Mobile Database Development Tutorial: Part One
- Getting Started
- Creating the Database
- Building the Tables
- Deploying Via Ultralite
- Conclusion
Nearly a year ago, I wrote an article called "Mobile Database Review: Sybase SQL Anywhere Studio 8.0" for InformIT that introduced Sybase's SQL Anywhere Studio 8.0 product. Now, it's time to build on the product overview presented in that article to develop a real-world application! This feature marks the first in a four-part tutorial that will step you through the process of building a mobile sales force application using two popular mobile development tools: Java and AppForge MobileVB. The final step in this tutorial will be the development of the synchronization solution between our mobile client databases and a central RDBMS server using Sybase's MobiLink synchronization technology.
To kick things off, I'll use this article as a "get-acquainted" session by stepping you through the process of using the Sybase SQL Anywhere Studio suite of tools, building our client database, and introducing you to SQL Anywhere Studio's two deployment options: Adaptive Server Anywhere and UltraLite.
Getting Started
A quick aside before we get down to business. Sybase SQL Anywhere Studio product was chosen as the basis for this tutorial because it is the market-leading mobile database product. Support for multiple platforms (including Linux, Win32, WinCE, Palm OS, and Symbian), a powerful multiple-RDBMS synchronization solution, JDBC and ODBC connectivity, and flexible deployment options combined with a 68% share of the mobile database market make this an excellent candidate for your next mobile development project. You first need to install SQL Anywhere Studio 8.0, available via a free 60-day trial download from Sybase at http://www.sybase.com. When installing, be sure to "max out" the options until you're sure about what you will and won't need. At a minimum, this includes installing the ASA and Ultralite database options, all MobiLink synchronization options, Sybase Central, and jConnect.