关于Iphone和Webserver通信的多个问题

Question

Right now I'm in the middle of a project at college, regarding IPhone-Development. The project consists of a webserver with mysql database and multiple clients (IPhone Devices).

I'm struggling a bit with the basic cocept, which is the communication (receiving, sending data) between IPhone and Webserver.

I've set up an Webserver with a MYSQL-Database. I also have a PHP-Script that accesses the DB and writes the db-Data into an XML-File.

1)What would be the best way to proceed with the Client (IPhone)?

2)Is it possible to directly access a .php File and download the XML to the IPhone?

3) What will be downloaded to the IPhone? The whole XML-File or the XML-Content?

I would then go on to process the XML-File with a XML-Parser (preferably NSXMLParser).

4) How is it possible to store the received data persistently on the IPhone? NSMutableArray? This feature is required for offline mode if any data is added on the IPhone-device.

This brings me to my last question:

5) How do I send data back to the webserver? Or to be more specific, wich datastructure do I have to use to send data back to the webserver? What would be a reasonable way to do this? For example: creating a new XML-file and sending it back to the webserver?

Best Regards, Alex

Answer 1

Must the data protocol be XML? I'd opt for JSON as the data protocol! If it's feasible for you to use JSON then take a look at the lightweight SBJson framework. It's going to be much easier to use JSON over XML for iOS, believe me!

To summarize on the other questions, regarding server communication etc.! Is it a mandatory precondition for you to write the networking code from scratch or are you allowed to use existing open frameworks for that? If you may use a framework then f.e. take a look at MKNetworkKit! It'll take away almost all the hassles that come with writing or incorporating own network code and it has JSON serialization/deserialization build in already!

If not then go with NSURLConnection, NSURLResponse and probably some NSOperation/NSOperationQueue for asynchronous handling and have some fun! :-) And don't forget the Reachability.h/m from Apple! ;-)

For data persistence on the device either go with CoreData, which is very powerful but mybe (regarding complexity) to much of overhead for your purpose. Or just store your stuff with/in NSUserDefaults!