1. And I have to create mobile apps too?
Phil Lane 27th September 2018

2. Introduction Who is Phil Lane?
Content Strategy Specialist at Imprimatur
8 years’ experience in technical documentation
XML enthusiast
Rotary engine fanatic
Amateur brewer
Machine Learning geek

3. About Imprimatur Technology-led documentation and language company
Content management
Translation, machine translation and language strategy
Technical writing and illustration
App creation and digital content
Established for 23 years
Based in London, Godalming and Munich
Schema Silver Partner since 2015

4. What is a mobile app?
A mobile app is a computer program designed to run on a mobile device such as a phone/tablet or watch (Wikipedia)
Anything that runs on iOS or Android (real world)

5. What is Apache Cordova?
Originally developed in 2009 under the name PhoneGap
Acquired by Adobe in 2011
Released to the Open Source community as Apache Cordova in 2011

6. What is Apache Cordova?
Mobile application development framework for creating hybrid apps
Open-source software
Provides an interface to native capabilities of device
Provides an extension framework to allow development of additional features

8. Why is Cordova useful? Build mobile apps using familiar skills
Create multi-platform apps from a single code base
Harness features already available in authoring tools
Deliver a richer experience to your users
Add features to gather data – analytics or feedback

9. What is a hybrid app?
Mobile app running on iOS or Android using a WebView
HTML5
JavaScript
CSS3

10. Why not create a mobile web page?
Apps provide offline support
Use device native features to enhance the experience
Camera
GPS
Storage
No hosting infrastructure required

11. What do I need to get started?
Some free tools
Basic understanding of:
XML
HTML/CSS/JS
Responsive HTML content
SDK for your platform
Android Studio
XCode (iOS)
Willingness to have a go

12. Node.js and NPM Node is a JavaScript runtime
Node is a JavaScript runtime
NPM = Node Package Manager
Library of JavaScript plugins and tools
Easiest way to install Cordova and Cordova plugins

13. Google Chrome browser Provides a debug and testing environment
Provides a debug and testing environment
F12 to open the developer console

14. HTML aware authoring tool
For example:
ST4
FrameMaker
RoboHelp
Flare
DITA-OT, etc.

15. Apache Cordova CLI
Allows you to use Cordova through the command line or terminal
Installed through NPM
C:\npm install –g cordova

16. Android developer account
Needed to publish to Google Play
Sign up at
Single $25 fee

17. Apple developer account
Needed to publish apps to the Apple App Store
Sign up at
$99 per year

18. Step 1 – Create the project
C:\tcuk\cordova create tcuk com.example.tcuk TCUK
Command to create new app
Unique ID for app
File path for new application
Subfolder for app
App name

19. Anatomy of Cordova project
Special scripts
Platform specific code
Plugins extend the basic Cordova tools
App resources – icons and splashscreens, etc.
App content
Details of app configuration (name, versions, etc.)

20. Step 2 – Add platforms
Tell Cordova which devices you want to create an app for
C:\tcuk\cordova platform add android
C:\tcuk\cordova platform add ios
C:\tcuk\cordova platform add browser

21. Step 3 – Test environment
Check your environment is correctly configured
C:\tcuk\cordova run browser
C:\tcuk\cordova emulate android
C:\tcuk\cordova emulate ios

22. Step 4 – Customise content
Populate this folder

23. Step 5 – Branding Add branding and corporate identity to the app
Customise the app icon
Add a splashscreen

24. Step 5 – Branding Install the splashscreen plugin
C:\tcuk\tcuk\cordova plugin add cordova-plugin-splashscreen
Add a plugin
Plugin name
Plugin command

25. Step 6 – Build Create the app file for installing on devices
C:\tcuk\tcuk\cordova build android
Phil-pc:~ Phil$ tcuk/tcuk/cordova build ios

26. Step 7 – Test Determine which devices you are supporting
Test as widely as possible

27. Step 7 – Publish Sign apps with certificates
Upload to Google Play/Apple AppStore
Await approval

28. Live demo
Let’s build an app!

29. Further considerations
Create content with mobile compatibility in mind
Use web compatible images
JPG, PNG or SVG
Smaller topics work best
Cordova vs. commercial build platform
PhoneGap Build
Telerik platform
App may not get approved by app store
Add new features
Analytics, etc.

30. Questions and contact Phil Lane Email: phil.lane@imprimatur.co.uk