Basic Implementation Steps

Before you configure your Mobile Development Studio or the Mobile Unity Platform Services Console, it is necessary to understand the basic concepts of your Data Base Management System (DBMS).

  • Knowledge of data structures is of particular importance for database applications since it is necessary to understand the basic concepts of 'tables', 'fields/columns', and 'data types' prior to creating applications.
  • Understanding Structured Query Language (SQL) 'syntax' is also helpful with database applications.
  • Experience with the Microsoft Visual Basic/VBA programming language is helpful in the development of advanced data collection applications, for use with both SQL databases and legacy host-based applications.
  • Once you have installed the Mobile Unity Platform Services (RFgen Server) you will need to configuration your server services and other environment features as well as set up data source connections if they have not be setup already.

    • For information on configuring the Mobile Unity Platform Services console and/or the Mobile Development Studio, see Configuration Overview.

After you have configured application data source(s), and added new Enterprise connections, the following steps are generally implemented for ODBC or SQL-compliant databases:

  1. Transaction tables specific to your application are designed via your main database system (i.e., data to be captured is defined in your database). Typically, an individual ‘transaction table’ with appropriate field definitions is established for each data entry process.

  2. The Database transaction table field definitions are downloaded to RFgen. (See Enterprise Connections > Download Enterprise Objects.

    These definitions contain all the necessary information concerning the transaction data to be written to your database. (No data is downloaded from the database.) Table definitions may be partially edited (inside Mobile Development Studio), if required. Similarly, ERP business rules and functions may be accessed and downloaded, if using the RFgen ERP integration suites.

  3. Data entry Applications are made for each transaction table. Pre-programmed data properties such as 'defaults', 'validations/edits', 'table validations', etc. are added, as required.

  4. (Optional) Once your configuration and resources are setup, you can, if desired, use the Mobile Development Studio to design, modify, script, test and deploy mobile applications.

  5. For information with connecting with your clients, refer to the installation guide for your client's platform.