FAQ
General Questions
Where can I see examples of what Tabris.js can do?
To see examples of widgets and layouts, download the Developer App and head over to the Playground to run (and edit) any of the many snippets showcasing Tabris.js APIs.
Is the framework open source?
The JavaScript part of the framework is fully open sourced. The native client implementations are closed-source, but free. The source code of the native clients is available for organization customers.
Does Tabris.js use HTML?
No, unlike a regular Cordova app, the UI created by Tabris.js apps consists of truly native components.
What platforms and platform versions are supported by Tabris.js?
The following table shows the minimum supported version of each supported platform.
| Android | iOS | Windows | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tabris.js 1.x | 4.1 | 8 | N/A |
| Tabris.js 2.x | 4.2 | 9 | 10 |
| Tabris.js 3.x | 5.0 | 11 | N/A |
Can the same Tabris.js app really run on both iOS and Android?
Yes. Tabris.js maps JavaScript widgets to native widgets which lets you create a distinctive UI and user experience on all supported platforms. Unlike HTML based apps, it does not look the same on each platform. Instead it matches the native styles of each platform.
Can I create “modern” (UWP) Windows / Windows Mobile apps with Tabris.js?
You can with Tabris.js 2.x. Tabris.js 3.x does not provide support for the Universal Windows Platform. If you represent an organization interested in Windows app development based on Tabris.js, please contact our support.
Does Tabris.js compile JavaScript to native code?
No, the JavaScript code is executed directly on the mobile device inside a JavaScript engine. However, if you use TypeScript and/or JSX, your code is first “compiled” to pure ES6 JavaScript in an extra build step.
What’s the relationship between Cordova/PhoneGap and Tabris.js
Tabris.js uses Cordova in two ways:
- To access native APIs via Cordova plugins and
- To build apps via the Cordova build system
One way to put it is “Tabris.js is Cordova with native widgets instead of HTML”. The Tabris.js developers have no affiliation with the Apache Software Foundation.
What Cordova platform versions is Tabris.js based on?
| Android | iOS | Windows | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tabris.js 1.x | 5.2.2 | 4.5.4 | N/A |
| Tabris.js 2.x | 6.2 - 6.3 | 4.5.4 - 6.2.0 | 5.0.0 |
| Tabris.js 3.x | 8.0 - 11.0 | 6.2.0 | N/A |
Is Tabris.js based on Java?
No, that would be “Tabris for RAP”, the sister project of Tabris.js.
What kind of apps can be developed with Tabris.js?
Tabris.js is suitable for all kind of apps that rely on native UI components. It’s not optimized for apps that rely heavily on sophisticated 2D/3D graphics or CPU intensive tasks, such as games.
Development
Do I need to have prior mobile development or JavaScript experience?
Some entry-level JavaScript (or TypeScript) knowledge is recommended. Everything else is described in our documentation.
Do I need to download any SDKs?
No. As a matter of fact, using the Developer App you can experience Tabris.js coding via the Tabris.js Playground without any further setup what so ever. If you want to get serious, your development machine can be set up in minutes.
What APIs does Tabris.js support?
Tabris.js provides a JavaScript/TypeScript API to indirectly create and control native UIs. It also offers modern EcmaScript features, file system and printer support, and some well known browser APIs, such as fetch, WebSocket, localStorage and Worker. Additional native functionality like device sensors, camera or notifications are available as Cordova plugins. You can also write your own Cordova plug-ins and native custom widgets.
Does Tabris.js support declarative UI?
Yes, via JSX.
How to use the “nightly” Tabris.js build?
If you want to keep up with the latest developments in Tabris.js, you can consume Tabris.js from the dist tag "nightly". In your package.json, set the dependency for the tabris module to "nightly" or run npm install tabris@nightly. You then have to build the app using the Tabris CLI. The Developer Apps from the stores may not work with nightly builds of the tabris module.
How can I build my apps locally?
You can use the Tabris CLI to build Tabris.js apps on your machine. This also requires the SDKs for the respective platform (e.g. the Android SDK for Android).
Is Tabris.js 100% compatible with Cordova plug-ins?
No, plug-ins that access the DOM of an HTML page won’t work because Tabris.js uses a native UI. However, many Cordova plug-ins that provide access to device functions such as sensors will work out of the box.
How can I test Cordova plug-ins?
You can test several prepackaged plug-ins directly from the Tabris.js developer app. These include camera, device motion and more (see Default Plug-ins).
In order to test additional plug-ins you will need to add them to your config.xml and build the app. If you enable the debug option you can still side load newer app code via the developer tool bar without re-building the entire app.
Can I create my own native plugins?
Yes. If your plugin has no need for UI elements you may want to develop a conventional cordova plug-in first and then install it your Tabris.js app. If is needs UI elements, see Custom Widget Development.
Payment
Is Tabris.js free?
Yes, you can get the Cordova platforms that you need to build a fully-fledged Tabris.js app for free.
Android-specific Questions
How can I add additional Android manifest permissions?
If you are using Cordova plug-ins, the plug-ins themselves are responsible for adding all necessary permissions, in which case you don’t need to handle them at all.
If you are targeting pre Android 6 devices and you need to modify permissions yourself at build time, you can create a build hook (official Cordova hooks guide).
iOS-specific Questions
My app gets stuck on “Installing” stage when I submit it to the App Store?
You have to use an app store provisioning profile if you want to submit the app to iTunes connect for verification. Otherwise use an ad hoc profile to run the app on your devices.
My app builds correctly when using “debug”, but fails in release mode. What can I do?
Make sure that you have downloaded the right certificate and provisioning profile from developer.apple.com. The certificate should be for “Production” use and the provisioning profile for “Distribution”. Then upload the provisioning profile with the corresponding p12 file at tabrisjs.com.
