When Teaching App Development, HTML5 and JavaScript is Best
June 9, 2016
Hi,
First, let’s start with two bullet points:
- JavaScript is the most popular programming language in the world. And its’ use is just expanding.
- Mobile apps created with HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript, are often simply called HTML5 apps. Today, mobile app development with HTML5 is becoming the most popular way to create apps. Why? Because it’s easier, cheaper and more flexible.
Why should you teach students HTML5 based app development, instead of Swift for iOS or Java for Android?
#1. Killing many birds with one stone. You now know that HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript are often used to build apps for mobile devices, this includes iOS, Android and even Windows 10. But you also probably know that HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript are also used to build websites and web apps.
… So when your students learn HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript, they are learning skills that offer a huge range in terms of jobs and applications.
Creating Mobile Apps with HTML5
Code frameworks are literally pre written code libraries that coders use all the time. Mobile apps are created with HTML5, with the help of popular code frameworks like these:
With HTML5, you can build amazing apps! Here is just a tiny sample of apps built using HTML5:
Not all apps for mobile devices can be built in HTML5, but about 99% can! SAP and many other large and small software manufacturers, use HTML5 to build apps. It is the future of app development.
#2. The JavaScript programming language is similar to many of the other popular programming languages used today. In fact, once a student knows JavaScript programming, they will know about 80-90% of basics of:
- Swift
- PHP
- Python
- Java
- C#
- Ruby
… And many others. JavaScript coding skills are 100% transferable. It’s like learning to drive a Ford vs a BMW … it’s pretty much the same thing. Except when students learn JavaScript, they are learning the most important programming language today.
#3. Teaching HTML5 is easily doable on any type of computer including iPad, Chromebook, Mac, Windows, Linux. If you want to teach Swift properly (for example,) you will need to run Xcode – that means 1-2 gig download, and you have to use Macs. With HTML5 coding, the coding tools are free and lightweight – all you need is a web browser and any simple code editor.
Here is an article in Wired that sums things up.
Stefan Mischook
StudioWeb
About me:
I’ve been writing code since 1994, and teaching code since 2003. Check out my book on Amazon and in bookstores across North America and Europe.
