Alpha Software Mobile Development Tools:   Alpha Anywhere    |   Alpha TransForm subscribe to our YouTube Channel  Follow Us on LinkedIn  Follow Us on Twitter  Follow Us on Facebook

Announcement

Collapse

The Alpha Software Forum Participation Guidelines

The Alpha Software Forum is a free forum created for Alpha Software Developer Community to ask for help, exchange ideas, and share solutions. Alpha Software strives to create an environment where all members of the community can feel safe to participate. In order to ensure the Alpha Software Forum is a place where all feel welcome, forum participants are expected to behave as follows:
  • Be professional in your conduct
  • Be kind to others
  • Be constructive when giving feedback
  • Be open to new ideas and suggestions
  • Stay on topic


Be sure all comments and threads you post are respectful. Posts that contain any of the following content will be considered a violation of your agreement as a member of the Alpha Software Forum Community and will be moderated:
  • Spam.
  • Vulgar language.
  • Quotes from private conversations without permission, including pricing and other sales related discussions.
  • Personal attacks, insults, or subtle put-downs.
  • Harassment, bullying, threatening, mocking, shaming, or deriding anyone.
  • Sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist, or otherwise discriminatory jokes and language.
  • Sexually explicit or violent material, links, or language.
  • Pirated, hacked, or copyright-infringing material.
  • Encouraging of others to engage in the above behaviors.


If a thread or post is found to contain any of the content outlined above, a moderator may choose to take one of the following actions:
  • Remove the Post or Thread - the content is removed from the forum.
  • Place the User in Moderation - all posts and new threads must be approved by a moderator before they are posted.
  • Temporarily Ban the User - user is banned from forum for a period of time.
  • Permanently Ban the User - user is permanently banned from the forum.


Moderators may also rename posts and threads if they are too generic or do not property reflect the content.

Moderators may move threads if they have been posted in the incorrect forum.

Threads/Posts questioning specific moderator decisions or actions (such as "why was a user banned?") are not allowed and will be removed.

The owners of Alpha Software Corporation (Forum Owner) reserve the right to remove, edit, move, or close any thread for any reason; or ban any forum member without notice, reason, or explanation.

Community members are encouraged to click the "Report Post" icon in the lower left of a given post if they feel the post is in violation of the rules. This will alert the Moderators to take a look.

Alpha Software Corporation may amend the guidelines from time to time and may also vary the procedures it sets out where appropriate in a particular case. Your agreement to comply with the guidelines will be deemed agreement to any changes to it.



Bonus TIPS for Successful Posting

Try a Search First
It is highly recommended that a Search be done on your topic before posting, as many questions have been answered in prior posts. As with any search engine, the shorter the search term, the more "hits" will be returned, but the more specific the search term is, the greater the relevance of those "hits". Searching for "table" might well return every message on the board while "tablesum" would greatly restrict the number of messages returned.

When you do post
First, make sure you are posting your question in the correct forum. For example, if you post an issue regarding Desktop applications on the Mobile & Browser Applications board , not only will your question not be seen by the appropriate audience, it may also be removed or relocated.

The more detail you provide about your problem or question, the more likely someone is to understand your request and be able to help. A sample database with a minimum of records (and its support files, zipped together) will make it much easier to diagnose issues with your application. Screen shots of error messages are especially helpful.

When explaining how to reproduce your problem, please be as detailed as possible. Describe every step, click-by-click and keypress-by-keypress. Otherwise when others try to duplicate your problem, they may do something slightly different and end up with different results.

A note about attachments
You may only attach one file to each message. Attachment file size is limited to 2MB. If you need to include several files, you may do so by zipping them into a single archive.

If you forgot to attach your files to your post, please do NOT create a new thread. Instead, reply to your original message and attach the file there.

When attaching screen shots, it is best to attach an image file (.BMP, .JPG, .GIF, .PNG, etc.) or a zip file of several images, as opposed to a Word document containing the screen shots. Because Word documents are prone to viruses, many message board users will not open your Word file, therefore limiting their ability to help you.

Similarly, if you are uploading a zipped archive, you should simply create a .ZIP file and not a self-extracting .EXE as many users will not run your EXE file.
See more
See less

Is the mobile design anywhere near efficient?

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    Is the mobile design anywhere near efficient?

    Just wondering. Now we can swipe through panels.... so what?
    Suppose you have a grid with a row expander, in it 20 grids. What good would it do to be able to swipe through 20 grids instead of picking exactly the one you need?
    The question being: is the native design with mobile devices efficient enough for daily use, or is it just a hype thing that is time consuming and in-efficient in nature?

    #2
    Re: Is the mobile design anywhere near efficient?

    In a mobile environment -- A5 or anything else -- it's probably not a good idea to try what you're suggesting. I did this too the first time -- tried to take my desktop-browser app and largely move it to mobile. But you quickly learned that it's often a good idea to go back and re-think your design for the new environment and new tools. The result (at least for me) is a vastly-improved web experience for my users.
    -Steve
    sigpic

    Comment


      #3
      Re: Is the mobile design anywhere near efficient?

      Originally posted by mronck View Post
      Just wondering. Now we can swipe through panels.... so what?
      Suppose you have a grid with a row expander, in it 20 grids. What good would it do to be able to swipe through 20 grids instead of picking exactly the one you need?
      The question being: is the native design with mobile devices efficient enough for daily use, or is it just a hype thing that is time consuming and in-efficient in nature?
      Marcel,

      I don't think that I am telling you anything new, software design is as efficient as the person designing it. Whether it is for Mobile, web or desktop, a poor design could lead to horrifc results on any platform. Your scenario sounds like it would be a mess on mobile. But that does not mean you could not accomplish what you want on mobile without taking a different look at it. Amazon's mobile app(as are most others) is MUCH different then there web application. It is presented in a different way with a completely different design. Taking a desktop application and dropping it on a mobile device is not a smart idea, in my opinion. It really depends on what you and your customer wants to accomplish. I am sure you have visited websites that are a nightmare to navigate, as well as used software that was poorly designed. Just because something can be done, does not mean it will be done correctly. As experience is gained, efficiency hopefully will follow.

      I guess Steve and I were writing about the same time....Pretty much saying the same thing

      Bill
      Last edited by Bill Griffin; 07-11-2013, 08:52 AM.
      Bill Griffin
      Parkell, Inc

      Comment


        #4
        Re: Is the mobile design anywhere near efficient?

        Originally posted by Steve Workings View Post
        In a mobile environment -- A5 or anything else -- it's probably not a good idea to try what you're suggesting. I did this too the first time -- tried to take my desktop-browser app and largely move it to mobile. But you quickly learned that it's often a good idea to go back and re-think your design for the new environment and new tools. The result (at least for me) is a vastly-improved web experience for my users.
        Steve, I agree, however I think the term "mobile" is a bit too broad, because it seems to include both tablets and smart phones. I have a desktop/web application using a tabbedui that runs really well on my 10.6" tablet with 1080p resolution. I'm sure it would be a bad experience on a smart phone...even my behemoth Samsung Note II. Now, with tablets being made in 9", 8" and 7" sizes, it's difficult to know where the break point is regarding the need to re-configure an app for a smaller sized device. I'll probably try to design future desktop/web apps in a less cramped way, i.e. larger buttons, etc, so that they scale a bit better to smaller devices, although scaling down to a 4"-5" screen will require a re-design.

        Comment


          #5
          Re: Is the mobile design anywhere near efficient?

          "Better mobile experience"

          I have noticed that many sites has (and forces) to the mobile version when entering to the site. Many times I wonder why.

          Most of time I do not see any improvements in user experience. In fact mobile experience most of times just sucks. Why we now have to suffer from reduced site experience when all mobile platforms and their browsers has no problems at all with normal sites. This message board in good example. Very easy to use with mobile phone. No need for mobile experience at all.

          In mobile browsers it is very easy to scroll so why all the sudden everything has to fit in a small screen?.

          Special applications are different story. But if you again have to learn to use mobile version for better experience then goddamned.

          Comment


            #6
            Re: Is the mobile design anywhere near efficient?

            (Reply esp. to Tom here):

            The question of "mobile" with such a range of devices is indeed worth some discussion. But what I found is that the new tools -- whenever you can possibly use them -- are just a whole lot better. I've quickly become a fan, for instance, of the new List Control. When I can use that instead of a grid, the choice is very easy.

            My current designs are specified for the iPad and desktop (captive user base -- as do so much of us when we build these things), so I simply build one new "mobile" site but more importantly, I'm using the new Alpha Anywhere tools, including panels, list controls, so many improvements in the UX control. So, in the end, what I'm saying is: Use the new tools whenever you can, be cognizant of your users' needs and design accordingly. The OP's original proposition of 20 linked grids is probably barely acceptable in an old-fashioned desktop environment, and unbearably bad in any mobile device.
            Last edited by Steve Workings; 07-11-2013, 08:38 PM.
            -Steve
            sigpic

            Comment


              #7
              Re: Is the mobile design anywhere near efficient?

              As I delve into the mobile aspects of app development I think the key here also is to know your customer and ask them what is really important for them to see on a phone app vs a table app and vs a web app. Also I am finding that some phone app users want a quick count or report of items for one type user and another type user wants to view other details. So now security and log on user privileges play a role based on the logged on user. It is a different world now and a new learning curve for me is being explored.
              Dan

              Dan Blank builds Databases
              Skype: danblank

              Comment


                #8
                Re: Is the mobile design anywhere near efficient?

                Originally posted by Steve Workings View Post
                (Reply esp. to Tom here):I've quickly become a fan, for instance, of the new List Control. When I can use that instead of a grid, the choice is very easy.
                It would be interesting to know when you feel a grid is a better option than a list, and vice versa. Perhaps when you have some time you can expound on that a bit. Is a v12 Total Training in the works?

                Comment


                  #9
                  Re: Is the mobile design anywhere near efficient?

                  We have not used grids for 4 months. All UX.
                  Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
                  Albert Einstein, (attributed)
                  US (German-born) physicist (1879 - 1955)

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Re: Is the mobile design anywhere near efficient?

                    Peter, is that because you're preparing all your applications for easier transition to "mobile", or you feel the UX and Lists are just generally superior to grids, even if just used on a full size monitor on the web, or both? (Marcel, I hope this isn't taking your thread off course too much.)

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Re: Is the mobile design anywhere near efficient?

                      Interesting opinions. I would say that determines that a mobile design is quite something else as a normal desktop design. Not only in how it looks and feels, but also in a functional sense. Which conclusion I would use to say that in its core mobile applications are a long way away from being fully functional "business wide applications" which statement is the real intent of this topic of course. I would even dare to say that a mobile application can be a perfect companion to a business wide application, but can at present not replace it due to the limitations of the devices. Which again leads to the conclusion that mobile applications although maybe "wanted" are at present mostly a result of a hype and where they are really functional they are at best covering a very small part of the business applications data input and most certainly not of the processes that normally run in a larger business application (business logic + business process management). The examples that we have all seen show that as well. That doesn't mean you can't make money on the hype, it means for me that this hype will settle in due time at the level that it belongs to which is by a long shot not what is predicted in the Alpha Software marketing bubble publications. But we'll see where it all ends.....

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Re: Is the mobile design anywhere near efficient?

                        The developer and their vision is the limiting factors here... nothing else.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Re: Is the mobile design anywhere near efficient?

                          Originally posted by Davidk View Post
                          The developer and their vision is the limiting factors here... nothing else.
                          I don't think so. Go develop a CAD design program for your smartphone.
                          This is an overly simplified statement as if the developer if with enough vision could create everything regardless of things like device-limitations, raw processing power, etc etc.
                          The real issue is not what CAN be done, but what is the MOST OPTIMAL WAY to do it. The "Hype" is not always the most optimal thing.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Re: Is the mobile design anywhere near efficient?

                            I don't need to develop a CAD design program for my smartphone. I just install one of the many mobile CAD apps already in place... go do a search. And if I'm satisfied using a CAD app on my phone then that's optimal for me. Your continued reference to "hype" doesn't make sense.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Re: Is the mobile design anywhere near efficient?

                              This perhaps everyone should broaden their definition of what it is that alpha anywhere is offering. It is a very simple way to create "touch enabled" applications that will run on a variety of devices.The ux component including the very powerful list control is a tremendous development tool. If you have a current business application where the users can benefit by using a mobile device to access the data, then by all means offer it in conjunction with your present application. Bur it is very clear that web applications including the ability to access data with mobile devices is the future of business data oriented applications.
                              John

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X