Using the WCF for Blackberry Apps.

    Howdy Folks:
    I got myself a Blackberry Playbook 64GB and I've been having some fun lately, man that QNX OS that BB is using is a fantastic little operating system, I just love it.
    As with most tablets, there is not very much in the way of serious database applications available for the ever hungry consumer market to feast upon, I think FileMaker
    has ported Bento to the iPad and iPhone. This got me to thinking that if there was port of MySQL, Apache, PHP and WCF to Blackberry's QNX OS then that would be a
    killer developer environment for all kinds of database apps (and probably many other apps) on the Blackberry platform. I know that BB is in the process of developing
    phones to use their BB 10 OS (their next generation OS), so their phones and tablets will have a common OS. I thought the size of porting MAPW might be a problem, but
    then some of the games for the Playbook are in the 300 MB range and I don't think a MAPW installation would take up that much room. Not being a Super Techie Geek-Nerd
    myself, I'm not really certain if this idea has any merit, or if it is even doable, but it sure would be nice to have some kind of database capabilities on the tablet platform
    that isn't dependent on me storing my info on someone else's server. Now, would this be possible, or should I put down the Crack Pipe and worry about other things? ;)


    Later, Rob

    Why the hell would you want any application that needs a database to be installed on a tablet?


    Normally, you only need databases for big sets of data. Small sets of data can be saved fairly easy to the file system and even be indexed quite well for the use of the application be the application itself. You only need databases when your dataset exceeds a certain threshold of complexity or pure mass. I can not see any application that could possibly be run on a tablet that needs such kind of data storage.


    For example: You do not need a web server on a tablet. What for? You can not really host any website on it.


    The only aspect i see is that you could try to have a development environment on your tablet - but tbh, i don't think thats very comfortable at all. It's more "oh that would be cool - no, i tested it, i'm back at my desktop pc for development" kind of thing... it might be easier to set up a secure server for testing and accessing that server with ftp in order to develop from your tablet, than getting an sql server on a tablet.

    "A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP" — Leonard Nimoy

    Hey ST:
    To have the ability to design my own data structures and the relationships between those structures, to suite the task at hand is a very appealing thing as far as I'm concerned.
    Also, the ability to access and and uses the application without having to have an internet connection would be of great benefit as well, especially when a connection isn't
    always possible. Another benefit is not having to wait for someone to develop, or pay someone to develop, what could essentially be a very simple app. Granted, what I proposed
    might be a little over the top, but as far as I can tell there isn't anything available except for what FileMaker is doing; but if there is please let me know because I'd love to hear
    about it. I guess the ideal would be a small RDBMS with a good frontend GUI, but then again I'm not aware of any. And I definitely don't agree that you only use databases for large data sets,
    next you'll be telling me to use a Spreadsheet. :D The thing doen't have to be Oracle on a tablet, but some database capabilities sure would be nice.


    Later, Rob

    Quote from robert

    To have the ability to design my own data structures and the relationships between those structures, to suite the task at hand is a very appealing thing as far as I'm concerned.


    Yes, but thats not really something you need a database for. basically, thats the foundation OOP. Defining data structures and their relationships.


    Quote

    Another benefit is not having to wait for someone to develop, or pay someone to develop, what could essentially be a very simple app.


    And why would you not be able to use other means of data storage, e.g. writing to the file system, for the app (essentially, thats what any db system would also do, but hidden from you)?


    I simply think that using any database server on a tablet is a bit like shooting ducks with cannons.

    "A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP" — Leonard Nimoy

    After a little (OK, a lot) more digging, it turns out that Blackberry has had the SQLite libraries built into their OS since 5.0 and continues to do so.
    There is also a decent app "HandBase" that will probably get ported from the Android OS soon, if it hasn't been already and from what I've seen it
    looks to be exactly what I'm looking for. When it comes to shooting ducks, I prefer a 20mm chain gun myself as the ducks around these parts are
    crafty little bugger that'll turn on you if they smell fear and I never knew real fear until I had to face down a charging duck. 8o


    Later, Rob

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