Question

Change a website (PHP, ASP or HTML) to recognise and then work on a smart Mobile device

Asked by: tobzzz

Sites like Facebook and BBC News recognise when a user is accessing the site via a smart mobile phone and then displays a mobile version of their website with limited functionality.

I would like to know how this is done:
1. How do you determine if a user is accessing via a phone?
2. Can you run all types or sites (ASP, PHP, HTML etc) or are there limitations?
3. Are there any good beginner website guides to developing websites to work on mobiles?

Many thanks for guidance!

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Asked On
2009-10-07 at 00:47:00ID24791524
Topics

Windows MobileProgramming

,

Web Languages/Standards

,

Miscellaneous Web Development

Participating Experts
2
Points
125
Comments
5

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Answers

 

by: shalomcPosted on 2009-10-08 at 05:49:10ID: 25524755

to recognize a mobile phone, you must look at the User-Agent header.
Start here http://www.zytrax.com/tech/web/mobile_ids.html

Once you recognize the type of device that;s connecting to your web site, your code must take appropriate action, like outputting optimized html or redirecting to the correct pages.
It doesn't matter which language your code is in, as eventually all output is html.
Take notice that not all mobile phones run Javascript, so a plain html page that depends on JS to recognize the client may not work.

this seems like a good starting point
http://mobiforge.com/starting/story/a-beginners-guide-mobile-web-development

ShalomC

 

by: tobzzzPosted on 2009-10-09 at 17:45:47ID: 25540001

Wow, that's a lot of browser types!!! Thanks for the response shalomc and thanks for some interesting reading. Do you or anyone else happen to have any sites or code to get started with. The links you sent are great on theory but I need a little practical if at all possible...

 

by: kevp75Posted on 2009-10-13 at 12:41:13ID: 25563625

I have a function for the check, it would be up to you to develop a WAP enabled website though...

Of course...  I am unsure if I got them all, but.. well...  you'll see

<%
Function CheckMobile()
	If Instr(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_USER_AGENT"),"Nokia") Then
		CheckMobile = True
	ElseIf Instr(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_USER_AGENT"),"MOT-") Then
		CheckMobile = True
	ElseIf Instr(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_USER_AGENT"),"Panasonic") Then
		CheckMobile = True
	ElseIf Instr(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_USER_AGENT"),"SAMSUNG-SGH-") Then
		CheckMobile = True
	ElseIf Instr(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_USER_AGENT"),"Sharp") Then
		CheckMobile = True
	ElseIf Instr(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_USER_AGENT"),"SIE-") Then
		CheckMobile = True
	ElseIf Instr(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_USER_AGENT"),"SonyEricsson") Then
		CheckMobile = True
	ElseIf Instr(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_USER_AGENT"),"NEC-") Then
		CheckMobile = True
	ElseIf Instr(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_USER_AGENT"),"SHARP") Then
		CheckMobile = True
	ElseIf Instr(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_USER_AGENT"),"Siemens") Then
		CheckMobile = True
	ElseIf Instr(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_USER_AGENT"),"LG") Then
		CheckMobile = True
	ElseIf Instr(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_USER_AGENT"),"Sony") Then
		CheckMobile = True
	ElseIf Instr(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_USER_AGENT"),"Verizon") Then
		CheckMobile = True
	ElseIf Instr(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_USER_AGENT"),"Cingular") Then
		CheckMobile = True
	ElseIf Instr(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_USER_AGENT"),"Sprint") Then
		CheckMobile = True
	ElseIf Instr(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_USER_AGENT"),"AT&T") Then
		CheckMobile = True
	ElseIf Instr(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_USER_AGENT"),"Nextel") Then
		CheckMobile = True
	ElseIf Instr(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_USER_AGENT"),"Palm") Then
		CheckMobile = True
	ElseIf Instr(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_USER_AGENT"),"Handspring") Then
		CheckMobile = True
	ElseIf Instr(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_USER_AGENT"),"HP") Then
		CheckMobile = True
	ElseIf Instr(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_USER_AGENT"),"Tungsten") Then
		CheckMobile = True
	ElseIf Instr(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_USER_AGENT"),"Treo") Then
		CheckMobile = True
	ElseIf Instr(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_USER_AGENT"),"T-Mobile") Then
		CheckMobile = True
	ElseIf Instr(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_USER_AGENT"),"Pocket PC") Then
		CheckMobile = True
	ElseIf Instr(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_USER_AGENT"),"Dell") Then
		CheckMobile = True
	ElseIf Instr(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_USER_AGENT"),"Compaq") Then
		CheckMobile = True
	ElseIf Instr(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_USER_AGENT"),"Erikson") Then
		CheckMobile = True
	ElseIf Instr(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_USER_AGENT"),"Orange") Then
		CheckMobile = True
	ElseIf Instr(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_USER_AGENT"),"Casio") Then
		CheckMobile = True
	ElseIf Instr(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_USER_AGENT"),"Symbol") Then
		CheckMobile = True
	ElseIf Instr(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_USER_AGENT"),"Symbian") Then
		CheckMobile = True
	ElseIf Instr(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_USER_AGENT"),"NEC") Then
		CheckMobile = True
	ElseIf Instr(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_USER_AGENT"),"Toshiba") Then
		CheckMobile = True
	ElseIf Instr(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_USER_AGENT"),"LG") Then
		CheckMobile = True
	ElseIf Instr(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_USER_AGENT"),"Blackberry") Then
		CheckMobile = True
	ElseIf Instr(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_USER_AGENT"),"Motorola") Then
		CheckMobile = True
	ElseIf Instr(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_USER_AGENT"),"Samsung") Then
		CheckMobile = True
	ElseIf Instr(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_USER_AGENT"),"HTC") Then
		CheckMobile = True
	ElseIf Instr(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_USER_AGENT"),"iPhone") Then
		CheckMobile = True
	Else
		CheckMobile = False
	End If
End Function
%>

                                              
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by: shalomcPosted on 2009-10-14 at 04:56:41ID: 25569436

lol, that is a loooong if-else statement :)


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