Ionic App Development Over Other Frameworks: Is It Hyped?

Developing a mobile application involves several tasks. There are only two major platforms of mobile applications: Android and iOS. Developers use Kotlin and Java to build Android applications while using Objective C and Swift to develop iOS applications. The native development process offers premium performance and API integration and easy-to-access hardware devices and much more.

You need to keep this in mind while doing native app development because it’s costly, and it depends on the number of platforms you want to cover. This means different applications from different platforms, two codebases, two separate development projects, and double the expenses.

Instead, you can opt for cross-development application technology with the utilization of tools like React, Flutter, Native, and Xamarin. These advanced tools allow you to use a single codebase to develop applications for both platforms, which eventually reduces the entire development expense. The framework allows ionic developers to create powerful applications with the help of web technology.

In this blog post, I will talk about Ionic app development and how it would help in utilizing the technologies. I’ll also highlight the advantages and disadvantages of the ionic framework. Additionally, you’ll also have information on why the ionic framework is more useful than hybrid and native technologies in mobile applications.

Ionic: Cross-Platform App Development Leader?

Ionic is an open-source SDK and was developed in the year 2013 for hybrid mobile app development. 8 million applications are built using this framework. It offers advanced UI elements, libraries integrated with native components of Android and iOS. Ionic is like the npm module that needs the deployment of Node.js for functioning as a large JavaScript system.

Front End Technologies and Web View

The Ionic framework uses front-end technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for application development. The Ionic framework develops cross-platform applications with the help of a single codebase. It enables developers to create web pages with the help of browsers called WebView. WebView is like a plugin, and it’s an application that runs web pages and displays them in a native application form.

Apache Cordova and Angular Based

The primary version of the Ionic framework is based on Angular, which is known as the front-end framework which helps build dynamic web pages and applications. Another section of Ionic is created on native functionalities and is based on Apache Cordova plugins. Cordova tool is utilized to develop mobile-based applications using web-based technologies. It solely depends on the APIs instead of the specific platforms.

The Ionic framework doesn’t have access to hardware APIs as long as the Ionic framework uses WebView. The work of Cordova is to offer APIs integrated with plugins that offer functions like a camera, smartphone sensor, and gyroscope. Apache Cordova works like a bridge between WebView and the operating systems of the device.

Ionic Native

If you want to integrate top-notch features and functionalities, you need to be precise while developing the application. Ionic Native was built to fulfill your needs. It includes several Cordova plugins which support APIs and integration. Ionic native includes both paid and free versions. The free version is known as the community edition, while the paid one is known as the enterprise edition, which is developed by a team of Ionic.

Ionic v.4 and Web Components

Since its launch, Ionic has hugely depended on the Angular framework. The alteration that comes in the process is the latest version of the Ionic, which is integrated with the latest features and functionalities.

Ionic framework's fourth version isn’t dependent on Angular. The primary planning is to offer enhanced support for React and Vue.js, no framework is required to use the Ionic framework. The use of web components along with the Ionic’s CLI made the changes. The CLI has now converted to work with Angular CLI.

Opting for the web component is another important task. Web components include a lot of features that support several APIs in all major browsers. The utilization of web components helps in using the framework with Ionic. Web components integrate HTML components that are most compatible with each other.

 The complete process makes theme identification for many applications easy. Ionic requires 100 web components according to the announcements, The ionic team supports the Stencil library, which is related to web components and tools that help build new ones.

Advantages of Ionic Mobile App Development

A lot of perks and advantages are provided by the Ionic framework in aspects of mobile app development. The Ionic framework covers 3.5% of the entire mobile app development market according to the AppBrain report.

Single Codebase for Multiple Platforms

The primary technologies which Ionic uses for mobile app development include Apache Cordova, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Recently released versions of Ionic make the framework capable of deploying advanced features, even so, you can use the advantages and disadvantages of pros and cons.

Ionic enables you to develop mobile-based applications without hiring native developers. If you are familiar with web technologies, you can use Angular for development. The person can use web skills to develop functional and responsive applications.

• Quickly perform the marketing tasks for both platforms.
• Hire native developers, and reduced overall development costs, and codebase maintenance.
• Easy to maintain with the help of built-in browser tools for fixing.
• Easy to transform with the Ionic application into a PWA.
• Popular Technologies and Convenience to Learn.

JavaScript is one of the most popular programming languages on Github and it's highly used for web technologies. According to Stack Overflow 2019, front-end developers are the third-largest developers’ communities among the developers across the globe. If you are planning to use Ionic for mobile app development, you don’t need to worry about hiring developers for your project.

Ionic is easy-to-use and deployable. Front-end developers can quickly learn the framework and gain the knowledge skills to perform all the several frameworks that are well-suited with Ionic.

If you have any experience in native app development, it is helpful for you as Ionic doesn’t integrate the whole application into the native programming language. Instead, it focuses on integrating the UI elements using Cordova or Capacitor plugins for performing features and functionalities. With the help of a web technology stack, the entire app development project turns quite easy. If you want to build a plugin, then in that case you need to hire an iOS and Android developer.

 Cross-Platform App Development

Ionic framework is compatible with Android 4.1, up, and iOS 7. Ionic framework is also compatible with the Universal Windows Platform to build applications for Windows 10. With the Ionic framework, you can develop powerful mobile applications. You also want to know how a cross-platform application helps generate huge revenue for your business.

 User Interface

User Interface plays a vital role in the success of mobile applications. Components, and themes of ionic are customization which makes the framework favorite of developers.

Optimum Performance

The performance of applications that are developed using Ionic with native mobile app code is great compared to other hybrid applications. With AngularJS, Ionic solely depends on the hybrid accelerations.

Built on AngularJS

AngularJS is utilized by Ionic to offer features and functionalities to the developers. The designer's developers widely used this framework. With AngularJS, Ionic can offer a powerful code structure, making the wholesome code more convenient. With the help of Ionic structure, AngularJS enables the whole development of hybrid applications.

Cordova Plugins

The Ionic framework uses Cordova plugins by the Ionic framework which help designers to enhance several components. Ionic uses the Cordova plugin for enabling features like GPS, Camera, and Flashlight. Mobile app developers use these features to make their applications remarkable.

Disadvantages of the Ionic Framework

Security Concern

If you are your business owner, you want your developers to build safe, secure web and mobile applications.

Speed Might Be an Issue

Ionic framework-built applications run slow compared to the native applications because of the features and functionalities. However, most users can’t identify the speed difference in the performance aspects.

Not Suitable for Gaming

For developers, the Ionic framework isn’t good. If you are into developing a game mobile application, the game app developers usually avoid the Ionic framework, they opt for Flutter and Unity.

Is it Worth Creating Apps with Ionic?

In the end, let us conclude Ionic is a robust framework that allows developers to build powerful cross-platform applications with the help of advanced web technology. Developers can develop cross-platform applications by utilizing a single codebase. Though security is the topmost concern, ionic applications require to be more secure compared to native applications. But if the developer is seasoned, you don’t need to worry about security.

When we talk about a development project, we always talk about risk, a cross-platform application doesn’t have risk compared to the native application. Ionic is affordable compared to the framework of the native application as it saves time, and resources. Additionally, it is integrated with features and functionalities which help you build mobile applications for different platforms simultaneously.