Wednesday, February 16, 2011

JQuery Mobile Project update

I just launched a list of modules using jQueryMobile just in time for the Alpha3 release of jQueryMobile. I had employed tabs, menu-selections, form submissions.

I just yet to know more on how to execute JS routines on the modules in any way possible. I'm hoping it would be jQuery(ish) and not native JS.

It is easy and fun doing the modules. I had not to worry about layout, design and color-selections as they are already pre-built with the package. I created a templating system to make development even faster. This allowed me to produce the mobile-counterpart of submodules on the system.

Next move is to add more functionalities and open opportunities exploiting the user-experience of the mobile. A new module fo e-commerce shop will be underway.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Web Development for the Mobile

A new project drops heavily on my lap the past few days: develop a system that interfaces with a mobile browser primarily to support the online education project of the college.

The college has been using Moodle (http://moodle.com) as its Learning Management System (LMS) and the closest link towards the project is Mobile Moodle (MOMO http://mobilemoodle.org/).

I read through the product and it requires me to have a mobile device with web browser and preferrably with a WiFi connection. At the back of my mind, if I am to build with a web browser, there's not much options to choose from away from what I am currently doing -- web application with PHP, MySQL and JS (jQuery preferrably).

With more searches, clicks and reading, I have come accross to:

  • Sencha (http://sencha.com) - a Mobile Javascript built from ExtJS background.
  • WebKit Open Source Project (http://webkit.org) - web browser engine.
  • FMA SDK (http://fma.sourceforge.net) - had used it to interface between mobile and other appliances.
  • PhoneGap (http://phonegap.com) - open source mobile platform that supports 6 platforms. 
  • jQTouch (http://jqtouch.com) - "A jQuery plugin for mobile web development on iPhone, iPod Touch, and other forward-thinking devices". This can use the WebKit for a preview and development.
  • dotMobi (http://mtld.mobi) - This offers training for design, development and background information about mobile development.
  • Nokia SDKs (http://forum.nokia.com) - flowing through with the dotMobi leads and just about to start dwelling into learning each one of those mentioned in its training articles and archives.

Then suddenly, I just felt the urge to go ahead and start to code. I decided to make a new module - new set of libraries, objects, structure and coding standards. But in order to do that, it's nice to get acquianted with MVC platforms for a change. I crossed with Kohana (http://kohanaphp.com) -- a PHP5 MVC framework from CodeIgniter background.

I then went through a little tutorial on how to use Kohana and it seems promising. Tried a few samples but then I stopped. Starting a new one with this platform would mean I have to forget about how I got through all the codes I've used in the same project I am working with.

After a few minutes of big sighs and a mug of coffee, my click landed on jQMobile (http://jqmobile.com) - jQuery's own(as in from the creator of jQuery) mobile platform. It is on its Alpha 2 release and sounds very promising:

  • least adjustment in coding structure
  • gets me more intimate with jQuery
  • gets me more intimate with MVC framework
  • lets me grow with it

Well, a new tool for keeping me to speed, a big step in keeping me ahead.

Wish me luck!