With the arrival of Android 5.0 Lollipop, one of the elements that have update has been the WebView , a view which allows us to show a browser inside a our application.
From Android 4.4, the WebView object is based on Chromium , but now, with Lollipop, the new version is based on the Chromium M37 version, adding sporte for WebRTC WebAudio and WebGL . But it does not end there, for now the Chromium layer is upgradeable from Google Play , another step towards eliminating fragmentation in the updates we are in the Android ecosystem. Thus, another aspect that we no longer depends on the operating system upgrade, being able to do directly updating the application.
Chromium, a breakthrough for hybrid apps
A when developing apps, always found two sides clearly differentiated:
- Native Apps are pure platform applications, in this case, Android, developed with the specific API of the platform itself. They are the most efficient, yet we must develop once for each platform
- Apps hybrid . They are really developed in web format applications, which are included in a native application that basically is responsible for showing a browser with web content developed. Thus, we have an apparent native app actually shows a web. In this case, we only need to develop the web version once for all platforms, so we reduce development time.
So far, A WebView was much more limited than pure and simple browser , so the hybrid applications had more limitations than if we loaded directly in the web browser.
But the appearance of Chromium in KitKat and was a breakthrough because the WebView happened to have the same Javascript engine that Chrome for Android, which had a large consistency and performance besides the apps are Hardware accelerated by default.
WebView upgradable Google Play key factor
The big problem lay WebView it was getting updated, so KitKat and Android 4.4, with step based on Chromium, it could have automatic updates. But as we have had, this case involved a key problem in Android, is that however much they would improve Chrome, depended on the operating system updates to have the WebView update. This led us in many cases that even though the new WebView was based on Chromium, we could enjoy the latest features and improvements of Chrome, unless our device manufacturers update free themselves.
Google decided to intervene in the matter and end this root problem: from Lollipop Android 5.0 Chromium becomes upgradable Google Play . This means that anyone with this latest version of Android (on), no need to rely on operating system updates to enjoy the latest version of the WebView, which greatly favors the reduction of fragmentation.
More news: WebRTC, WebAudio, WebGL
However, not all end there, because the WebView element has received other updates in the new version:
- WebRTC: Javascript API available for real-time communications (RTC)
- WebAudio : powerful and versatile system for controlling audio on the web
- WebGL : API similar to OpenGL 3D graphics providing the site
News who will not reach all
Everything is wonderful here, but if we realize that all this is available only for users with Lollipop Android 5.0 (or higher), we began to realize that for programmers will remain somewhat complicated the issue of hybrid applications because we need continue to support earlier versions , or reduce the number of supported devices (not updated) not be worthwhile developing the app. While we hope that this problem is just a short term problem.
Will this be the start to an era where we see many more hybrid applications that until now? Or will all the same
More Android Developer & amp?; Infinum
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