Where to start with apps with a focus on CMS?

red_ice

Hey,

In a nutshell, I'd like to get into app development for mobile/tablet. I've been in web development for a long while and never really looked into apps. The closest I've gotten is responsive web design/development. I am currently working with rich media for mobile/tablet and a few possible projects have come up that are a couple of months down the line that I've been told I can help out with if I'm interested... which I am!

I've never looked into mobile/tablet apps, and I was just wondering what people think is the best way to do so and what technologies are generally involved. The main issue I could see myself facing is trying to get dynamic content on an app and keeping db details locally within the app is surely a bad thing.

Is adobe air / flashbuilder any use for say a news app? Or phone gap? What is the best way to approach development of an app when it comes to getting data from a DB? I've really only come across XML examples, but I cant see a news application being scalable based on XML.

Cheers

The Corinthian

red_ice wrote: »

I've never looked into mobile/tablet apps, and I was just wondering what people think is the best way to do so and what technologies are generally involved.

I think the first thing to bare in mind with apps, where compared with Web development, is that it's going back to more traditional development, where your application is compiled to work on a specific OS and needs to be installed.

If you're building an app that downloads content from the Web, you're essentially building a fat client; just like a browser, IM-application or email client is. However, presumably you're also building the server application too. So it does become more complex from an architecture point of view, because with Web development the only thing you really need to worry about where it comes to the client is comparability.

The main issue I could see myself facing is trying to get dynamic content on an app and keeping db details locally within the app is surely a bad thing.

Which details? Your server-DB details? Why on Earth would you keep those in an app, any more than you'd expect a user using Firefox to have your server-DB details to access content on your Web site?

If you're just concerned about security, then it's not dissimilar to Web, except the emphasis and potential weak points differ.

Is adobe air / flashbuilder any use for say a news app? Or phone gap? What is the best way to approach development of an app when it comes to getting data from a DB? I've really only come across XML examples, but I cant see a news application being scalable based on XML.

Depends on how complex your XML is; if you've only a handful of elements per news article, it'll make it only marginally less scalable than using Json, CSV or some custom transport format. Main thing is, handle the display on the app; don't start sending out bloated HTML pages. Keep such formatting to a minimum on the server.

Compressing content on the server and then decompressing it again on the client (the app) is another approach, worth looking at, if you're really worried about bandwidth.

As to getting the data from your server to your app-client, then it depends upon what device you're writing for and if you're using a framework, however all have API's that allow the 'sucking down' of data over TCP/IP.

Finally, something like Adobe Air is essentially a mobile framework, which allows one to, in theory, build using Web languages an app which can then be compiled into several apps that will work on multiple mobile OS's. This is not to be confused with native mobile app development, which will used the preferred language for that OS and the app is eventually compiled into a single app that will work for only that OS.

There are numerous pros and cons where it comes to the whole framework vs native approaches; suffice it to say if you search through past threads, you'll find some of them.

red_ice

The Corinthian wrote: »

Which details? Your server-DB details? Why on Earth would you keep those in an app, any more than you'd expect a user using Firefox to have your server-DB details to access content on your Web site?

This is what was puzzling me. Anytime I came across information about db's it was saying to put a config file with the details to connect to. I can only assume that it was for a local db. So I'm just trying to get my head around different approaches to accessing data.

The Corinthian wrote: »

Depends on how complex your XML is; if you've only a handful of elements per news article, it'll make it only marginally less scalable than using Json, CSV or some custom transport format. Main thing is, handle the display on the app; don't start sending out bloated HTML pages. Keep such formatting to a minimum on the server.

cool

The Corinthian wrote: »

Compressing content on the server and then decompressing it again on the client (the app) is another approach, worth looking at, if you're really worried about bandwidth.

Yea, I am worried about bw, is there anything you can recommend reading up on regarding compression?

The Corinthian wrote: »

As to getting the data from your server to your app-client, then it depends upon what device you're writing for and if you're using a framework, however all have API's that allow the 'sucking down' of data over TCP/IP.

I guess it's a case of trying to find the easiest way to get data cross platform.

The Corinthian wrote: »

There are numerous pros and cons where it comes to the whole framework vs native approaches; suffice it to say if you search through past threads, you'll find some of them.

Thanks!

The Corinthian

red_ice wrote: »

This is what was puzzling me. Anytime I came across information about db's it was saying to put a config file with the details to connect to. I can only assume that it was for a local db. So I'm just trying to get my head around different approaches to accessing data.

I'm not sure what you mean because I've no idea what you've read. If you're doing a news site with an app 'reader', the news will be on a server, protected the same way as it would be in any n-tier Web site. A local DB with the app, could be used for caching purposes, if you bother using one at all.

Yea, I am worried about bw, is there anything you can recommend reading up on regarding compression?

For general reading, I can't think of anything off-hand, but this would really just cover the theory, pros and cons of such approaches. Where it comes to practical reading, this is dependant on what platforms you're going to use on both the server and for the app; what libraries do they support for compression and decompression?

One idea is that users get the ten most recent news articles when they log in. When these are updated on the server, they're compressed into a zip/gzip once. This is downloaded and decompressed by a phone.

As I said it's worth looking at; that is, once you do, you may decide that it's not worth the hassle - I don't think any app uses this approach (although the Economist might) as you don't really gain all that much from it. Bandwidth is cheaper than developer salaries.

I guess it's a case of trying to find the easiest way to get data cross platform.

Content in XML or Json over HTTP - or over HTTPS if you need it secure. Other actions, such allowing a user to log in, over their app, to the server over HTTPS, with a basic response (status, error, error type, etc) again in XML or Json. Or just invent your own format if you prefer.