
PhoneGap - Javascript API to access iPhone GeoLocation, Accelerometer, etc - danw
http://phonegap.com/
======
pistoriusp
If I understand this correctly, you're still required to deploy the browser
application to gain the extra functionality?

So a person would code a web application, embed the browser into a native
application, and point it to the correct domain.

------
indylist
I've been waiting for Apple to implement this themselves- it always seemed odd
that they didn't. Especially back in the 'web apps are the iPhone API' days.

It's nice to see this hole closed, although still relying on the app store for
distribution is a shortcoming. An even better option would be a third party
browser that could support these extensions for any site, but then again, that
would be duplicating Apple's built in functionality, and chances are they
wouldn't approve the app for inclusion in the store.

~~~
vyrotek
Sounds like Android might have an advantage here. Im sure someone will make
such a thing possible really quick once Android phones are available.

Now that I think about it, wont Google Gears offer something like this?

~~~
danw
When I look at the Android platform a year ago this was already possible. Not
sure if this is a feature that has since been removed, like the native xmpp.

------
jacobbijani
This is freaking amazing. I found a tutorial that was this same concept (a
UIWebView wrapper on some AJAX), but I wasn't able to get it to work.

Luckily, I don't need to get my app approved by Apple. It's just an personal
thing, so I should be able to use ad-hoc. As far as I can tell, it's running
properly in the simulator. Now I just need to figure out the dev license.

Thanks!

------
davejohnson
Currently to use PhoneGap you do have to get the app on app store and the URL
for the initial page is hard coded in the app. it is nice though since you get
a headless browser with no address bar etc. you could make your own web
browser based on it that exposed the apis to all web pages.

~~~
boucher
Such a browser was tried, and rejected. It violates Apple's "policy" on
duplicating built in functionality.

~~~
pistoriusp
I read on the project's mailing list that an application that embedded the
browser was accepted:

[http://groups.google.com/group/phonegap/browse_thread/thread...](http://groups.google.com/group/phonegap/browse_thread/thread/6f413b8f073fe2a3)

------
khurrams
What would be the differences ? There ought to be some differences though ?
Native applications were supposedly more powerful !

------
vyrotek
Fantastic! Now we can skip the iPhone store all together since we can make
webapps just as powerful as downloaded ones.

~~~
ikhare
From what I understand that's not what this is. Unless they are going to have
an app of their own that is going to try to replace Safari on all iPhones.

It sounds like a native app where you have a UIWebView with special access to
native data via javascript.

In either case I love the idea. I've been thinking of something like this for
some time, except in a more general form.

------
DenisM
Awesome. Been planning on doing something like this myself, but now we can
share the burden. Yeh-haw!

