Deploy our apps as web apps in a server

Hi David,
I have made one of the apps I have built with AB available in my webpage. I built it for android and copied the www folder to my website, put the link in an iframe and it works like a delight. However I thought it is not what AB has been advertised for so I just wanted to double check that with you to see if you know any security problem or issues with what I have done, or you find it all fine.
Thanks

Hello Amin,

I think there is any problem at all. Our apps are HTML apps that certainly can be served from a server/hosting and of course placed in an Iframe element in which we need it. Maybe the only consideration is that, as you already know, before compile our apps with Apache Cordova, we can do somethings that can be done using Cordova plugins, but, if we no need any Cordova plugin, then our apps can certainly works in all modern browsers, inside an Iframe or not, it's up to us.

That's is what I can say at a first think, however, don't hesitate to go ahead if you have any further question, Amin.

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Hi David,
That is what I thought! Thank you David. Just for reference for the others who may decide to do the same later. Make sure NOT to use debugger for building www for the server as "console.log" is on for that and it will give out all your code, variables etc.

I found this method the easiest way for pilot testing the apps specially for Apple users, rather than a test flight, a web link could take care of an initial test quickly and easily before we proceed to the final tests on their phones.
Thanks a mill for your confirmation, AB is indeed a great and powerful system and your support makes it EXCELLENT!

Hello Amin,

Thanks for your kindly words. Certainly, the internal debugger of AB or any browser, is also intended to test the apps. In fact, only if we need it (for example, because some task depend on a Cordova plugin) we need to test the app in the right devices too. The point is that an app that looks well and works as expected in a browser, in principle, no need any change in order to be compiled as an hybrid app for Android, iOS, etc. Always it's more easy to test the app in the internal debugger or a browser. Of course we need to test it as an hibryd app, but, again, in principle, if an app work in a browser, there is no reason to do not work in the internal browser of Android, iOS, etc.

About the "debug", I am not sure if you refer to that, but, certainly the "debug" button compile the app and also stores certain debug information inside the code. This code is not required in production, so, instead of "debug", we must "build" the app, so the debug information is not added to the app's code. Even more, we can "minimize" the app's code (Javascript and CSS) from AB, just after build an app: that app, then, is ready to be deployed or compile with Apache Cordova, already without debug information and with their code minimized.

I know about one customer who uses web apps for their iOS versions, that is, instead of compile the app with Apache Cordova and then use a Mac OS and XCode in order to get the app's IPA, this customer just place in their server a compiled version of the app, and, provide to their customers a link for that app, in order to be used in their iOS devices, but, from any of the installed browsers, that is, without installing the app. If I am not wrong, there is a possible solution too in order to place an icon of the app in the device's home page: all of these without compile the app with Apache Cordova.

The point is that we are talking about HTML apps, who can run in any mobile and desktop modern browsers. So we no need Apache Cordova and compile it for Android and iOS, except if we specifically want to use some Cordova plugin, for example. But, if not, the apps can run in a mobile browser perfectly, even without installing it, just like any other HTML app in the client side.

It's enough for now! Thanks again for your kindly words, Amin, and, please, go ahead if you have any further question.

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