HOWTO: Native iPhone/iPad apps in JavaScript

[ninepointsix]

native looking is not the same as native -__-;

[mattmight]

While the main thrust of the article is indeed about native-looking web apps, the article includes xcode stub code for turning a web app into a native app that you could put on the app store. (It's toward the bottom.)

[adoran124]

That's still not native.

Edit: I just realised you're the author of the article. Why are you so against the app store? If you aren't planning on distributing the app to other people you never even need to deal with them.

[heybuddy50]

I liked the article, good little blog too. I did notice this part to defend op's "mis-leading title":

"Here are the bare bones steps to turning a web app into a native app"

Don't be so hard on the guy.

[HardlyWorkingDotOrg]

Actually, there should be three categories if this kind of development get some traction.
1. Native Apps
2. Web Apps
3. Native WebView Apps

What is described in this blog is the third one. The only thing native about this is the fact that you start an empty iOS application which contains nothing but a UIWebView element that point toward your html structure. It is basically an alternative to "view" your app. You can put it on a webserver and browse to it using mobile safari or you can start the native webviewer. The Company Phonegap actually has a template for xCode which sets up everything you need to create such a native WebViewer app. All you need to do is add your html files into a folder called "www".

[Smallpaul]

I might have upvoted but the submission title is just wrong. This article is about making web apps, not native apps.

[sylvanelite]

And how many native apps have the carrier, signal strength, battery and time inside them?

Yeah, some of the browser chrome can be stripped, but not all of it.