[Web4lib] apps vs webpages?

[Kozlowski,Brendon]

I don't think building product-targeted applications is wrong, I simply believe it should be done after a universal generic version is created via the web. As has been stated, if it must connect to a database and be online anyway - make something more generic that is web-based first. The ability to reuse that code, or at least the pseudocode behind it, gives a great benefit to that first. There are a couple applications that let you compile HTML/CSS/JS code in to code which will support multiple mobile devices (PhoneGap [1], Appcelerator Titanium[2]).  By leveraging these tools after building a generic model you can customize and more easily tailor specific abilities in to other products (such as the iPhone or Android OS) if desired (like barcode scanning and information retrieval)...or start from scratch using Objective C (in the case of the iPhone) and make a standalone app - but there's always a fallback mechanism.
 
1 - http://phonegap.com/
2 - http://www.appcelerator.com/
 
 
 
Brendon Kozlowski
Web Administrator
Saratoga Springs Public Library
49 Henry Street
Saratoga Springs, NY, 12866
[518] 584-7860 x217

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