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Apache Cordova vs Django REST framework: What are the differences?
Introduction:
Apache Cordova and Django REST framework are popular frameworks used in web development. While both serve different purposes, they offer unique features and functionalities. In this comparison, we will highlight the key differences between Apache Cordova and Django REST framework.
1. Cross-platform development vs. backend development: Apache Cordova is a platform for building cross-platform mobile applications using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It allows developers to build applications that can run on multiple platforms such as Android and iOS. On the other hand, Django REST framework is a powerful tool for building APIs and backends for web applications. It provides a set of tools and libraries to facilitate the development of APIs with a focus on backend functionality.
2. User Interface vs. Data Manipulation: Apache Cordova is primarily focused on building user interfaces for mobile applications. It provides a range of UI components and tools to create interactive mobile apps. In contrast, Django REST framework focuses on data manipulation, providing features such as authentication, serialization, and database interaction. It is more suited for handling data and serving APIs rather than creating user interfaces.
3. Mobile app vs. Web app development: Apache Cordova is designed specifically for mobile app development. It provides features such as access to native device capabilities, push notifications, and offline functionality. Django REST framework, on the other hand, is more tailored towards web app development. It offers features such as session and cache management, customizable authentication, and content negotiation to build web applications.
4. Plugin ecosystem vs. Powerful ORM: Apache Cordova has a rich plugin ecosystem that allows developers to extend the functionality of their applications. Plugins can be used to access device-specific features like camera, accelerometer, and geolocation. On the other hand, Django REST framework provides a powerful Object-Relational Mapping (ORM) tool. The ORM allows developers to interact with the database in an object-oriented manner, making it easier to manage and query data.
5. JavaScript-based vs. Python-based: Apache Cordova uses JavaScript as its primary language for application development. JavaScript is a widely-used and flexible language that runs on the client-side. Django REST framework, on the other hand, is based on Python. Python is a versatile language commonly used in web development due to its readability and ease of use. This difference in language choice can impact the development process and the skills required for building applications.
6. Mobile app distribution vs. API integration: Apache Cordova provides tools for packaging and distributing mobile applications to app stores. It allows developers to create installable packages for platforms like Android and iOS. Django REST framework, on the other hand, focuses on building APIs that can be integrated into various applications. It allows developers to create robust data-driven APIs that can be consumed by different clients, such as web browsers or mobile applications.
In summary, Apache Cordova focuses on cross-platform mobile app development with a strong emphasis on the user interface, while Django REST framework is geared towards backend development, providing powerful APIs and tools for data manipulation. The choice between the two frameworks depends on the specific requirements of the project, whether it is focused on mobile app development or building APIs for web applications.
My journey to developing REST APIs started with Flask Restful, and I've found it to be enough for the needs of my project back then. Now that I've started investing more time on personal projects, I've yet to decide if I should move to use Django for writing REST APIs. I often see job posts looking for Python+Django developers, but it's usually for full-stack developers. I'm primarily interested in Data Engineering, so most of my web projects are back end.
Should I continue with what I know (Flask) or move on to Django?
If you want to be a Web developer with knowledge in another frontend and NoSql technology, maybe continue with Flask. However, if you want to create very fast solutions to grow up with a new business and merge these with data analysis and other tools, Django is the answer. Basically read more about the service architecture where you feel more comfortable, Microservice or Monolithic, but please will not married with any because they solve issues to different contexts.
I have just started learning Python 3 weeks ago. I want to create a REST API using python. The API will be used to save form data in an Oracle database. The front end is using AngularJS 8 with Angular Material. In python, there are so many frameworks to develop REST APIs.
I am looking for some suggestions which REST framework to choose?
Here are some features I am looking for:
Easy integration and unit testing, like in Angular. We just want to run a command.
Code packaging, like in java maven project we can build and package. I am looking for something which I can push in as an artifact and deploy whole code as a package.
Support for swagger/ OpenAPI
Support for JSON Web Token
Support for test case coverage report
Framework can have features included or can be available by extension. Also, you can suggest a framework other than the ones I have mentioned.
For starters flask provides a beautiful and easy way to create REST APIs. Also its supported by excellent beginner docs as well as a very active community. Another good thing with Flask is its widely available list of plugins which allow you to build as you go. Its also good in performance and can scale to a quite decent level. However, if you are sure your project is going to be fairly big, it would be better to start with Django as it provides a lot of features out of the box and is extremely stable in performance. Both these frameworks have support for Swagger, JWT, Coverage Report although you have to install plugins for them. Deploying both of these are fairly simple and there is huge documentation available. Django has one of the best documentations I have come across. I hope I was able to answer your queries.
I've done some Hybrid Mobile apps with both technologies Apache Cordova and React Native and described my experience in my blog.
In a few words, I would suggest to use each technology in accordance what what is your current code base and what do you want to achieve.
React Native is a great option if you need that extra edge in performance with multi-threading and native UI rendering. Or you already have a web app based on React which you want to port to mobile.
On the other hand, if you have an existing web application code and you want to reuse some or all, including the ability to use web third-party libraries, then Cordova is the best option.
Proguard?
ProGuard is the most popular optimizer for Java bytecode. It makes your Java and Android applications up to 90% smaller and up to 20% faster. ProGuard also provides minimal protection against reverse engineering by obfuscating the names of classes, fields and methods.
How to use it inCordova app?
I didn't find any plugins for it. So I've implemented it by myself and shared it on GitHub.
Feel free to use!
Pros of Apache Cordova
- Lots of plugins48
- JavaScript35
- Great community26
- Easy Development25
- Easy to learn18
- Cross platform15
- Open Source7
- Easy, fast, not buggy in my experience with my code6
- Lots of descendants; PhoneGap, Ionic, Intel XDA etc6
- Can use CSS34
- Rich HTML 54
- Easy debugging4
- HTML, CSS and JS3
- Fast and hot reload3
- Rich css ui3
- Use what you code in your browser3
- Need a light system2
- Native Web Technologies2
- Without extra tooling needed2
- One code base everywhere2
Pros of Django REST framework
- Easy to use66
- Browsable api65
- Great documentation53
- Customizable50
- Fast development42
- Easy to use, customizable, pluggable, serializer9
- Python8
- Django ORM7
- FastSerialize5
- Less code3
- Easy implementation2
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Cons of Apache Cordova
- No native performance2
- Hard to install1
- Hard to install0
Cons of Django REST framework
- Bad documentation2
- Reimplements Django functionality2
- No support for URL Namespaces1
- Bad CSRF handling0
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