The chapters move from the thinnest layer over the web to fully native code. One app, BookNest, a small bookshop with a catalog, book details, reading notes and a cart, uses the same six books in every chapter, so you can compare the same screens built five ways.
| Chapter | Approach | Version used | BookNest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Cordova 129 | Hybrid runtime | CLI 13.0.0 | A simple version, wrapped and signed |
| 2 Framework7 572,986 | Web UI framework | 9.1.3 | Built with iOS and Material components |
| 3 React Native 36,878 | Cross-platform | Expo SDK 57 6,418 | Rebuilt with native views |
| 4 Capacitor 243,123 | Hybrid runtime | 8.5.2 | The Framework7 version, packaged |
| 5 Android with Kotlin | Native | Kotlin 2.4 | Rebuilt with Jetpack Compose 234 |
Cordova sets up the Android toolchain the later chapters reuse. React Native uses Expo, the kind of framework the React Native documentation recommends for new apps, and Android with Kotlin teaches Kotlin before Compose. Each chapter ends with ten "Test Yourself!" questions, answered in the last appendix.