Writing a HTML5 Client from scratch is a tedious job. Anything that can lighten the burden is more than welcome.

After seeing a presentation of Lightswitch, a Visual Studio plug-in, I was surprised how easy it was to create and customize a HTML5 Client with only javascript and jQuery. The next logical question that popped in my mind was: 'Can I use this for my drupal sites?'

This presentation describes how I got started using Lightswitch for creating a HTML5 Client for my personal blog. As it turns out, there are a few options to connect to your drupal data, each with their advantages and disadvantages.

Next I cover how to customize the User Interface. As the Client is HTML5 and includes jQuery Mobile, a wide range of mobile widgets is available. Integration of third-party libraries is possible for a better user experience.

During the presentation, there will be demos showing how helpful Lightswitch is when creating an HTML5 Client. I will also point advantages and disadvantages using this technology in combination with Drupal.

A basic understanding of Javascript and jQuery is convenient to follow along, but not required.

This talk is based on a previous talk at Drupalcamp Leuven, Belgium. Some more examples will be included as well some results about the combination Lightswitch-Drupal 8. Slides can be found at https://speakerdeck.com/pjdrouillon/drupalcamp-leuven-2013 . The original session is at the moment not available as www.drupalcamp.be is down.