by-side and see changes instantly with ionic serve --lab
  • share your Ionic apps with clients, customers, and testers all around the world without ever going through the App Store with ionic share
  • easily accessing the full native functionality of the device using ngCordova (here you get to use any Cordova plugin - so Ionic is indeed much more than Cordova per se)

Also, they're building a full-stack backend services and tools for your Ionic app like Deploy (for deploying a new version without going through Apple review process!), Analytics, Push notifications.

Ionic CLI (command line interface) uses Cordova in the backend and allows you to build (directly using Ionic CLI) apps for iOS and Android (you by doing ionic build ios or ionic build android and woila).

Ionic uses Angular as a frontend framework so if you're familiar with it it will come as a bonus. They're working closely with the Angular 2.0 team too.

All in all, I personally think Ionic has a bright future, so if nothing else - give it a try I bet you'll like the ease of making an app with it.

0
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These type of frameworks are used to avoid all the problems which happens when you use your web app in different devices/OS'es.

If really our app works smoothly in EVERY OS, then you don't need them, but to be honest, it's hard to belive it will work flawlessly in any environment unless it's a very basic app as each Web view on mobile devices has it's own quirks, in interaction and in representation.