Creating Mobile Apps with HTML5 (Self-Guided)

Lesson 1

The Basics of Mobile Apps and App Design

What are the compelling reasons for developing mobile apps with HTML5? And why are some of the web's biggest players—including Google, Facebook, and Twitter—moving all their apps to the mobile web? Today you'll learn four principles for designing great mobile apps, and you'll get acquainted with the concept of "mobile first" web development. By the end of this lesson, you'll be ready to start writing an app.

Building Your First Mobile App

Today you'll follow the progress of employees at a fictitious company as they build a mobile app. In the process, you'll set up your tools and get your hands dirty with some real HTML5 code.

Introducing HTML5

HTML5 is the latest version of the markup language of the web. In this lesson, you'll learn why web developers and mobile developers are so gung-ho for HTML5. More importantly, you'll find out how you can use it to write your own webpages. By the end of the lesson, you'll understand the basics of markup languages and HTML5 syntax.

Formatting HTML5 With CSS3

CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) will make your web apps workable on the largest number of devices, and it'll make your code easier to maintain. In this lesson, you'll use CSS to format HTML documents. This lesson also looks at the new capabilities that are possible with CSS version 3.

Scripting With JavaScript

JavaScript is the programming language of the mobile web. In this lesson, you'll learn to use JavaScript to add interactivity to mobile apps.

Jump-Start Your App With jQuery Mobile

Today's lesson is all about getting things done faster, better, and with less effort! You'll use jQuery Mobile to make your HTML5 apps feel at home on mobile devices. You'll also use JavaScript libraries and frameworks to get more done in less time.

Accessing Device Features and Storage

By accessing built-in device features such as offline storage and location services, you can make your mobile web apps much more dynamic. In this lesson, you'll learn what's possible and how to do it.

Web APIs and Mashups

No web app is an island. Hundreds of app developers have made certain features of their software available using Web Application Programming Interfaces. By using these APIs to retrieve data and then combining different data sources, you can create endless combinations called mashups.

HTML5 Graphics and Animation

Graphics and animation can really spice up your mobile apps. The mobile web has special requirements and technologies that you need to be aware of, however. In this lesson, you'll learn to optimize your graphics for the mobile web.

Optimizing for Mobile Devices

Smartphones and tablets come in different shapes and sizes. In this lesson, you'll learn to make your web app look good on the largest possible variety of devices. You'll also add some meta tags that will give your app more polish on iPhone and Android, and then focus on touch-enabling your app.

Maximizing Mobile Performance

A responsive app doesn't keep the user waiting. In this lesson, you'll learn tools and techniques to make your app responsive.

Convert Your App to a Native App

Native apps give you access to more device features and to the distribution power of an app store. Learn how to use PhoneGap to convert your web app into a native one for multiple mobile operating systems.