Nowadays, any project needs not only a regular web page, but it has become trendy, you can even say that currently, you need to create an application or an application so that a new project can be extended and displayed correctly both on web pages and on web pages. on tablets and smartphones. technologyies
At the technical level of apps or applications, there are three
different groups: native apps, mashups, and web apps, also known as web apps.
Although the idea behind this article is to learn the advantages and
disadvantages of Web Application Technology and Hybrid Application. For anyone
who doesn't know, it's important to start by commenting on what an app is and
what is your own.
What is an application?
Since the initiation of smartphones in the lives of users,
the term “application” has become familiar to the point that it has become as
widely used as, for example, the Internet, online payments, tickets or
technology. An app or app is nothing more than a small piece of software that
installs on mobile devices or tablets and allows us to achieve better
optimization, rendering, and performance than when accessed through browsers.
There are countless work apps currently available for both
Android and iOS. They are accessed through the Google Play Store or the APP
Store, two of the most famous mobile application stores in the market, which
allow us to download applications correctly so that we can then access them and
perform various functions. Currently, there are all kinds of apps that we use
all the time: news (elconfidencial.es), games (Pokemon Go), social networks
(Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn), fast food (McDonald's) or there are
also apps to buy ... and/or sell used items (Wallapop).
What is a native app?
A native application is a small piece of software that is
implicitly developed for a specific operating system such as Android or iOS.
The programming language used by a native application will range from the programming language is chosen by Apple (Objective-C) to Android (Java),
respectively.
Native apps have certain advantages because they run smoother than if the connection was made through a browser. In addition, all applications once installed have a direct connection to mobile tools such as a camera or GPS, so the use of native applications is necessary when you want to perform deeper functions, both online and offline. technologytimesnow
The biggest drawback of creating a native app is directed at
the economics section. If someone wants to complete a project and wants his
application to be native, he must know in advance that the developer must be
very good and specific, since he must know the operating system programming
language very well. If the app is from Apple, the developer needs to know what
language is used in iOS.
What is a Web Application?
Sometimes the mobile phone is cluttered with unnecessary
applications and, moreover, there is not enough space to install anything else
between images, videos, or temporary files. So, what could be better than a web
application and not having to install anything in the terminal? This is what a
web app is: just access the browser and enter the URL correctly, and we can
view the content correctly.
Unlike a native app, a web app is not an app itself, that
is, small software does not need to be downloaded from any app store like
Google Play Store or App Store. For example, the app that is downloaded on
every mobile device is the WhatsApp messaging tool. Nowadays, this is a
necessary application, despite the fact that it saves on calls and/or
messages and which every user has on their mobile phone. However, the specified
application cannot be viewed on a mobile phone without an application (if it
can be viewed on a PC through a browser) and other applications such as Twitter
or Facebook if they have their own adaptation as a web application.
We can say that a web application is a web page that is
optimized and responsive for mobile devices. That is, it is a page that can be
opened in a browser, be it Chrome or Safari, and it will look the same
regardless of whether it is a computer, tablet or mobile phone, and no matter
what operating system it is. ... This adaptation is achieved thanks to the
programming languages HTML5 and CSS3, respectively.
Advantages and disadvantages
Benefits: A web application provides us (users) with an
endless number of benefits, including the fact that it is platform-independent.
In addition, the user does not need to go to any app store to download
anything, he only needs to enter the URL correctly in the browser installed on
the mobile device, such as Chrome, and he will be able to view the application
correctly. Mobile storage does not require installation and will appreciate it,
especially for avoiding continuous updates that delete a mobile phone after 24
months.
Another of its advantages is that the underlying code that
builds a web application can be reused across multiple platforms, is easier and
cheaper to develop than developing your own application and that no external
approval is required to publish it. that is, they should not be visible to any an intermediary such as the APP Store.
Disadvantages: With a few exceptions, it is not possible to
use device features such as camera or GPS, tools that can be accessed in native
or hybrid apps. Thus, the web application is more aimed at less ambitious
projects and in which there is no need to perform high-end functions. Also,
unlike native or hybrid apps, it requires an internet connection, unless the
app is temporarily saved using HTML5.
What is a mashup app?
If web apps or web apps did not require an app to view but
were run through the browser itself, mashups are built by developers using the
device's own web browser. They use so-called frameworks designed to support the
development of dynamic websites and developed in the programming languages
HTML, CSS and JavaScript.
A hybrid app sits between a native app and a web app. It is
developed in the same way as web applications, that is, using the languages
HTML5, JavaScript and CSS3. In addition, mobile tools such as a camera or GPS
can be accessed without restrictions, just like in native apps.
If it's true that mashups haven't yet achieved the
experience that a user can achieve with native apps, but they are close. A
prime example is the Instagram app. It allows you to use confident functions or
mobile tools like the camera to take photos (native app), while at the same
time it allows you to view images and profiles (web app).
To date, it has not reached the level of a native
application, but it is a fairly inexpensive option, especially for not very
demanding projects. In addition, it is an interesting option to reach the largest number of users across different platforms, as it allows you to connect
with the user both via the Internet and through the application.