PhoneGap lets you create an HTML/JavaScript application for any phone that it supports. The latest version includes support, not only for Windows Phone 7,  but also for 7.5, Mango.

PhoneGap is a clever idea. It's a, open-source framework that lets you use HTML and JavaScript to develop apps for mobile devices. Nothing new so far. The clever part is that it overcomes the problems that non-native apps have in not being able to access native APIs, such as the GPS or the camera. The way that it does this is to simply provide a JavaScript library with calls that interface to the native API. So with PhoneGap you can create an HTML/JavasScript application that runs on any phone - as long as PhoneGap supports it.

Until now one notable exception from the list of supported phone was Windows Phone 7.  Now PhoneGap not only has WP7 support, but the very latest Mango release is the target.

To make use of it you need Visual Studio and the WP7 SDK, but the free Express version also works. A new PhoneGap application type is provided as a project template. The target browser is IE9 rather than a webkit derived browser but essentially everything should work in the same way as for other WebKit/PhoneGap supported phones.

Currently the system supports:

• Accelerometer
• Camera
• Compass (almost)
• Contacts
• Events (partial, still underway)
• GeoLocation
• MediaCapture
• Connection
• Notification

• File
• Storage

There are still some problems and omissions, but for a first version it is looking good and closes the only major hole in PhoneGap support.

More Information

Code: https://github.com/phonegap/phonegap-wp7 Information: http://bit.ly/PhoneGapMangoIntro

Phonegap

Related article:

PhoneGap 1.0 - the smart way to create apps?

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