When the user’s iOS device comes into range of an iBeacon , beginning a Store Visit, the app displays one or more notifications that are optionally clickable. Tappable notifications launch an internal or external URL depending on how the iBeacon is configured. Internal URLs are handled by the URLSchemeManager and external URLs are opened in Safari.
For example, technically, the iBeacon just broadcasts three values (UUID, major and minor) and then the app looks those numbers up in a repository to retrieve alert text and determine if the text should be tappable. These three iBeacon values need to be added and configured into the repository.
App flow
The programmatic flow within the app when a Store Visit begins:
A REST query to the server is made with the iBeacon’s
UUID(required),major,andminorvalues.The results are parsed for notifications and their associated URLs.
Add the notifications to the notifications area and if a URL is associated, render it clickable. Alternatively, instead of using the REST method to return a notification, the notification could be sent as a Push Notification to the user’s device. An example of this could be a scenario where the shopper is pushed a notification for a 10% discount when they enter a store.
Other basic actions that take place either on the client or server are:
Location | Action |
|---|---|
Client | Navigation to an Endeca URL (a page configured in XM) or some other external URL |
Client | Execution of any custom code you create which might for example, also navigate to a custom view. |
Server | Sending of scenario events |
Server | Execution of any custom code you create which might for example, be an observer pattern. |
The framework of these four actions can facilitate configuration and hooks to custom code that you can write to expand functionality.
