[new_user]

I'm considering building a BB app that will act as a front end to the database on my main website. I don't know anything about writing code in JAVA, my experience is with HTML, CSS, and some XHTML. From what I've gathered so far there are advantages to building an app front end to your website. I wanted to know if it would be just easier to build a BB friendly website or if the learning process in building a front end app in BB JDE is relatively quick and painless.

Potentially the app would interface with my website's database for users to send and receive information. Users would also be able to set preferences via the app as oppose to doing so on the website.

Can anyone point me in the right direction here?

Thanks.

[patrick.waugh]

I'm considering building a BB app that will act as a front end to the database on my main website. I don't know anything about writing code in JAVA, my experience is with HTML, CSS, and some XHTML. From what I've gathered so far there are advantages to building an app front end to your website. I wanted to know if it would be just easier to build a BB friendly website or if the learning process in building a front end app in BB JDE is relatively quick and painless.

In building any application, you have three choices which you can read about here:
Development Approaches

The term "front-end" is just descriptive of the function of any application which is user-side that allows access to "back-end" data on enterprise servers.

Note, that MDS requires a Blackberry Enterprise Server and BES, while most likely you are interested in creating a BIS consumer application though you do not say.

Basically, the trade-off between the 3 approaches is increased functionality/capability as you move from browser based applications to MDS, to Java ME at the cost of increased complexity and development costs.

If you do not program in Java (or have an employee who does), then that option is not available to you.

Using the KISS principle, if you can just implement what you want by having a BIS user visit a WAP site, then what specifically is it making you want to burden that user with an application which takes up memory resources on their Berry? In other words, if there is no real advantage that you can specifically define and require than the discussion is mute.

Potentially the app would interface with my website's database for users to send and receive information. Users would also be able to set preferences via the app as oppose to doing so on the website.

Can anyone point me in the right direction here?

Without BES and the MDS capable Blackberry Enterprise Server, you are going to be limited to a normal WAP site (as a more custom Java ME app using the browser interface is really not a reality for you).

[delta_foxtrot2]

Potentially the app would interface with my website's database for users to send and receive information. Users would also be able to set preferences via the app as oppose to doing so on the website.

Apps will always be faster, because you are transferring mininal amounts of information rather than the user interface as well and all that goes with it.

That said going from website dev to app dev is a fairly steep learning curve and you might be better off, in terms of rapid development, making something for the BB browser, it can handle HTML and XHTML ok, not just wap and it generally sucks at javascript but is getting better with each OS release, but you just have to design for the smaller interface size, and potentially multiple sizes.

[new_user]

Thanks for the help.

Yeah it just seems easier if I just make the content I want to deliver off my website as mobile friendly as possible. BES is not an option for me at the moment.

Thanks again.

[delta_foxtrot2]

Thanks for the help.

Yeah it just seems easier if I just make the content I want to deliver off my website as mobile friendly as possible. BES is not an option for me at the moment.

I don't really know what he meant by BIS and BES in this instance since if you pull connectivity info from the service books the phone does all the hard work figuring it all out as to the data path, all the developer then needs to do is make sure the HTTP API code is playing nice.

[new_user]

I know for example there is a wiki app that has an improved search method on wiki pages. The only reason I was considering an app front end UI is becase a) the website is Blackberry centric and b) that perhaps it would be easier (and use less "air time") for people to configure preferences natively on their Blackberry as oppose to doing it all on the the actual website. I have no familiarity with building BB apps nor how difficult it would be to make the connection between a BB app and my database. So, perhaps it will be something I look into after I've ran the BB friendly website for awhile and have the time to learn JDE.

[gump47371]

Bump.

I am looking for the same thing, I believe, but for my business use, not for my clients.

I am starting an on-demand delivery service and eventually want to grow it into a grocery delivery service. I posted this in the 3rd Party Software forum, but didn't seem to get any takers.

Here is what I posted, and I will edit it a bit from what I have read and (seemed to have) understood in this thread:

I am a noob to DBs and know a little about BBs, but nothing about design of apps for them. I am wondering if what I want is possible. From what I read here, it is, but understand very little of the "speak", so I may be misinterpreting.

I would like to have an app created to interact with my DB and be able to search for information. I am starting a business and would like to create a table in my database that stores all the prices from all the stores in my city of the products I am selling through my business. I would like to be able to search for a product by name or UPC and have the results displayed through the app.

I would also like to be able to edit/add information about the products through the app and have it connect with my DB and store the information.

I have this currently through my admin on my website, but it is a bit cumbersome as it is not specifically created for a mobile browser. While it works, I would like to have something designed that works better.

TIA for the help. If this isn't the proper place to post this, please delete or move for me, mods.

[ydaraishy]

Perhaps some sort of RPC is what you need, eg. XMLRPC...