This chapter provides an overview of Oracle Application Development Framework Mobile (ADF Mobile) browser.
This chapter includes the following sections:
Oracle Application Development Framework Mobile (ADF Mobile) browser is a standards-based framework that enables the rapid development of enterprise mobile applications. Because ADF Mobile browser is built upon the component model of Java Server Faces (JSF), you can quickly develop applications for mobile browsers. Its mobile-specific extensions to JSF enable you to develop mobile applications with the same methodologies used for developing JSF applications for the desktop.
When developing an ADF Mobile browser application, you need not focus on the limitations (or capabilities) of different browsers, as ADF Mobile browser enables you to develop applications that function properly on different browser types. The ADF Mobile browser renderer ensures that contents can be consumed correctly by the target browser. It not only handles variations in browser-specific implementations of HTML, JavaScript, CSS, DOM, and XMLHttpRequest, but variations in system performance as well. For example, if a browser does not support XMLHttpRequest and cannot post a partial-page request to a server, ADF Mobile browser's support for AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) enables the application to revert automatically to a full-page submit so that the page functions properly.
Note:
For Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g release 1, ADF Mobile browser requires HTML and JavaScript support.
Java Server Faces (JSF) is a standard specified by JSR-127 that enables you to create applications using pre-built components that define functionality and behavior. JSF provides a Model-View-Controller (MVC) mechanism that simplifies the development of web applications through its renderkit, which converts components both to, and from, a specific markup language. The kit's renderers generate markup that represents components and how they interpret browser requests.
JSF development focuses on components, not markup. Using JSF, you create a JSP page containing JSF component tags. When a user visits this page (through the FacesServlet), JSF uses the renderkit specified by the user's device to encode the markup to the appropriate output. For example, if the user's device specifies HTML for a desktop browser, then the renderkit's markup encoding results in an HTML page. In addition to rendering appropriate content, JSF supports user interaction.
Application Development Framework (ADF) is built on the standard JSF technology and provides the following:
A large component set (because JSF provides only basic components).
Renderers that support these components in HTML browsers, including a rich renderkit for applications using AJAX technologies.
Converters, validators, and events.
ADF Mobile browser application development is almost identical to ADF web application development, except that ADF Mobile browser application development uses only mobile JSF pages that consist of Apache MyFaces Trinidad components. Otherwise, you use the programming model for developing desktop browser applications. For more information on developing ADF web applications, see Oracle Fusion Middleware Web User Interface Developer's Guide for Oracle Application Development Framework.
Note:
You cannot use ADF Faces components to develop an ADF Mobile browser application. You must use Apache MyFaces Trinidad components.
Developing mobile browser applications for mobile devices with ADF Mobile browser leverages the same methodologies used in developing JSF applications for the desktop, but with a few specific mobile extensions. With support for over 60 Apache MyFaces Trinidad components, you can build applications with a rich component set. Each component renders appropriately for small-screen mobile devices. You can reuse the desktop browser application's model and controller layers to assemble a new view layer for mobile devices by using similar Apache MyFaces Trinidad components.
In mobile environments with high-latency and low-bandwidth wireless networks, Partial Page Rendering (PPR) is essential to providing end users with an efficient application. For mobile browsers supporting AJAX, ADF Mobile browser supports PPR for certain components, which minimizes the amount of data requested from the server and thereby improves the responsiveness of the applications. See also Section 3.1.2, "Partial Page Rendering."
ADF Mobile browser supports Apache MyFaces Trinidad components on the browsers listed in Table 1-1. Later versions of Trinidad can be integrated into Oracle JDeveloper and used with Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g release 1 of ADF Mobile browser.
Table 1-1 Supported Browsers and Supported Mobile Features
| Browser | JavaScript Support | CSS Support | PPR Support |
|---|---|---|---|
|
BlackBerry version 4.6 and later |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Blackberry versions 4.2 through 4.5 |
No |
Yes |
No |
|
Microsoft Windows Mobile 5 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes (with nuances) |
|
Microsoft Windows Mobile 6 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Apple iPhone Safari |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Nokia s60 series |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Plain HTML (such as Opera Mini, Opera Mobile and Skyfire) |
No |
Yes |
No |