Preloading the Rho framework and Leveraging Multi Tab support on Windows Mobile
The RhoElements runtime is a great environment for running HTML apps that require access to native the capabilities of the Windows Mobile device. But these apps give the user an experience similar to navigating the pages of a single website.
In the current Rho shared runtime model, you cannot run multiple distinct HTML apps concurrently. They would have to be designed as multiple pages of a single website. The responsibility for managing the state information of each page would also fall on the developer.
Today’s modern browsers give their users the ability to navigate multiple websites concurrently through the use of a tabbed architecture. A similar model has been implemented in RhoElements V4.0, thus allowing the Rho developer to leverage this tabbed architecture to create multiple HTML apps that can be run concurrently. The Rho framework will maintain the state information of each application, so when the app’s current page and the page’s transient data will be maintained when the user switches to another HTML application.
This posting describes a model for developing multiple HTML/JavaScript applications that run under a single Rho V4 native application instance. We will also discuss how to configure the Windows Mobile system to background load the Native application at device startup and how to create shortcuts that will launch the HTML apps from the start menu. By running the application at startup, the startpage of the HTML apps will be displayed immediately after the user taps on their icons.
The attached zip file TabbedApplication.zipx contains the following files:
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Tabbed_Application_Developer_Guide.pdf |
This document describes how to develop a tabbed application |
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Installer file for Motorola’s StartupCtl application which will be used to load the Rho application (RhoWrapper) at device startup in a minimized state. StartupCtl is a free utility provided by Motorola and can be downloaded from our support central site http://www.motorolasolutions.com/support |
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The configuration file for StartupCtl. This file tells StartupCtl to launch the the RhoWrapper application at startup and wait up to 30 seconds for it to initialize. |
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The RhoStudio project for the RhoWrapper sample application. This is a Rho native application that will perform a task similar to the shared runtime. I have also included a Windows Mobile cab file for those who would simply like to try the app. The cab file can be found in the rhowrapper\bin\target\Windows Mobile 6.5.3 Professional DTK(ARMV4I) |
Hayden Eastman