A new web-based development platform for the iPhone is set to be released soon and this will change the playing ground for hundreds of developers (and wannabe developers) around the world. As an open source project, the platform known as WidgetPad will allow web developers to create iPhone applications even if they only have knowledge in web-based code.

This is software that will definitely level the developer’s playing field as it allows web developers to write applications using web-based codes and then transferring them to standalone apps that can be used on the iPhone (2G, 3G, and 3GS) or the iPod Touch (1st Gen, 2nd Gen, and possibly the 3rd Gen).

And if that’s not enough, the creators of WidgetPad are promising that this is just the beginning. Here is a rundown of the some of the features one can expect from this new open-source platform:

• The creation of web-based applications that can utilize the iPhones hardware capabilities
• An environment that will help a developer to learn HTML 5
• An open source environment which means that additional features can be added by merely requesting for them from the development team behind WidgetPad
• Applications can be written within WidgetPad and be published directly to the iPhone, with other mobile platforms coming soon
• Source code editing for JavaScript, HTML and CSS (with syntax highlighting)

WidgetPad again is a web-based development kit that will enhance web-developer’s skills in creating fully-interactive, stand-alone, downloadable iPhone (and future SmartPhone) applications in HTML 5, CSS3 and Javascript languages. There are no tools that need to be downloaded as one can work directly from his or her browser. Not special languages, development tools or platform-specific API’s need to be learned either. WidgetPad even goes so far to provide a project management, source code-editing, debugging, collaboration, versioning and distribution solution that developers can really take advantage of.

But the most interesting thing about this is that one can create an iPhone application without having to learn Cocoa Touch or Objective C. Porting the apps to other platforms will most probably be simple as well. With the arrival of WidgetPad, the increase of an already thriving iPhone developer community is inevitable. Get more information from http://widgetpad.com/. Also sign up as a developer and try out the WidgetPad pre-beta version before it is released to the public. This is one tool that will certainly rule them all.