Building Mobile Apps with Rhodes

1. Building Mobile Apps with Rhodes Adam Blum adam@rhomobile.com

2. The Rhomobile Mission Mobilize enterprise apps… cost-effectively with a great user experience. • provide the high level productivity and portability of web programming • with device optimization and offline capability of “native mobile apps” • open source for rapid adoption by developers

3. Platform Overview • Rhodes • “microframework” for building locally executing natively optimized mobile apps • Developers run app generator for their objects of interest and then edit HTML templates • Contains first mobile Ruby implementation • RhoSync • Sync focused on web service data (needed in the age of SaaS)

4. The Rhodes Microframework • a minimalist Ruby implementation for mobile devices • a Model-View-Controller "microframework" that consists of a directory structure and file naming convention. Writing to this framework primarily consists of editing a set of ERB templates for creating HTML to display data • the RhoSync synchronization engine client • a simple object relational manager (ORM) called Rhom • a web server which is installed on the mobile device and runs locally • The RhoGen app generator

5. Sample Rhodes Apps • Rhomobile provides small set of enterprise apps • CRM - subset of SugarCRM’s capabilities: syncing to opportunities, contacts to device • Field service – Siebel field service • third party apps • TrailGuide (Basecamp) will release in a couple months • small number of vendors will accept GPL license • their source will be published on rhohub.com • highlight best of breed examples in several verticals: field service/MRO, medical, scientific

6. Building a Rhodes App • Get your data (RhoSync) • Generate a sync source • Define your sync source adapter code • Test it from the web page • Generator your app (RhoGen) • Generate an app (in the Rhodes \apps subdirectory for now) • Generate a model and scaffold code • Develop your app (Ruby/HTML editor of choice) • Edit your model controllers • Edit your HTML templates (ERB file) • Build, test, deploy (development environment for device) • Build your app • Test your app • Make available for download (or post to App Store)

7. RhoSync Architecture RhoSync Server Siebel SOAP SalesForce SOAP SugarCRM your app SOAP Rhodes runtime BaseCamp REST other app backends REST

8. Defining a Rhosync Source • Provide a Source Adapter class with • login- authentication code for the backend • query - retrieve or read's objects from the backend source • sync - take apart these objects and put them into a "property bag” • create • update • delete • logoff – not always necessary

9. Generated Source Adapter Class • class <%=name%> < SourceAdapter • def initialize(source) • super • end • def login • #TODO: Write some code here • end • def query • # TODO: write some code here • end • def sync • # usually the generic base class sync does the job • super • end • def create(name_value_list) • #TODO: write some code here • end • def update(name_value_list) • #TODO: write some code here • end • def delete(name_value_list) • #TODO: write some code here if applicable • end • def logoff • #TODO: write some code here if applicable • end • end

10. Sample Rhosync Source Query select_fields = ['name','case_number','priority','status','type','description','resolution'] result = client.get_entry_list(session_id,'Cases','','case_number',0,select_fields,'10000',0);

11. Generate Your App • Generate your app • rhogen app accountapp • Creates • application.rb • index.html • Generate your model • cd accountapp • rhogen model account http://rhosync.rhohub.com/sources/1 1 name,industry • Creates • controller.rb • config.rb • index.erb • new.erb • edit.erb

12. Edit A View <form title="Edit Account" class="panel" id="account_edit_form" method="POST" action="<%=url_for('update')%>"> <fieldset> <input type="hidden" name="id" value="<%=@account.object%>"/> <div class="row"> <label>Name: </label> <input type="text" name="account[name]" value="<%=@account.name%>"/> </div> <div class="row"> <label>Industry: </label> <select name="account[industry]"> <%@industries.each do |i|%> <option value=<%=i%> <%if @account.industry==i%> selected<%end%>><%=i%> </option> <%end%> </select> </div> </fieldset> <input type="submit" value="Update"/> </form>

13. Build/Test On Your Favorite Device

14. Platform Status • 0.1 operational on iPhone, Windows Mobile and RIM Blackberry today • Sample apps for SugarCRM and Siebel Field Service • All open source • github.com/rhomobile • rhomobile.lighthouseapp.com • 0.2 at end of December • Better build process • Faster sync • Faster startup • Symbian • Settable source (already checked in) • PIM access

15. 0.3 Release • February 2009 • Hosted services (i.e. app hosting site: http://rhohub.com) • RhoVer - vending machine • Device capabilities service • Android support

16. Hosted Services • Registration • Developers • Apps • Sync • Create • Test • App Creation • Generate • Edit • Download/upload • Build and provision • Builds • Vending

17. RhoVer – Over the Air Provisioning 1) user signs up via desktop browser 2) SMS sent to user with download URL DeviceCap RhoVer rhohub.com/vending/yourapp ! 3) User hits vending machine for app with mobile browser 4) Uses DeviceCap (useragent strings/devices) to send back download link Download app for your Kogan Agora 5) User downloads runner/ app for device Your app RhoSync enterprise app backend Rhodes 6) App is running on device 17

18. Why Rhomobile? • Declarative tag-based approach (web programming) is more productive • Rich client against local data much better than remote web apps • Write it once and it works on all smartphones • Open source from the ground up