Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009
HTML5 Features in latest iPhone; Application Cache and Database
Category: Database, HTML
, iPhone
, Mobile
, Standards
Safari JavaScript Database Programming
The HTML 5 specification provides a new mechanism for client-side data storage: JavaScript database support. HTML 5 is currently in development by the Web Hypertext Application Technology Working Group (WHATWG).
JavaScript database support is available in Safari 3.1 and later, and in iPhone OS 2.0 and later.
You should read this documentation if you are a web developer who wants to store data locally on a user’s computer in amounts beyond what can reasonably be stored in an HTTP cookie.
Michael Nordman of Google asked “Is this stuff built into shipping Safari or iPhone browsers yet?”
David Kilzer replied “This feature shipped with iPhone OS 2.1. When you use “Add to Home Screen” from the “+” button on Safari for iPhone, a web application with a manifest defined (per the HTML5 spec) will be saved with any cached resources. Note that the manifest file *must* be served with the correct MIME type for this to work.
There is no shipping version of Safari for Mac OS X or Windows that supports this feature yet.”
Fantastic to see!
Related Content:
This is exactly the kind of shit I’ve been asking around for months. Yet no one seems to know!
Which browsers have SQLite storage now?
Nosredna, every browser via Google Gears plugin but I personally prefer the WHATWG way (so I guess a Gears wrapper to let it behaves as HTML 5 database engine is a good idea? I do not remember if somebody has already done it …)
@WR, I think I’ve seen higher-level storage APIs that use whatever’s around. I’m using SQLite in AIR and love it.
Here’s something you can use:
http://activerecordjs.org/
The application cache is a very exciting development as it makes it possible to essentially “install” web apps on the phone. yay!
The next version of SproutCore’s build tools will actually automatically generate an HTML5 ApplicationCache manifest so SC apps will just install like magic. :-)
Looks like Google is playing with Ajax for iPhone. Nice UI, nice Ajax and the best part: seems to work offline! Maybe they are using this feature from HTML5?
http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2009/02/tasks-now-available-for-your-phone.html