I am getting started with building "hybrid" mobile apps using Cordova and AngularJS with Ionic. I am able to build out a sample app by creating the html, js and css files locally and running these in a browser using file:// url's. This works fine, and when ready I can run the cordova build process and run the app in the android emulator or deploy the apk to my device. This all works fine for my simple demo apps. But now as I start to build out an app which will use an Angular service to either load JSON from local storage (if offline), or load the JSON from a remote REST API, I am running into problems. As I am developing, opening the app from a file url (file://myapp/index.html) will result in the browser not being able to make an http call to the REST service (different origins, etc).
This seems to be a very basic issue - so my question is, how do others develop and test Cordova apps in general? Do you always develop with the "www" files on a web server, like Node? If so, does the issue of http:// requests from file:// url's become a problem when you use those files in the Cordova app?
CORRECTION: I am able to access remote REST services from a page on the local file system, as long as the remote service includes "Access-Control-Allow-Origin" header. So, I think that answers my question. I can develop with all of my html and js on local file system, have the JS make remote calls, and test by running in a browser using file:// url's. But is this generally the development environment in which you would develop a Cordova/PhoneGap app?
For Cordova apps, I start development locally on my machine with Chrome. I have to run Chrome with disabled security (allowing cross origin).
On OSX, you can run Chrome with security disabled by running the following terminal command (make sure Chrome is fully closed first).
/Applications/Google\ Chrome.app/Contents/MacOS/Google\ Chrome --disable-web-security --allow-file-access-from-files
Once I get to a point where I need to start integrating Cordova Plugins, I then build out the Cordova project and test with an Android tablet (the Android emulator is horrible). For remote web debugging on Android, I use weinre.
I never personally build out or test my code on a web server, it's always local on my desktop or mobile device. I make all web service calls via jQuery's Ajax.
I can recommed Intel XDK ( fromer app mobi) http://xdk-software.intel.com/
It has a good emulator(s) on desktop and can It works fine with ionic framework and angular extensions ( just comment out the cordova.js script and add intelxdk.js
<!--<script src="cordova.js"></script>-->
<script src='intelxdk.js'></script>
It can also cloud test with a wrapper app and cloud build for appstores
Works fine so far so I can recommend this
I like AppGyvers ( sterois) platform too but it does not work so good on android yet
There are many hybrid app development tools out there. However, if you are looking for developing a hybrid app (phonegap + angularJS + backend), I would like to recommend Monaca. I've just recently discover it. It is very cool since it has phonegap inside its framework and its own backend. Moreover, it also has a UI framework called OnsenUI which is based on Topcoat and AngularJS.
It also provides native components to use in your hybrid apps. What is impressive about it, you don't even need to build and install your app to your device everytime during development. That's what I love the most about this.
I hope it helps since I think it is just like what you are asking for. I'm just a novice developer and I find it is very easy to use.
take a look to visual studio tools for cordova cordova-vs, it include ripple emulator and a lot of good stuf
update:
i recently found this ide neodym , it looks promising