In December 2013, Intel announced its plans to push its latest Intel XDK NEW to the mainstream by making it the official Intel XDK version and inviting all developers to migrate from the previous one by the end of February 2014. Let's look at what Intel XDK is and what is new in its latest release.
Intel's stated goal with its Intel XDK is helping HTML5 "reach its promise of a true cross-platform, responsive, run-anywhere language and runtime, and which is based on standards".(Read the official announcement here) It comprises an HTML5 Development Environment and a couple of Cloud Services to enable the creation of hybrid iOS and Android apps ready to be submitted to different App Stores.
The main goal of the original Intel XDK, based on appMobi, was supporting a full spectrum of features and services that are key to the deployment of mobile apps nowadays: cross platform push messaging, app promotion, in-app purchasing, live app updates, integrated analytics, game API services, and backend as a service.
Intel XDK NEW, announced in October 2013, represent a significant leap forward offering several desktop-based tools aiming at reducing development time.
Specifically, it includes a UI builder called "App Designer" supporting several frameworks (including jQuery Mobile, Twitter Bootstrap, and App Framework); a code editor, called "Brackets", natively managing all the files generated through App Designer; and a device emulator based on Ripple which also support Cordova 2.9 besides appMobi own device APIs, allowing to create, test, emulate, debug, and build Cordova-based apps.
Furthermore, Intel XDK NEW is independent on Java or any specific browser features and runs on OS X, Windows, and Ubuntu Linux.
The latest release of the Intel XDK focuses on improving support for development for Android 4.x by adding the ability to download your code to an Android device and then test/debug your app using the Intel XDK's debugger; and by adding the ability to profile an app at runtime to find bottlenecks and improve responsiveness.
The Intel XDK can be accessed through the Intel Developer Zone.
