Apache
Cordova is a set of device APIs that allow a mobile app developer to access
native device function such as the camera or accelerometer from JavaScript.
Combined with a UI framework such as jQuery Mobile or Dojo Mobile or Sencha
Touch, this allows a smartphone app to be developed with just HTML, CSS, and
JavaScript.
When
using the Cordova APIs, an app can be built without any native code (Java,
Objective-C, etc) from the app developer. Instead, web technologies are used,
and they are hosted in the app itself locally (generally not on a remote http
server).
And
because these JavaScript APIs are consistent across multiple device platforms
and built on web standards, the app should be portable to other device platforms
with minimal to no changes.
Apps
using Cordova are still packaged as apps using the platform SDKs, and can be
made available for installation from each device‘s app store.
Cordova
provides a set of uniform JavaScript libraries that can be invoked, with
device-specific native backing code for those JavaScript libraries. Cordova is
available for the following platforms: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Windows Phone,
Palm WebOS, Bada, and Symbian.
If
you want to use Cordova in your mobile application, take a look at our documentation. It includes
Getting Started guides, the JavaScript APIs reference and examples, instructions
on Upgrading from previous versions of Cordova, how to write your own Cordova
plugin, and more. The selector in the top-right corner of the documentation will
let you pick different Cordova versions and language translations. And there is
a registry of
third-party plugins that can be used in your mobile application.
Apache
Cordova graduated in October 2012 as a top level project within the Apache
Software Foundation (ASF). Through the ASF, future Cordova development will
ensure open stewardship of the project. It will always remain free and open
source under the Apache License, Version 2.0.