is an open-source mobile application development framework that enables developers to build cross-platform apps using standard web technologies like HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript
originally created by Nitobi Software in 2008 as PhoneGap
it was acquired by Adobe in 2011 and later donated to the Apache Software Foundation, where it was rebranded as Apache Cordova in 2012 to ensure open-source governance
works by wrapping web applications in a native container that uses a WebView (such as Android’s WebView or iOS’ UIWebView) to render the user interface. This allows web apps to function like native apps, with access to device features like the camera, GPS, accelerometer, file system, and microphone through a unified JavaScript API. Developers extend functionality via plugins, which bridge JavaScript code with native device APIs