realm mobile platform – explore real time data synchronization capabilities
TRANSCRIPT
Realm Mobile Platform – Explore Real Time Data Synchronization Capabilities
Intro
Since it’s announcing in September, 2016, Realm mobile platform was highly awaited technology and its first stable release in January, 2017 proved its worth. Its proficiency to allow two way data sync between the Realm Object Server and the client side databases and event handling capacity have enabled the development of futuristic mobile apps.
Realm at a Glance
Realm is a savvy mobile platform that is developed after adequate understanding of the latest mobile app development challenges. It also holds the caliber to expand the developer’s vision for upcoming mobile trends. Following are few of its strength characteristics:
• Freedom for Hosting: Realm Mobile Platform can be hosted on-premises as well as on cloud
• Object-based: Realm is object-based; hence object itself reflects the database. Developers can easily keep themselves away from ORM related difficulties
• Offline-first capabilities: Realm can deliver extensive offline-first experiences due to the embedded Realm Mobile Database on the device
• Easy to integrate: It can easily be integrated with existing infrastructure
• It supports to server side business logic
Explore Realm’s real time data sync capabilities through “Hello World” Application
We have created a Hello World mobile application that enables the user to draw any sketch or to write the text by using virtual pencils. We will explore Realm mobile platform’s real time data sync capabilities through it.
Process Flow
• Our application ‘Hello World’ is being used by two users situated at different geographical locations through their iOS devices >> They are sharing the sketches by drawing them through virtual pencils on their individual devices >> While one user is drawing the sketch in his device, the other user is able to view the sketch development process in real time (the same shape and color codes are visible to another person).
How to utilize Realm’s real time data sync capabilities has been explained in three steps:
• Realm Object Server Configuration
• Realm Application User Authentication
• Real Time Sync Process
Step-1: Realm Object Server Configuration
1. Download “Mac OS Bundle” OR “Linux OS Bundle”
2. Open “realm-mobile-platform” folder and Start Realm Object Server by double-clicking the file “start-object-server.command”
3. This will open one terminal window and start Realm server.
4. It will automatically open the dashboard as displayed in the image below. This dashboard is browser based application which provides few required information like: Dashboard, Realms, Users, Functions, etc.
5.You can create the desired number of users here
Step-2: Realm Application
1. Now run the application. In application, we are authenticating the user to connect the realm server by providing their credential to our application. Authentication process has been described below in technical terms.
2.Successful login will enable the user to sync his actions with Realm server in real time.
Step-3: Real time syncing
1. Whenever the user performs any action on our Realm Hello World application (e.g. User starts drawing on iOS device), application will sync the details with realm server (Here, the application will sync the color code coordinate (x,y points) to realm server on real time). As described below, all the coordinates are getting added to Realm array which eventually will be synced to realm server.
2. The application will down sync the data from the server and display it on the screen of another authenticated user who is already connected to Realm server.
Because of Realm Mobile Platform’s distinctive potential, development of functionalities such as two way data sync, off line first capability and endpoint computing are no more complex, complicated or high priced features in context of development, implementation and maintenance. As a developer, I am eagerly looking forward to Realm’s further advancements.
Original Source :
http://www.azilen.com/blog/realm-mobile-platform-real-time-data-synchronization/
