OracleAS Wireless applications can be developed in a completely custom fashion or you can leverage prebuilt applications that are provided with OracleAS Wireless. Markup languages supported for mobile applications include the following:
XHTML Mobile Profile
XHTML with XForms
XML
The OracleAS Wireless engine provides translation to the appropriate device markup language.
When developing an OracleAS Wireless application, you typically follow these general steps:
Define business and technical requirements.
Design the mobile application needed to fulfill the requirements.
Identify prebuilt business logic for reuse, as appropriate, along with needed Web Services.
Decide if the application will be accessed via small-screen browsers, messaging devices such as Short Message Service (SMS), or a mixture.
Build the mobile application using the Oracle JDeveloper Wireless Extension and device simulators.
Test the mobile application using the Mobile My Studio.
Deploy the mobile application into production for use on real devices.
The primary tools available for OracleAS Wireless development are Oracle JDeveloper, the Wireless Development Kit, and My Studio.
Oracle JDeveloper (packaged in the Oracle Developer Suite) is the primary tool used to build OracleAS Wireless applications. The GUI-based JDeveloper Wireless Extension (JWE) enables you to create mobile applications through wizards and templates. You can use this tool to edit applications. Its device simulators also allow you to test applications and advanced systems and to view log files used in the debugging process. You can deploy applications from the JWE user interface.
14.2.1.2 OracleAS Wireless Development Kit
The Wireless Development Kit can be used with Oracle JDeveloper, as well as with other development environments and device simulators. You can obtain the WDK at the Oracle Technology Network Wireless web site at http://otn.oracle.com/tech/wireless/indexl.
The WDK includes the following:
XHTML and J2ME samples
Device detection
Error logging
Location services
A wireless client
Java messaging APIs
Web Services
Web Services components include a J2ME SDK and a J2ME Web Services Proxy Server.
A small-footprint version of OracleAS Wireless Multi-Channel Server is provided in the WDK and enables the testing of wireless applications without requiring deployment of the full Oracle Application Server. The Multi-Channel Server is described in Section 14.3. The industrial-solution version of the WDK enables developers to build applications using XForms embedded within XHTML documents and then test them in a Telnet emulator.
Figure 14-2 shows the home page for the Mobile area of the OTN, a free service for developers. The figure shows some of the mobile resources available through OTN.
After you have created your application, you deploy it to a web server for voice or browser access, or for messaging. Applications can be deployed anywhere they are accessible from the Internet. The next step is to test your application.
Oracle provides an online testing facility, the Oracle Mobile My Studio. You can obtain My Studio from http://studio.oraclemobile.com.
This web site provides test facilities for voice, mobile browser, and two-way SMS. Real-time logs are generated as you test the applications that you view when debugging your application.
When you come to the My Studio web site for the first time, you need to register on the Welcome page. Once you are a registered user, you can log in. You will then see tabs for Applications, Samples, and Webservices (see Figure 14-3). Exploring the My Studio tabs leads you to the following:
Applications
Provides a list of existing configured applications that you can view and test. Alternatively, you can configure new applications for voice and browser access (by providing the name and URL) or SMS and email (by providing the short name and HTTP parameters your application expects).
Samples
Provides sample application code you can view and test.
Webservices
Enables the registration of new J2ME Web Services and the downloading of registered hubs. Also provides a link to download the J2ME SDK.
My Studio includes online directions for how to test applications. Other online documentation provides help getting started, developing applications, and advanced topics related to voice, messaging, and J2ME Web Services. A link to the Mobile Studio Forum allows you to communicate with other OracleAS Wireless developers.
OracleAS Wireless provides a set of prebuilt applications that can be deployed on their own or that can serve as a starting point for building other applications. These applications are:
Mobile Office
Mobile Messaging
Mobile Location
These applications are described in the following sections.
OracleAS Wireless also provides the underlying infrastructure for mobile and voice access to Oracle's Collaboration Suite and E-Business Suite.
Mobile Office provides wireless, voice, and messaging applications used to access common office productivity systems. Supported systems and interfaces include:
Through support of email servers supporting SMTP, POP3, or IMAP4, such as Oracle Collaboration Suite, Microsoft Exchange, and Lotus Domino
Calendar
Through support of Oracle Collaboration Suite, Oracle Calendar 5.2, and Microsoft Exchange 5.5 and 2000
Directory
Through access to a Corporate Directory deployed using the Oracle Internet Directory or any LDAP directory
Address Book
Through support of Oracle Collaboration Suite, Oracle Calendar 5.2, Microsoft 5.5 and 2000, and Lotus Domino Release 5 and 6
Tasks
Through support of Microsoft 5.5 and 2000 and Lotus Release 5 and 6
Files
Through support of WebDAV and Oracle Files
Published interfaces are available to extend the use of these applications to nonsupported systems.
Mobile Messaging applications provide message exchange via email, SMS, MMS, voice, or fax. You can choose target destinations from address books or directory entries, or you can specify your own. Alerts and notifications can include email alerts, calendar appointment reminders and new appointments, and custom alerts using the Alert Service.
Mobile Location applications are location-aware and can be deployed via wireless, voice, or messaging interfaces. These applications can provide driving directions, find nearby businesses (along with directions to those businesses), and show locations on maps.