What is Toko?
Toko is an open-source mobile app development platform that allows you to build native iOS and Android apps using web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It provides a unified codebase to target both platforms instead of having to build separate native apps.
Under the hood, Toko utilizes Apache Cordova to package the web code into native wrappers that can be deployed to app stores. Some key features include:
- Write once, deploy to both iOS and Android
- Access native device capabilities like camera, GPS, etc via Cordova plugins
- Live reload to see changes instantly without rebuilding
- Extensive widget and theme support for quick UI development
- Built-in authentication and external service integration
- Tools for debugging, remote logging, splash screens, icons
- Active community behind open-source development
Toko allows web developers to use their existing skills to build mobile apps. The learning curve is less steep compared to native platforms. It trades some performance for quicker development cycles and cross-platform reach. For many apps, it provides a good middle ground before needing to go fully native.