Learning Node.js for Mobile Application Development: Make use of Node.js to learn the development of a simple yet scalable cross-platform mobile application

Stefan Buttigieg

₱2020.99 ~~₱2245.99~~

4.1 (12 Ratings)

eBook Oct 2015 248 pages 1st Edition

eBook

₱2020.99 ~~₱2245.99~~

Stefan Buttigieg

₱2020.99 ~~₱2245.99~~

4.1 (12 Ratings)

eBook Oct 2015 248 pages 1st Edition

eBook

₱2020.99 ~~₱2245.99~~

₱2020.99 ~~₱2245.99~~

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Learning Node.js for Mobile Application Development

Chapter 1. Setting Up Your Workspace

The overarching goal of this book is to give you the tools and know-how needed to efficiently construct modern, cross-platform solutions for your users. In this chapter, we will focus on the tools themselves, showing you how to bootstrap your development environment to tackle the challenges that we have in store for you in the remainder of the book. We will also give you a brief introduction to each tool in order to give you an idea about why they fit into your toolchain. If any such detail seems unclear at this point, do not worry. We will delve into everything you need to know about each tool in the relevant parts of the book.

After reading this chapter, you will know how to install, configure, and use the fundamental software components that we will use throughout this book. You will also have a good understanding of why these tools are appropriate for the development of modern apps.

Installing Node.js on different systems

Node.js is delivered as a set of JavaScript libraries, executing on a C/C++ runtime built around the Google V8 JavaScript Engine. The two come bundled together for most major operating systems (OS), and we will look at the specifics of installing it in the following sections.

Note

Google V8 JavaScript Engine is the same JavaScript engine that is used in the Chrome browser, which is built for speed and efficiency.

Windows

For Windows, there is a dedicated MSI wizard to install Node.js, which can be downloaded from the project's official website. To do so, go to the main page, navigate to Downloads, and then select Windows Installer. After it has downloaded, run the MSI wizard, follow the steps to select the installation options, and conclude the install. Keep in mind that you will need to restart your system in order to make the changes effective.

Linux

Most major Linux distributions provide convenient installs of Node.js through their own package management systems. However, it is important to keep in mind that for many of them, Node Package Manager (NPM) will not come bundled with the main Node.js package. Rather, it is provided as a separate package. We will show how to install both in the following section.

Ubuntu/Debian

Open a terminal and issue sudo apt-get update to make sure that you have the latest package listings. After this, issue apt-get install nodejsnpm in order to install both Node.js and NPM in one swoop.

Fedora/RHEL/CentOS

On Fedora 18 or later, open a terminal and issue sudo yum install nodejsnpm. The system will do the full setup for you.

If you are running RHEL or CentOS, you need to enable the optional EPEL repository. This can be done in conjunction with the install process, so that you do not need to do it again while upgrading the repository, by issuing the sudo yum install nodejsnpm --enablerepo=epel command.

Verifying your installation

Now that we have finished the install, let's do a sanity check and make sure that everything works as expected. To do so, we can use the Node.js shell, which is an interactive runtime environment for the execution of JavaScript code. To open it, first open a terminal, and then issue the following to it:

node

This will start the interpreter, which will appear as a shell, with the input line starting with the > sign. Once you are in it, type the following:

console.log("Hello world!);

Then press Enter. The Hello world! phrase should appear on the next line. Congratulations, your system is now set up for the running of Node.js!

Mac OS X

For OS X, you can find a ready-to-install PKG file by going to www.nodejs.org, navigating to Downloads, and selecting the Mac OS X Installer option. Otherwise, you can click on Install, and your package file will automatically be downloaded:

Once you have downloaded the file, run it and follow the instructions on the screen. It is recommended that you keep all the default settings offered unless there are compelling reasons for you to change something with regard to your specific machine.

Verifying your installation

After the install finishes, open a terminal and start the Node.js shell by issuing the following command:

node

This will start the interactive node shell, where you can execute JavaScript code. To make sure that everything works, try issuing the following command to the interpreter:

console.log("hello world!");

After pressing the Enter key, the hello world! phrase will appear on your screen. Congratulations, Node.js is all set up and good to go!

Setting up the Ionic framework and Cordova for Windows

Once you have installed Node.js, install Ionic on your Windows machine. The rest should be straightforward.

Open the command prompt and check whether you have npm installed by running the following command:

npm

Once you have ensured that you have successfully installed npm, you can go ahead and run the following command:

npm install -g ionic

This step should result in an output, which shows that you have successfully installed Ionic.

In order to install Cordova, you can also use npm and run the following command:

npm install -g cordova

Once you receive a successful output, you can go ahead and start setting up the platform dependencies.

Note

An experimental setup for Windows:

In Windows, you will have the opportunity to set up a Vagrant package, which is a one-stop-shop for the installation of Ionic on your Windows machine. This is accessible at https://github.com/driftyco/ionic- box.

Setting up the platform dependencies

To set up the platform dependencies, you need to install Java, which is explained in the following section.

Installing Java

If you do not have Java installed or if your version is below 6.0, install the Java JDK by heading over to http://j.mp/javadevkit-download, a customized and shortened link, and choosing the version that applies to you.

The main recommendation for these projects is that you install a version of JDK 6.0 or higher.

Select the JDK for your OS. On an Intel-based Mac, you can use the following useful table to check whether your Mac is a 32- or 64-bit OS.

You can check for Processor Name by clicking on the Apple logo in the top-left corner of your screen, followed by About my Mac:

Processor Name	32- or 64-bit
Intel Core Solo	32 bit
Intel Core Duo	32 bit
Intel Core 2 Duo	64 bit
Intel Quad-Core Xeon	64 bit
Dual-Core Intel Xeon	64 bit
Quad-Core Intel Xeon	64 bit
Core i3	64 bit
Core i5	64 bit
Core i7	64 bit

In the case of Windows, if you have a machine that was purchased in the last few years, you should go for the x64 (64-bit) version.

Description

Node.js is a massively popular JavaScript library that lets you use JavaScript to easily program scalable network applications and web services. People approaching Node.js for the first time are often attracted by its efficiency, scalability, and the fact that it's based on JavaScript, the language of the Web, which means that developers can use the same language to write backend code. Also, it’s increasingly being seen as a modern replacement for PHP in web development, which relies on fast-paced data exchange. The growing community and the large amount of available modules makes Node.js one of the most attractive development environments. This book takes a step-wise and incremental approach toward developing cross-platform mobile technologies using existing web technologies. This will allow you to truly understand and become proficient in developing cross-platform mobile applications with Node.js, Ionic Framework, and MongoDB. The book starts off by introducing all the necessary requirements and knowledge to build a mobile application with a companion web service. It covers the ability to create an API from scratch and implement a comprehensive user database that will give you the opportunity to offer a mobile application with a personalized experience. Midway through the book, you will learn the basic processes to create a successful mobile application. You will also gain higher-level knowledge, allowing you to develop a functional and secure mobile application to ensure a seamless user experience for end users. Finally, the book ends with more advanced projects, which will bring together all the knowledge and expertise developed in the previous chapters to create a practical and functional mobile-application that has useful real-world features.

Who is this book for?

This book is intended for web developers of all levels of expertise who want to deep dive into cross-platform mobile application development without going through the pains of understanding the languages and native frameworks that form an integral part of developing for different mobile platforms.

What you will learn

Develop an API from scratch
Set up a MongoDB Database as part of your mobile application backend
Deploy a crossplatform mobile application from the command line
Incorporate features within your mobile application that use native phone features such as a gyroscope, GPS, and accelerometer
Implement mobile applications that use webenabled APIs
Build a mobile application with realtime chat messaging features
Develop a secure mobile application that is capable of functioning with realtime data

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Alexander Frenkel Dec 08, 2015

I have been Node.js developer since v0.9 and seen it have evolved over time is fascinating. There is always something new to learn.Learning Node.js for Mobile Application Development is one of the most complete book you can find out there to get started with developing hybrid applications. This book introduces you to the ionic framework and it's use of angular 1.x. It guides you from the beginning of setting up environment then building UI with Ionic, angular , securing and building back-end API and using native phone features.Learning Node.js for Mobile Application Development is really easy to understand and follow (as most Packt books are). This book is a fantastic resource for a quick start in developing both iOS and Android Mobile applications.

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Helmuth Saatkamp Dec 04, 2015

Anyone looking for a start in the android world using modern web technology should give this book a try.

Giuseppe Rodriguez Dec 04, 2015

Learning Node.js for Mobile Appication Development is by far the most complete book you can find out there to get started with developing hybrid apps.I've been a Node.js developer since v0.10 and seeing JavaScript take over the world little by little is by far a great feeling. This book introduces you to the ionic framework and it's use of angular 1.x to start developing mobile apps, all with the notion that you know nothing about ionic or angular. I highly recommend this book for those JavaScript developers looking into stepping up their game in the mobile app development world.

Alistair Meney Dec 07, 2015

Learning Node.js for Mobile Appication Development is a fantastic resource for a quick start in developing both iOS and Android Mobile apps. Realtime with Web sockets, Ionic framework, Cordova, all covered with excellent examples available to download. Highly recommended.

Young Hwan Lee Sep 05, 2017

best beginner node book I have ever read.

Learning Node.js for Mobile Application Development: Make use of Node.js to learn the development of a simple yet scalable cross-platform mobile application

What do you get with eBook?

Learning Node.js for Mobile Application Development

Chapter 1. Setting Up Your Workspace

The Node.js backend

Installing Node.js on different systems

Note

Windows

Linux

Ubuntu/Debian

Fedora/RHEL/CentOS

Verifying your installation

Mac OS X

Verifying your installation

Setting up the Ionic framework and Cordova for Mac OS X

Setting up the Ionic framework and Cordova for Windows

Note

Setting up the platform dependencies

Installing Java

Setting up Android Studio for Android, Mac, and Windows

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