Going native with Umbraco and Phonegap
by Theo Paraskevopoulos @theotron - Grow
The Session
Mobile-optimized web design does not solve all problems, and sometimes a native app is the way to go. The good news is that apps can be created with standard web development tools and Umbraco.
In this session, I will take a responsive Umbraco 7 website, prep it up and convert it to a native app with Phonegap. Attendees can then install it on their Android and iOS devices, in real time.
In the process, I will introduce Phonegap and code up a REST API for Umbraco content and navigation. I will talk about why I avoid jQuery Mobile, and use alternatives which are flexible as well as easy-to-use. Finally, I will touch on the notoriously fussy processes associated with testing, debugging and releasing to App Stores.
The subject matter is not exactly revolutionary, but things are moving fast. My approach builds on personal experience, based on very recent projects and I am sure the community will find useful.
The Speaker
Theo is a Director at Grow, a digital agency near Oxford, where he designs and builds websites for organizations large and small. Following his passion for web standards and user-centric design, Theo picked Umbraco in 2009 as Grow's platform of choice. He freely cites the birth of Razor and subsequent demise of the Viewstate as one of the happiest events of his life.