Is it possible to create, package and successfully submit HTML5 apps to the app store?

Hello everyone and thanks for reading...

I'm a Mono / Web developer and was recently talking to an Apple guy regarding development on the iPhone and iPad. Now I know that Objective C / XCode is the heavy hitter for development on these platforms; however, I'm pretty sure he mentioned (and showed me) a HTML5 application he had created that while basic was mildly functional on his iPad.

Skip ahead a couple of weeks and I've been asked to check out the feasibility of taking of chunks of a client's 'pay-per-view' website and creating a offline version that can be purchased via (and presumably distributed by ) the Apple app store. Anyhoo, I've been trying to find 100% confirmation that this is possible and I'm turning to dev boards to see whether I can get a definitive answer to the following...

Can I create a HTML5 application (essentially an offline portion of a client's website) for the iPhone / iPad that can be uploaded and distributed by the Apple app store?

And (assuming the above is OK) are there are restrictions or things I need to be aware of, i.e. it is fairly content rich but will include images and poss a few small videos.

Thanks

Will Apple definitely allow this sort of thing, ie. not reject it? Sounds sweet if it's true!

Sunday Ironfoot 2010-07-06 09:27:03

Also is it possible to just have the browser window (WebView) simply point at a URL, rather than bundle the HTML/CSS etc. as part of the App Store App, but host all that stuff yourself? I'm thinking: build an HTML5 web application, optimise it for iPad/iPhones, submit it to the App Store via the WebView trick. Would this be possible?

Sunday Ironfoot 2010-07-06 09:31:11

It could be possible, what I do not get is why do you want to submit it in the first place if you want to host it yourself and do not want offline access? Then just write a normal web app and implement a login and payment routine yourself. Let them use the normal browser to access it,

GorillaPatch 2010-07-06 11:58:03

@GorillaPatch Because the App Store is an great centralised distribution mechanism, with excellent discoverability (people love their Apps). The web doesn't really have an equivalent other than buying some Google AdWords, or Tweeting/Facebooking it to death in the hope that it'll spread. Even Google realise this and are building their own Web App Store into their Chrome Browser and Chromium OS. Look at Apple statistics and more people were using Apps on their iPhones in 2009 than browsing the web.

Sunday Ironfoot 2010-07-06 12:05:34

@Sunday Ironfoot That is true.

GorillaPatch 2010-07-06 12:18:35

Awesome stuff. TBH I've been looking at Appcelerator Titanium package that sounds like it is doing the business - although it sounds remarkably like a packaged version of what you've suggested here rather than a direct compilation into native code.

SeanCocteau 2010-07-08 14:01:09

Yes the Titanium package does the packaging. It has some additional APIs to mediate between the js and the objective-C world, but it is essentially the same thing.

GorillaPatch 2010-07-09 13:39:12

@SeanCocteau If this answer works for you, could you please mark my answer with the large green hook. Thanks.

GorillaPatch 2010-07-30 09:51:34

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Is it possible to create, package and successfully submit HTML5 apps to the app store?

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