Has Anyone Configured A Mobile App To "Talk" To A Bubble App?

Hello All,

I’ve got a desktop application that I would like to connect to mobile.

More specifically, the mobile ios and android app should call and push data to/from the Bubble application.

Essentially, the ios and android apps are just access points to the bubble app via the Bubble app’s API… The desktop app should hold all of the data and act as the database.

Has anyone ever successfully connected a mobile app to bubble via the API to allow calls to be made and data to be sent to the main bubble app from mobile?

I’m curious to find out if development is FASTER because of the Bubble app and it’s API, hopefully allowing the mobile app to showcase search results from the web based bubble app fast on mobile devices.

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Why not just use an external database (or DBAAS) and connect both desktop and mobile apps to that? you can then share data by having both apps call the same database via API.

Because i’m using bubble as the main/desktop version of the app and i just need a mobile native app to “talk” to it and push/pull data. Bubble is my DBASS.

Hi Justin!

I would look into Jasonette.
It is exactly what you described, but for iOS only I think.

Let me know how it goes, I haven’t had time to experiment with it yet. I am very curious.

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How does something like this compare to Phonegapp (and others?) though?

Have you utilized it for an app you’ve built on Bubble?

First, I was wrong: it also lets you build Android apps!

Second, Jasonette is a basically a JSON interpreter for your phone, the same way that your browser is an html interpreter for your computer. Bubble lets you access your data through an API, in JSON. So with what you already have in Bubble, you can build a fully functional companion mobile app to your Bubble webapp.

Finally, I have never used PhoneGap, but as I understand it, it is like a encapsulation of html, css and javascript in an app.

I’d suggest going on Jasonette’s website, it will easier to understand than what I’m trying to tell you :slight_smile:

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Hi @JustinC,

We have done exactly what you are planning to do. We hade some quirks along the way with the Bubble API, but they have been resolved now.

The only real problem we continue to see at this point is the inability to define how data is returned with GET requests. The Bubble GET API is very clever when you just want to return one type of objects, but if fields in your object refer to other types of objects, you have to make new calls to retrieve those. But it’s not a show-stopper at all.

Our app is developed Javascript with AngularJS with Cordova plugins for native integrations (mainly camera) and is available for iOS and Android. We are still testing it with a few customers, so we have not published it in app stores yet. But from a technical and UX perspective, we are very satisfied with Bubble as back-end.

Please let me know if you have more specific questions.

Thanks,
Søren

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@soeren thanks for this! Who did your development outside of Bubble? While i am versed in Bubble, i am not in mobile dev. If you used a dev shop perhaps i can connect with them as they would be very versed in what im trying to achieve as it is what youve already done.

Thanks!

I would recommend https://dropsource.com.

We used a company in Denmark: http://creativevikings.com/

The Jasonette product is super interesting given that we still have an uncertain timeline on mobile/native coming out of beta from Bubble. My big question for anyone with deeper technical chops is how comparable are the workflows/animations/ability to get data back and forth from the Bubble DB at present vs going the cordova/phonegapp/gonative route. Jasonette is fully open-sourced with great documentation, and it looks like we can get the native actions, animations etc. however we wanted, but will require code (gross =)). But my gut says Bubble + Jasonette makes a whole lot of sense.

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There’s not too much activity (forum) at DropSource, since September. Admin says: however our next version (early 2017) will include more options for data processing without an API.
Still in Beta. (no access to audio and video yet).
Can be very useful eventually.

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I just tried out Dropsource and it seems legit. The caveat is that we’ll need to rebuild our apps UI inside inside their “Workbench” (i.e. Visual Development Environment) and then upload the Swagger file (JSON) for our REST API to connect to our Bubble web app data.

Now, Dropsource could allow us to utilize native features of ios/Android and use Bubble at the same. From your experience, would it be possible to run a web-view of Bubble inside of Dropsource, and then just use Dropsource UI elements for navigation, camera uploading, etc.?

@supernaturally, I have not tried that with dropsource but I know that it is possible. I am using react-native webview instead.

Nice, what tools did you use to compile the native app? (assuming it’s not the same method as @natedogg course)

@supernaturally, not at all. No need to compile with react native. You can see your changes on the fly with Hot reloading. My app uses some react native components (mapview and other) and bubble embedded in a WebView.

One of the main reason I did not use Android Studio is because I want my changes to work on both Android and iOS. React native allows that.

Moreover, my app uses lot of third party react native SDKs. A solution 100% bubble would not work for me. I am using bubble for backend, database, connectivity with other web apps, repeating group and react native for some UI components + SDK for efficiency.

Until bubble allows native components, I will continue to use an hybrid approach. The capability to create custom plugin is a good addition but not enough to build a real on demand app like Uber, Lyft, etc because efficiency is the key.

I forgot to mention that I am a software developer, so I don’t mind to code when efficiency is required :slight_smile:

@emmanuel @NigelG @romanmg @natedogg

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Very well thought out. Do you know of any tools for us non-developers that would allow us to build a react-native experience? (i.e. like a Thunkable or Dropsource for react native). I’ve found an IDE call Deco Software, any thoughts?

@supernaturally I don’t think such tool exists today. Deco only works on Mac. Windows is not supported. Pretty soon you will see such tool. Just a matter of time.

@simoclovis-web I use a Mac, are you using Windows? Would love to hear from someone that uses Deco.

I’m playing around with Dropsource and am pretty impressed. I also have used Neonto Studio (a Mac-only downloadable app) in the past, but it runs a bit sluggish on my 2012 Macbook Pro. It might be time to sunset the ol’ Mac, but Apple definitely let me down with the new MBP announcement. /rant

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