Starting off with a new piece of technology can be a bit jarring and deeply frustrating, considering how complex newer tech can be. However, today’s digital platforms also make it easy to unravel such complexities with ease. The purpose of this article is to uncover the Ionic framework, used to make mobile apps. We’ll explore what Ionic is, its features and functionalities, and how to get started if you have never used it.

What is the Ionic framework?

It is a free, open-source framework that allows you to develop mobile apps with web technologies. Basically, if you know how to work with websites, ionic can be really easy to use because it uses the same technology. It is the front-end UI framework that handles how your apps look and feel when used, with slick animations and compelling design. You can design apps using a unique base code that runs everywhere.

In the beginning, the Ionic framework was meant to work only with Angular. It is now completely agnostic of the base framework, which works well in its favor and improves functionality massively.

Typical Architecture of Ionic Apps

A typical Ionic app uses six components. These all serve important, specific roles to work with one another to give functionality to the app. These are:

1. Modules: Modules organize the entire application into cohesive blocks of functionality by wrapping up together different components, directives, etc.
2. Components: These are the basic building blocks of the user interface. The elements on the page are specified through these components and it also provides logic to the page.
3. Templates: These are used to define the component view. They are similar to HTML and look similar as well, containing similar tags. But there are some minor differences.
4. Services: As the name suggests, this is what your app is supposed to do ie. the basic function or purpose of your app.
5. Assets: These are images or JSONS used by the app.
6. External Resources: These are resources that enable the app to interact with the outside world.

The Root Folder

The root folder contains important files like:

- e2e: for end-to-end tests
- node_modules: for npm packages
- platforms: for building an app on different platforms with Cordova like iOS or android
- plugins: for required Cordova plugins
- resources: app resources like logos and splash screen
- iOS: generated when building an app for iOS using Capacitor
- android: generated when building an app for android using Capacitor
- src: the folder where the majority of the development will take place
- www: where all compiled files go
- angular.json: main file for angular CLI
- package-lock.json: handy things like npm scripts
- tsconfig.json: main configuration file

The SRC Folder

This is the largest folder that contains all the code of the app, as well as components, services, pages, and styles that we will use to build the app.

Navigation

Great user experience depends on the navigation of the app. There are several ways to accomplish this.

1. Primary navigation patterns

You can try something like persistent navigation. Menu structures like a tab menu or list menu are some examples of this. You can use cards, lists, tabs, and galleries. When a user opens an app, they will notice right away these options of primary navigation.

Transient navigation is hidden and is only revealed when a gesture is made to reveal them. In that sense, they are transient, they appear for a while and then go away. Side drawers that require the user to swipe from the edge of the screen, or a toggle menu, are some examples.

You should use either of these patterns depending on the needs of your app. If your app has multiple hierarchical options, persistent navigation is better. If the menu always needs to be visible for quicker access, again you can try persistent navigation. You can use transient navigation if these are not required.

2. Secondary navigation patterns

You need secondary navigation to navigate all the information. The primary navigation patterns can also serve as secondary options, like a tab within a tab, or tabs with a dashboard. Common patterns of secondary navigation include page swiping or scrolling tabs as well.

Designing Ionic Apps

The interface of your app is constructed through components, which are the building blocks of reusable UI elements that are made of HTML, CSS, or Javascript. Ionic framework provided you with a plethora of options such as

- Headers
- Cards
- Menus
- Badges
- Toolbars
- Modals
- Inputs
- Alerts

You can use these for your app depending on your requirements. A well-made UI design will appear pleasing to the eye while being easy to navigate as well.

Ionic also allows for grids, which is a system built for custom layouts. A grid has rows and columns contained within it, with rows being horizontal groups of columns that line up the columns properly.

You should also make sure that your app supports multiple languages in order to tap into the international market. Iconic offers LTR and RTL support for all languages, and if you are building an Ionic Angular app, you can use the ngx-translate library for it.

Your app will need icons, and Ionic provides you with pretty icons through Ionicons, an open-source icon set with more than 1200 icons. They can be used for web, iOS, Android, and desktop apps.

Making Your App Faster

An app shell can be a useful tool. It gets some initial HTML on the screen without any data in it. Mostly, this consists of the basic UI skeleton, making it more like placeholders that show where content will be once it is loaded.

App shells make the users think your app is working faster. If the initial skeleton of your UI is on the screen, followed by the content a while later, it gives the impression that it is working faster than if the UI and the content appear together after taking the exact same time. Therefore, it improves perceived performance. If users don’t see new stuff appearing regularly, they might think the app is slow. The app shell helps change that.

Conclusion

Ionic App development might be tricky at first, but such simple tools can make it easier and more friendly to use. Ionic as a framework is convenient and simple if you know basic web technology, so give it a go and see how efficient it can be!