Micro-Apps-Node-Browsers-Phones-Electron.txt

NodeSummit, San Francisco, CA, Thu 28 Jul 2016

Micro-Apps with Node.js, Browsers, Phones (Cordova), and Electron

Michael Dawson, Senior Software Developer, IBM
Node.js collaborator, CTC member
@mhdawson1

Interested in IoT, CTI, and small apps.
Using RPi as bridge to HTTP.
Distributed team, spending lots of time on phone.
Use API on Cisco phone.
Solution - Node.js.
SPA, single page application.
Node.js server.
Presentation in browser.
Remotely accessible.
Deploy to cloud.
Use Node on phone, browser, desktop.
GitHub mhdawson micro-app-framework.
Config, authentication, encryption (SSL), templates, popups.
MQTT server, data streaming from sensors.
serverjs, connect to MQTT server.
Used to create several micro-apps.
Motion alarm takes picture, sends SMS message.
But browser bar is annoying.
For security, browsers force keeping that.
Prompt to allow popups is annoying.
Have to remember URLs.
Solution - Electron.io.
No popups.
No browser bar.
Position on startup.
No URL to remember.
Binary package possible.
GitHub mhdawson micro-app-electron-launcher.
Auto open all micro apps.
Can ignore certificate errors in code.
Does not require much code to convert web app to desktop app.
Apache Cordova, mobile solution, uses Node.js.
Looks very native.
Cross-platform mobile apps.
A little more work than electron since take it all the way to APK.
Lots of Cordova is written in Java.
Can intercept and ack the certificate warning.
Not much code needed for mobile app.
Where to deploy micro-app server?
IBM Bluemix.
Use face recognition to not alarm when particular people come in.
Use face recognition from Watson.
Twilio for SMS.