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How do devs make a company/website app??

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  • 06-11-2010 3:44am
    #1
    techguy
    Registered Users Posts: 2,232 ✭✭✭


    Hi Guys,

    So you see some sites out there that have launched mobile apps for their sites/services.

    These apps generally just take the same information as displayed in a website and make it into an app.

    Just wondering how they go about it?

    I'm sure they just design the UI to look similar to the website but what about the data?
    Do they code up some kind of API? Like a RESTful interface or some kind of PHP interface to get the data to the phone?

    Any ideas on this?

    Cheers!


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    #2
    The Corinthian
    Closed Accounts Posts: 19,777 ✭✭✭✭The Corinthian


    techguy wrote: »
    I'm sure they just design the UI to look similar to the website but what about the data?
    With regards to data, please read up about n-tier architecture first.

    As to the UI, a mobile device is not the same thing as a laptop or desktop. Other than there being different screen sizes and I/O interfaces, user behaviour can differ drastically and so what is prioritized for a fixed line user is not necessarily the same as for a mobile user.
    Do they code up some kind of API? Like a RESTful interface or some kind of PHP interface to get the data to the phone?
    Yes, that's generally how it's done. What kind of API depends largely on application data requirements and available resources, as well as how modularized the original application was (i.e. no new API may be required).


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    #3
    p
    Registered Users Posts: 2,119 ✭✭✭p


    I can't speak about the dev side, but from a design/planning side, just dumping the same data as on the website is a little pointless. You need to figure out _why_ people would want certain types of data, what they would need when out and about and try come up with a more unique proposition than simply having an 'app website'.

    Good luck with the project!


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    #4
    techguy
    Registered Users Posts: 2,232 ✭✭✭techguy


    Thanks for the replies guys!

    I'm not planning on converting the website to an app. The website provides various types of information but the site is a bit clunky to access on a smartphone.

    I want to make an app that complements the site (color scheme etc) and provides the same data in a neater, more accessible fashion.

    So the API/PHP interface is the way to go as opposed to directly accessing the database from the phone.


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    #5
    The Corinthian
    Closed Accounts Posts: 19,777 ✭✭✭✭The Corinthian


    techguy wrote: »
    I want to make an app that complements the site (color scheme etc) and provides the same data in a neater, more accessible fashion.
    There's a good number of articles on design and information architecture for mobile to be found here.
    So the API/PHP interface is the way to go as opposed to directly accessing the database from the phone.
    Remote database connections from the handset are not recommended for numerous reasons. The most obvious one is security as your connection details would be sniffed out quickly, thus exposing one of your database accounts and at the very least allowing a third party to then harvest your data directly.


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