Incorporating Web Services in Mobile Applications

Most of the APIs available to developers today have been coded for robust web server integration with little thought of incorporation into light weight mobile applications. This talk will look at the pitfalls of using these APIs directly and methods of incorporating APIs, such as Amazon, eBay, Google and other API sets into mobile and lightweight applications, while maintaining a quality user experience.

First we will review the challenges of incorporating these APIs including;

• Retrieval of large data sets
• Multiple round trip communications
• Security issues of calls
• Display of information

For each of these challenges we will show specific examples with sample functionality, API flows, and XML blocks. Some examples will include web user authentication techniques, media retrieval lists, and interface usability issues.

Once we understand the challenges of incorporating various web APIs we will then look at techniques for handling APIs properly including caching methods, large data set handling, paging, filtering, just in time techniques, information on demand and speed testing. Throughout we will look at pseudo code, and detailed examples of real life examples.

With the proper techniques mobile applications can take advantage of a wide array of third party and home grown APIs without degradation of performance, memory, and overall usability.