Windows Azure Mobile Services

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Sasha Goldshtein @goldshtnCTO, SELA Group blog.sashag.netWindows Azure Mobile Services

Who Are We? App DevelopersWhat Do We Hate? Backends

We need one backend for all our mobile apps, scaled by the cloud

Oh, and it should cost about $0-5 / month for a small, simple app

Backend as a Service

Windows 8 & Windows PhoneiOS & AndroidHTML & JavaScriptData & LINQ queriesServer scripts, schedulerAuthentication & WAADNEW

Custom APINEW

Source control and NPMNEW

Push, notification hubsNEW

Demo

Windows Azure Mobile Services Portal

Initializing The Mobile Service Client

Windows 8 / Windows Phone / AndroidiOS

ms = new MobileServiceClient("https://rentahome.azure-mobile.net","..." /*API key*/);

ms = [MSClient clientWithApplicationURLString:"https://rentahome.azure-mobile.net"

applicationKey:"..."];

The application key is for development purposes only. In production, use user authentication to limit access to data

Accessing Data

// Windows 8 and Windows Phonevar apartments = await ms.GetTable<Apartment>() .Where(a => a.Bedrooms > 2).ToListAsync();

// Androidms.getTable(Apartment.class).where(). .field("bedrooms").gt(2).execute(...);

// iOSNSPredicate *pred = [NSPredicate predicateWithFormat:@"bedrooms > 2"];[[client getTable:@"apartment"] readWhere:pred completion:^...];

Server Scripts

CRUD operations can pass through a custom script

Use for validation, data enrichment, etc.Scripts are written in JavaScript and run on Node.jsCan access several Node modules: request, push, …

function insert(item, user, request) { if (item.address.length === 0) { request.respond(400); } else { request.execute(); }}

Custom API

Add custom HTTP endpoints to your mobile serviceVery useful for external access

exports.post = function(request, response) { sharedHub.send_ad(request.body.message, function(error)

{ if (error) { response.send(500, 'Error sending ad: ' + error); } else { response.send(200); } });};

Demo

Enriching Data with Server Scripts

Push

On trigger, send push from scriptUnfortunately, push API differs for each platform

Prepare app for push notificationsDepends on platform

push.wns.sendToast02(channel.uri, { text01: "New apartment added", text02: apartment.address });

Channel = await PushNotificationChannelManager. CreatePushNotificationChannelForApplicationAsync();channelsTable.Insert(new Channel(Channel.Uri));

Notification Hubs

Blast out push messages based on the template and the tagsRegister templates for push notifications with arbitrary custom tags

var payload = { message : message };hub.send(tag, payload, function(error, outcome) { ... });

template = { data: { message: '$(message)' } };hub.gcm.createTemplateRegistration(request.body.uri, tags, template, registrationComplete);

Demo

Server-Side Push Support

Authentication

// iOSif (!client.currentUser) { [self presentViewController:[client loginViewControllerWithProvider:@"twitter" completion:(MSUser *user, NSError *err) ... ] animated:YES];}

// Androidif (client.getCurrentUser() != null) { client.login( MobileServiceAuthenticationProvider.Twitter, new UserAuthenticationCallback() ...);}

Demo

Authentication

Summary

Windows Azure Mobile Services provide a powerful and customizable backend for your mobile appsCode available at http://github.com/goldshtn/rentahome

QuestionsSasha Goldshtein @goldshtnCTO, SELA Group blog.sashag.net