Mobile phones are the primary device to manage our lives, find entertainment, and connect with others. In 2019, users downloaded around 204 billion apps. They also paid $120 billion for app subscriptions and additional spending on apps. In addition that the average user spends 3.7 hours per day using mobile apps. Cross-platform is one of the most popular methods for mobile app development. Around 30 percent of the Apple App Store and 50 percent of the Google Play Store are cross-platform apps. In this article, we will discuss advantages of ionic framework and its disadvantages.
What is Ionic App Development?:
Ionic is an open-source UI software development kit that allows application development across platforms. Ionic utilizes standard web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Anyone experienced in web development can develop apps and then add apps to the app store.
The initial Ionic versions Ionic were tightly integrated with Angular, a well-known front-end framework designed to create dynamic web pages and PWAs. Later versions incorporate web components integrated with other well-known JavaScript frameworks like Angular, React, or Vue. Developers may choose not to use a framework and build entirely using JavaScript. Ionic is also a backend-agnostic that connects directly to AWS, Azure, and Firebase.
Ionic was first introduced in the year 2013 when Ionic was first introduced. It is the most well-known mobile development cross-platform technology stack. Since its introduction, more than five million applications have been created using Ionic.3 Ionic modules are available through NPM. The application requires Node.js to work as part of the larger JavaScript ecosystem.
Ionic Features:
Ionic lets frontend developers create web pages that function within WebView and browsers. WebView is an application component that renders websites and displays them in native applications.
Ionic makes use of Apache Cordova plugins. Cordova is a program for developing mobile apps with web technologies. It is based on its APIs, not platform-specific APIs.
Cordova offers these APIs plugins that connect to native functions, such as the built-in camera, gyroscope, or sensors. Apache Cordova gives Ionic apps access to native APIs. It is an interface between the WebView application and the device’s operating system.
Ionic also comes with Ionic Native, a Cordova plugin designed to work with the standard APIs and integrate. Ionic is available as a set for free known as Community Edition. There’s also an upgraded version, dubbed Enterprise Edition, curated by the Ionic team.
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Advantages of Ionic Framework:
- Developer friendly. Web developers can develop mobile apps since Ionic has been built upon standard web technologies. (Or even desktop apps or PWAs.) Frontend developers comprise the third-largest group of developers of all types.7 JavaScript is one of the most well-known programming languages. It’s therefore easy to locate sources to develop Ionic applications.
- Ionic allows you to develop apps without having to acquire new techniques. (That is, if you’re a web designer, you’ll be able to design an application without learning new languages such as Swift to Apple and Kotlin in Android.) Additionally, you do not need to engage native developers when developing an app designed for android or Native or Native unless you require something custom.
- It’s flexible. Ionic is exceptionally flexible because it’s built on standard web technologies. It’s therefore easy to modify the appearance and experience of an application using only HTML or CSS modifications.
- You can design the user experience you would like your customers to experience and create changes after you have feedback about what your customers would like.
- One codebase, multiple apps. Ionic allows you to create various apps using a single codebase. The app built on Ionic does not depend on the preferences of a single vendor. Customers who want to develop a new app don’t want it for only one platform. It is estimated that 1.5 billion active devices are running.
- Apple globally, 8 and there are 2.5 billion actively using Android devices.9 These are the massive audience, and having a single codebase that can use for multiple applications makes sense.
- If there’s a problem, developers must find the issue in one location instead of various places. This can help with maintenance over the long term. Ionic will save you time and headaches. It also makes it simpler to keep a sturdy and clean design.
- Ionic also helps save resources and customers’ time and money. Applications built using web technology are also future-proofed. They don’t need to be updated with the most recent operating system.
- Tools that are natively compatible. Ionic’s team provides a variety of plugins and components, including frontend components, UI components, familiar icons for apps, and many more. The plugins allow developers to communicate with native apps such as Bluetooth, GPS, or cameras without creating custom integrations. The downside is that you’ll need to develop if no application supports what you’re looking for.
- Ionic is also able to integrate with a variety of technologies. This includes analytical instruments, security systems, payment systems test tools, etc. Specific plugins are part of Ionic’s Enterprise Ionic version. Ionic requires an annual subscription.
- An extensive selection of UI elements as well as rapid prototyping. Ionic emulates the appearance and experience of native applications due to the UI component library. The components can be used as pre-made elements to build a graphical user interface, or they can customize. By using web elements, Ionic accelerates the procedure of creating UI functions while maintaining natural appearances without any additional cost.
- By accessing the source code of the UI element, programmers can modify how the element functions. For instance, this could be adding animations for a button changing the scrolling type, or changing the order in the list of items.
- Ionic is an excellent tool for quick prototyping. Pre-designed UI elements that can be flexible and customizable make it simple to design an interactive prototype, and you can quickly tweak it. Ionic also provides the prototyping tool Ionic Creator managed through Ionic’s team. It provides a drag-and-drop interface for creating interactive prototypes. But, it cannot use to construct the entire application.
- Testing convenience. Ionic can accelerate development. Because Ionic runs on WebView, developers can use the device’s browser to test their application. Browsers come with built-in testing and debugging tools for more efficient testing.
Disadvantages of Ionic:
- Performance. When we speak of performance, we’re talking about what kind of application you intend to create?’ If you’re looking to build a heavily graphic application, Ionic is not an ideal option. Applications that use features such as Augmented Reality will not work very well using Ionic. Going completely native is the best option when performance becomes a significant issue.
- Ionic renders graphic components using the browser, which uses many steps to display photos. The longer loading times will increase as many “steps” between the code and the composite layer. Ionic is a single-size-fits-all solution.
- Performance is a concern for older devices. With modern instruments, the difference in loading speed is minimal. It is harder to set up hot loading. Hot reloading is usually thought of as an integral feature of software engineering. Ionic utilizes live reloading instead. Live reloading refreshes all the applications to trigger changes.
- Live requires restarting the application to apply the newly modified modifications. This can slow down development. Refreshing the app each time codes are updated could delay the entire process.
- Since Ionic’s build procedure is an Angular CLI-based process. Angular CLI is possible to set up Hot Module Replacement (HMR). HMR can swap, add or delete modules when an app is in use without needing a complete reload.
- Security precautions. The development of mobile apps will come with security issues. Since Ionic relies on internet technology, developers must consider web security and native app security concerns. But, security isn’t always a matter of technology. It’s a problem for developers. App development is more dependent on a company’s processes and a developer’s skills and expertise. A competent developer can design a secure app across platforms, while a poor developer might create an app native to a forum with vulnerabilities.
- As long a program is reverse engineered, there’s a security issue. Since version 4, Ionic CLI has included built-in Uglification. Uglification is a popular method of making code hard for hackers to comprehend.
- Ionic apps are essentially websites, so you must consider security for websites and mobile security. Ionic communicates with the backend through standard HTTP calls. You can secure your application using the same methods you employ on a web page, such as an HTTPS connection.
Conclusion:
The app development process you select will be based on the needs of your idea. Most of the time, Ionic is a better alternative to native development since the time to market is a top priority. It is also not necessary to pick between PWA or Ionic development. They can complement one another and provide different user experiences. Contact O2SOFT, a custom mobile app development company manchester, a great addition to the app development field.
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