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Oracle® Application Server Wireless Developer's Guide
10g Release 2 (10.1.2) B13819-02 |
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Oracle® Application Server Wireless Developer's Guide
10g Release 2 (10.1.2) B13819-02 |
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Each section of this document presents a different topic. These sections include:
This chapter takes you through the high level steps of the wireless development path (see Figure 2-1) and describes some of the tools used to build an application. There are many possible paths to create applications; this chapter is designed to compliment your current method for building PC-based applications by adding wireless-specific concepts. The first step in building an application is to design it. The design phase outlines what you are mobile-enabling, whether it is a business process, a productivity tool, or an entertainment application.
The most productive way to approach the application design process is to divide it into four steps. First, create the business case for making an application or business process mobile. This includes determining the tangible benefits of a mobile solution. If you want more information on the business case of a mobile application, see the Mobile Center on OTN: http://www.oracle.com/technology/tech/wireless/index.html.
Secondly, decide on the application scope, determining the usage situation, desired business flows and most the appropriate access channels: mobile browsers, voice access, messaging, or an application without network access (offline). The third step is to choose the actual development model (XHTML/J2EE or J2ME) to enable that channel. The fourth important step consists of considerations regarding the deployment of the application. Deployment encapsulates the process an application is delivered to the end users and the method used to manage the applications' life cycle. Going through this process, developers can ensure they are:
Mobilizing the right business processes
Extending the business process through the right access channels
Developing the right amount of functionality
Deciding on the right deployment model
Ensuring the solution has a tangible return on investment (ROI)
Oracle Application Server Wireless includes Web services that greatly enhance your applications including location based services, messaging services and personalization services. For example, corporate Web services can be combined with the Messaging Web Service of Oracle Application Server Wireless to automatically alert a manager when an inventory level is reaching a critical low. The Oracle Application Server Wireless messaging Web service accepts an address, message text and a delivery channel (voice, fax, SMS, or E-mail) as input. Then, the Web service takes the message content and sends it to that address, SMS, e-mail or even phone number - using text to speech. The developer's job becomes greatly simplified because they do not need to worry about the underlying infrastructure and business relationships it takes to send that message. See Chapter 10, "Creating Messaging Applications" or the Mobile Center on OTN for more information on the Messaging Web Service.
When writing your wireless application, there is no need to duplicate business logic that already exists. You can expose your different back-end systems and applications as Web Services and then use Oracle Application Server Wireless to deliver them to any device. For example, you may want to reuse a legacy field service system, traditionally only for PCs. You should use the existing field service system and just create a mobile view of it using XHTML or J2ME.
Oracle Application Server Wireless provides two tools to help build and test applications whether you are using the J2EE/XHTML or J2ME model. The J2EE/XHTML development model allows you to build real-time, server-side wireless and voice applications. This includes channels such as messaging, voice interfaces, PDA and mobile phone browsers. You are able to build for all these channels in the single, open standards development model. J2ME is most appropriate for small-screen devices with limited or intermittent network connection. J2ME allow you to process business logic and UI logic on the device and make Web service calls to the server for CPU intensive processing – calls will be buffered when network connectivity is unavailable.
Oracle Application Server Wireless tools allow you to utilize mobile device simulators provided by device manufacturers (such as Nokia or Openwave). The device simulators allow you to view your application on a phone with your development PC or laptop. Although you will be able to test your applications using a regular Web Browser on your personal computer, it is recommended that you perform testing using various device emulators with different form factors. This will allow you to understand the constructs on Oracle Application Server Wireless XML with respect to rendition on varying device form factors. The Mobile Center lists simulators for some of the most popular devices.
The JDeveloper Wireless Extension (JWE) enables you to code, debug and test your XHTML or J2ME application in JDeveloper. Throughout the development cycle the JWE provides support at every stage:
Authoring applications through wizards and templates
Editing applications through GUI-based tools
Testing applications on integrated emulators or real devices
Debugging applications using advanced debugging systems and log files
Deploying applications through intuitive user interfaces
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Note: Download the JWE from the Mobile Center on OTN: http://www.oracle.com/technology/tech/wireless/index.html. |
The Wireless Developer's Kit (WDK) is a small-footprint development environment for Oracle Application Server Wireless. The WDK allows you to use any development IDE and device simulator to develop wireless application for Oracle Application Server Wireless. The WDK is packed with XHTML and J2ME samples, device detection, error logging, and Web services. It allows a developer to simulate a full installation of Oracle Application Server Wireless on a development PC or laptop. The WDK is also available on the Mobile Center on http://www.oracle.com/technology/tech/wireless/index.html.
Before deploying your applications, you must test them on real devices. Once you have built your application with the JWE or WDK and tested it with your target device simulator, you are ready to test them on real devices.
Oracle Application Server Wireless provides several web-based tools so you can register your application for deployment and manage the deployed applications. The two tools for registering applications are the Services Manager and the Mobile Studio.
The Mobile Studio is a developer testing environment for testing your applications on real devices. The Mobile Studio is installed with Oracle Application Server Wireless; however there is also a hosted version available on the Mobile Center on OTN: http://www.oracle.com/technology/tech/wireless/index.html. You can register your application with the Mobile Studio and then see your application on a real mobile device, or call a phone number to access it using voice, or even SMS your applications to test it on an SMS device.
The Services Manager allows you to register your XHTML or J2ME application and give access privileges to the desired users. The Service Manager is used to deploy your application to a production environment. An installation of Oracle Application Server Wireless is required to use the Service Manager.
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Note: See Chapter 2, Configuration and Deployment in Oracle Application Server Containers for J2EE User's Guide to learn how to deploy your tested J2EE applications from Oracle Application Server Control Console. |
OracleAS Wireless provides Web-based, role-specific tools to create, manage, and deliver mobile services. OracleAS Wireless Tools include wizards for managing repository objects, managing the server and delivering your applications.
For more information on these web-based tools, see OracleAS Wireless Administrator's Guide.
