Creating native apps with WordPress
16 likes•5,582 views
Marko Heijnen discussed creating native mobile apps with WordPress. He explained that mobile is growing and developers may want to create native apps. The API currently uses XML-RPC but JSON is an alternative. Developers need to communicate with mobile developers to build an API and additional fields. Methods like getRecentPosts retrieve post data. Plugins like JSON API can be used to support JSON. Developers should return minimal data and cache responses. Special post types and admin pages can manage mobile content and push notifications. WordPress is flexible and can power mobile apps.
![Methods for testing
/** /**
* Test XMLRPC API by saying, "Hello!" to client. * Test XMLRPC API by adding two numbers for client.
* *
* @since 1.5.0 * @since 1.5.0
* *
* @param array $args Method Parameters. * @param array $args Method Parameters.
* @return string * @return int
*/ */
function sayHello($args) { function addTwoNumbers($args) {
return 'Hello!'; $number1 = $args[0];
} $number2 = $args[1];
return $number1 + $number2;
}](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/wordcampnorway2012-120115151014-phpapp01/85/Creating-native-apps-with-WordPress-15-320.jpg)
![How to get recent post
function mw_getRecentPosts($args) {
$this->escape($args);
$blog_ID = (int) $args[0];
$username = $args[1];
$password = $args[2];
if ( isset( $args[3] ) )
$query = array( 'numberposts' => absint( $args[3] ) );
else
$query = array();
if ( !$user = $this->login($username, $password) )
return $this->error;
do_action('xmlrpc_call', 'metaWeblog.getRecentPosts');](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/wordcampnorway2012-120115151014-phpapp01/85/Creating-native-apps-with-WordPress-16-320.jpg)
![Create your own methods
add_filter( 'xmlrpc_methods', 'add_own_methods' );
function add_own_methods( $methods ) {
$methods['own.my_method'] = 'own_my_method';
return $methods
}
function own_my_method( $args ) {
return $some_data
}](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/wordcampnorway2012-120115151014-phpapp01/85/Creating-native-apps-with-WordPress-18-320.jpg)
![JSON Example
{
"firstName" : "Marko",
"lastName" : "Heijnen",
"age" : 25,
"address" : null,
"newsletter" : false,
"phoneNumber" :
[
{
"type" : "home",
"number": "212 555-1234"
},
{
"type" : "fax",
"number": "646 555-4567"
}
]
}](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/wordcampnorway2012-120115151014-phpapp01/85/Creating-native-apps-with-WordPress-27-320.jpg)
![How to implement
function add_hello_controller( $controllers ) {
$controllers[] = 'hello';
return $controllers;
}
add_filter( 'json_api_controllers', 'add_hello_controller' );
function set_hello_controller_path() {
return "/path/to/theme/hello.php";
}
add_filter( 'json_api_hello_controller_path', 'set_hello_controller_path' );](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/wordcampnorway2012-120115151014-phpapp01/85/Creating-native-apps-with-WordPress-33-320.jpg)
Creating native apps with WordPress
- 1. Creating native apps with WordPress Marko Heijnen January 14, 2012 at WordCamp Norway
- 2. Marko Heijnen Freelance developer Mobile / WordPress http://markoheijnen.com [email protected] @markoheijnen
- 3. History 2006: Started with WordPress 2009: Started with iOS development 2010: First patch to WordPress ( 3.0 ) 2011: Combined iOS development with WordPress 2012: First WordCamp presentation
- 5. Mobile is the growing
- 6. There is a change you get involved with it
- 7. Native app vs Web app/site
- 8. Native vs mobile Build a native app when: People are going to use it quite often ( daily basis ) Features that aren’t possible for web ( yet ) A lot of users request for it ( 10.000 > ) Customers really want an app
- 9. We need a native app
- 10. What does it mean for you You need to communicate with another developer Need to build an API that the developer can use So you need to understand what a mobile developer wants Need to build additional fields in WordPress for information that the mobile app can use
- 11. The API
- 13. API of the app WordPress for iOS uses XML-RPC WordPress support it by default Supports: Blogger API, metaWeblog API, and the Movable Type API
- 14. Where can you find it /xmlrpc.php handles the request /wp-includes/class-wp-xmlrpc.server.php Registers all the default methods
- 15. Methods for testing /** /** * Test XMLRPC API by saying, "Hello!" to client. * Test XMLRPC API by adding two numbers for client. * * * @since 1.5.0 * @since 1.5.0 * * * @param array $args Method Parameters. * @param array $args Method Parameters. * @return string * @return int */ */ function sayHello($args) { function addTwoNumbers($args) { return 'Hello!'; $number1 = $args[0]; } $number2 = $args[1]; return $number1 + $number2; }
- 16. How to get recent post function mw_getRecentPosts($args) { $this->escape($args); $blog_ID = (int) $args[0]; $username = $args[1]; $password = $args[2]; if ( isset( $args[3] ) ) $query = array( 'numberposts' => absint( $args[3] ) ); else $query = array(); if ( !$user = $this->login($username, $password) ) return $this->error; do_action('xmlrpc_call', 'metaWeblog.getRecentPosts');
- 17. How you can use it in your own way
- 18. Create your own methods add_filter( 'xmlrpc_methods', 'add_own_methods' ); function add_own_methods( $methods ) { $methods['own.my_method'] = 'own_my_method'; return $methods } function own_my_method( $args ) { return $some_data }
- 19. How does it look like
- 21. Response <?xml version="1.0"?> <methodResponse> <params> <param> <value> <array><data> <value><struct> <member><name>dateCreated</name><value><dateTime.iso8601>20110904T18:15:26</dateTime.iso8601></value></member> <member><name>userid</name><value><string>1</string></value></member> <member><name>postid</name><value><string>1</string></value></member> <member><name>description</name><value><string>Welcome to <a href="http://network.nginx.markoheijnen.com/">WordPress Network Sites</a>. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!</ string></value></member> <member><name>title</name><value><string>Hello world!</string></value></member> <member><name>link</name><value><string>http://test.network.nginx.markoheijnen.com/2011/09/04/hello-world/</string></value></member> <member><name>permaLink</name><value><string>http://test.network.nginx.markoheijnen.com/2011/09/04/hello-world/</string></value></member> <member><name>categories</name><value><array><data> <value><string>Uncategorized</string></value> </data></array></value></member> <member><name>mt_excerpt</name><value><string></string></value></member> <member><name>mt_text_more</name><value><string></string></value></member> <member><name>mt_allow_comments</name><value><int>1</int></value></member> <member><name>mt_allow_pings</name><value><int>1</int></value></member> <member><name>mt_keywords</name><value><string></string></value></member> <member><name>wp_slug</name><value><string>hello-world</string></value></member> <member><name>wp_password</name><value><string></string></value></member> <member><name>wp_author_id</name><value><string>1</string></value></member> <member><name>wp_author_display_name</name><value><string>marko</string></value></member> <member><name>date_created_gmt</name><value><dateTime.iso8601>20110904T18:15:26</dateTime.iso8601></value></member> <member><name>post_status</name><value><string>publish</string></value></member> <member><name>custom_fields</name><value><array><data> </data></array></value></member> <member><name>wp_post_format</name><value><string>standard</string></value></member> </struct></value> </data></array> </value> </param> </params> </methodResponse>
- 22. XML-RPC Critics of XML-RPC argue that RPC calls can be made with plain XML XML-RPC uses about 4 times the number of bytes compared to plain XML Need a lot of code on the app side In the end the size of requests/responses do mather
- 23. Is this the best way or are there alternatives?
- 24. Alternatives Just XML instead of XML-RPC Use JSON
- 25. What is JSON JavaScript Object Notation Use JSON as alternative to XML It is derived from the JavaScript scripting language Lightweight text-based open standard
- 26. Why JSON Lighter and faster than XML JSON objects are typed Array, object, string, number, boolean and null Great libraries for mobile platforms iOS 5 does have native support for JSON Easy to parse on mobile platforms
- 27. JSON Example { "firstName" : "Marko", "lastName" : "Heijnen", "age" : 25, "address" : null, "newsletter" : false, "phoneNumber" : [ { "type" : "home", "number": "212 555-1234" }, { "type" : "fax", "number": "646 555-4567" } ] }
- 28. WordPress doesn’t have native support (yet)
- 29. Plugins you can use JSON RPC - http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-json- rpc-api/ JSON API - http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/json-api/ WP RESTful - http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp- restful/ Be aware that these plugins aren’t up to date
- 30. What do I use
- 31. JSON API Great to use because of the use of hooks Good information on the plugin page Simple backend interface I use a modified version of it Added consumer key/secret
- 32. Interface
- 33. How to implement function add_hello_controller( $controllers ) { $controllers[] = 'hello'; return $controllers; } add_filter( 'json_api_controllers', 'add_hello_controller' ); function set_hello_controller_path() { return "/path/to/theme/hello.php"; } add_filter( 'json_api_hello_controller_path', 'set_hello_controller_path' );
- 34. How to implement <?php class JSON_API_Hello_Controller { public function hello_world() { return array( "message" => "Hello, world" ); } } ?>
- 35. Important to know Only return data that is needed Return as less HTML as possible Don’t change the feed without notifying the app developer A call shouldn’t take to long, speed is everything Cache the data if possible Transients: http://codex.wordpress.org/Transients_API
- 36. Recap
- 37. How to manage mobile content
- 38. Post types Add separate meta box for mobile content Even the ability to overrule the title Additional user capability, so not everyone can manage it Maybe even create a special post type for mobile content
- 39. Special admin page Only for mobile configuration Store settings Store default pages for mobile like privacy disclaimer
- 40. Push notifications Create ability to send push notifications in a smart way Add to posttype Make a separate box on dashboard or admin page You can handle the sending yourself Or use for example the services of Urban Airship
- 41. Last word WordPress is a CMS Can be used in a lot of ways Sometimes look further then the plugin section