I want to build a cross platform application in Apache Cordova that uses a Chromium-based Webview component for Windows Store Apps.
Similar to Crosswalk https://github.com/crosswalk-project/cordova-plugin-crosswalk-webview
It's possible?
Windows Store apps cannot use Chrome and must use the default browser shipping with windows (you can't even put a none-Edge browser into the windows store). I guess the good news is that if you are patient, Blink (which is the rendering engine Chrome is based upon) is becoming the default rendering engine for Edge next year. BTW crosswalk is also dead, as Chrome is now the rendering engine for all modern Android phones..
Edit from 2020... Since Slack and other Electron apps are in the store and since Cordova now supports Electron - you might want to go with Electron instead of creating a Windows Store app.
Related
I see many samples and videos on how to do firebase for mobile and they call this "multiplatform". However, I don't see much on the desktop. There is one video on firebase flutter Windows by using a web and it seems to work. However, I do not see any tutorials for both mobile and desktop. Firebase would be a great example on syncing between desktop and mobile. We have such an app in development right now. Desktop development is new, but I'm surprised how little there is.
There is a library called firebase_dart, but the documentation seems weak.
The package firedart with the video listed above works in both desktop (linux and android without much modification..
What needed to be modified?
I had difficulty with the button on the very top of the phone, so I
added a sized box.
I had difficulty with debugPrint or print so I
added a Text widget with the results (to string).
That also worked.
Although I would like to not use fluent_ui, it does work for both desktop and mobile. I'm not sure what to do with realtime db, but I think I can make the firedart work for user sync between mobile and desktop.
It would be better if I could get firebase_dart to work.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tw7L2NkhwPc
The new Microsoft Edge browser has built-in support for Adobe Flash. The updated WebView control in the Windows 10 SDK utilizes Microsoft Edge as its engine.
I am trying to figure out how to enable the WebView control to render Adobe Flash content from a website in a Universal Windows App (either a Hosted Web App or a Packaged Web App).
Any ideas or pointers would be much appreciated.
Thanks.
WebView doesn't use Edge as the engine but uses IE11. Quote from the docs - "WebView always uses Internet Explorer 11 in document mode".
It also doesn't support any plugins or such, which would include Flash.
Full run of caveats from the control doc:
It does not support any ActiveX controls or plugins like Microsoft
Silverlight or Portable Document Format (PDF) files. Additionally,
WebView does not support some HTML5 features including AppCache,
IndexedDB, programmatic access to the Clipboard, and geolocation.
More "tidbit" reading up at https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/windows.ui.xaml.controls.webview.aspx .
Enjoy. Hope this helps. Healy in Tampa.
On Universal application, the webview is using edge now but it does not change anything regarding plugins.
Here is what it says from the MSDN :
In apps compiled for Windows 10, WebView uses the Microsoft Edge
rendering engine to display HTML content. In apps compiled for Windows
8 or Windows 8.1, WebView uses Internet Explorer 11 in document mode.
It does not support any ActiveX controls or plugins like Microsoft
Silverlight or Portable Document Format (PDF) files.
I am using Visual Studio 2015 tools for Apache Cordova for mobile application development on Windows 7.
To build and run my app, I have to choose one solution platform and one target.
Is there any way to view the output on my browser just like a web app with no emulator?
When I press f5, the result will open in a browser in an emulator mode which I choose as system platform and target device. But I want to run my app like a web application, when you right click on index.html and select view in browser.
I look for a project setting or a ‘system platform’ and ‘target device’ value that work like that.
PS:Selecting any windows solution platform and local machine target needs Windows 8 or higher and the build process is failed.
Thank you.
The solution I found for my problem:
I used the url of my output result with emulator: "http://localhost:4400/index.html?enableripple=cordova-3.0.0-NexusS"
and then removed the emulator settings in url: "http://localhost:4400/index.html".
Using this url will cause some popups asking some things. These are for 'cordova.js' script which is referenced in index.html file of cordova project. As we do not need this in browser, commenting the line <script src="cordova.js"></script> from index.html, no dialog will open any more and the project will compile so faster for initial design that do not need cordova.
Now I will use chrome mobile mode (f12-> phone icon) to see mobile view of my app.
#A.M.
The answer depend on your expectations.
If you just want to view the page layout and test some of the associated Javascript, the answer is YES.
If you want to test the plugin libraries and associated JS, the answers is NO.
However, here are some items to be cautious with - either way.
When running your code on a device, you MUST wait for the
'deviceready'. There are not ifs, ands, ors, or buts on this - you
must wait.
You can emulate some of the plugins. This Summer some of HTML5 APIs have become available. If you want to write a shim, you can emulate some plugins with the HTML5 APIs, and use the Phonegap plugins on the mobile device. NOTE: some emulators now support HTML5 APIs.
Not all browsers are equal and not all webview libraries are equal. Cordova and Phonegap both use a webview library with their respective platforms. On Android, it is called Webview. On iOS, it is WKWebview. These libraries are finally starting to get some attention. So Google, Apple, Intel and others are all making competing libraries. *better for us* ;) One new library for Android is called crosswalk. Many developers like it, but it is bloated.
Best of Luck
How does Google Chrome make a hybrid app (i.e. one that works on the desktop and one that works out of the Modern UI, and that are switchable)? What new Windows API do they call?
The only applications that can be "hybrid" are browsers. See here (link to Microsoft whitepaper on making a browser desktop and metro enabled).
We have a mobile version of our web site which works well on all mobile screen resolutions and sizes. Now, we would like to build a very simple app for Blackberry and Windows Phone 7. The app would be trivial - after you click on its icon, it opens a web browser and send you to our mobile web site. Just like a Windows OS shortcut that you place on your desktop.
Can you tell me if Blackberry and Windows Phone 7 policies allow such app be published? For example, Apple rejected us.
I can't speak for Blackberry, but Requirement 2.10 from the WP7 Application Certification Requirements:
Your application must have distinct,
substantial and legitimate content and
purpose other than merely launching a webpage.
So the answer seems to be no on the WP7 marketplace. Is there a reason you want to create an app like that anyway? On WP7, users can pin a tile to their home screen that will launch the website they've pinned. You could simply encourage users to do that on their WP7 and you'll get the same effect (except your site won't appear in the app list).
Seems this is okay for BlackBerry. See section 4.b of the App World FAQ.
Very strange. Our company has placed a similar application on Android Market and the Appstore and they have been resolved and now they available at stores. Also, I had a similar application for Windovs Phone, and it was also allowed.
P.S. Our application is not just a browser window, it has custom control panel in bottom. Also it has the communication protocol with the site - such a sending pictures from camera and phone and access to phone contacts.