Updated: Cloud-Based iOS and Android Tool Gets Visual Studio Extension -- Visual Studio Magazine

Updated: Cloud-Based iOS and Android Tool Gets Visual Studio Extension

Telerik's Icenium compiles HTML/JavaScript/CSS programs into their iOS and Android counterparts.

By Keith Ward
09/24/2013

Icenium is tools-maker Telerik's name for its suite of cloud-based iOS and Android development tools. The problem for some developers is that they don't want to leave the comfort of Visual Studio to work in another integrated development environment (IDE). Those developers will be happy to know that Icenium has been integrated into Visual Studio.

Telerik's Rob Lauer announced on the company's blog that a Visual Studio extension for Icenium is out. Lauer said the extension, currently in beta, has been a "high priority" for Telerik. The integration allows developers to combine Icenium's app-building functionality with Visual Studio support for features like TypeScript, source-control collaboration with Team Foundation Server (TFS) and Git, and code editing features like IntelliSense.

One important limitation to note is that currently the extension only works with Visual Studio 2012. Telerik confirmed this in response to several posters who mentioned that the extension didn't work with their copy of Visual Studio 2010.

Update: Todd Anglin, EVP of Cross-Platform Tools & Services at Telerik, responded with the following: "We will look to expand that support, particularly for Visual Studio 2013 and perhaps Visual Studio 2010, in future updates. As always, additional support will be driven by customer feedback."

In addition to the Visual Studio extension, Icenium has a Windows-based tool called Graphite, and a completely browser-based version called Mist. Once compiled, the app is pushed out to the appropriate app store for iOS or Android. Telerik also announced updates to both Mist and Graphite; Mist gets its own diff tool, and Graphite gets an update to its diff tool.

Icenium includes a device simulator to test your code and UI. The blog post says it's accessible through the "Icenium/Run [Project] in Simulator" menu option.

Icenium was originally released in October 2012. The idea behind it is that developers build mobile apps in HTML/JavaScript/CSS on local machines, then compile them to the iOS or Android runtime in the cloud.

About the Author

Keith Ward is the editor in chief of Virtualization & Cloud Review. Follow him on Twitter @VirtReviewKeith.

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