Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by WA 3357 days ago
So, the idea of Ionic/Cordova is: You can release an app without writing native code. Your suggestions certainly work, but they bring up questions:

- How do I write the native code you mentioned?

- How do I plugin the native datepicker in Ionic?

- How do I deal with different native plugins for iOS and Android?

I bet there are solutions for all of these problems, but then again, I might just want to consider React Native, because Ionic doesn't bring any more benefits over React Native.

With Hybrid, it's all a compromise, and it might be worth it. That's not my point. My point is: Don't use Ionic/web-based hybrid, if native input controls play an important part in your app. It might simply not be worth it, because there are better tools to achieve the same outcome.

1 comments

The datepicker native input plugin exists, so it's just installing it. Then you get a JS api for it.

If it doesn't exist somewhere in the thousands of plugins available, you'll have to make it yourself. The other thing that happens, is perhaps a plugin is only available for Android. Maybe there's another one with a slightly different JS api for iOS... or none.

I've also done emscripten compiled C++ mixed in there. Which replaced various native apps. Since it was mostly OpenGL anyway... the few controls were easily implemented in JS/Html.

Anyway... just trying to share some options. Lots of native cordova plugins available (which I guess is it's main point). I really don't care what other people do... and somehow got drawn in to this discussion again!

Thanks for the suggestions. While trying Ionic, I didn't install Cordova plugins to fine-tune input control. I will give it another shot.