I have been working on iOS application for sometime, and I am using Core Data to manage the SQLite database for the application. The users of the application can update the data associated with their account using the application, but I would like to create a simple web form where users could update certain information asosciated with their account. Basically I would like a user to be able to access a web adress from their personal smartphone or computer, login, then update information asociated with the account stored on the iOS device. What are the possible solutions I could use to accomplish this?
Breaking down your question:
Currently you have an iOS app which uses a local SQLite DB to store data
You want to let users update information in this DB remotely (i.e, via a web site)
Unfortunately to do this you're going to need to make some significant changes to how your app works. This is because it's impractical - if not nearly impossible - to do this kind of thing and keep the database local to your device.
The standard way of achieving this would be to store your database remotely on a web server, and then have both your app and your web form interact with this server to retrieve and update data.
There are lots of different ways to do this. Fundamentally, you'll need a server running a database, and a web service to access it. You could implement this yourself, using something like MySQL or PostgreSQL, along with a language of your choosing (Ruby, PHP, Node, etc). Another option is to use one of several 'backend as a service' providers. These are companies that provide 'out of the box' backend functionality for mobile apps. Two popular providers are Parse (owned by Facebook) and Stackmob.
Whether you choose to do it yourself or use a backend provider will depend on how confident you are. It's not an especially hard or tricky thing to put together on your own, but there are several common pitfalls you're likely to encounter.
Related
CloudKit JS looks interesting. Yes, I know all about Parse, but was wondering if we can build a simple CMS on my server that can use the new CloudKit JS features: Authenticate, Add, Delete, etc. Or can this only run as a CMS in an App environment (like on an iPad)? AKA, the Public Container?
Basically what I'm trying to do is have my clients populate the App with data using CloudKit JS (using a simple web form front end), and not have to resort to using a php/mysql setup?
Question: Can CloudKit function now as my CMS? Finding zero examples, LOVE to learn!
https://developer.apple.com/library/prerelease/ios/documentation/DataManagement/Conceptual/CloutKitWebServicesReference/Introduction/Introduction.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40015240
If you have a CloudKit app, you can use CloudKit web services to provide a web interface for users to access the same data as your app. You must have the schema for your databases already created to use CloudKit web services. CloudKit web services provides an HTTP interface to fetch, create, update, and delete records, zones, and subscriptions. You also have access to discoverable users and contacts
As far as I understand, this is exactly the type of functionality that the CloudKit Web Services are meant for. As long as you have an application published in either the Mac or iOS App Store you can have a web presence, for instance in the form of a CMS.
Is there a reason why you think this is not possible or somehow prohibited? There is nothing preventing you from doing this in the Terms and Conditions as far as I can tell.
The CloudKit catalog sample project is a great way to get started:
https://cdn.apple-cloudkit.com/cloudkit-catalog/
Ok this a great talk at WWDC 2015, explain lots: CloudKit JS and Web Services
CloudKit.js is the new library that provides web access to your app data stored in iCloud. Explore the new web service APIs and learn how to extend your iOS or OS X apps to the web using CloudKit.
https://developer.apple.com/videos/wwdc/2015/?id=710
I a thinking of creating an iPhone/iOS app that would include a feature where one user could create a list of words and then save them to their account on a server. Also (and this is very important), the user could share their list with other users by giving them permission.
So my question is, how can I go about creating such a server? For right now, I have a home computer (running Windows XP that just stores data for my music system) which I can use to host the server. I am also open to the use of other online storage services like Google Drive or Dropbox (I can't remember if Amazon does anything like that). However (and I know this may complicate things a bit), but at least for now, I want/need to stick with free services/options.
Just to recap, the key features that I am looking for are:
create users/accounts (on the server)
eventually I may [try] to incorporate the use of other services to log users in like with their email account, OpenId, etc.
the ability to access (log in to) the server (with credentials) from my app
the ability to send/receive data between the server and my app
the ability to share data between users
I know this is a lot to ask for, but if anyone has any suggestions or can get me going in the right direction, it would be much appreciated.
The basic setup would be as follows:
Backend: Database (MySQL), Web server (Apache), with server side scripting (PHP).
Client: iOS device with developed app.
Communication: use HTTP client/server model, communicating with something like JSON.
This is much the same setup as a web server, but instead of serving html/css/javascript etc the results will be JSON.
As far as implementing specifics such as login in, and sharing data between users, this is purely dependent on your implementation. This is not trivial, and not something that can be easily stated in a single post.
Hope this helps.
You could build your own webservice in PHP, Ruby or Python. If you do so I would recommend building a RESTful webservice (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Representational_state_transfer) and then use RestKit (http://restkit.org/) to handle the data in the iOS app. Especially RestKit's CoreData integration is nice in my opinion.
Another solution would be using a service like Parse (https://parse.com/products/data). The first million or so requests per month are free but after that it could get pricy. I personally have not tried it so I couldn't tell you if it is any good.
I am planning to build an iOS app with using DB(Ms-Sql).
However, people recommends not to access DB from Xcode.
They recommend me to use php or asp for accessing db through a webpage.
I want to know the reason.
Also I am going to use DB only for (view) select line (not insert, update nor delete).
so is it possible to access directly to db for viewing purpose only?
thank you
It's generally bad for an application (mobile, web, any client) to directly have access to any database for security issues. Clients really should not be accessing the database, which is often holding very private/secure data. It opens up vulnerabilities (i.e., sql injection attack).
A set of web services written in php or java or some back-end technology is a more secure, scalable system. These web services can connect to the database and retrieve data. Your iOS application can call the web services and receive the data..for example in the form of XML or JSON.
I am new to iOS app development and am interested in developing an app that needs to utilize existing technologies to sync app specific data across multiple i-devices (iPhone, iPad, Touch, etc.). As an example, the app can be installed on multiple devices. On one device, the user will initially create an account. Then in subsequent logins, the user may create a task list, and each task item may possibly include a captured photo image. On the user's second i-device, as he logs in, he would be able to see and access the list and images (locally). Can someone explain to me what technologies I can leverage on to implement such an app?
Specifically:
How do I set up and manage the user accounts? Do I Need a dedicated server and sql database set up for my entire user base? And what programming/scripting languages do I need to learn?
How about the mechanism of pushing and pulling app data from one device to another? Do I need some kind of cloud technologies (SaaS?) to handle the storage and transferring of the data?
Any specific open source or commercial products I can leverage on?
Thanks in advance.
Kenny
I personally have not have had a situation like this, but here is what I would recommend.
You will need to have a server set up with database software.
You will need to write an api for yourself based on HTTP POST (REST) or maybe you could write a SOAP service.
I would HIGHLY recommend purchasing an SSL cert. for your server that way you can send the username and password in your request and it will be encrypted automatically.
For the api, you have a whole selection of languages and databases at your disposal. I am personally biased towards asp net with an MSSQL server.
with your api you will need to write methods to authenticate the user, and then save and send your data.
In your app you will simply send web requests to the server (ASIHttpRequest maybe?) and you can receive JSON responses back, which you can then deserialize into workable objects and vice versa.
if you do use asp net, you can use the newtonsoft JSON library to convert your objects for sending and convert received objects.
I dont remember the name, but there also is a JSON library for obj-c that is usable on iPhone.
Use a SQL server and host a database of logins and passwords.
Then, from each device, create a connection to the server, and download the login information for the account.
Also, not to be rude but: Google it.
I currently develop an iOS app for a local business directory, and I use SQLite. This sadly means I must do several hours of data entry when new businesses are added and push the updated DB out, because the desktop site uses the Joomla CMS.
Obviously companies that provide directory services don't have to worry about such things. How do they do it? Core Data accompanied by a screen scraper?
PS. I apologise if this question is inappropriate to be asked on StackOverflow, I didn't know where else to ask.
Generally these companies have a client/server architecture where the data lives on a centralised server and the mobile apps pull the data through an exposed API over the internet.
To replicate this yourself, you would have a server with all the data and expose it through an API/web service (so you'd need to think about authentication and security) which your mobile app pulls from when it needs to update the database or just have the query sent to the web service and return the appropriate results so the database does not live on the iOS device itself. The downside to the first approach (updating the DB) is you'd need to wait for the DB to fully update before the user could use the application and the downside to the second approach is to make queries, the client would need an active internet connection.
The first thing you'd want to look at is if/how you can expose the data stored in the Joomla CMS through an API (XML/JSON?)