applin-ios VS masilotti.com

> Beyond Python and React ... Implementing frontends for other platforms like mobile ...

Shameless plug: I built a mobile version of this: https://www.applin.dev

I built a thing that makes it much simpler to make apps: https://www.applin.dev

You make a web server that returns JSON defining your UI. Then you make a native iOS app by copy/pasting the provided Main.swift file and adding the URL of your server. The app uses an iOS client library, fetches the JSON page definition, and builds/updates the page with native widgets. I'm planning to eventually build Android, web, and desktop clients.

Hi HN, I'm a backend engineer who made an app and didn’t like the tools. Then I made the thing I needed: a mobile app toolkit for backend engineers. I'm calling it Applin™. :)

https://www.applin.dev/

How it works: You make an HTTP server that returns JSON objects that define page content. Then you make a mobile app that calls the server and renders the pages using native widgets. Applin is the server and client libraries that make this easy.

Server libraries: Currently there's Rails https://rubygems.org/gems/applin-rails and https://github.com/leonhard-llc/applin-rails-demo . Which languages shall I add next?

Client libraries: Currently there's iOS https://github.com/leonhard-llc/applin-ios . Which platform shall I add next?

They say, if you're not embarrassed by the quality, then you're launching too late. Applin is usable and not yet pretty and not yet comprehensive. I need customer feedback on priority and requirements.

To try it out right away, use https://apps.apple.com/us/app/applin-tester/id6464230000 and tap the rails-demo link.

The hardest part of this project was making the client update the page without losing keyboard focus and scrolling to the top. To do that, the code must pick the correct existing widgets for each new version of the widget tree. The current (working) version performs five passes over the widget tree: first picking focused widgets and their ancestors, then focus-able widgets, then other stateful widgets, then widgets with matching attributes (label, URL, etc.), and finally former siblings of the correct type. Then it creates any new widgets. Now that it has widgets for the new tree, the code updates the widget tree without removing any sub-widget that will be added again. This prevents losing keyboard focus and prevents resetting scroll positions. Here's the code:

https://github.com/leonhard-llc/applin-ios/blob/main/Sources/ApplinIos/page/widget_cache.swift

Please try out Applin, use it at your company (buy a license), and let me know what features to build first! Post a comment here, add a GitHub issue, or email me at [email protected] .

To get updates, join https://groups.google.com/g/applin-announce .

Thanks for reading! :) --Michael

If your like this approach to building hybrid native mobile apps, I highly recommend following Joe Masilotti at https://masilotti.com/

I only read three emails newsletters, and Joe’s is one of them because it’s roughly once per month and it keeps me current on all the things happening with Hotwire and Turbo Native apps.

And you're not wrong - there are very few resources available on Turbo Native development. My blog, workshop, and YouTube videos are practically the only things out there. And William Kennedy is sharing his process learning Android, which is helping fill that gap.

add contact links as well (LinkedIn, Github) (ex. https://masilotti.com/ )

update your website - make the site clean and direct about who you are, what you do, what you're looking for, and where you are (ex. https://masilotti.com/ )

be specific in your title & intro - "Junior Python/React Fullstack Dev" and "Locacted in Tulsa, Ok" mean more than "I thrive on challenges". What's the most important info about what you do and who you are? Make that first and prominent. (ex. https://masilotti.com/ )

add your photo in place of sonar. This site is selling your services and it gives more trust to have your face on your website. ex. https://masilotti.com/ ) You can move a block of text with skills below your "Hi, I'm Patrick" text.

Turbo Native in its current form requires a fair amount of iOS knowledge (and code!) to get working. I'm trying to fill that gap with my blog, workshops, and live streaming sessions. [1]

But it's no excuse for what this library could be if we invest more time into it. In an ideal world the library handles 90% of the boilerplate required to make an iOS app work. I'm talking authentication, pushing/presenting controllers, sensible defaults for Path Configuration, etc. All the stuff that I have to add to every single Turbo Native app I work with. (12+ since I last counted.)

Then devs can focus on differentiation and exciting features like push notifications, native integrations, fancy animations... while the core of the logic remains on the Rails app.

I'm hoping that getting more maintainers (like me!) on the repo will help kickstart this. And I'm excited to see more interest on both HN and Twitter in the framework.

[1] https://masilotti.com

I blog about Turbo Native and run the monthly ⚡️ Hotwire dev newsletter!