Developing Handheld Applications a case study

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Developing Handheld Applications - a case study

• Kevin Baker
• Sea Bass Software
• STUN 12th Feb 2003

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The Problem

• MRC The Gambia
• Large medical trial
• Manual Process for Data Capture
• 150,000 A4 forms
• 3 million data fields p.a
• 5,000 fields per clerk per day
• 17,000 infants

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Original Solution

• Bespoke client-server application
• PowerBuilder 8
• SQL Server 2000
• MS Windows 2000/XP environment
• Form design printing
• Paper based data capture
• Data Validation
• Complex validation rules
• Reports

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Improvements?

• Reduce manual processes
• Minimise paper management
• Minimise data capture
• Improve data quality
• Improve analysis turnaround time
• Improve costs
• Improve working effectiveness

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The Challenge

• Mobilise the field-workers
• Capture data electronically
• Minimise impact on existing system

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Where to Start?

• Hardware selection
• Operating system
• Development tools
• Design Development considerations
• User training issues
• Ruggedisation
• Interoperability
• With existing system

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The Options

• Handheld
• Palm
• Symbol, Palm, Sony
• Pocket PC
• Symbol, Compaq, Toshiba, Fujitsu, Intermec
• Handheld PC
• NEC, HP

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Development Challenges

• New platform
• Screen resolution
• Mobile GUI
• Processor/Speed

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Screen Resolution

• 240h x 320w pixels
• Colour varies
• 12 bit 4096 colours
• 16 bit gt65,000 colours
• Applications benefit from more colour

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Screen Comparison
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Mobile GUI

• Many differences with desktop
• No keyboard / mouse
• Soft Input Panel (SIP)
• On-screen keyboard
• Block/letter recognizer
• Transcriber
• Menus in different places
• Interesting design challenges
• Window persistence

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Mobile GUI
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Processor

• Early devices had MIPS, SH3, ARM
• Later devices standardised on ARM
• 120-206Mhz
• New devices use Intel XScale
• 200-400Mhz
• Limited to 100Mhz bus speed
• No guarantee of speed improvements (also OS not
  optimised for processor)
• No maths co-processor

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Development Software

• 3 GL
• eMbedded Visual C (MS)
• MobileBuilder (Penright)
• 4 GL
• eMbedded Visual Basic (MS)
• MobileVB (AppForge)
• CEfusion (Odyssey Software)
• Insignia Geode (Insignia Solutions)
• SavaJe (SavaJe Technologies)
• PocketBuilder (Sybase)

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PocketBuilder

• Currently in Alpha
• Due for release in Q2
• ADOCE will be used for database operations
• PowerScript language
• DataWindow support with update functionality

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Software Development Considerations

• Skill-set of developers
• 3GL (C), 4GL (VB), Java
• Understand development tool limitations
• Understand database platform support
• Understand target platform
• Processor support
• Development tool
• Database
• Skill-set vs Development Tool vs Platform vs DB
  vs DB Interface

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Software Development Considerations - examples
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Data Storage

• DBAnywhere
• MobileDB
• SprintDB
• MS SQL Server CE
• Sybase
• ASA
• UltraLite

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Database Choices

• Adaptive Server Anywhere
• SQL based transactional rdbms
• All Windows platforms
• Unix Novell
• Multi-CPU to Windows CE (PocketPC)
• Ultralite
• Specifically for small devices
• Palm, Windows CE, VxWorks
• C/C and Java engines

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Solution

• OS
• Pocket PC 2002
• Hardware
• Compaq iPAQ
• Application development
• eMbedded Visual Basic (eVB)
• DB
• Adaptive Server Anywhere (iAnywhere )
• Synchronisation
• MobiLink (iAnywhere )

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Why iAnywhere ASA?

• Initially tried MS SQLServer CE
• Investigated Ultralite
• Finally Adopted ASA
• SQL interface
• Product familiarity
• Easy to use
• PC based db creation
• Easy to integrate
• Simplified development testing
• Multi-platform

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Why iAnywhere ASA?

• Strong security features
• Complimentary products
• Replication
• MobiLink
• SQLRemote
• Manage Anywhere Studio
• Mail Anywhere Studio
• iAnywhere Wireless Server

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iAnywhere Stats.

• Investor's Business Daily, Internet and
  Technology SectionMonday, November 11, 2002  

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Data Synchronisation
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Mobilink
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MobiLink Features

• Open
• Remote initiated
• Data transfer conflict management
• 2-way sync
• Communication streams
• HotSync, ActiveSync, TCP/IP, Web HTTP/HTTPS
• Monitoring Reporting
• Performance tuning
• Security
• Transport-Layer encryption/certificates, UID/PWD

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Summary - Lessons

• Appreciate limitations/differences
• Current developer skills
• Development tool
• Target Operating System and GUI
• Target hardware (processor)
• Component interoperability
• Database and Interfaces
• Etc.

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Result
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Result
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Questions

• Kevin Baker
• kevin.baker_at_seabass.co.uk
• Sarah Bell Business Manager
• sarah.bell_at_seabass.co.uk
• [phone]
• Web Site
• www.seabass.co.uk