Project 1, Your First Project, introduces you to project creation and management via the Cordova/PhoneGap command-line interfaces. We'll create a simple project and execute it on a simulator or device.

Project 2, Localization and Globalization, deals with creating a template that can be used for this and future projects using Cordova's command-line interface. We'll cover localization and globalization across four locales: English (UK and US) and Spanish (Spain and US). We'll be introduced to jQuery/Globalize and the mechanisms behind number and currency formatting as well as a translation matrix implementation.

Project 3, Mobile Application Design, the first version of a note-taking app called Filer. We'll be introduced to RequireJS (dependency management) and Yet Another Simple Mobile Framework (YASMF). We'll be designing the user interface and user interactions and will implement the required data models and views. We'll cover using LocalStorage and why it isn't a great idea for persistent data storage.

Project 4, The File API, explores persistent data storage, which is required by most apps, and Filer is no exception. We'll create Version 2 of our Filer app by modifying Filer to use the device's physical filesystem. We'll be introduced to the HTML5 File API and the core plugin Cordova uses to provide this functionality.

Project 5, Working with Audio, explains that notes don't need to be text-only; in this project, we'll create the third version of Filer by adding support for audio notes. We'll be introduced to the Media API and the corresponding plugin. We'll add a swipe-to-delete gesture using Hammer.js, and we'll cover the view stack, the view lifecycle, and view-to-view animations.

Project 6, Working with Still Images, deals with extending Filer to allow the user to take a picture using the device's camera and attach it to a note. We'll be introduced to the camera API and associated plugin, and we'll also discuss how to display many image thumbnails at once in a memory-efficient manner.

Project 7, Capturing Video, discusses rounding out the media capabilities of the app by adding video support in version four of Filer. We'll be introduced to the HTML5 Video tag, and we'll work with the Media Capture API and plugin.

Project 8, Sharing Content, covers adding shared capabilities to Filer. We'll be introduced to a third-party plugin that provides access to e-mail and various social networks. We'll also cover how to share text and images.

Project 9, Devices of Different Sizes, pursues two different mechanisms for filling the screens of larger, tablet-sized devices since we have only focused on phone-sized devices so far. We'll be introduced to split view controllers as well as various mechanisms for building apps that respond to screen size.

Project 10, Maps and GPS, deals with building a totally new app that records the location of a user over a given period of time. We'll use the Geolocation API and plugin to access the user's location, and we'll use Google Maps to display the recorded route to the user.

Project 11, Canvas Games and the Accelerometer, focuses on creating a simple game called Cave Runner that uses the HTML5 canvas and uses the device's accelerometer as one of the input mechanisms.

Project 12, Building a Backend – Working with Parse, extends Cave Runner by adding a simple backend to keep track of high scores. We'll be introduced to Parse and their JavaScript API used to store and retrieve data.

The online project, Using Native Controls, will take the app from Project 10, Maps and GPS, and add various native controls to make it look and feel even more native.There are times when we need our app to blend into the native environment in a better way than what we can provide via HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. While this project is tailored for iOS, the concepts can be extended to other platforms. This project is only available online at https://www.packtpub.com/sites/default/files/downloads/7925OS_Chapter_13_Native_Controls.pdf.

Appendix A, User Interface Resources, covers various user interface and design patterns that are used in mobile applications.

Appendix B, Tips, Tricks, and Quirks, expands on the idea that each platform has its quirks, and even though we're writing cross-platform code, we will sometimes encounter glitches. In this appendix, we'll cover some of the quirks we encountered while writing the apps in this book as well as cover some tips and tricks learned from experience.

To build/run the code supplied for the book, the following software is required (divided by platform, where appropriate):

* A JRE is not sufficient.

** The code accompanying this book has been tested with Cordova 3.4. It should work with any 3.x version. The code also relies on core and third-party plugins; check the README file in the code package for this book for specific plugin versions, if applicable.

While not required, it is considered good practice to work using source control. Git is an easy-to-use source control management solution, and the one I use.

Websites and download locations that can be useful are as follows:

If you are a developer who has experience with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and desires to use your experience to build mobile applications, this book is for you. You should understand HTML, be able to understand CSS, and have a reasonable working knowledge of JavaScript. You should also be able to set up a development environment and should be comfortable with a text editor or integrated development environment.

This book is also for any native developer who wants to create apps that can target multiple platforms with limited modifications. Cordova and PhoneGap provide mechanisms that make it easy to build a single HTML/CSS/JavaScript codebase that works across many platforms.

In this book, you will find several headings appearing frequently. To give clear instructions of how to complete a procedure or task, we use:

This section explains what you will build.

This section explains the task that you will perform.

var userLocale = navigator.language || navigator.browserLanguage || 
navigator.systemLanguage || navigator.userLanguage;

             var theUID = this.getAttribute("data-uid");
             var theUID = this.getAttribute("data-uid");

cordova create ./HelloWorld helloworld.phonegaphotshot.com HelloWorld

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To send us general feedback, simply send an e-mail to <[email protected]>, and mention the book title via the subject of your message.

If there is a topic that you have expertise in and you are interested in either writing or contributing to a book, see our author guide on www.packtpub.com/authors.

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