Episode 35: Mobilizing the Web with Mike Hartington
Today we explore the topic of hybrid app development for the first time on the show, and joining us to help unpack the issue at hand is our friend Mike Hartington! Mike is a developer at Ionic and he shares his experiences from his work there as well as on the Cordova and Capacitor projects. We run through the important parts of these different routes to app building and Mike does a great job of explaining how these worlds fit together and how they do not! The conversation also covers app deployment, common mistakes, and what it takes to get started on Capacitor. Mike makes a great argument for why not every possibility should be entertained and how unnecessary elements to apps can lead to the downfall of your software. We also discuss debugging and accessibility before finishing off our chat talking about forums, help, and the one thing that Mike would change about Capacitor if he could go back. Don't forget to stay tuned for this week's round of picks!
Key Points From This Episode:
A little bit about Mike's work on Cordova and frameworks for hybrid apps.
The birth of progressive web apps and events that preceded this.
The Capacitor project — a spiritual successor to Cordova.
Understanding the template blocks and web and mobile iterations.
Comparing writing in Capacitor with comparable alternatives such as Swift.
The shipping process and adhering to design guidelines with Capacitor.
The relationship between Capacitor and Ionic — possibilities for integration.
App deployment and moving things onto a mobile device.
Getting up and running — the ease of entry to working with Capacitor.
Learning curves for Capacitor and common pitfalls that Mike has noticed.
Privacy and performance constraints for mobile — avoiding unnecessary problems.
Debugging web apps and working straight from browsers.
Skills necessary for the accessibility processes and overlaps with development.
The best places to get help and find information on Capacitor and Ionic.
Mike's favorite parts of working on Capacitor and the one thing he would change about it!
This week's picks; hardware, music, animation apps, and more!
Picks of the week:
- Tessa
- Scoped Slots episode
- Animation apps: - Callipeg (iPadOS) - Rough Animator (Android, iOS, Windows, MacOS)
- KARE * KANO SOUND TRACKS (Shiro Sagisu)
- Ari
- Mike
- Ben
- Don't Kill My Vibe (Sigrid)
- Fall Guys (PS4, Steam)
Resources mentioned:
Special Guest: Mike Hartington.