timer based 'socket' polling

[Necrolis]

We are trying to implement a multiplayer type game under the s40 web app api, however, we are running into a hell of a lot of problems creating something akin to a streaming socket to poll for game state changes etc.

atm, we do our polling with a timer based function with a 1 sec delay, but this then "locks" the phone (an X3-O2), make it impossible to do anything else. pumping the delay seems to help, but even at 8 sec, its still very bad, even worse it makes the interaction sluggish.

Is there any way around this, ie: can we make this idea work, or is it too intensive to send/receive data and still have working interactions for the S40 web app platform?

[isalento]

Hi Necrolis,

What you are trying to do is on limits of Series 40 WebApps. You might already know, but only JavaScript that can be run on a device are methods provided by the MWL. Everything else is executed on a proxy server side. Hence polling results into a roundtrip to server and back.

Another issue that you might not have confronted yet is session timers. If a user does not interact with web app for five minutes, session expires and web app is reloaded automatically.

This is just my opinion, but I would recommend on using Java ME for serious game development.

Br,
Ilkka