Navigation for the ZIM JavaScript Canvas Framework

AboutExamplesLearnEditorCodeDocsDevsGold
MOBILE
collect Plasma Points for the Plasma Points mobile app with ZIM!

ZIM ON MOBILE

ZIM apps run on Mobile in a Browser. Here are ZIM features that make mobile easy!





PROGRESSIVE WEB APPS

Progressive Web Apps are being used by many top companies and are supported by ZIM. They can be installed on mobile devices, access device features and work off-line as well as be used as a Trusted Web Activity. PWAs also work on desktop.

ZIM Zapps - PWA Progressive Web App tool for mobile apps from the HTML 5 Canvas with ZIMjs

We are pleased to present the ZIM Zapps tool for simple PWA creation.

ZIM STORE

The ZIM Store has examples of PWA's made with the ZIM Zapps Tool.

ZIM Zapp Store - PWA mobile store for the HTML 5 Canvas with ZIMjs

RAW PWA

The ZIM Zapps tool (above) automates the PWA process. Manual installation is still available if desired. See the PWA Basic Example. Here is a ZIP FILE. Here are the parts of a PWA:
  1. The App - just code your ZIM app like normal!
  2. Manifest - a JSON file with settings and icons
  3. Service Worker - a JS file specifying cached pages
  4. Home Screen - add to Home Screen message
  5. LightHouse - tool to ensure PWA quality
The kids' app Groovity is also a PWA.





NATIVE APPS

Capacitor can be used to make native apps for iOS, Android from Web apps built with ZIM. Capacitor is an Ionic product that replaces Adobe PhoneGap.

Touchy is a mobile game to touch the screen of other players. It was coded in ZIM and made native for app stores using PhoneGap Build (Cordova). Adobe has stopped advancing PhoneGap (FREE) citing PWAs as a replacement or convert to Capacitor (COST).

Even using the defunct PhoneGap Build, the Steps to Publish to Mobile stores are many (73 - mostly for Apple) including Private Keys, Developer Certificates, Provisioning Profiles, Device and App IDs, GitHub repositories, XML Configurations, etc. and developer fees must be paid.

PWAs which bypass the stores are much easier.

If you MUST publish the PWA to App stores then consider Capacitor or Trusted Web Activities on Android.