Top JavaScript Frameworks for Mobile Web Development

The selection of the right JavaScript framework for developing mobile apps is critical and an important task in mobile application development. Developers use frameworks with pre-implemented functionalities to reach their mobile development goals efficiently. These pre-implemented components motivate the use of design patterns and best practices to support the developers and facilitate the development of apps in a standardised way. Most importantly, it structures the development process proficiently.

But why JavaScript frameworks for mobile development?

The framework supports multiple mobile device platforms such as Android and iOS to allow you to get your app spread to a wide range of users

They optimise the touchscreen device system. Mobile web development frameworks provide standard User-Interface elements and event-handling specifically for mobile platforms
The majority of the mobile devices possess web browsers that support CSS3 and HTML5. With frameworks taking advantages of new features available in W3C, they make user experience even better

However, with bandwidth limitations, the focus should be on reducing the file weight placed into mobile web application frameworks.

So, here are the top JavaScript frameworks for your next mobile web development. I am sure you would love to work with these frameworks to build your mobile well apps.

Sencha Touch

Sencha touch is one of the preferred frameworks among the mobile web developers. With its full-featured widget library based on the Ext JS JavaScript library, it targets a group of WebKit browsers. This HTML5 framework is used to develop mobile for multiple mobile OS such as Blackberry OS, iOS, Android and Kindle.

 

JQuery mobile

This is one such framework which every mobile developer would vouch for. JQuery develop mobile app UI more confidently across mobile platforms such as Android and iOS. It makes operations easy in touchscreen because of its widget library that converts semantic markup into a user-friendly format. JQuery mobile contain lightweight code base with ample of graphical elements.

You can really enjoy with jQuery theme-able design and light weight code while developing web apps. The HTML5 mobile framework allows the developers to construct cross-platform website and applications.

 

Kendo UI Mobile

Kendo UI is a comprehensive HTML5/JavaScript framework for modern web and mobile app development.Kendo UI Mobile is packed with easy-to-use jQuery-based widgets and built-in rich components for your fast mobile application development.

 

jQTouch

jQTouch is a JavaScript plugin which works with either Zepto.js or jQuery, and comes with smooth animations, navigation, and themes for mobile WebKit browsers (as found in iOS, Android, BlackBerry, and WebOS).

 

Appcelerator Titanium

If you wish to develop apps for Apple and Android as a next-generation mobile platform, you are probably looking for Appcelerator Titanium. It impeccably combines the flexibility of open source with cloud computing. The great advantage with this framework is that the knowledge of the HTML, CSS and JavaScript programming comes in handy while using Appcelerator Titanium. It enables easy integration with mobile device’s cameras and files stored on the device and also help to build tabs, switchers, table views and popovers.

There is a strong community supporting this particular framework and you may find assistance in several forums where mobile developers work on such frameworks.

 

The M project

It is an easy-to-use JavaScript framework that efficiently integrates the progressive features of HTML. The M project is well known for its open source module which is based on MVC that allows developers to separate the data from the business logic. It supports the mobile devices and makes it easy to develop apps and websites for desktops, tablets and Smartphones. Its recent collaboration with Panacoda has helped the framework to expand its features and enhancement.

 

Zepto

Zepto.js is created specifically for mobile WebKit browsers such as Chrome and Safari. With its unique minimalist development characteristic it helps developers complete their job easily. Zepto is all about keeping things simple. The goal of this framework is precise and enables easy download and quick execution.

 

Jo

Jo HTML5 mobile app framework allows creating a native –like app experience and aim at developers working on HTML5 capable mobile devices such as Chrome OS platform, Android, WebOS and iOS. It has standard and native-like UI element such as a pop widget for providing additional information whenever a user click on an interface element and web form widgets for the login screen. It can prove to be a real time saver.

 

DHTMLX Touch

The framework is used to create a robust web application that operates on all Smartphones and touch devices. DHTMLX Touch advocates minimal coding and allow developers churn out different types of apps for various mobile platforms.

 

Embed JS

This JavaScript framework is used for embedded devices such as tablets, mobile phones as well as television. The interesting thing about Embed JS is its multiple builds for platforms and browsers such as Firefox, Android and iOS which translates to an optimal users experience and minimal code to serve the users. However, with Embed JS, the creator can customise their build.

 

Mobilise.js

In order to reduce the workload, the developers often seek a framework that can directly transfer desktop-friendly websites into a mobile-friendly platform. Such aim can be accomplished with mobilise.js that automatically detects mobile browsers and integrates them without changing anything on the server.

 

Xui.js

If you need features for standard development such as event-handling, DOM manipulation or animation effects, check out the super lightweight xui.js. It provides targeted builds for particular mobile browsers such as IE mobile and WebKit when developing apps strictly specific mobile device operating system.

 

Enyo.js

Enyo is an object-oriented JavaScript application framework emphasizing modularity and encapsulation. Enyo is suitable for small and large-scale applications.

Spine Mobile

Spine Mobile is a lightweight framework on top of Spine for building mobile JavaScript web applications. What makes Spine Mobile stand out from the competition is attention to detail. User experience comes before all else, and Spine Mobile applications strive for a native feel; they shouldn’t give a discernibly different feel than applications built in Objective C or Java.

 

iUI

iUI is a framework consisting of a JavaScript library, CSS, and images for developing advanced mobile webapps.
Made with only iPhone in mind in the first place (reason of i UI) and now supports most smartphones & tablets.

 

Wink Toolkit

Wink Toolkit is a lightweight JavaScript toolkit which will help you build great mobile web apps. It is designed and developed to meet the specific constraints of the mobile environment.

The toolkit’s core offers all the basic functionalities a mobile developer would need from touch event handling to DOM manipulation objects or CSS transforms utilities. Additionally, it offers a wide range of UI components to help you improve the look and feel of a web app, or simply to experiment with new user interactions.

 

WebApp.Net

WebApp.Net is a light weight, powerful javascript framework taking advantage of AJAX technology. It provides a full set of ready to use components to help you develop, quickly and easily, advanced mobile web applications.

PhoneJS

PhoneJS contains everything you’ll need to create native client applications using HTML5 and JavaScript with a single codebase and deliver solutions that target today’s most popular smartphones and tablet devices.

With a touch-optimized user experience, natively rendered widgets, straightforward page navigation, view management, and data access layers, PhoneJS is a single page application (SPA) framework for your next iOS, Android and WindowsPhone application, ready for online publication or packaged as a store-ready native app using Apache Cordova (PhoneGap).

 

Dojo Mobile

Dojo Mobile is a world class HTML5 mobile JavaScript framework that enables rapid development of mobile web applications with a native look and feel on modern webkit-enabled mobile devices such as iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android and RIM smartphones and tablets.

PhoneGap

PhoneGap is an open source framework for quickly building cross-platform mobile apps using HTML5, Javascript and CSS.PhoneGap solves this by using standards-based web technologies to bridge web applications and mobile devices. Since PhoneGap apps are standards compliant, they’re future-proofed to work with browsers as they evolve

Mobile JavaScript frameworks are subject to continuous improvement. Hopefully, the above mentioned frameworks will assist you to build your next best mobile app.

Forget something?