Sencha Touch or jQuery Mobile? [closed]

Answer 1

I've been trying out the sencha architect and to be honest ithas been a nightmare to get running.

My background is DotNet, html, javascript, VB, java and have been using eclipse etc for a while so am not a huge newbie with figuring out dependencys etc.

Here is what I have struck:

I went to the Sench site, downloaded Architect. It then got me to download toolkit and sencha touch. I downlaoded exactly what was recommend / instructed by the help files / site. I have Sencha Architect V2.1.0 Build 584., sencha-touch-2.0.1.1-commercial.zip, SenchaSDKTools-2.0.0-beta3-windows.exe

I also downloaded and installed a new java sdk / run time etc. The install has been done on a dead clean XP box (vmware). Web server is xampp.

Sencha does not recognise the SenchaSDKTools-2.0.0-beta3. You have to hack it using hard to find instructions. Even after hacking it the architect fails to use the proper SDK and gives error messages on deployment.

There have also been numerous errors to figure out along the way and issues where data just wont load even having followed instructions to the letter.

I have spent 11 hours getting to the point where the application will run properly without whinging but it wont deploy. It is bad enough learning a new tool / framework etc without the ide causing grief and the "instructional demos" leading you up the path.

There are lots of people getting the same errors all over.

After 15 hours of effort I am giving it up as a bad job and am returning to IBM XPages / PHP and Blueprint CSS with old fashioned, hand coded html5 / CSS3 and jquery / Ajax / JSon apps.

My reason for doing this: Application Architect keeps pushing you back to the command line. I love the command line, give me a bash shell and vi and I'm good to go. However for complex, multi file deplyoments such as mobile apps a good IDE is worth its weight in gold. Architect is not there yet. I keep needing to lift the hood and hack to get things working.

I originally looked at Sencha for a 12 year old who is interested in mobile apps and is looking for an ide to use. I tried it out - it is not suitable - even getting a hello world type app running is going to be too much for a newbie and the first app in the help files doesnt explain itself but has you copying code for pulling data from a web site you have to sign up for. (ccitybars app).

A big improvement for sencha will be when Architect works out of the box (possibly an installer with sdk, tools , touch and architect all in one) and the fisrt app -walk through is a simple hello world that then builds to entering data, saving data and then displaying data before going multi form.

Answer 2

Comparing the two is like comparing apples and grapes...though you want to develop mobile apps with both, the level of comfort with either depends entirely on you.

This chart might be helpful if you want to compare the features : http://www.markus-falk.com/mobile-frameworks-comparison-chart/

Answer 3

I have used both and they each have conditions where one is better suited then the other.

In my opinion you would use JQueryMobile when 1. You need a quick and light weight mobile implementation of an web application. 2. You have time constraints (definitely faster to learn and implement then Sencha Touch). 3. Native look and feel is not a requirement.

When making an extension to an existing web application where relatively simple functionalities have to be extended to extended to mobile (really fast and easy) I found JQM to be extremely useful and straight forward.

In my opinion you would use sencha when 1. You want a native look and feel 2. You want a higher degree of functionality on the mobile side (possible access to native api's through phone gap) 3. Targeting the latest smartphones (performance is impressive)

Answer 4

Sencha Touch is an application framework (you create your interface programmatically through Javascript) while jQuery Mobile is more of a mobile enhancement library (you write regular HTML for your content, then add jQuery mobile for transitions/animations). jQuery Mobile has an easier learning curve, but Sencha Touch can better simulate "native" apps.

Answer 5

I was faced with the same choice about half a year ago, then went for jQTouch instead of Sencha Touch, which I found to be extremely Javascript centered. I'm currently working on a port of that same project to jQuery Mobile and I think the transition will be much smoother than it would have been with a Sencha Touch project.

Answer 6

I suggest KendoUI

It is unbeatable and fast performance in a training of couple of days. Not to mention the fast update and new features and support for server side wrappers (asp.net, php, jsp). It is unique!