Mobile communications have literally exploded in the last decade, resulting in exponential growth of mobile subscribers around the globe. With the introduction of 3G technology, mobile platform is turning into a personal computer. We can see new mobile applications being written for various mobile platforms around the world, whether it is Symbian, Windows Mobile, iPhone or Google's Android. Websites and blogs have also started to create their mobile versions. The share of mobile web development is increasing at fast pace and has very bright future. Recently, Nirav Mehta has released his book entitled 'Mobile Web Development', available from Packt Publishing which provides in-depth coverage of developing mobile web applications, whether its a minimal basic web app or a complex web application including multimedia features. If you have working knowledge of XHTML, CSS and Ajax, you can easily develop your own data driven mobile web applications after reading this book. The book can be broadly divided into three parts. viz.,
1. Mobile web development basics
2. Building business oriented mobile web applications
3. Advanced concepts: Integrating Payment system and multimedia web developmentMobile Web Development Basics
For better understanding of the subject, an example mobile website (Pizza on the Run) is taken by the author and the whole site is built from scratch. New features are added as the reader go through each chapter. This approach involves real coding examples giving the reader the very best in understanding the development concepts. The first two chapters provides a solid foundation of principles of mobile web development. Cutting edge technologies like WCSS, XHTML MP and mobile AJAX are introduced in these two chapters. Building Business Oriented Mobile Web Applications
Next 4 chapters provides in-depth coverage of layout & designing of mobile website, integrating payment systems, bulk SMS capability and various optimizing methodologies depending on the mobile platform and hardware. This section also gives detailed information about configuring your own SMS gateway and to seamlessly integrate text services in your mobile website.
Chapter 4 explains very vital part of mobile web app development. This chapter explains different techniques about detecting device capabilities and providing the appropriate version of mobile web app to the visitor according to the hardware configuration of the mobile device. Various device detection libraries are explained in this chapter making it one of my favorite section.Advanced concepts: Integrating Payment System and Multimedia Web Development
The last section goes one step further and provide the latest technologies that can be easily integrated in any mobile website. These technologies include receiving photos from from customers via MMS, sending information through MMS integrating paypal payment system, premium SMS and short codes, receiving text messages via short codes. The book also explains about future-proofing your mobile web app by explaining the basics of iPhone development and Android platform.
Chapter 9 provides very detailed information about integrating interactive voice response (IVR) platform to your mobile web app. Advanced concepts like speech recognition is also covered in this chapter. The last 2 chapters covers my favorite topics. Integrating Ajax interface, provide fast Ajax forms for your customers, mobile widgets, and of course iPhone and Android mobile web devlopement basics.Who should read this book?
After completing this book, you will be able to make your own state of the art mobile website giving the best browsing experience for your valued customers. You will also be able to integrate payment systems, MMS, SMS and various user interaction features (touchscreen, keypads) on your mobile website.
If you are planning to do some serious mobile web development, then this book is for you. The book will guide you in creating, managing and customizing your own mobile web application by using the available tools for developers. Working knowledge of XHTML, CSS and Ajax is required to develop mobile web applications.
Book: Mobile Web Development
Paperback: 236 pages [191mm x 235mm]
Publisher: Packt Publishing (February, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN: 1847193439
ISBN-13: 978-1-847193-43-8
Also available as an e-book from Packt Publishing
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