I'm looking to build a dummy CardDav server that allows me to do the following:
- add a CardDav source on an iOS device
- the source will show up as a group on the native Contacts app
- no syncing actually takes takes place with the server (no contacts should be stored on the server or deleted from the device)
The purpose for all of this is that I'm looking to manage the source from an iOS app.
I deployed a Baikal CardDav server successfully and I tried to sniff out the requests that take place when registering a new source, unfortunately I'm quite stuck.
At the moment I have a php file that responds to a PROPFIND request and allow for the source to be validated, but it doesn't show up in the Contacts application.
Any tips would be appreciated in either writing a dummy CardDav server or crippling a functioning one in order to only provide the auth functionalities?
Not sure if i understood your question.
You may try Calendarserver at http://trac.calendarserver.org/wiki/docs-trunk . It is simple to install and setup and works without any quirks.
If you need the server to behave a certain way might be best to use a Carddav framework like SabreDav (for PHP) or milton.io (for java, my project). Then you can do all sorts of weird backend stuff
Milton actually comes with really simple example projects with in-memory data thats perfect for mucking about with
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Current scenario :
There is a webservice (build in php/mysql). User filled data is stored on a remote server.
Issue is user has extremely bad internet connection, webservice is down most of the time. Is there a way to store data locally and sync it when internet is available?
Please note, user might not have database installed on his machine also there is no localserver to work with.
Even if user had some type of RDBMS installed on the box, you probably wouldn't have any way to communicate with it. You can use the HTML 5 Storage API, but it will not solve the connection issues.
And since localStorage (which you probably would use) is available directly only from JavaScript, you would have to make a complicated and fully functional JS application to utilize it.
Note: based on your profile, I would estimate that your JavaScript skills would not be adequate for such task.
If your target audience is mobile users, then you have another alternative: create a native application.
You would still be able to use HTML for the interface (using built in web browser components). But it also would let you have SQLite DB and file storage available on the mobile device, where you can cache the necessary data.
look at the features in HTML 5 for local storage
Typically I would go with IndexDB and then push the local data to the server once the connection is back
http://diveintohtml5.info/storage.html - Should give you a brief about the features and implementation.
I've successfully managed to use POST to run a PHP script on my website, which allows the phone application to add a new entry to the database (MySQL), and delete an entry.
The next step is the one I have been struggling with for the last few hours now, and that is getting the information FROM the DB onto the phone!
I would like a method that initially just connects to the DB upon starting the activity and populating listview or something will all entries, and later down the line I plan on copying the information to a SQLite DB within the phone.
What is the easiest method I can look into for achieving this?
I can be resourceful but I just need to know what I'm looking for!
you have many options.
higher level abstraction over HTTP (REST/SOAP/etc) like already mentioned
HTTP as a proxy for plaintext/CSV data (without abstraction)
a direct JDBC connection from android device to the MySQL
database data export/import
I guess you're looking for option 3. That is syncing a remote database to local (SQlite on android) and then working with local data? In this case you just get a mysql-client jar (JDBC drivers) into your app and you can start. There're some restrictions though, like Sébastien Renauld already mentioned in the comment. Yet, those issues can be worked around, i.e. with custom configuration of MySQL or with option (2) which can be implemented in generic way (write once)
In general you need to create server API: choose some format to talk to between your web service and android application.
Then you'll always be need to request some data from server, that will be returned to you in format described above in a body of network response of some sort.
Next all you need is parse this data and populate to your adapters or whatever.
Note that networking operation might take quite some time depending on your connection, so you can't wait while it ends to show your UI - you need to do this in async manner, and give user a feedback that data is retrieving.
Nowadays json format passed in body of http post requests are quite popular. Take a look at this tutorial on how to parse json on android and this video about how to create json api in php.
Of course you can try to connect to remote MySQL server directly.. It really is more simple solution in some cases (you don't need to code server-side api), but might be not so accessible because standard MySQL ports aren't opened in all networks. Also your API server might hide some implementation details on how is data stored in reality, thus allowing you to migrate for example from MySQL to PostgreSQL without pain for android application.
Don't forget to secure your data from unauthorized access!
EDIT
It's 2017 and what would be the easiest option now is to use opensource project which will provide rest api for your database, for instance ArrestDB or postgrest
I personaly had to develop this following REST API Service (based on Laravel framework, which I call it lRapi) for an iOS and Android devices, and works great (the version in use for the apps, is much more complex).
https://github.com/w0rldart/lRapi
There are plenty Models and Controllers there that you may use to get started. Responses are JSON formatted, with proper headers.
I still have to add some more documentation to it, but there is some on the main example view, which you may access by just setting the virtual host and opening the root page in browser.
Laravel is a MVC PHP Framework, and it's really easy to get used to it.
This a good way to avoid to do most of the work, and just focus on implementing what else you need.
I have an application that retrieves some info and give them to user from a certain public website. However, i am not sure whether i should let my app immediately connect to the target website or it should get the info through my web server using a simple PHP script (JSON).
Actually I am using Jsoup to get the information and I tried both and they worked perfectly ( immediate and PHP) using Jsoup. However, I have not published my app yet due to the confusion aforementioned.
Use the web service. If your client has logic to parse the HTML, it can break when the web page changes. The web service can absorb this change and make corrections, but your client cannot. Not unless you release another version of your app, and that can be a pain.
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.
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...