My Employer would like me to take a web application written entirely in PHP to be accessible while offline. (it has to be accessible by an ipad without internet connection.)
I have tried the following things:
http://solesignal.com/draftcode/
http://blog.smartbear.com/codereviewer/15-code-editors-for-the-ipad-for-free-or-very-cheap/
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/offline-pages-save-complete/id364859644?mt=8
Before I'm going to spend any money i have to be 100% positive it works.
Does anyone know how i can achieve this?
What do you mean by offline?
If you're looking to embed the server within your app, you're out of luck, it's not possible nor allowed. However if you want to run a local environment in your computer, take a look at MAMP
Knowing more about Mike's question, He's trying to run a website/webapp made in PHP offline/stand-alone on iOS devices.
As PHP is a pre-processor, this is not possible without a seperate server doing the magic. Depending on what this application has to do, I suggest you try to re-make the webapp so it does not use PHP. A lot of the things done with PHP can also be done client-side with JavaScript.
If you require more sophisticated things, try looking into the Meteor Framework. It supports PhoneGap exportation natively so the applications can run stand-alone on mobile devices as apps.
EDIT: If you can use an android device, you CAN run a PHP server on the same device as the pages are displayed because android is simply more open then iOS. If you're not willing to re-write the PHP code to JS, grab an android tab and use a PHP server package for android like this or another one that does include a MySQL server like this one
Related
Hi all,
i want create mobile app (i use phonegap) that retrieve and insert data in MySQL Database on web server also i will create website that connected to the same Database using (PHP).
I need guidance:
What topics should i know/use ?
What things should be implemented in Web development process ?
Can i use shared host or i will have to rent dedicated server ?
Is phonegap the right choice to accomplish the project ?
.........
Any guidance will be great.
Thank you All.
Your lack of familiarity with the technologies involved leads me to believe you are making a mole hill out of a mountain. All the skills involved need time/effort and no one answer here will cover your question.
There are various methods to achieve what you ask... I suggest starting with learning how to write some HTML5, then move on to doing a bit of Javascript and then follow it with a bit on jQuery. These skills are what you will use to place text on your web page or app.
After that, learn how to install MySQL, Apache, MySQL and PHP on your laptop. These skills will help you save data on to a server.
Then you need to learn how to combine them so that the data sent from your web app gets checked prior to saving on the server.
Then follow with how to read the data from the server and prepare it for re-display back on your web page or web app.
Once that is done - learn how to use the PhoneGap build service so you can package your app and try it on your device.
I suspect if you start now, and do 10-20 hours a week, you might get something buggy working by Christmas.
Best of luck!
I use html5 + css3 + jquery mobile to built my mobile application. Actually I've already desktop version, and i want to make mobile application.
Is that true php wont work on html5 for mobile application?
If that true, i use ajax for call my JSON (that place create on jsontext.php).
I tried HTML5 on desktop browser and it worked.
I built it to apk using build.phonegap.com and install the apk to my device.
After that, my database record not showing. Maybe it didn't execute.
Other user in stackoverflow said we can use backbone.js. how-to-access-a-remote-database-from-jquery-mobile-application
are my steps right? or I have to use backbone.js. THX.
Here's some answers:
Yes, php won't work in a mobile native/hibrid mobile application,
because php needs to be interpreted by a php server before
generating output.
Its easy and simple to both generate and parse JSON, it's widely
used in apps.
That is good. If you want an 'online-only' kind of app, you can use
a webview and point it the url of your app - its basically a browser
without navigation buttons and user interface - but something's
don't work that well, you should test before. It may also display
your app as sluggish and unpolished.
No problem with that, Cordova/Phonegap is actually becoming a very
good mobile framework. You should also install ADB
(http://developer.android.com/tools/help/adb.html), ADT
(http://developer.android.com/tools/help/adt.html) and the Android
device emulator
(http://developer.android.com/tools/help/emulator.html).
You must be sure on how to insert and retrieve dabatase records.
This depends on how you programmed it. Be sure to have the database
available publicly (accessible only from the apps, though).
Hope I've answered your questions, and that it helped.
I already know quite a few tricks with Android java and I have an application that I need to sync with a web application. What it needs to be doing is connect to a server and sync database and download jpg picture uploaded by user. The web application should also be for more users each with his own phone and Android application in it, so it should probably be accesable via login and password.
My problem is that I have zero experience with web applications. All I know is a little HTML. So my question is, how should I start? What language do I use? And what basic structure or principle should my web application have?
Thank you!
I would recommend a PHP - MySQL solution. PHP and MySQL are open source and I know Java can interface with that kind of database. Both languages are well documented and PHP is similar to Java in that it is C-based, so if you know Java fairly well, PHP should be relatively straightforward for you. I would recommend heading over to Lynda.com and searching for PHP Essential Training with Kevin Skoglund. Lynda is a great online video tutorial site and you can access a good amount of the content for free. But if you're serious about developing this web application, I would make the investment (I was, and I did, and I am glad). That's how I learned PHP / MySQL for the most part.
First off, to do any PHP / MySQL development, you'll need to install a server onto your computer, such as WAMP (Windows Apache MySQL PHP - for windows), MAMP (Mac " " - for mac), or LAMP (Linux " " - for Linux), where you will be able to begin developing your application. This is your "test" server, or "development" server. For instance, I use MAMP since I am on a Mac. MAMP is free, as are the other versions, but you can pay for an upgrade. For your purposes, start with the free version. Essentially, *AMP comes with the Apache Server software, MySQL database installation, and PHP installation pre-packaged and ready to go with minimal configuration. From there, you can start writing PHP and MySQL and get your project rolling.
As a matter of fact, that title at Lynda.com, PHP Essential Training, will walk you through ALL of the steps I just stated, AND, uses an exercise project of setting up a basic Content Management System to include password protection, user login and authentication, as well as all of the essential PHP and MySQL that you'll need to go along with it. Seriously, check out Lynda.com.
Good Luck!
This is a very open question and you might get a huge range of different answers, neither of them perfect. However, I will try to put a simple response.
Have a single server and expose from it web services. This web services will handle the CRUD of the data (I will assume you will use a database and that you have experience with databases).
Web services is a big topic. If you want the simplest web services, and you're planning to use PHP, I will suggest using RESTful with JSON, since it will be very simple.
The web application should be within the same domain/server of the web services, at least for the beginning (if it grows, you can change this architecture), since that way you won't require using JSONP and just stick to standard AJAX (I will now assume you don't know what JSONP is, I will suggest reading: http://remysharp.com/2007/10/08/what-is-jsonp/ which is just the first result I got on Google just now ;)) and it will be easier.
You say you have experience with Android. I will assume you know how to consume web services using Java/Android. In case you don't, here's a sample of how to do it: http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/267023/Send-and-receive-json-between-android-and-php
Please note the PHP code there is pretty dirty, but as a "how to", I think it looks great. Only thing to note is: the sample uses HttpClient, while the preferred method is to use HttpURLConnection ( http://android-developers.blogspot.mx/2011/09/androids-http-clients.html)
Having said this, PHP + MySQL is standard. In the web app, you SHOULD USE HTML. Please, don't use Flash or Java Applets (I smiled a bit by even mentioning Java Applets in here). For all the communication purposes between the web service and the HTML client, I recommend using jQuery ( http://jquery.com/ ) with AJAX.
Don't go with a JSONP API unless you want other websites to be able to use your API.
This is only a quick approach created with the little information you have given. The more (and clearer) information you give, a better solution is likely to appear.
For javascript and html files only, Dreamweaver's build app for android function seems to work great in cs 5.5. But when any php code is put in (for authentication, or for ajaxing in web service returns ) it seems that the android app just displays broken php code instead of executing it. When building the app, Dreamweaver won't even let you use a root php file in the project; it only seems to only accept html files.
Am I doing something wrong? Building apps out of web language-based files seems a lot less useful if server-side code isn't allowed.
Are there any other alternatives? Titanium studio looks really complicated, but I'm willing to read the docs if it's worth the time.
http://help.adobe.com/en_US/dreamweaver/cs/using/WSeffff8bffc80208478c8d43312e240fe0ad-8000.html
Indeed it only packages HTML, CSS and Javascript into an Android or iOS package.
I'm afraid you'll have to learn real Android development if you want something more complex.
Dreamweaver will package the files up just like you asked, however, the destination system is what runs the code. Android doesn't execute the PHP within the app. Your app has to connect with a remote server that is to handle the log in. Thinks of two separate apps, one on the phone and one on your server.
Android doesn't execute the PHP within the app. This is because PHP is a server side client and Not client side. Unless they create some inbuit servers within phones from which native apps can tap into. One option you can use is to use html files and within them, create links to php files which are in online servers so as to have your scripts executed.
Here's a tricky one.
I'm developing a web app for iPads that will be installed as kiosks. The app is essentially a quiz. Wont need to store data in a database, but will need to process data from 1 page to another page (from questions page to results page).
Original solution was simple PHP. I have now been informed that wi-fi/3g will be unavailable to the kiosks, so they wont have access to the webserver w/ php that has been working like a charm. App needs to be browser-based.
Looked around for solutions for installing PHP on iPad, like PHPPOD from Cydia, but unsure if that is even an option for iPad...and we wont be jailbreaking them. Can this even be done w/o php?
If you won't be jailbreaking them, trying to get a working PHP interpreter on them might not be impossible, but it'll probably be at the very least annoyingly difficult (and it's unlikely Apple would approve random PHP interpreters in their app store).
I'd suggest trying to port the app to Javascript instead. If it's just a simple questions -> results flow, writing a basic Javascript web app with jQuery to help out if need be shouldn't be too painful.
If you're not jailbreaking them, then you will NOT be able to get any un-approved apps onto them. Apple does NOT want you to bypass the app store, because they want their 30% cut. Installing a PHP interpreter on an iphone/ipad would allow you to build apps outside of Apple's control - this is THE main reason why Flash will never been on an iphone - it's not just for playing movies, it's actually a pretty full runtime environment.
You could try using HTML5 local storage, or use the native SQLlite database in iOS.
Without wifi/3G you would need local storage won't you? For this you need not jailbreak your iPad & force it to work through PHP. You could do that following -
Jailbreak the app & maybe try to get your PHP solution working on iPad.
Build a native app with local storage (using sqlite or core data) & handle the display through UIWebView.
Build a HTML5 app with local storage is easy to do nowadays, again UIWebView would be used.
As Amber suggests, you could build all your quizzing logic in javascript, but I am concerned here as to where you'll store data. You need to refer to point 3.
Hope this helps...