December 11, 2015 at 13:27Phonegap vs. Cordova
Many people mistakenly believe that PhoneGap is a kind of single system. However, there are three different platforms - Cordova (CLI), Phonegap (CLI) and PhoneGap Build . Each has its own characteristics and small variations.
PhoneGap was created around 2009 inside the Canadian Nitobi startup, as an open source environment that allows you to access the native functions of the device from the built-in webview. The aim of the project was to provide the ability to build mobile applications exclusively on web technologies (HTML5 / CSS and JavaScript), but with the ability to call native code.
In 2011, Adobe acquired Nitobi and all rights to PhoneGap. The kernel source code was donated to the Apache Foundation .
This source code remained open, but it needed a new name. After a couple of unsuccessful attempts, “Cordova” was finally chosen - by the name of the street on which the Nitobi office was located.
At its core, Cordova offers a simple but powerful API for invoking machine code from JavaScript. This means that you can transfer any data from WebView to the device itself.
Many do not quite understand this point. Cordova gives you access to a low-level API using simple plugins (for example, to access the camera and compass). Therefore, when someone says that Cordova cannot do what native applications can do, he is mistaken. The only limitation is the plugins currently available, and your desire and ability to write the missing plugins.
To work with Cordova you need to install the SDK of mobile platforms. This problem is solved by PhoneGap Build - a cloud service that compiles your HTML5 into ready-made applications without the headache of supporting native SDKs.
Cordova is an open source framework managed by Apache. PhoneGap is Cordova + infrastructure from Adobe. You can think of Cordova as the engine that powers PhoneGap, just like WebKit is the engine that powers Safari, or Blink - Chrome.
1. Cordova is OpenSource, and PhoneGap is owned by Adobe.
2. In addition to different package names, PhoneGap and Cordova have different documentation.
3. With the release of new versions of the OS (for example, iOS 64-bit), Cordova is updated faster than PhoneGap.
4. Cordova does not have a cloud-based project builder.
If you do not want to bother with the command line, or you need integration with the cloud, choose Phonegap Build. Otherwise, choose the Cordova CLI.
The main thing, no matter what you choose, do not mix technology in one project. This will make a big mess.
History
PhoneGap was created around 2009 inside the Canadian Nitobi startup, as an open source environment that allows you to access the native functions of the device from the built-in webview. The aim of the project was to provide the ability to build mobile applications exclusively on web technologies (HTML5 / CSS and JavaScript), but with the ability to call native code.
In 2011, Adobe acquired Nitobi and all rights to PhoneGap. The kernel source code was donated to the Apache Foundation .
This source code remained open, but it needed a new name. After a couple of unsuccessful attempts, “Cordova” was finally chosen - by the name of the street on which the Nitobi office was located.
Opportunities
At its core, Cordova offers a simple but powerful API for invoking machine code from JavaScript. This means that you can transfer any data from WebView to the device itself.
Many do not quite understand this point. Cordova gives you access to a low-level API using simple plugins (for example, to access the camera and compass). Therefore, when someone says that Cordova cannot do what native applications can do, he is mistaken. The only limitation is the plugins currently available, and your desire and ability to write the missing plugins.
To work with Cordova you need to install the SDK of mobile platforms. This problem is solved by PhoneGap Build - a cloud service that compiles your HTML5 into ready-made applications without the headache of supporting native SDKs.
Difference
Cordova is an open source framework managed by Apache. PhoneGap is Cordova + infrastructure from Adobe. You can think of Cordova as the engine that powers PhoneGap, just like WebKit is the engine that powers Safari, or Blink - Chrome.
1. Cordova is OpenSource, and PhoneGap is owned by Adobe.
2. In addition to different package names, PhoneGap and Cordova have different documentation.
3. With the release of new versions of the OS (for example, iOS 64-bit), Cordova is updated faster than PhoneGap.
4. Cordova does not have a cloud-based project builder.
What to choose?
If you do not want to bother with the command line, or you need integration with the cloud, choose Phonegap Build. Otherwise, choose the Cordova CLI.
The main thing, no matter what you choose, do not mix technology in one project. This will make a big mess.