Hi Chuck, Years ago, before I was a full-time Web developer, I worked for a company that made custom business applications for PDA's - back when Windows CE was version 1.0
Things have changed a lot in the last few years. The challenges today are that there is so many different versions of micro-browsers, and PDA operating system - with each them have spotting support for all the different web-standards (e.g., HTML, CSS, JavaScript, XML, etc...). I say spotting, because there is a limit to how much functionality you can put into a small PDA/Phone device - but these things get better everyday. If you're targeting one particular device and Operating System (Palm, PocketPC, Windows CE or one of the new linux variants), then you'll have less headaches. Java can help here too, but I don't think the pocket version(s) of Java are as full-featured as the regular kind - and still limited to what devices it can run on. It's one thing to build a Web application that can be read and navigated well in a micro-browser, where mostly you're just worrying about HTML and such (in addition to your Server-side Witango code). But to have off-line functionality and/or synchronization is another story. Then you need a local database component, and then have hooks into the device's Networking to detect on-line and off-line status, etc... Not a small leap in methodology. Every PDA OS will have different toolkits and development language choices, and every Device manufacture will have different SDK specs and tools for each one of those OSs. You'll need to investigate all to make an informed decision. It's funny you should mention this topic because I recently embarked on working toward building my own PDA applications (mostly as a hobby) - and I've decided on the Pocket PC/Windows CE platform with C# utilizing the .NET Compact Framework. Nothing like having Pocket SQL Server CE running on a handheld (for free) :-) http://smartdevices.microsoftdev.com/ http://www.microsoft.com/sql/ce/default.asp Good luck....... Scott Cadillac, Witango.org - http://witango.org 403-281-6090 - [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- Information for the Witango Developer Community --------------------- XML-Extranet - http://xmlx.ca 403-281-6090 - [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- Well-formed Development (for hire) --------------------- -----Original Message----- From: "Chuck Lockwood" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "WiTango-Talk" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Fri, 21 Nov 2003 17:09:57 -0500 Subject: Witango-Talk: PDA access. > A client wants me to make parts of their Witango application accessible > through PDA's, using wireless technologies. My understanding is that a > good > PDA app should be able to run offline, then sync with the server DB > when a > hotspot is entered. > > Anyone been down this road that would care to share their experiences? > > Thanks, > > Chuck Lockwood > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > LockData Technologies, Inc. > 309 Main Avenue, Hawley, Pa 18428 > 570-226-7340 ~ Fax: 570-226-7341 > [EMAIL PROTECTED] ~ www.lockdata.com > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > > > _______________________________________________________________________ > _ > TO UNSUBSCRIBE: Go to http://www.witango.com/maillist.taf ________________________________________________________________________ TO UNSUBSCRIBE: Go to http://www.witango.com/maillist.taf
