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Which Javascript Library To Use?


I am new to Android development with Phonegap and just got through these two tutorials:

http://news.softpedia.com/news/How-to-Run-Android-Applications-on-Ubuntu-115152.shtml

http://wiki.phonegap.com/w/page/30862722/phonegap-android-eclipse-quickstart

Now I want to make the index.html do more spectacular things. Do you recommend I use jQuery, Zepto.js, Sencha Touch, jQTouch, or a mix of these, to do what I want? I'm confused. I know jQuery very well, but if it's bloated compared to Zepto.js (which I have only read about), then perhaps I need Zepto.js if it's not too limiting? And then there's Sencha Touch and jQTouch, and I see these provide a framework for controls, but I don't know if they also provide their own Javascript API, or require jQuery, or whatever. I just want to set up the best environment for doing general purpose apps.

My app needs so far are fairly simple and are only two kinds:

  1. Loads a single page and then loads a Flash SWF component. This component may or may not interact over AJAX with a backend web server. (I'm not a fan of Flash, but my client requests it. She runs a lot of games for her business.)

  2. A tabbed interface with 4 static pages and images, but then on the 5th tab, it connects to a website in an IFRAME (or perhaps uses AJAX)


Solution

  • I have only done some basic pages in jQuery mobile and jqTouch. jqTouch seems to be a little more polished at the moment as JQuery mobile is still alpha. They both rely on jQuery so their performance should be the same and if you are already familiar with jQuery then I would definatly choose one of these 2.

    From my test at looking at pages on Andrioid and iPhone they are preety similar. I think as of today jQTouch is better shows the URL bar less, less bugy, but like Jason said once I think jQuery mobile Version 1 is relased I think it will be the better product. All depends if you can wait for it to be finished in time.