Web API Demonstrations

Currently, if you're a software developer and want to create an app, you have to write the same program multiple times. Once for Android, once for iOS, maybe once in Chrome (although it looks like ChromeOS will be able to run Android apps soon), and once in HTML for desktop dinosaurs like me. Lots of developers skip that last one, locking desktop users out of their product. This situation profoundly annoys me, and I assume it annoys lots of other folks too. Not just being unable to use an app if the developer didn't bother with my platform, but as a developer myself I find the redundant effort offensive.

Over the years lots of folks have attempted "write once, run anywhere" technology. None of the attempts have succeeded - obviously, since we're still writing the same app multiple times. Well guess what, it's time to make another run at this goal. The technology this time is: HTML/CSS/JavaScript. This combo has been around for a while, and works well but is limited. So why do I think it has a shot at replacing native apps? Because of Web APIs.

The W3C has been defining a lot of new APIs for use in web pages. You can see a list of all the APIs here: https://www.w3.org/standards/techs/js. I made a few pages to demonstrate some of the APIs. They are directly applicable to writing web apps.

• Cryptography
• Geolocation
• Media Capture
• Notification
• Page Visibility
• Vibration

Draft APIs, probably not available yet:

• Accelerometer Sensor
• Ambient Light Sensor
• Gyroscope Sensor
• Magnetometer Sensor

You are welcome to View Source and copy code.

ACME Labs / Web APIs