Designing common server side for mobile and web application

Question

I have a project where I should develop a mobile application(android) and a website. As both of them have the same database/content and functionality I want to write common sever side for mobile and web application.

Now I have two options:

1. To develop a RESTful Web service on the server side to which my android app and website(HTML/Javascript) will communicate. I think it's not a comfortable way for website development, because you have fill all HTML components value using javascript on page load.

2. Develop a web application with MVC framework (for example CodeIgniter) where each page will have two views:
   a) common HTML/CSS/Javascript page for Web site
   b) JSON data for mobile application. In this case mobile app will make a HTTP GET call to URL: www.mySite/someParameters and it'll respond JSON data as a result.

Which one is better to choose?
Or, Do you have any other suggestions?

Answer 1

I prefer build a web application in this way:

1. Web application with java Spring

2. Create a REST interface, usually with two output, JSON and XML, for example http://localhost:8080/hello and http://localhost:8080/greeting.xml

3. Use some client side framework I prefer boostrap to have a responsive layout.

4. Use an MVC client side, like knockoutjs.com.

5. AJAX calls, where I call the url /hello I map the result to knockoutjs binding, in this way I have a bidirectional binding.

6. Build a native application for Android or iPhone using the interfaces.

   I hope it can be useful