A common problem in software design is a mismatch between the proposed visual and experience design, and the actual result, as implemented in the product.
As noted at the beginning of this series, people and organisations create products for many reasons. In fact, the availability of a new technology is sometimes the sole reason for the creation of a product.
With so many robust technologies available, deciding which to use can prove challenging. Making a choice requires careful examination of several factors:
- The technology’s overall capabilities.
- Its ability to access low-level device APIs such as those for camera, accelerometer, and location technologies.
- Your team’s existing skill set and the learning curve associated with adopting the new technology.
- The technology’s roadmap and current reach in the marketplace.
Nokia development platforms and frameworks offer many entry points for developers to apply their existing skills. To compare Nokia technologies, see the guide below.
Links and resources
All technologies
The Mobile Hands-On Lab e-learning series consists of hands-on modules that help you get started with developing Qt, Web Runtime (WRT), and Flash
Lite mobile applications. Each module includes a hands-on section with step-by-step instructions for how to create your
first application.
Forum Nokia’s extensive e-learning and webinar sections provide platform- and technology-specific instruction on topics such as Flash Lite, Qt, WRT, and Ovi by Nokia.
These interactive offerings range from basic through advanced levels.
Web browser
Forum Nokia’s high-end, midrange, and low-end layout samples are designed to work hand-in-hand with the Nokia Mobile Web Templates. The samples illustrate common ways to combine components in the contexts of a corporate website, a news website, and an
online store.
Web Runtime
A tutorial in the Forum Nokia Library’s Design and User Experience Library area will guide designers through the visual styling of the Hue WRT widget. With Hue, which uses the COLOURlovers.com web API, users can search for and view popular colours, palettes, and patterns. Source files for the widget are included.
The Nokia WRT Extension for Adobe Dreamweaver enables the creation, editing, testing, validation, packaging, and deployment of WRT widgets from within Dreamweaver. The
extension includes support for the S60 Platform Services 1.0 API and Nokia N97 home-screen widgets.
The Nokia WRT Plug-in for Visual Studio enables creation, editing, testing, and deployment of WRT widgets from within Microsoft Visual Studio. The plug-in is available
in many languages, including Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish.
The Nokia WRT Plug-in for Aptana Studio provides full support for creating, editing, testing, validating, packaging, and deploying widgets. Also included are tools
to preview and debug the widgets.
The Forum Nokia Wiki articles Porting iPhone web app to WRT on Nokia devices and Porting iPhone web app to WRT — a porting example include guidance for developers porting iPhone web applications to the WRT widget environment. They include sample code,
as well as tips for handling differences in Cascading Style Sheets.
Style Sheets (CSS), JavaScript™, and API capabilities
The Nokia Platform Services 2.0 beta is a simple JavaScript API that enables you to access key device features with WRT widgets. The API enables access to picture-taking,
location-information, motion-detection, message-handling, and many other features by use of minimal JavaScript code .
The APIBridge Web Runtime API enables you to extend the features of WRT widgets through the use of various capabilities of Symbian OS. Available capabilities
include uploading files, capturing video, images, and audio, reading files, and creating image thumbnails. See the Wiki
article APIBridge WRT API for additional information.
Forum Nokia’s FNReader, RouteWidget, and AccuWidget code samples demonstrate a variety of functionality, including using the Online/Offline API, enabling the home-screen view,
retrieving a current location, and retrieving RSS (XML) data from a web server.
Flash Lite
Forum Nokia’s collection of Flash Lite components includes elements such as buttons, lists, check boxes, radio buttons, and pop-ups. A related guide describes the methodology and process for creating and customising components.
Qt
A Forum Nokia e-learning presentation provides a brief overview of Qt and how it can be used for efficient development of applications and UIs across all major
desktop, embedded, and mobile platforms. The module also includes an introduction to Qt for S60 and Qt for Maemo™ devices.
Maemo™
In Get Started with Maemo 5, Forum Nokia provides introductory information on the Maemo development environment. Topics covered include creation of
basic Maemo and Qt for Maemo applications.
Maemo™
Forum Nokia’s Web Design Guidelines for the N900 contains information to help web developers ensure that their pages will work well on the Nokia N900 mobile computer. Included
are specifications for user agent (UA) headers, CSS, HTML, page layouts, and font usage.
Note: See Visual and Information Design for an extensive collection of layout, interaction-design, and visual-design guidelines for the Maemo platform, Maemo 5 framework, and the Nokia N900 device.
