How to convert a website built with jQuery Mobile into a mobile app?

Question

I am looking for a way to wrap the website built with jQuery Mobile so that it works as an app on mobile phones. I don't know how involved this process is. I think PhoneGap does this but I don't know where to look at in the PhoneGap website for any tutorials or documentation. Will this work across different mobile phones? Can someone point me in the right direction?

Yashmak

Answer 1

You can convert but it involves a complex process. Here I am providing some steps that will be useful to you for converting your website in jquery mobile into a mobile app :

• Go to http://www.phonegap.com and download the PhoneGap 2.2.0 as it is quite stable (though version 2.7.0 already released)

• Then go to http://docs.phonegap.com/en/2.2.0/guide_getting-started_index.md.html#Getting%20Started%20Guides and Click on the first link named "Getting Started with Android"

• Just follow the simple steps for setting Eclipse IDE on your machine for building android app

• Then you can copy and paste the entire contents(set of web pages) in the www directory and then Build/Run the app

• It will run in the Emulator and will create the .apk file which you can then try to run on any android mobile.

Note : I am not sure whether the look/UI may be the same as an app as you might have used it for desktop website

You can also refer to this site for Installing ADT Plugin : http://developer.android.com/sdk/installing/installing-adt.html

Obliquity

Answer 2

jQuery mobile does support PhoneGap - see Building PhoneGap (Cordova) apps with jQuery Mobile, PhoneGap app will be different on different platforms, but website can be the same (though of course it is going to look like a website, not native app)

UPDATE:

If you just need to make an application that wraps your website, you don't even need PhoneGap - WebView is a part of standard Android SDK - see Building Web Apps in WebView

Rattly

Not sure what you meant by "...it is going to look like a website, not native app". I currently have a page built in jQuery Mobile which is accessible through the web browser. All I want to do is to use something as a wrapper so that it can be downloaded or installed as an app or something like that. Is it possible through PhoneGap? – Yashmak

Yes, it is possible, and PhoneGap extends JS API providing some phone-specific capabilities, but it is still a browser and your app will have web look-and-feel and navigation. Actually if you just need to make an application that wraps your website, you don't even need PhoneGap - WebView is a part of standard Android SDK – Rattly

Answer 3

First you can download a "Google chrome" extension i.e. Ripple. This would let you see the website in mobile UI display. Then you can get Apache Cordova aka PhoneGap linked in the code and then pack it using phone gap. This process can help you in building a hybrid mobile application which would run on android as well as iOS. Mind that you download the right cordova file with the "App Resources" of android and iOS.

Predigest

Answer 4

You can try using Convertify. With their services you can convert any website into a native mobile app, iOS or Android

Rundell

Answer 5

I can recommend using Natively. Pretty clear get-started guide, js SDK, friendly support, and documentation.

Oxpecker