Cloud Connected Mobile

The server-side project is built on Apigility - an API Builder, designed to simplify creating and maintaining useful, easy to consume, and well structured APIs. Using the built-in Apigility Editor, you can easily specify how HTTP requests are to be handled by the mobile application (routing, authentication, validation, filtering, etc.). For more information on working with the Apigility Editor, see Configuring APIs with Apigility.

The Apigility configuration file is located in the project's 'config' folder ('application.config.php'). The project also contains: The 'public' folder (containing the application's entry-point), service directory (PHP classes), deployment files, and the PHP Include Path (Zend Framework 2 library).

Note:

Creating a server project as part of your new CCM project is optional. See Creating a New Cloud Connected Mobile Project for more information.

The client-side project contains the Web mobile application, and includes the PhoneGap mobile application framework, a framework for developing multi-platform mobile applications based on HTML5 and Javascript.

This framework includes the 'config.xml' file, which is not part of the mobile application, and contains the settings for creating native applications: General information, list of PhoneGap APIs to be inserted in the application (e.g., Camera), author details and a selection of available native applications (iOS, Android, Windows Mobile).

The mobile project also contains the 'index.html' file (by default, the main entry point for your application), jQuery mobile library, PhoneGap Cordova library (native API), jQuery library, and the 'debugdata.json' file (defines what data is returned for a particular native API call).

At any stage of the development process, your project can be launched from within Zend Studio using a Web Mobile Emulator. The emulator enables you to have a glimpse of how your Web mobile application will look like in its finite form. For information on testing mobile applications, see Testing a New Cloud Connected Mobile Project.

CCM allows you to create native applications for Android, iOS and Windows Phone platforms. The native applications are cloned from the CCM mobile project and are synchronized, meaning changes made to the mobile project are projected to the native application project.

Note:

Synchronization between projects is one-way. Changes made to your native application are not projected to your Web mobile application.

Native applications can also be tested using an emulator or a simulator. For more information, see Running Native Applications.

The following diagram illustrates the relationship between the two CCM projects: The mobile project, containing the mobile application, communicates with published services in the cloud, configured in the server project.

The following diagram describes the request-response cycle for HTTP requests sent from a CCM mobile application to the back-end on the cloud (or server) via Apigility:

1. A mobile device with an installed CCM mobile project/application sends the HTTP request ('index.html' file).
2. The HTTP request reaches the cloud (or server) where the back-end server project is deployed (via the '.htaccess' and 'index.php' files).
3. The request is then handled by Apigility.
4. PHP code is executed.
5. HTTP response is sent back to the mobile device.