Back in March we spoke about how AEM Mobile can bring a fresh approach to mobile apps. AEM Mobile combines Adobe’s Digital Publishing Suite with PhoneGap. This combination creates a mobile solution that provides easy app maintenance with native functionality.
Adobe has brought multiple new features to AEM Mobile in the last six months. We’ve highlighted the more significant features that showcase the best of AEM Mobile.
AEM Mobile Developer Tool
In May, Adobe released the AEM Mobile Developer Tool. This utility assists developers with efficient workflows for the Cordova extensibility features. The tool can create AEM Mobile projects, add content, and integrate with device simulators. The addition of this tool has simplified developing and testing the Cordova features.
PDFs and External Links
Throughout June, the AEM Mobile updates enhanced articles and content navigation. PDFs can now be utilized to create AEM Mobile articles. Adobe has provided a number of options for PDFs such as smooth scrolling, pagination, and horizontal swiping. PDFs support internal and external links, but other interactive elements are not yet available.
In a later June release, Adobe added the support for external links in HTML Articles. By using a specific format, articles can now open content on the device browser. See Adobe’s page on Hyperlinks for more information on functionality and link format.
Custom Authentication
The new Custom Authentication functionality gives greater control of security and user experience. A sign-in form can now display in a full-screen web view or embedded in an article. New authentication APIs give the flexibility to authenticate from any article or web view. Additionally, a single application can now support multiple authentication methods.
Custom Cordova Plugins
One of the most significant updates so far is the ability to add custom Cordova plugins to AEM Mobile. Plugins can now be added from either the Cordova Plugin Registry or from a local machine. The AEM Mobile Developer Tool was also updated to build and for test custom Cordova plugins.
Moving Froward
With the addition of these updates, AEM Mobile is showing great promise as a mobile solution. Perficient is extremely excited to try out these latest updates. Stay tuned for more exciting news on AEM Mobile. Check out our Patient Engagement POC we created in only five weeks using AEM Mobile.
