Get Started with Mobile Web ApplicationsOIT Lunch & Learn

Jason Casden, Digital Technologies Development LibrarianDavid Woodbury, NCSU Libraries Fellow

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When to Make a Native App

• Charging for it• Creating a game• Using specific locations*• Using cameras• Using accelerometers• Accessing the filesystems• Offline users

* Actually available to web-based applications3

The Case for Mobile Web Apps

“I believe that unless your application meets one of these native application criteria, you should not create a native application, but should instead focus on building a mobile web application.”

— Brian Fling, “Mobile Design and Development”

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WolfWalk, Two Ways

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Our mobile services

• Locations & Hours• Computer Availability• Book & Article Search• Room Reservations• GroupFinder message board• Reference Services• News & Events• Webcam Feeds• Link to campus mobile site

Locations & Hours

Computer Availability

GroupFinder

What to mobilize?• What services are currently available?• What services are applicable on a mobile

device?• What services translate well to the mobile

environment?• What tools can be created easily?• What would be fun to see?

Don’t mobilize everything

11 links vs 100 links

Mobile is not just shrinking the page

Use only essential, relevant content

Use only essential, relevant content

Reduce options, simplify

Limit data to mobile context

Limit data to mobile context

• For time oriented data, we assume current day & time

• We assume action oriented

Expose hidden, useful content

Our tools

• Mobile website– XHTML 1.0 transitional– CSS– non-essential JavaScript and AJAX

• MIT Mobile Web Open Source Project• Leaned on pre-existing web services• Targeted higher-end devices

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No developers?

• Tools that require only HTML knowledge– WordPress, iWebKit, iUI, jQTouch, Dashcode…– Good for static content• Rapidly becoming more sophisticated

– Can help to build or prototype a mobile site very quickly

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No developers?

• Vendors– Boopsie, Terribly Clever…– Can manage mobile development process for you– You may lack control over the final product– May be expensive– Doesn’t develop internal expertise

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Content Adaptation

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Testing

CC BY-SA 2.0: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wfryer/3929189482/ 25

Testing

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• Simulators and Emulators– Apple iPhone/iPhoney simulators– Android emulator

• Internal listserv• Guerilla Testing

Recommendations

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Be Agile

• Rapid development cycle• Think iteratively• Adjust to change quickly• Avoid paralysis

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Play

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Collaborate

• Campus efforts• External projects• Steal what you like– Improve it, so it can be stolen back

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