I need to build an app, can I do it all in Wappler?

Wappler General
#1

1: I need Android and iOS. Do I need to build twice?

2: Ideally it would be able to serve push notifications to the user. Can this be set up in Wappler and what would be needed on the admin end to push the notifications?

3: I like using SHA256 for encryption of passwords. Will this work on mobile apps?

4: All data on the app will be served from a MySQL database which is administered through a web based dashboard. Both Android and iOS can be compatible with pulling data from a MySQL database?

5: Is there any other software I will need installed to be able to do this?

6: Anything else I should know that I possibly have not thought of?

Thanks!

#2

Hey Brad,
Am working on the same principles but with barely any documentation it is trial and error, and a lot of error to say the leastā€¦ Good luck with getting any direction right now. I believe @Teodor is working on a demo for the Mobile App side. Hopefully available in the next few weeks.

1 Like
#3

Looks like we are all in the same Boat, needing documentation on mobile app building

I think the answers as best i can to your questions are:

  1. same app, just different cordova targets for final build
  2. Dont know
  3. Should be OK as this is done at server end
  4. Yes, the wappler server connections are managed as if they are an API I believe
  5. Everything should be installed in wappler setup
  6. probably, will tell you when i think of it.

I know Teodor is working on some documentation and I think there may be some to come from Dubai_CitizenS9, fingers crossed.

As I have suggested before, we perhaps need a small self help group put together to resolve this.

4 Likes
#4

Luckily, I have a year before it needs to be launched. Unfortunately, I have to decide by Monday if I am building it or we go with a third party developer.

At least I know I am not alone and we may need that small support group. :wink:

1 Like
#5

Yes, you need to add both platforms in your project (see the bottom toolbar, platforms menu)

This requires an additional plugin for Cordova to be installed. See the following link for more info:
https://cordova.apache.org/docs/en/latest/guide/cli/

Yes it works the same as on web apps/sites. What you do for mobile apps is just the same as building a web page - with all the components and options the same.

Well yes, you need Android studio and Android SDKs installed, as well as xcode for iOS apps.

2 Likes
#6

A mobile app built with Wappler is nothing different than a web site. You just ā€œpackā€ it as an app using Cordova toolbar when you are done.
I think itā€™s just the term ā€œmobileā€ that makes it look scary :slight_smile:

#7

Honestly, itā€™s the ā€˜Cordovaā€™ part that is the scariest. The parts of an app that make it an app rather than a mobile website. I did develop one app a few years ago with the DMXZone DW Extension. I only did iOS and had no real ā€˜app featuresā€™. Just basically a dynamic data driven web app.

So I think I could get around doing that part again. Just all this Cordova talk in order to add actual app feattures really has my head spinning. I feel so much has changed in the last three or four years.

3 Likes
#8

A video of someone making a very simple app from start to finish would be such a help, no need for anything complex app wise as it is just the process that seems to have everyone confused.

A simple ā€œHello Worldā€ type app from start to finish would suffice initially, we could then learn the more complex bits like security and data management later

3 Likes
#9

I agree - something simple would be very helpful. However, it would be good if it could be a dynamic ā€œHello Worldā€ - ie the result of a database query. Itā€™s been mentioned that:

Desktop and Mobile apps canā€™t run any server code, so you usually setup a second Wappler project for your server API that you publish on the web.

ā€¦but I have little idea how this is actually done.

1 Like
#10

Thatā€™s easy Tom :slight_smile:
In Wappler you create 2 projects.

  1. A web project, which you publish on your web server. Thatā€™s where all the dynamic code runs (your server actions).
  2. A mobile project - which you pack as a mobile app. It only contains static data, and your bindings, which gets their data from the web project.

When you need to bind data in your mobile project you just:

  1. Create a server connect, as you normally do, and click select server action to select the server action:

    Screenshot_5
    Screenshot_5.jpg1267Ɨ797 224 KB

  2. Thatā€™s where the magic happens :slight_smile: Select your WEB PROJECT from the dropdown and then select the server action:

    Screenshot_6
    Screenshot_6.jpg1267Ɨ797 241 KB

  3. Volia! Now you have your data available for binding in the app, in the dynamic data picker:

    Screenshot_7
    Screenshot_7.jpg1267Ɨ797 220 KB

2 Likes
#11

Thanks Teodor - it certainly doesnā€™t look difficult.

#12

The same way you can reuse server actions across multiple sites/projects - it is not limited to mobile projects only.
So you can have a server action just like an external API and connect to it from different projects, requesting the data you need.

1 Like
#13

I didnā€™t know that either - I never noticed that little dropdown. That could be useful. Thanks again!

1 Like
#14

Few tips. If youā€™re running Intel processors make sure to install the HAXM driver it speeds up things hugely! Also make sure you have updated to the latest version of Gradle. You may also need to pack your app with your certificate and sign it depending on which versions/platform you deploy to. Uninstall any previous versions of Android Studio and consider installing updated virtual devices for more modern phone models.

2 Likes
#15

Yes, Android studio can sometimes be really stubborn. Itā€™s been so many years and iā€™m wondering how they never really updated it for easier usage :slight_smile:

1 Like
#16

@Teodor it can be a nightmare. Also worth installing the laterst version of Android, and one or two older versions. The emulator is a pile of dog poo without the HAXM driver installedā€¦ :wink:

See Android Studio as sort of virtualization like Virtual Boxā€¦ You need to install images for various virtual devices and platformsā€¦

1 Like