[Koha] Koha - Mobile web version.

[Stefano Bargioni]

Ian's questions are interesting. Before writing
http://catalogo.pusc.it/mobile/
I had a Q&A with... myself:

Q: An app?
A: Very beautiful appearance.
   It can easily store preferences, credentials, data and offline 
   functionalities.
   It requires a lot of experience for developing and testing on many 
   present -and future- smartphones and tablets.
   And certifications of Apple Store and Android Market.
   Apps increase in number day by day. Maybe this model will have an 
   end is few years.
   My university has/will have its own app. There will be two apps for
   our students? Or will I develop part of the institutional app?

Q: Ad hoc CSS to change Koha appearance?
A: Seems difficult without changing templates. Web pages for smartphones 
   must be very simple, to avoid zooming too often and allow easy finger
   taps.

Q: A web app?
A: Doesn't require Apple Store or Android Market certifications. Every
   mobile device has a (good) browser.
   Using jQuery Mobile, basically only HTML(5) and javascript skills are 
   required.
   No way for integration with other apps.
   Login is required for user features (maybe cookies can help).

After analyzing these pros and cons, I choose to write a web app.

However, Koha runs in very different institutions. I think the community could try to develop both a web app and an app. Maybe their core could be the same, to share code as much as possible.
Stefano

Ian Walls wrote:

> Nucsoft OSS Labs mentioned at KohaCon 2012 that they're commissioned to
> write a Mobile OPAC for one of their customers.  Hopefully one of their
> team can provide some more details on what this will entail.
> 
> BibLibre also indicated they were working on a mobile CSS.  Two different
> ByWater partners have also expressed interest in making this happen.
> 
> I think what needs to happen next is the community needs to get together
> and come up with a list of features and design styles that should make up a
> Mobile OPAC, and put together a implementation plan on which to do first.
> If we have a unified specification out there, all these different parties
> can work together towards the same goal, rather than having half a dozen
> different implementations floating around out there.
> 
> Some questions to ask:
> 
>   - CSS-based, or a new template?
>   - What features first?  Search and biblio details seem obvious.  What
>   about user logged-in features?
>   - Specific features for mobiles, like integration with GPS, compass,
>   accelerometer and camera?  This may require OS-specific apps, but would
>   make the model tool that much more appealing
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> 
> -Ian