Cross-Platform Application Template

IMPORTANT NOTE: I moved this template to https://github.com/appcelerator-developer-relations/Template.Hierarchical-Navigation, so make sure you check there for updates. I won't be updating this one.

I originally created this template for my talk at ConnectJS 2014.

The template provides the necessary scaffolding to implement platform-specific containers, with content reusability. This is how it works:

• Index.xml is an empty view
• Index.js picks up the request and loads the "home" controller
• The "home" controller is platform specific, so you have two versions: /views/ios/home.xml and /views/android/home.xml. Alloy picks up the right one for the platform.
• Home.xml "Requires" the "sharedhome" controller
• Home.js is a single cross-platform controller used by either one of the home.xml files. From here we can "talk" to the "sharedhome" files, effectively providing platform-specific containers with shared content

Important to keep in mind

This template project is using platform-specific folders to organize your main app containers and keep them in separate places. This practice is perfectly fine for the main container. For all other windows I recommend you keep your code in a single View file and use the platform attribute, for example:

<Alloy>
  <Window backgroundColor="#fff">

    <!-- this tag is Android-only -->
    <ActionBar platform="android" title="Window Title"/>

    <!-- this tag is iOS-only -->
    <Toolbar platform="ios" title="Window Title" top="20">
      <Items>
        <FlexSpace/>
        <Label id="wintitle">Window Title</Label>
        <FlexSpace/>
      </Items>
    </Toolbar>

  </Window>
</Alloy>

The same thing goes for your controllers, where you can use platform variables like:

if (OS_IOS){
  // do some iOS stuff
}else if (OS_ANDROID){
  // do some Android stuff
}

Versions

1.1

• iPad and Android Tablet checks

1.0

• Initial release

Sigthings

• Aaron Saunders is using this template for the app in Chapter 3 of his Alloy book.

Using Studio?

My buddy Andrew McElroy of CodexLabs turned this template into an Aptana Ruble that can be integrated into Studio, allowing you to select the template at the time of project creation.

NOTE: home.js includes ActionBarExtras to help you easily customize the ActionBar without the need for custom ActionBar Styles

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Licensed under the terms of the MIT License