1 / 23

Developing Integrated Mobile Web Applications

Developing Integrated Mobile Web Applications. Jeff Foust jfoust@alum.mit.edu http://www.jfoust.com/web2001. Purpose. Think about the challenges of developing mobile web apps A look at one approach for mobile web apps See samples of approach you can use today. Outline.

chaela
Download Presentation

Developing Integrated Mobile Web Applications

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Developing IntegratedMobile Web Applications Jeff Foust jfoust@alum.mit.edu http://www.jfoust.com/web2001

  2. Purpose • Think about the challenges of developing mobile web apps • A look at one approach for mobile web apps • See samples of approach you can use today

  3. Outline • The challenges of mobile applications • One approach for developing mobile applications • One example: WAP • Another example: PalmOS

  4. The Challenges of Mobile Applications • Low bandwidth • Small display size • Connectivity issues • User input issues

  5. Challenge:Low Bandwidth • PCs access at speeds from 56k to T1 and beyond • Wireless devices limited to 19.2k, often less • 2.5G and 3G hold promise for the future, but be prepared to wait...

  6. Challenge:Small Displays • PCs have large displays, resolutions of 800x600 pixels and up • Handhelds (PalmOS and PocketPC) from 160x160 to 320x320 pixels • WAP phones may offer just a few lines of text

  7. Challenge: Connectivity • PCs have little trouble obtaining and maintaining a connection (other than busy signals) • Mobile connectivity spotty, with dead zones, limited coverage areas, etc.

  8. Challenge: User Input • PCs offer rich input devices: large keyboards, mice, etc. • Mobile devices limited to tiny keypads, stylus input (Graffiti): slower and more error-prone

  9. So what does this mean? • The web browser has emerged as the primary interface between users and applications on PCs • This model will not work well on handheld devices given the challenges outlined previously

  10. However... • Why do we have to treat mobile devices as another platform for running a web browser? • These devices are not dumb terminals: they can run a wide range of other apps

  11. Another model • Don’t take information from or display to a browser • Instead, transfer information directly to and from the relevant applications: • Phone numbers in address book • Schedules in date book • Et cetera...

  12. Example 1:A WAP phone book • One of the canonical examples of a WAP application is looking up a phone number • Such apps display phone numbers on the screen… • ...but if you’re looking up a number on your phone, you probably want to make a call!

  13. Turning phone numbers into links • Wireless Telephony Application Interface (WTAI) • Extensions to WAP • Offers support to initiate phone calls, access internal phone book, etc. • Supported by some, but not all, phones

  14. How it works <go href=“wtai://wp/mc;6175551234”/> wtai: URL protocol wp: a public WTAI library mc: initiate a phone call (think “mobile call”) 6175551234: the phone number (note no punctuation in the form of ()/-.+ etc.)

  15. Notes • Not supported by all microbrowsers • Similar technique exists for entering data into a phone’s internal phone book, but even less widely supported

  16. Example 2: A PalmOS scheduling app • Web Clipping Applications (PQAs) are a common way to provide access to web applications for wireless PalmOS devices • PQAs can also insert data into applications, with a little effort

  17. What’s needed • PalmOS device with Web Clipping support: • Palm VII/VIIx • Palm/Visor with OmniSky modem • Palm with Mobile Internet Kit • PQA development tools • iKnapsack and AddPalmData plugin

  18. How it works • Web Clipping supports palm and palmcall URL methods: • palm: launch specified application • palmcall:launch app in background • These can’t transfer data into native core apps but can into third-party apps

  19. How it works (con’t) • Format data to transfer to iKnapsack • iKnapsack then transfers data to appropriate application and displays message

  20. Formatting data for iKnapsack: an example palmcall:iSAK.appl?iPLG=iADD&type=1&desc=Sample Event&date=2001-09-08&start=10:30&end=12:00 This creates an event titled “Sample Event” that starts at 10:30 am on September 8, 2001 and ends at 12:00 pm for entry into the Date Book

  21. Other notes • iKnapsack supports: • Address Book • Date Book • Memo Pad • To Do List • Expense • No support for third-party applications, though

  22. Other Solutions • OmniSky OneTap • XML-based solution for two-way data transfer • Works on OmniSky network, but with wider range of devices (PPC) • Coola • Various solutions for sync and wireless information transfer into PalmOS applications

  23. Conclusions • Integrating web applications with mobile applications has many benefits • It is possible to start doing this now, in rudimentary ways • More advanced and sophisticated integration techniques should be possible soon

More Related