Programming a Mobile Device

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Programming a Mobile Device

• Justin Champion
• 3292 JJC1_at_staffs.ac.uk

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Content

• Programs for devices
• What are devices
• Considerations
• Major Programming Languages
• C
• .NET
• Java Micro Edition
• Lab View
• Distributing the program

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Mobile - Devices

• Mobile devices is a very generic name
• As we have discussed previously there are a lot
  of devices which are a part of this
• We have previously looked at the definition by
  Schiller in his book Mobile Communications
  which listed devices
• Sensor
• Fire Sensors
• Embedded controllers
• These monitor and control something like water
  levels
• Pager
• Paging device such as a text pager
• Mobile phones
• Personal digital assistant
• The XDAs used in the tutorials
• Pocket computer
• Sony one opposite is an example of this
• Laptop
• Laptop Tablet PC

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Mobile - Designs

• Mobile and wireless Devices do come all shapes
  and sizes with differing functionality
• These do need consideration when you are
  designing your application
• There is little benefit writing a good game which
  is based on a PDA type screen
• To find that the majority of your user base is
  using a smart phone screen

http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ImagePalm_tungsten.j
pg
http//www.mobileguerilla.com/articles/2006/01/04/
sony-ericsson-w810i.php
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Mobile - Designs

• The application needs to be either written in a
  generic format where it will work with the most
  device
• Or specifically with a device in mind when you
  develop
• Consider if you need a specific hardware key or a
  certain screen size to display your information
• What will happen if the device does change
• How will this effect your program
• In the fast moving world of PDA type devices it
  is quite common to have multiple devices and user
  upgrading on a regular basis
• Clive Chandler will talk about these
  considerations more in his lectures in a few
  weeks time
• Hardware though can change and this may mean a
  complete rewrite of the software
• Embedded controllers could be an example of this
  where they might have no OS

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Mobile - Hardware

• By the nature of being mobile devices they are
  usually restricted in the power requirements
• These will effect the applications which you can
  write for these devices
• There is nothing stopping you from writing a CPU
  intensive simulation for the device
• It would be the wrong hardware for this and it
  would have an effect on how long the simulation
  runs for and would effect the life of the battery
• This needs to be considered with a mobile device
• If you need large amounts of memory or a powerful
  CPU but you still need portability you would look
  towards a laptop / tablet PC environment
• These devices have more powerful processors and
  batteries

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Mobile - Hardware

• Within a PDA or phone type application business
  type applications are more suited
• By business type application these are like
  electronic forms which a user completes
• Limited needs in terms of displays
• Very little memory requirements
• Very limited CPU usage
• To conserve the battery the processor will switch
  off when not needed or slow down its operations
• As seen in the tutorial it can be difficult to
  enter data into the device
• This also needs thought if this is needed and if
  a large amount of text is needed then again a
  Laptop could be the better device to write the
  program for
• The PDA and Smartphone devices have the advantage
  though that they are portable
• Users are able to carry them easily in there
  pocket
• Meaning that this type of application is readily
  accessible to them
• These devices are also relatively cheap to
  purchase and will give various methods of network
  connectivity depending on the model.

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Languages

• The languages which are used for programming
  desktops
• C
• Microsoft .NET
• Java
• LabView
• With the use of these languages this means that
  the development time will be reduced
• The alternative is that a programmers learns a
  new and specific language for that device
• This will reduce the number of people which can
  write software for the devices
• Increasing the value of any program and
  ultimately probably costing a company more in
  terms of training and the wages someone can
  request
• For most important business applications the time
  that it takes to develop is very important

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Languages Web Development

• In addition to the programming languages which
  will be discussed
• If the device has a permanent internet connection
  then there is a consideration of using WebPages
  to present and receive information
• The page can be secured and displayed quite
  easily
• A lot of the functionality which is used within
  the development environments is available to
  webpage users.
• These are good at conveying information and
  completing form type applications
• These are the majority of business type
  applications E-paper
• Disadvantage
• The device does need to be attached to the
  Internet during all of the work
• This can be very expensive
• If you are moving connections can be lost and you
  will most likely be issued a new IP address when
  you reconnect

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Languages Web Development

• The pages depending on the webpage element can be
  reformatted depending on device which is being
  communicated with
• The device when requesting the webpage should
  send some information to the server about the
  capabilities of the device
• The user agent will be more detailed than it is
  for a desktop machine telling the web server
  which device is communicating
• This information can then be used to adapt the
  content for the user
• The machine specifications will not be detailed
  but will tell the server which type of device is
  asking for information and then based on this the
  content will be adjusted
• i.e. a certain screen size and capabilities for
  colors
• If the device is not known then it a default set
  of setting is used

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Languages Web Development

• Example User Agent

Win XP Desktop User Agent
HTTP_USER_AGENT Mozilla/4.0 (compatible MSIE
7.0 Windows NT 5.1 .NET CLR 1.0.3705 .NET CLR
1.1.4322 InfoPath.1 .NET CLR 2.0.50727)
Pocket PC Device
HTTP_USER_AGENT Mozilla/4.0 (compatible MSIE
4.01 Windows CE PPC 240x320)
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Languages C

• C
• This is a powerful object orientated language
  which interfaces directly with the OS
• Or depending on the device if it does not use a
  OS with the hardware
• Lots of manufacturers produce specific
  Application Program Interfaces (API) for the
  specific device to get decrease developer time
• Here is the Link to the Nokia webpage
  http//forum.nokia.com/
• There are a large number of C compilers
  availble to develop with
• Most commonly you see C being used when
  programming within the Symbian environment
• There is also a potential problem that a program
  which is written for one version of Symbian may
  not run on another version or at least have
  unexpected effects.
• This again needs to be considered if the program
  is for a specific device
• C gives you low level access and high power
  program, but these are not always required

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Languages C

• C
• In the event of developing for a smaller device
  which is resource limited
• By the terms resource limited this is looking
  towards the embedded controllers and the sensors
• Potentially these program could be created in
  assembler but this would add additional
  development time
• Developing a small and very efficient program in
  a language like C is the best solution
• The program would be powerful and have very
  limited effect on the actual device in terms of
  its requirements
• Device such as the embedded controllers or the
  sensor networks the software will be written in
  C to produce efficient programs

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Languages .NET

• .NET
• .NET is a programming environment
• The advantage being you can use any programming
  language and the code is transferred into a
  intermediate language
• Common Intermediate Language (CIL)
• Where the virtual machine changes to machine code
  for the OS to operate
• The code is then run on the Common Language
  Runtime (CLR)
• This will also take responsibility for
  controlling the program and preventing it from
  taking too much memory dealing with exceptions
  and arrays
• This gives the language similar advantages to
  Java in terms that you can write the software
  once and then in theory at least run it anywhere
• There are now version of .NET for other OSs
  beyond Windows
• Mono - http//www.mono-project.com/Main_Page
• DotGNU - http//dotgnu.org/

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Languages .NET Mobile

• Within the Field of Mobile devices there is a
  specific version of .NET
• Compact Framework
• This version has a subset of the commands which
  are available to the desktop version
• The commands are simply reduced to the ones which
  you would regularly require on a mobile device
• The environment is written around being used on a
  Mobile for Windows OS no matter which version
• It can be run on Palm, Symbian, blackberry with
  the use of the APPforge software, which provides
  the APIs to allow the .NET programs to run on
  non windows OSs
• Unlike the normal .NET environment there are
  restrictions on the languages which can be used
• C
• Visual Basic
• On top of the normal installation you can install
  emulators for most of the Windows based devices
  to give a more realistic environment to work
  within

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Languages .NET Mobile

• The advantage of .NET is the fact that
  development time is reduced
• the Common Language Runtime has to be installed
  on the device.
• If it is not this will usual happen when you
  first install the application
• Development times for mobile applications no
  matter which version are heavily reduced
• By using the IDE which users are already using,
  allows for knowledge transfer
• As long as the CLR is installed this will mean
  that an application can be written once and run
  on any of the supporting OSs
• Still considering though the issues around
  usability and differing hardware

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Languages .NET MicroFramework

• An additional consideration to use
• Is the Microsoft MicroFramework
• This is an additional environment considered for
  embedded applications
• Suitable for small devices, where we would
  normally have to use C or assembler
• The programming language is based on C
• The MicroFramework will integrate into the
  hardware and you make your calls direct to it.
• There is no need for a operating system
  interpreting the instructions
• This gives a very small memory footprint the same
  as assembler, but with the advantages of managed
  code and easy to write languages
• Roughly 300 Kbytes for the framework
• MicroFramework is not a real-time language though
• If you need this you need to use a different
  language and suitable operating system

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Languages Java

• Java is a very popular language within the field
  of mobile and wireless communications
• The same way that .NET does Java will generate a
  intermediate language which is OS and device
  independent
• It will compile into byte code which will
  interpreted by the Java Virtual Machine (JVM)
• From here it will be converted to machine code
  for which ever machine it is being used on
• Java is based on C and C
• As with .NET Java is a very popular language so
  this does reduce the development times
• The language is available freely where anyone can
  download it and use this language
• http//java.sun.com/
• There are also a large number of IDEs to help
  develop the software
• Both commercial and freeware

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Languages Java ME

• The same issue as with .NET although we are using
  a similar language to the desktop environment
• Most of the functionality is not required
• The devices which these programs are intended for
  are limited in resources
• The programs also need to just have the
  functionality which is needed
• The cut down version of Java used to be called
  J2ME and is now called Java Micro Edition
  (Java-ME)
• The essential functionality which is required is
  still retained in this version
• Java-ME though is intended for more than just
  Mobile devices
• It is intended to be used in any scenario where
  limited resources are an issue
• Smart Cards
• TV set-top boxes
• Mobile phones

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Languages Java ME

• Support for the language is very widespread
• Java ME is the language which is supported on the
  nearly platforms
• Unlike .NET which is supported mostly on Windows
  for Mobile
• With additional software for other OSs
• Java ME is supported on nearly all of the new
  devices and all of the OSs
• Due to a disagreement with Microsoft originally
  windows for mobile did not support Java ME but
  this has now been resolved
• In addition beyond the normal oss i.e.
  Symbian, Palm, Windows
• Propriety OSs as well usually support Java
• This gives the developers a very large
  development base for any application which is
  developed
• A recent example is the Motorola Razor

http//www.cellforcash.com/cellular-phone-informat
ion/images/motorola-razr-v3-clamshell.jpg
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Languages Java ME

• The software allows for the development of all
  types of applications on a device
• Write Once Run Anywhere
• These could be games with the graphic libraries
  through to business type applications.
• There are two basic levels of configuration
• Connected Device Configuration (CDC)
• Portable device but with more resources
• i.e. 2mb of memory at least
• Connected Limited Device Configuration (CLDC)
• Low power devices resource limited
• Within these there are a number of profiles which
  then give or take away functionality as it would
  be needed for an item
• With companies producing specific APIs for there
  own devices

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Languages Labview

• National Instruments Labview
• This is a graphical real-time language which can
  be used to create programs
• Although it can create business type programs it
  is more suited to data input/output programs
• There is a mobile version of the software which
  will only work on the Microsoft Pocket PC and
  Windows Mobile environment at the moment
• This may change though in the future with more
  OSs being supported

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Getting your program out there!

• Once you have created it the program needs to be
  distributed to the devices
• Web
• Transfer from your desktop
• Own website
• Specialist Website
• There are now lots of these if you go to Google
• Direct transfer from the development environment
• We have used this in the tutorials this is
  reasonable for developments which are limited but
  if a lot of users need a program this would not
  be
• Over the air file transfer
• Moving the executables from the one device to the
  next one
• Bluetooth
• InfraRed
• Cellular

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Getting your program out there!

• There is currently a very large potential for the
  money which could be made from mobile devices
• As in the Smart Phones and the PDAs
• The embed controllers and other resource limited
  devices the programs are quite specialised and
  would be created for a specific project
• By only charging a small amount for a game or
  applications
• This increases the chances of someone just trying
  that software!
• If they only pay a few pounds and it sounds good
  is it worth buying a magazine at 4 to see a
  review of it?
• This is a large potential market place
• Although this market place can not be exactly
  predicted all of the analysts in the field are
  predicting this to make large amounts of money
• This is mostly pushed towards the games markets
• At the moment card and puzzle games are the most
  popular (http//www.theregister.co.uk/2007/02/12/3
  g_games_just_for_fun/)
• Beyond the games though there are specialist
  applications to help users
• The market is really quite open for anyone to
  develop an application and market it
• Prediction of a value of 3.5 Billion by 2010
  (http//www.cio-weblog.com/50226711/mobile_enterpr
  ise_application_market_will_reach_35_billion_by_20
  10_idc.php)

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Mobile Applications

• The market place and requirements for people who
  know what they are doing in this field will
  increase
• Large numbers of companies are now moving across
  to providing mobile phones / PDAs for users
• The next step is to provide data services to
  these devices to allow them to remain connected
  to the office for longer
• This could be business people but also
• Consider emergency services, normal people on the
  street wanting information or access to data
• The wireless enabled heating system !
• Simply put the market is not restricted
• No one has come up with the killer application
  for mobile devices yet
• There will probably never be one application.
• Instead it will be a suite of software and like
  the desktop PC that each device can be customised
  exactly how YOU want it will be the Killer
  application

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Conclusion

• Looked at
• Considerations for developments
• Languages availble
• How to distribute your application