ICEmobile Containers
All the benefits of a hybrid mobile app, without having to write one!
ICEmobile Containers are native mobile applications that install directly on a mobile device or device emulator, and provide a web container with integration to device capabilities that are not available through standard mobile HTML 5 markup. The container, coupled with the web application, produce a hybrid mobile app featuring native device capabilities like camera, camcorder, and microphone. You write a mobile rich Internet application, which accesses device capabilities through standard JavaScript APIs provided by the containers. All the device-specific integration is hidden in the container implementations, allowing you to focus on web-based development. ICEmobile Containers are available for the following mobile platforms:
- Apple iOS
- Google Android
- RIM Blackberry
Container Architecture
The basic architecture of device containers is illustrated below.
The major components of the architecture include:
- Device Container is a native application that implements the device integration interfaces.
- Web Container provides browser rendering capabilities and JavaScript execution. It is essentially a stripped down web browser that renders the page markup.
- Native JavaScript is injected into the page from the web container, and provides a JavaScript interface that page markup utilize. While the JavaScript API is consistent across all device containers, each container type implements a platform-specific JavaScript to native interface.
- Device Capability Integration is a device-specific native implementation that exposes a particular device capability via the JavaScript to native interface.
Application Development Model
Device containers provide the native features of a hybrid mobile app, enabling you to write a pure, mobile rich Internet application. Leverage mobile HTML 5 and standard web-based development techniques to produce applications that rival any native application. You get the advanced feature set of a native application, but only have to write it once, instead of once for each mobile platform you intent to support.
For deployment, you use standard web application server techniques for the mobile rich Internet application itself, but additionally, the container must be installed on client devices that will access the application. Installation techniques differ across mobile platforms, but all device vendors offer web sites that can be used to publish your applications.
Container Branding and Configuration
The stock ICEmobile Containers included in the ICEmobile download are suitable for development, and provide several convenient features to the developer, such as configuring the URL, reloading pages, and URL history. The containers are also branded as ICEmobile containers. The container features and branding may not be suitable for your particular application deployment, so you will probably want to configure and brand the containers specifically for your application.
The means by which you configure and brand containers varies between different mobile platforms, but there are a few aspects of the container that you can easily adjust to create a container that matches your application deployment.
- Application Icon and Name: These provide the native application branding for the installed container application.
- Home URL: Defines the URL for the home page of the deployed web application. This is the first page that will be loaded when the container is started.
When branded, your hybrid mobile app will be indistinguishable from a native implementation.
Installing the Development Container
Install a ICEmobile Development Container on your device by selecting the appropriate link below.
Installing the ICEmobile Container via App Store
ICEmobile containers are necessary for web-based ICEmobile apps to access native device features. Sample containers can be easily installed onto most major smart phone devices via their respective app stores:
- iPhones: Go to the Apple App store and download the free ICEmobile-SX app.
- Android: Go to the Android Market and download the free ICEmobile app.
- Blackberry: Go to the Blackberry App World. Apply the following filters: business/business tools then search for and install the ICEmobile app.
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