App Live Preview great, on web server good, but in Phonegap not-so-good

[CraigSchumacker]

Phonegap :cli-7.1.0 also tried 8.0.0, 8.1.1, 9.0.0 with new builds each try

AA: 12.4.6.1.6 build 6348

Addins: build 5409

Status: New app by moderately talented but seemingly blind web developer.

App functionality: Team of users go to large retail boxes. Each user is given a unique job number for the visit that he enters in a textbox on panel 1. Each of the job numbers fall under a single unique work order 1. On panel 2, user scans barcode, and presses button to add item to todays list. On panel 3, a UX embedded grid shows his scans for that visit / job number. Panel 4 shows a UX embedded grid with all scans for all team members under that visits work order. Panel 5 shows all scans grouped together / totaled in a UX embedded grid grouped by department where a signature is captured.

When in Live Preview, everything works fine except barcode scanning since the app needs to be wrapped in Phonegap for that capability. The three embedded UX grids update immediately when a UPC is manually entered.

When I place the Main UX on an a5w page, and publish to the live server, everything works perfectly except I have to manually put in the UPC, as expected since it's not wrapped in Phonegap yet.

Once I wrap it in Phonegap, the barcodes scanning works great, but on entering the job number, the pre-existing data, and any new UPC entries do not show in any of the browses. This is regardless the PG build.

Each try with PG, I have tried completely new builds as well as just updating. Often removing the app from the Android device / phone I am testing with.

It seems in Phonegap, the filter (I've tried 'link' and 'user' and 'base') is not updating after it is first rendered / drawn.

I've tried hundreds of changes to the embedded grids, and to the initial UX component including turning off pre-rendering.

I have confirmed the default refresh is occurring at 60 seconds.

Any insight you can offer is appreciated. I have plowed through both the documentation, some user videos, and of course this boards older posts.

Is there any way to have a button that either completely re-renders / draws the embedded grid, or a way to push in the filter possibly forcing the data to synch.

[Davidk]

Re: App Live Preview great, on web server good, but in Phonegap not-so-good

Are you actually using Grid components? Or is the terminology you're using wrong?

What is a UX embedded grid? Do you mean a List Control?

Is your Alpha PGB URL for Ajax Callbacks set correctly?

[CraigSchumacker]

Re: App Live Preview great, on web server good, but in Phonegap not-so-good

I would say the terminology I am using is wrong. On panels 3, 4, and 5 I have grid components.

Not a list control.

I feel the PGB url is correct, since if I place a valid job number hard coded in the grid filter, the corresponding correct records show up from the web server.

I think maybe the variable in the grid filter needs to be different when the app is in PGB.

For the job number grid on panel 3, here's my filter where {JOB_NUM} and {WORK_ORDER} are textboxes variables on panel 1:

job_number (C)={JOB_NUM},work_order (C)={WORK_ORDER}

I get the feeling my variable isn't being passed properly in PGB - probably because I need to do something different . It's working fine running on the server from an a5w page...

Screenshot (159).png

[CraigSchumacker]

Re: App Live Preview great, on web server good, but in Phonegap not-so-good

By the way, thanks for your input, and sorry for the overuse of UX in the first post. I've been doing AS Desktop for over 30 years, but web has been very limited. This is my first attempt using PGB.

[Davidk]

Re: App Live Preview great, on web server good, but in Phonegap not-so-good

Unfortunately, your 30 years of Alpha desktop puts you at a bit of a disadvantage for mobile. You cannot use Grid Components in PGB Mobile applications. They are old, bloated, badly coded, non-responsive tools.

[peteconway]

Re: App Live Preview great, on web server good, but in Phonegap not-so-good

Craig, before you go jumping of as cliff for being 30 years in Alpha Desktop to your detriment to Mobile applications, there are some other things you need to consider.

1. xbasic remains the way to communicate with the Alpha Anywhere Web Server when requested functions make callbacks to the server, handle the response and pass it to the client side.

2. you are familiar with the AA ecosystem, just not that familiar with the Web Projects Manager provides as components.

3. many of the client side Javascript you need to us is mostly achievable by the Javascript Actions made available by AA in its definitions.

4. you also understand how a database works.

5. unfortunately, like many you have become used to using a Grid as an easy way to get data to the client. Grids are still a valid component in the Web Control Panel (that why it is there) the problem is, they are a fully bound component, the database and the grid are always paired, the UX control allows developers to call the or embed it, and yes it works to an extent in the browser, but that is where it ends.

6. fortunately after all this you need to become familiar with the UX control and the following Data Controls it provides to get underway, - List, viewbox, panels, and the range of Defined Controls relating to the List Control.

7. your immediate issue you need to understand what is the Grid doing that the List control can also do, and how to do it?

8. the UX is the Super Control , it controls all its own controls and can be host to a Grid, Tabbed UI Builder, Page Layout, Navigation, Login, Google Map, Video Player, Calendar Image Gallery BUT it does not need any of them to do what those components do these days the UX is an unbound environment with the controls doing the binding, I would say they will soon go to the Legacy Components bucket with the Dialog, GridLinker and Tabbed Grid Linker.

9. you have some understanding of PGB - good.

10. so you need help building a UX to replace the grid, that's fine, help is what this board is about, please feel free to PM me and I'll show how to do it, no fee - just passing the help I have had forward to you.

You will find your 30+ years will become your greatest asset in the UX environment, not an anchor.

Pete Conway

[Selwyn Rabins]

Re: App Live Preview great, on web server good, but in Phonegap not-so-good

Craig

Embedding a Grid into a UX is a perfectly fine design pattern, but is really intended for Desktop web application, not Mobile.

For mobile application you always start with a UX (as you know and as you have done) and then you should be using the List control rather than an embedded Grid. List controls can do almost everything that you can do in a Grid (with the possible exception of Row Expanders) and in many cases can do a lot more than you can do with a Grid.

[CraigSchumacker]

Re: App Live Preview great, on web server good, but in Phonegap not-so-good

First and foremost, thanks to all for the sharing your time and knowledge.

While I had noticed the 'List' in the bucket of data controls, I had used grids previously, and they seemed to work quite well until I started testing in Phonegap.

Indeed, the hardest part I see in the web app development learning curve is not what AA so simplifies, it is the continuous loop of testing outside of their control. I waited until the end to start testing in Phonegap because it added another 3 minutes to each test by the time you publish to PGB, wait through the 15 second refresh 1-2 times, then install on the Android device. (I am aware of immediate update with PGB, but have not engaged as I am not sure at what point it does not carry an update over. I read somewhere larger updates may not push onto the device?)

So, seasoned users like yourselves are more confident of your adjustments while guys like me need to live preview, then publish and test every adjustment for impact. I looked at lists last night, and it looks like it follows the same logic and rules one would expect in AA. What slows me down is I am losing time previewing each change in the thousands of settings offered in the properties of each component. There is so much more in there since version 7 when I first fiddled with the web side.

Thanks to the 3 of you, I now understand grids are among the choices that meet some needs, but are starting to fall short of the expanding mobile universe. A lesson I will not soon forget.

You all nailed the issue immediately, and Pete, you are correct. There are several controls (like Viewbox) I need to warm up to.

Alpha Anywhere does an amazing job of simplifying app development. I'm going to go out on a limb and say I expect the grids to be replaced within a few hours.

I appreciate all your advice. I had a terrible headache yesterday. I'm a person who likes to figure these things out myself, but I think I waited too long before seeking your consultation. Pete, thanks for keeping me from looking for a cliff to jump off!

[peteconway]

Re: App Live Preview great, on web server good, but in Phonegap not-so-good

Craig, once the List is in place of the grid, your testing will drop dramatically, like I said, please feel free to PM me and I'll show how to do it, no fee - just passing the help I have had forward to you.
Peter

[Lance Gurd]

Re: App Live Preview great, on web server good, but in Phonegap not-so-good

Craig,

As you are going the mobile route I would recommend viewboxes, you can make them look like list's for viewing data but with a much lower footprint therefore load faster and there are ways to make the data in them editable so win - win situation

[CraigSchumacker]

Re: App Live Preview great, on web server good, but in Phonegap not-so-good

Thanks, Lance. I made the 3 list boxes with little effort yesterday. I am going to roll forward on them, first, as my client is in need of a solution immediately. I will explore other components, like Viewboxes, immediately after.

To be honest, I wish I had followed along on the web development side more consistently through the years. There is an abundance of documentation and videos, but finding the answer to a small question can be daunting.

There is so much being added to AA, and while passing variables and Argument values in desktop is very straightforward, I am definitely not grasping how to change the :J_NUM_A argument in the filter for the JOB_NUM list as the button push occurs.

Here's my filter on the JOB_LIST list where Job_Number is the field name (C):

Job_Number = :J_NUM_A

Here's my button push on panel 1 that the user pushes to set the value in the JOB_NUM textbox:

{dialog.object}.setArgumentValue(":J_NUM_A", "JOB_NUM");
{dialog.object}.refreshListData('JOB_LIST');

I probably need to set a session variable somewhere? I put a record in the table with the job_number field being blank, and that is the only record I ever see in the list in Live Preview, so the argument value is not changing.

This is all probably very simple, so sorry if you folks are slapping your foreheads.

Am I missing a link between XBasic on the list side and JavaScript on the button?

[CraigSchumacker]

Re: App Live Preview great, on web server good, but in Phonegap not-so-good

By the way, these lists are not editable. They are simply to show the user scanning the barcode what he has scanned, the next list is what the team has scanned, and the last list shows the manager a summary by the description.

[CraigSchumacker]

Re: App Live Preview great, on web server good, but in Phonegap not-so-good

OK, hold the phone, Chuck. I got it.

I will follow through in the next day or so with guidance / screenshots for the next poor soul in my shoes.

I may come back for additional questions, but clearly (now) AA makes this very easy.

I am quite clear I am not clear on some core elements of building a mobile app, but time and practice can resolve that.

[peteconway]

Re: App Live Preview great, on web server good, but in Phonegap not-so-good

I would suggest if possible see if the client will go to a QR code, then you can easily lose the PGB.

[CraigSchumacker]

Re: App Live Preview great, on web server good, but in Phonegap not-so-good

Pete:

I wish that was possible, but it's to be used in retail stores here in the US. Everything is tagged with UPC-A and EAN.