I realized that my release blogs have all focused on the Intel® XDK and have been remiss in mentioning updates to App Framework. App Framework is our open source, mobile app framework for creating responsive, cross-platform, app UI's with a native look-and-feel. This 2.1 release is a milestone in its continued development and maintenance. We have gotten lots of feedback from the community over the past year or so about the lack of documentation of the APIs, and the ability to really see how this framework helps app development. This release helps both of these.
First, we now have a completely redesigned website for App Framework with documentation, including examples – for all of the APIs (finally!) To better allow developers to see what the UI elements could look like, we created an interactive view with a simulated phone skin for the UI Components of App Framework. With this, you can look at the common elements (buttons, headers, footers, lists, etc.), see the UI element code and API, edit and sample a code snippet for it on the fly, then cut/paste the code snippet so you can quickly implement it in your app.
Second, we made a number of improvements and bug fixes in 2.1. The JavaScript scrolling library has been optimized for Android* 4+. A split view property has been added to App Framework UI to help developers enable or disable a split view on tablet devices. Developers can now also disable App Framework UI’s route management for use with other libraries such as Backbone* and Angular*. We have also added some fixes and optimizations for App Framework to work better in apps using Cordova* containers.
Finally, we added a Plugin Library where we have supplied a few extensions (Google* Maps, filterlist, notices, sub-panels, etc.), and where others may contribute as you create your own extensions. Just click on "Plugin Library" at the App Framework site.
App Framework is an important part of Intel's HTML5 efforts and a key part of the Intel XDK in creating responsive, cross-platform UIs. Feel free to tell us about your experience with it at our User Forums, and please share your plugins or contribute to App Framework through open-source.
Joe Wolf