Placement Midland Regional Authority Midlands Ireland.ie

Development of Smart Phone Applications

Industrial PlacementBSc (Honours) in Software Design

Joseph Kenny

Placement

• Midland Regional Authority

• MidlandsIreland.ie

MidlandsIreland.ie

• Strategy for Brand Management & Awareness 2011-2016• Digital Tourism Guide• Brand Guidelines

Create a multi-platform phone application for android and IOs that utilises the digital tourism guide developed by MidlandsIreland.ie

The Brief – Terms of Reference

Work Programme - Stage IConcept and Design – Considerations

• Brand Guidelines•Website• Digital Tourism Guide

Work Programme - Stage IIDevelopment• Google Map v2 API – Display interactive map• Google Places API – Display local businesses• Really Simple Syndication Feed(RSS Feeds)• Information feed from midlandsireland.ie

• JavaScript Object Notation Feed(JSON Feed)• Technique for listing nearby businesses

Digital Tourism Guide Sections

• Angling

• Golf

• Festivals

• Creative Community

• Active Midlands

• Eating out

• Walking

• Driving

• Historical sites

• Towns and Villages

• Accommodation

Additional Features:• Display user on interactive map• Display businesses nearby to the

user• Caching – saving results for offline

use• RSS Feeds– News & Events

Google Map Api• Version 2• Use of map fragment • Tracks user location• Capable of zooming

in/out• Scaling of map fragment

Google Places API• Takes time to search, runs in background

using a specific technique called Async.• Place reference ID used to find businesses

details.• Returns Name, Address, Contact No and

GPS

RSS Feed• Download the RSS feed – downloads

webpage containing information• Extract the data out of XML: use a XML

parser - reads the data• Store the data – stores on device

temporary• Display the data: ListView with Adapter• Adapter puts data into a specific location

JSON Feed• An array of keyword elements for Google places – list of

keywords (pub, cafe)• Retrieves all the elements in the 'places' array – uses

keywords• Invoking getPlaces with the array of json object where

each json object represent a place – returns a list of businesses using keywords• Taking each place, parses and adds to list object – finds

businesses, reads it and puts it into a list on screen.

The Challenges

• Expansive Learning Curve• Extensive Trial and Error• Problem Solving• Api Documentation –

• dictionary/phrase book for software

Lessons Learned

• Desk Research• Testing• Satisfaction• Working Environment