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Ionic framework is one of the most widely used and popular tools for producing mobile applications. Entrepreneurs worldwide want an ideal app for their business that can run on Android and iOS platforms. But in the middle of the road, many are confused about finding the right technology for their business.

The question arises for them what strategy and technology they should use. Each technology and development plan has advantages and disadvantages, and you must find the most suitable ones for your business. In the meantime, this framework, as a cross-platform tool for application development, can help you. But before we go into it and examine its advantages and disadvantages, it is better to know what the framework means!

Cross-platform refers to software that can be run on multiple computer platforms.

What is a framework?

In computer systems, a framework is a layered structure that shows what programs can be built and how they interact. Some frameworks also include special user interfaces or programming tools for other frameworks. Frameworks are a set of functions within the system and create a connection between them. Communication between the operating system, application, and… with each other. Finally, frameworks are generally more comprehensive than protocols and more practical than structures.

Protocols: Protocols are a type of contract, network method, and principles with which site owners and webmasters are familiar.

Structures: The pattern, arrangement, or organization of related components in a system that can be identified by observing or recognizing the pattern.

What is the Ionic Framework?

This Framework is a user interface toolkit used to build high-performance multi-platform applications. Its architecture is based on the application interface or user experience. This framework also uses web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, which you can integrate with frameworks such as Angular, React, and Vue.Js. Of course, knowing that the framework is completely free and open source is not bad.

This Framework focuses only on the application UI/UX, such as themes, gestures, animations, and icons. It can work as a standalone platform without the presence of other frameworks. Finally, applications built with the framework are multi-platform and web-based and can access native device APIs.

UI stands for User Interface and means user interface.

UX: Abbreviation for User Experience, which means user experience.

Ionic Genesis History

This framework was first introduced by Drifty in 2013. The development team is constantly working to make it more powerful and efficient for mobile development. To this end, they introduce a new version with attractive features every six months to make the framework popular with front-end programmers as soon as possible.

Of course, it can be said that they have been successful to some extent. The Github site has about 43,000 stars and 13,000 forks, and currently, about 5 million applications have been created with special UI elements, countless libraries, and exciting capabilities of this framework. The latest version of this framework, Ionic 5, was released on February 11, 2020, and we will explain how to download and install it below.

Front-End: User-side design means designing anything the user sees.

Ionic features

Here are the most important features of the Ionic framework

Predefined UI Components

The new version has a basic theme for all platforms that can be applied to any type of application. Pre-built components such as routing, search bar, networks, pop-ups, and more make it easy for mobile developers.

Component: As a separable block of the program that provides different services to programmers with specific standards.

Theming

The core of this framework is built using CSS, which provides high flexibility due to its features (variable features). This makes it easier to design applications like CSS that follow web standards. Of course, the theme color, by default, can be changed to your liking. Everything in this framework is customizable, from the background color to the type and style of text.

Easier navigation

Mobile applications use non-linear navigation, and Ionic works in the same way. The Ionic framework can support pairing with parallel navigation history. Web developers are familiar with browser-style navigation.

Graphics

The Ionic framework allows you to edit programs graphically. It uses the customizable IOS graphic platform. If you are not eager to use the IOS style, change it to the Material Design language.

Capacitor

Storage or Capacitor is a multi-platform API and code execution layer that makes it easy to invoke native SDKs through code on the web. If you need a plugin for your application, you can create custom native plugins with the help of a capacitor. This attractive feature allows developers to write and publish their applications online or in app stores.

API: Abbreviation for Application Programming Interface and means application programming interface.

Stencil

The Ionic development team has developed a Web Component Compiler (Web Component Compiler) to build compilers compatible with web servers. It also uses APIs like Virtual DOM, JSX, and async for PWAs.

Compiler: A compiler is a program that converts text from a high-level programming language to a low-level language, such as assembly or machine-level language.

PWA: Abbreviation for Progressive Web Application means Progressive Web Application. PWA is a website that uses modern and new web technologies, but its appearance and functionality are similar to a normal application.

Changes in Native 5

It supports Angular developers, ES6 modules, and Angular.Js support.

Ionic CLI

Developers can use the CLI (Command Line Utility) to develop Ionic applications. Of course, it is better to install this program before installing the Ionic framework because running Ionic programs and connecting them to other Ionic services, such as AppFlow, is necessary.

Templates

When you create a project in the Ionic framework, you can implement it on any of the following templates:

Tabs App: This template includes a menu tab, header, and other useful features.

Side Menu App: Only the side menu and navigation bar are available in this template.

Blank App: You must create everything from scratch as an empty project.

Why should we use the Ionic framework?

The Ionic framework does not use strange or unknown technology. Most programmers are familiar with web technologies, so users do not waste time learning new technologies or languages.

Using the Ionic framework, applications can be in any environment, even a virtual environment.

The code is written only once and can be used for Android, Windows, and IOS. This saves the user time during program development or troubleshooting.

The Ionic framework helps build applications quickly and easily.

Ionic Framework uses simple technologies such as HTML and CSS to develop its web page, which creates an easy-to-use interface for developers. This is especially true since the number of developers of this framework is increasing daily.

Logic Layers The Ionic framework uses Angular, which most developers are familiar with. Therefore, it is very easy to develop mobile applications with Ionic.

and more

The Ionic framework has the right layouts for the desktop, a big advantage for desktop users. It also implements a good layout for desktop applications using a network and flexible features such as structures.

The Ionic framework using Open Web technology is not comparable to single-platform frameworks.

The web applications used in the Ionic framework are up-to-date and can be downloaded through the Play Store, which is a great advantage for developers.

Many people now use the Ionic framework, and this powerful community allows developers to ask questions and get answers quickly.

Many tutorials, books, and tutorials for the Ionic Framework help developers access all of the concepts in this framework.

The web components used in the Ionic framework help build the user interface faster than any other framework.

Commands are faster because binary changes are not in the Ionic framework.

This framework works with web technology.

Ionic Framework has a stable version that supports many programming languages ​​under Angular.

Ionic can be a powerful combination of native and web components.

Script Tag: This tag is for defining a client-side script.

The difference between the Ionic framework and other mobile development platforms

Ionic Framework uses web development components to build the user interface faster than other frameworks.

The Ionic framework supports PWA and is, therefore, operating system independent. It also has many features, such as notifications, hardware access, and offline capability که, that are not available in other frameworks.

With the Ionic framework, you can create applications that are a combination of native and web applications.

By adding a Script tag, the Ionic framework can also work with JavaScript, a feature not found in other frameworks.

The program is easy to test and run in the Ionic framework. It also costs less to develop than other frameworks.

Benefits of this framework

You can see the benefits of this attractive framework in the following list:

Ionic Framework is the first choice for developers looking for a framework that supports all Android, Windows, and IOS platforms.

Most developers know HTML, CSS, and JavaScript languages, so it will be easy to develop this framework.

The Angular framework is also integrated into Ionic, making it a good framework to use alongside JavaScript. Of course, other options exist for people who do not want to use Angular.

Ionic framework can change its appearance according to the appearance of the platform you need.

In the Ionic framework, a desktop application can be a mobile application.

It uses plugins, which will help manage the framework a lot.

Uses only one programming language for all mobile operating systems.

In addition to being front-end and using the user interface, the Ionic framework is also helpful for server-side development.

Ionic has shown that it has always been of good quality and has maintained this good quality well over time.

The graphics used in it belong to the IOS platform. So it is pleasant for those who like this style. Material Design is also available for those who do not like iOS graphics.

You can edit programs graphically in this framework, which is an interesting possibility.

The Ionic framework suggests themes for each application, so the applications’ output will not be the same.

Ionic is much faster than other frameworks.

Building applications with the Ionic framework is easier because each program does not require a separate API, and you will not need unique features to exit the program.

The cost of this framework is low despite the use of CLI.

Disadvantages of this framework

While the advantages of this framework over its advantages are almost negligible, like all other frameworks, there are disadvantages to it that you can get familiar with below:

When one code server is for all platforms, its operation may be disrupted.

Because working with each platform has a different style, it is difficult for the user to navigate between them.

Debugging and debugging applications on the native platform can be a bit difficult because some plugins are only for web components.

If your application uses hardware that has never been in plugins, the Ionic framework will not be useful for this platform.

Its graphical performance is not good enough due to the use of CSS3, so it may be a problem for newer phones than the iPhone 4.

Ionic Framework is not suitable for 3D and video game development.

Plugins do not exist for all cases, so developers must write their own code, similar to plugins for the operating system.

When comparing the performance of the Ionic framework with native applications, we see that Ionic’s performance is not as good as that of native applications.

The security of applications built on Ionic is a significant issue, especially for non-entirely reliable banking or finance applications.

Integrating applications into this framework is not as fast as running them.

Running programs built on Ionic takes longer than native programs.

What do you need to start with this framework?

For starting with the Ionic Framework, there are some basics you need to install on your system:

Node.Js: Node and NPM are for using the Ionic environment. Node.Js is the most basic platform for starting Ionic.

Android SDK: Required for developing Android applications on Windows.

XCode: You need to install XCode to run an iOS app on Windows or work on the MAC platform.

There are also several Ionic code editors, such as Ionic Studio, Atom, and WebStorm, which are for development.

Conclusion

Be sure to try the Ionic Framework. If you want to create creative applications in the shortest possible time, Ionic is your best choice. However, it is better to do more research and study its features and limitations to avoid making a wrong decision.