Fixed positioning with WebApp.net

Introduction

It is actually not possible with mobile Safari to realize CSS fixed positioning. As a result of this constraint, iPhone web applications can not have fixed header or footer positioning natively.

Hopefully, there is a trick powered by several lines of javascript….Thanks a lot to cubiq.org !!!

This powerful javascript file allows you to include a scrollview to your webapp and choose to specify if you want an horizontal or vertical scrollbar…or both.

Of course, this trick is available for all webapp microframework and is working as well with WebApp.net !

Integration

This demonstration will show you how to include a fixed header to your WebApp.

• Step1: Download the script from here.

This original script can be replaced by this one if you want to restrict scrolling to the correct direction. I have used the modified version for this demonstration.

• Step2: Include the script in your webapp

You simply need to add the downloaded javascript in your html file.

• Step3: Initialize the “scrolling framework”

In the WebApp.net load callback, you need to add the following code:

Add the following CSS style to your WebApp.net application as well

• Step4: Add the wrapper in the WebApp.net application

Before the iGroup div block, include the wrapper and scroller divs as followed:

• Step5: Enyoy !!!

You can take a look of the demonstration here.

Conclusion

This trick is really an interesting solution waiting for the native one provided by Apple...

JSON Cross domain…How it works

Introduction

More and more applications are mashup applications and need to make several JSON requests to multiple external services. Actually, for security reasons, AJAX requests can only be done in the same domain used for the application itself…How can we solve this cross domain problem ?

The solution called JSONP exists from 2 or 3 years using the HTML script tag. Indeed this tag is mostly used to load several Javascript files from different servers.

Therefore, the solution/trick consists of creating dynamically a script tag with the source attribute pointing to the external JSON server and passing in the url the Javascript  callback function name.

The server part needs to be modified as well to treat this kind of cross domain requests. The server will read from the url, the callback function he needs to call with the resulting data.

Implementation

• Creating the Javascript function in charge of creating the script tag

• Calling the external JSON server

As you can see the Javasript callback function name is passed as an url argument.

• Adapting the External JSON server

Of course, you need to have the possibility to modify the JSON server part to have the solution working !

The servlet or PHP code needs to read the callback name and return the appropriate answer

Conclusion

This JSONP solution is very useful for mashup web applications. Of course, this solution requires to have the target server implementing the JSONP protocol. Google and Yahoo JSON services have already implemented this protocol in their services.

A second problem with this solution is that only GET requests can be done through cross domain….No solution are available regarding POST requests…

This post is mostly inspired from this french blog.

iPhone, Flash and… Javascript

Today i read a post about someone who has implemented a Javascript engine in charge of reading flash files…

The article is available here.

I found first that it was a fake…but after downloading the source files it appears that is was a real project !!!

Actually the engine, in its current stage is very limited and not useful for anything… I have tested with different flash files and only very basic files are working…

I'm really interested to know the Apple strategy regarding flash... How can we imagine an iSlate or the next iPhone without flash !!!

Scalable Image with GWT2.0 and DataResource

Introduction

Today, i wanted to use an ImageResource combined with an Image widget to display a resizable image. My first approach was not the good one !!! and it’s why i decided to write this note to provide the trick. Hopefully GWT2.0 has the solution !

Using ImageResource

When using ImageResource, GWT2.0 uses a CSS background url property to render the complete image and set automatically the width and height properties with the image original size. You can see the sources and related CSS just below.

Resizing the original image

My objective was to resize the original image. I tried to use the setSize method. When running the application, the image was cropped (0, 0, 400, 300) and not resized.

The problem with this ImageResource implementation is that a CSS background property is used and CSS does not allow to resize an image background yet.

The DataResource to the rescue !

The DataResource solution does not use the CSS background property but fills the img src property with the base64 encoded image. The image is correctly resized with the setSize() method.

Conclusion

When the objective is to display a simple image with the original size, using ImageResource is the good approach. When an image dimensioning is required, the DataResource is the solution !

del.icio.us Tags: GWT2.0

Rounded button, CSS3 and GWT2.0 ClientBundle

Introduction

CSS3 introduces new powerful capabilities for web designers. Instead of merging several sub-images to generate a rounded button, CSS3 allows to define this button with properties.

This tutorial will not only expose the CSS3 instructions to create the  button. The new GWT2.0 ClientBundle facility will be used to create a GWT RoundedButton.

The basic GWT Button will be used with a dedicated CSS3 style provided by a ClientBundle.

Let’s go !

ClientBundle introduction

GWT2.0 introduces this new  functionality bringing the power of combining and optimizing resources into one download for things like text files, CSS, and XML. This means fewer network roundtrips, which in turn can decrease application latency, especially on mobile applications.

More information regarding ClientBundle can be found here.

Step1: Creating the CSS clientBundle

The .iPush style is used to polish the button in the “normal state”. Basic attributes like color, font and positioning are described in this section. As CSS3 webkit implementation is used, you can notice that a \ is added in front of the webkit. without this \, GWT compile will fire an error during compilation.

The .iPush.IBClassic is used to add the rounded button properties. A “templated button image” is required to define the button properties. This image will automatically adapt is size regarding the text contained in the button or the button forced width.

@url annotation is used to define the “templated” image required to design the button(lines 182-183).

• the @url annotation will produce the url CSS instruction
• the imageUrl1 is the image referenced in the CSS instruction
• the bigButtonWhite is a reference to a property defined in the ClientBundle java file in charge of locating the image (.png). This java file will be presented just after…

If we take a look at the generated CSS with the Chrome developer tools, we can see that the image has been base64 encoded during the GWT compilation !! no additional network access is used to download the image.

Step2: Creating the Java ClientBundle

The Resources interface is used to define all the resources (CSS files, images, JavaScript..) that are part of the bundle.

The previous CSS file is referenced by the @Source(“test.css”) annotation, the image location defined in the CSS file is defined in this interface as well.

An other interface (MyCssResource) returned by the previous Resources interface is used to access the styles defined in the CSS file.

Using the button in the application

GWT.create method retrieves the Resources interface (56).

The button is “styled” with the MyCssResources iPush and iBClassic methods. This 2 methods are related to the .iPush and .iPush.iBClassic defined in the CSS file.

Finally, the resource is injected to the component (60)

And the result is:

Conclusion

This tutorial was for me the occasion to test the ClientBundle provided by the new GWT2.0 framework. Using ClientBundle seems really a good way to reduce the network transfers and only use the “active” part of the CSS.

Special thanks to Thomas Broyer who provide me efficient support !

del.icio.us Tags: GWT,CSS3,GWT2.0

Activity indicator with WebKit CSS animation

Introduction

It is possible to create loading indicators with animated gif. A lot of sites are proposing this service like mentalized.net.

An other approach is to use a CSS animation provided by Safari WebKit. This solution will work for WebKit browsers (Chrome, Safari).

I will expose briefly how this animation is working.

Tutorial description

Objective of this tutorial is to create a loading indicator that is activated when the user click on a start button.

Starting the tutorial

Step1: The Activity indicator HTML code

2 divs are used for the indicator.

• The fisrt div(activityIndicatorCont) is used to add extra parameters of the indicator like text or background color.
• The second div is used to display the transparent load indicator image. This div will be used during the CSS animation (rotation).

Step2: The Activity indicator CSS animation code

The activityIndicatorCont is used to customize the loading indicator (background-color, rounded border…). As the animation is only visible when the user clicks on the start button, this div is hidden.

The activityIndicator defines the animation parameters and the image used for the indicator.

Step3: The CSS keyFrames animation description

The animation used to rotate the loading indicator image is described in this section. The activity-indicator name will be used to reference this keyframes animation (JavaScript part).

Step4: Starting the animation with JavaScript

When the user click the go Button, the Javascript function starts the animation. The components becomes visible (line 10) and the animation name is assigned (line 11).

You can try the animation here.

You can download the project (html + css + png) here.

Conclusion

CSS webKit animation provides powerful animation possibilities. Actually the CSS functions described in this tutorial are only available for webKit browser (-webkit).

More information regarding the functionalities are available on the Apple developer website available here.

del.icio.us Tags: CSS,webkit animation,html5

WebApp.Net and AdSense integration

Introduction

In a previous post, i have explained how to integrate AdMob advertising with WebApp.

Today Google has announced the launch of AdSense for Mobile (high end devices only). Thanks to this new feature, you can now develop your mobile advertising with Google as well !!!.

This post will briefly describe how to integrate AdSense with WebApp.Net framework.

Mini tutorial

Step1: Registering an AdSense account

Of course this step is mandatory. All explanation are described here.

Step2: Creating your app advertising

This 4 steps wizard helps you to customize your advertising (device type, format, colors, channels). The last step provides you the javascript code to be included in the web page.

Step3: Adding  the javascript to the WebApp.net app

Simply add the javascript code just after the iHeader section of the app and just before the IGroup section as described in the next picture.

Step4: Enjoy !!!

That’s all for the integration…You can see as easy it is…

The sample code and the demo for the tutorial is available here: http://visticot.frederic.perso.neuf.fr/webapp/adsense/

Conclusion

It is very easy to integrate both of AdSense and AdMob advertising API. What will be your choice ?