Intel HTML5 Development Environment

Intel is espousing the HTML5 approach to cross-platform app development – develop once, sell in multiple app stores for devices with different form factors (this contrasts with native development, involving a different code-base for each device, and (possibly more complex) hybrid cross-platform approaches.

Being web-based, Intel’s HTML5 solution is globally available, via download. It is distributed and supported purely on the Web, via the Intel Developer Zone. 

Intel is targeting the general web app development community.

The development environment includes the Intel XDK developer front-end (a Chrome browser plug-in with local project file storage) for writing Windows and OS X apps; and Intel App Dev Centre, which provides cloud-based tools and a build service for, for example, Apple’s App Store, Google Play, Nook Store, Amazon App Store for Android, Windows Store, and HTML5 web apps.

Developers also get App Framework (formerly jqMobi), a jQuery-compatible framework claimed to be the Definitive JS Library for HTML5 App Development, offering the capability for building hybrid mobile apps and web apps; App Game Interfaces, which augment the Canvas object with multi-channel sound, accelerated physics, and accelerated canvas to provide more realistic modelling and smoother gameplay (claimed to offer native capabilities and performance with HTML5); and, App Starter, which is a quick-start wizard. 

The Intel HTML5 developer experience seems to be a rich one; for example, there’s an HTML5 App Porter tool in beta, which promises to help iOS developers broaden their market to include other platforms. 

Intel has an active developer community (the Intel Developer Zone), supported with blogs, educational videos and online discussion forums. Online documentation is available and App Dev Centre provides cloud services for building apps.

Intel claims to be making HTML5 better with contributions to Open Source projects, emerging standards, and the provision – at no cost – of a complete, integrated HTML5 development environment to support true cross-platform apps.

Intel also has rich support options for more conventional development approaches, if necessary.