revMobile

[rumplestiltskin]

I searched the board but don't find anything specifically related to this. Please be patient.

My iPad is arriving next Saturday and the idea of revMobile is even more exciting that anticipating the arrival of the iPad. I have some ideas for apps but there are some confusing rules about what kind of data is permitted to be created (stored?) on the iPad (and iPhone, I assume).

Without getting too technical, my app would provide choices and text boxes for a user to select and fill in. The number of "steps" so to speak are up to the user so it could be 10 steps or 100 steps - each step having a range of choices that are determined by a category the user chooses at the initial choice during each "step". The app would then do some calculations and, eventually, present the user with some sort of total. The choices the user makes during this process are assigned to different categories so the ability to present the subtotals for these categories will also be required. I don't see anything so far that would preclude this app (which works fine in the standard Rev environment on my Mac) from working (albeit with considerable rewriting for the interface!) on the iPad. However, now the part that is easy to accomplish on the Mac (or PC) has me worried when it comes to the iPad: I need to save the choices the user made to a file (with a name of the user's choosing) and be able to read that file back in (with the user possibly altering choices or adding steps). Again, on the Mac or PC, this is quite easy, but does this ability actually exist on the iPad/iPhone (or will my data files have to be stored internally within the application)? Perhaps my last question isn't even close to what needs to be done (if it can be done at all).

Any advice (including where I might find documentation from Apple to explain this issue) will be greatly appreciated. I am not an iPhone developer now also, with revMobile, I hope to be. Thanks very much.

Barry

[RRobert]

"Files in iPhone OS share space with the user’s media and personal files on the flash-based memory. For security purposes, your application is placed in its own directory and is limited to reading and writing files in that directory only. "

See the iPhone Application Programming Guide.

PS: Beside revMobile (which is in the pre-alpha state- ETA: November, 2010) you need a Mac, XCode, the iPhone SDK and a iPhone Developer Program membership ($99 annually) to develop and deploy applications on the device.

Robert

[rumplestiltskin]

Robert,

Your explanation is most helpful. As long as I can write files to the iPad (in my own app's directory - I understand), then I should be able to program most everything the user would need to do on the iPad.

I also appreciate the link(!) and the list of requirements.

One final question (and I'm sure I'm not the first to ask this one): How would one transfer files (probably in tab-delimited format) generated by my app back to one's Mac (or PC)?

Thanks very much for your help.

Barry

[RRobert]

There are a lot of options:

- you could send the file as attachment by mail
- you could write a small utility application for PC, Mac which implements a basic webserver which your iPhone application could access while connected by Wifi
- you could do it vice versa and your iPhone application could implement a basic webserver (if revMobile offers that option) which the user could access with his browser while connected by Wifi from his PC, Mac
- you could upload the file to the web and send the user a mail with a link
- ...

Robert

[rumplestiltskin]

- you could send the file as attachment by mail

Ah! So the Mail app in the iPad (iPhone) can reach into my app's directory? (Or must I implement SMTP myself?)

I know I have to start reading all the documentation.

When I bought my iMac last year I decided not to buy the Core i7 model and opted instead for the standard Core2Duo model. I took the extra money and put it into an envelope with Steve Jobs' name on it because I knew that, eventually, Apple would release something I couldn't live without. Fast forward two months and up pops the iPad (and the money in that envelope is spoken for). Glad I've continued to save up because revMobile appears to be the answer to a prayer.

Back in 1987 Jean-Loius Gassee gave the keynote at the Mac Expo. One of his "Three Steps in a Love Affair" was "a user-accessible programming language". I used to think it was HyperCard but Apple...well, we know what happened. I bought Rev some years ago but circumstances forced me to abandon much of my programming. As I approach retirement, I think I'm ready to begin once again. (Where's that iPad? C'mon, c'mon...)

[RRobert]

Ah! So the Mail app in the iPad (iPhone) can reach into my app's directory? (Or must I implement SMTP myself?)

revMobile provides the option to bring up the mail app and fill out the address, subject and body.

Robert