Hybrid Mobile App Development is an approach to programming for mobile devices that combines the strengths of native programming and HTML5 mobile app development. We define hybrid as a web app, primarily built using HTML5 and JavaScript, that is then wrapped inside a thin native container that provides access to native platform features. Developers write the core of the application as an HTML5 mobile app and then place a native device wrapper around it. The native wrapper acts as an intermediary and translates instructions into a form that the mobile device understands. The HTML5 core of the hybrid mobile app runs inside the native container and uses the mobile device’s browser engine to render the HTML5 and process the JavaScript. The HTML5 app core can then be reused for other mobile platforms. The native wrapper needs to be written for each mobile device and operating system. Developers can reduce development time by generating wrappers with software from vendors such as PhoneGap and Appcelerator.
Corporate developers use hybrid apps to make supporting the number of mobile devices in the enterprise less time consuming and costly. A hybrid approach also eases administrative tasks in the BYOD environment, where many different mobile operating systems and device form factors must be supported. HYBRID MOBILE APPLICATIONS are distributed by app stores just like native mobile apps; they can simply be downloaded and run on mobile devices like any other app store item. Private developers use hybrid development to reach the most potential customers by getting their apps into multiple app stores without having to rewrite the apps for each device type.