Microsoft’s recent announcement of their new PowerApps product comes at an interesting time, considering that MobileTogether has been on the market for over a year now. Though Microsoft is a bit late to the game with this offering, their announcement serves to underscore the importance of enterprise mobility and the challenge that MobileTogether was created to solve: businesses need to mobilize essential processes – for all devices – in a reasonable amount of time.
MobileTogether has been filling this need for over a year now, allowing developers and power users with no mobile development experience to build powerful, data-centric apps. If you can build formulas in Excel or write simple SQL queries, you have the technical skills needed to build a robust, sophisticated app using MobileTogether. While PowerApps may be a boon for Office users who need to mobilize simple productivity tasks via basic apps, MobileTogether lets customers take it many steps further, adding rich functionality for processing, analyzing, and collecting data in ways that add value beyond simple mobile access to services.
And in the 2.0 version of MobileTogether, Altova brought the same ease of developing cross-platform business solutions to building fully native apps for all mobile platforms. This is something that PowerApps promises to do – but you only get native apps from PowerApps if you develop the mobile app by hand via the native SDKs on each platform or use a cross-platform framework like Xamarin and then access PowerApps APIs on Azure. In contrast, building cross-platform native AppStore apps in MobileTogether 2.0 is really just a matter of selecting the “Generate code” command from the menu.
The Microsoft PowerApps announcement can be really confusing to parse, so we’ve put together a list of the top 10 reasons why we believe MobileTogether is superior to PowerApps.
Read more…
Top Five Reasons to Document Your Schemas
Schema development is often an iterative process, and developers don’t typically start from scratch – XML Schemas, and, increasingly, JSON Schemas, are pieced together from existing documents or inherited from other teams. The ability to discern how schema components relate and analyze notes about development choices is infinitely helpful – but so often impossible due to lack of effective documentation.
Let’s take a look at some of the reasons documentation should be an integral part of your XSD, JSON, or other schema development.
Read more…
Audio and Video in Cross-Platform Mobile Apps
Altova MobileTogether combines UI design by visual drag and drop with functional programming using Actions and Action Trees to let developers quickly build mobile apps for iOS, Android, and Windows devices. MobileTogether 2.2 recently added support for multimedia features that will delight end users with sound effects, video, and audio recording functionality.
Read more…
Multimedia for Mobile
Thanks to invaluable feedback from developers building apps in MobileTogether, we’re constantly adding new functionality to the product. Close on the heels of MobileTogether 2.1, which added over 30 new features, is the latest release: Version 2.2.
Additions to MobileTogether 2.2 are focused on integrating multimedia assets in your mobile apps, with new tools for using audio and video functionality to enable seamless interactivity that your end users will love.
Read more…
Accelerate Testing in Mobile App Development
Testing by real-world users is a critical step in successful development of intuitive mobile apps for all platforms. A recent in-house experience demonstrated this axiom, and the MobileTogether Instant Deployment proved to be an effective tool to accelerate testing in mobile app development, deliver a new version of an app into the hands of Android, iOS, Windows Phone, and Windows 10 users, and get feedback faster than ever.
Read more…
XQuery Constructors in Mobile App Development
Developers are always looking for simpler and more efficient ways to create mobile apps and launch them into the world even faster. The recently-introduced Altova XQuery 3.1 Online Training covers XQuery constructors that developers can use like power tools for quicker mobile app development.
Read more…
Excel Add-in Generates XBRL WIP Data
The reach of the eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) is rapidly expanding beyond financial reporting requirements to provide the advantages of standardized data submission across verticals. One recent development is the Work in Process XBRL Taxonomy created by XBRL.US for the surety industry.
The good news is that non-technical stakeholders can be completely shielded from the complexity of XBRL using software tools developed in concert with the taxonomy standards.
We’re excited to introduce the Altova Work in Process (WIP) XBRL add-in for Excel: a new product that lets contractors build their WIP reports directly in Excel, where they’re already comfortable working, and then export the reports in WIP XBRL for submission to sureties and underwriters.
Read more…
Advanced Error Handling Actions for Mobile Apps
MobileTogether 2.1 includes new Try/Throw and Catch error handling actions for mobile apps, allowing developers to build sophisticated error-handling routines that improve end-user experience. For instance, if an app wants to connect to a third-party Web service but the server is not available, error-handling actions permit graceful recovery.
MobileTogether error handling actions for mobile apps work the same way for all platforms, saving developers time since there’s no need to customize error handling based on the requirements of each mobile operating system.
Read more…
Build your Collections with the MyCollections App
For the longest time, I’ve searched in vain for a collection app that would help me manage my favorite recipes. I have a ton on Pinterest, and an equal number in my ever-growing cookbook collection. The problem is, when it comes time to make a favorite dish, I can never remember where the recipe is and end up spending half my cooking time looking for it. Enter the new Altova MyCollections app: I’ve already started using this for my recipes and other collections, and I’ll never go back.
MyCollections lets you catalog any collection whatsoever – whether it’s comprised of actual objects like books, CDs, watches, or camping equipment – or if it’s your favorite places to visit, your great-hikes bucket list, or your birthday wish list. Oh, and it’s free.
First Comprehensive XQuery Online Training Now Available from Altova
XQuery is an XML-based query language for extracting information from structured and unstructured data, typically – but not limited to – XML format. XQuery is supported by dozens of applications and software tools, and is commonly used wherever XML data is exchanged, consumed, or otherwise processed.
Now Altova is proud to announce launch of the first comprehensive XQuery online training, including the latest features of XQuery 3.1. Altova’s free online XQuery tutorial is available now at the Training and Tutorials section of the Altova Web site.
Read more…
New Features for App UI Design
As the saying goes, “You only get one chance to make a first impression.” This age-old advice still rings true today in myriad contexts – even when thinking about mobile apps. A successful app is an extension of the user’s hand, and a beautiful, functional UI is what makes that connection seamless.
MobileTogether makes it easier than ever to build sophisticated UIs to front-end complex programming logic. In its latest release, we’ve added even more options for developing intuitive interfaces for native iOS, Android, and Windows apps.
Read more…
Scrolling Tables for Data-Driven Mobile Apps
Mobile device users always demand maximum information in the most convenient package, but small screen sizes can force a trade-off. Mobile app developers are challenged to fit data, navigation controls, and helper information all into a pleasing layout or risk frustrating end users who could be customers, colleagues, or c-level executives. MobileTogether 2.1 introduces scrolling tables and other cool new features to help developers create apps that present data elegantly and work the same way on all devices.
Read more…
New Features for Mobile Development
The latest version of MobileTogether is available today, adding even more functionality to this game-changing framework for building and deploying native mobile apps faster than any other solution.
To start with, we’ve completely revised the pricing for MobileTogether, with a new model that’s simple to understand and ridiculously affordable.
In addition, Version 2.1 introduces over 30 important new features added based on real-world developer feedback, from new functionality for building tables, to sophisticated error handling actions, to flexible options for beautiful UI design.
Let’s take a look at how these new features combine to let you build the most sophisticated data-centric apps for iOS, Android, and Windows devices.
Read more…
Learning About EPUB: Structure and Content
e-Books have revolutionized how an increasing number of people consume written content, allowing convenient access to myriad publications on e-readers, mobile devices, and computers. But did you ever wonder about the technology that makes it all possible?
There are various formats used to create e-books, and one of the most popular is the standards-based EPUB format. Let’s take a look at how EPUB works by creating our own EPUB e-book, then re-purposing some existing HTML pages to flesh out the content.
Read more…
What’s New in XML Schema 1.1?
Since the introduction of XML Schema 1.0, the standard has been widely adopted. Developers have requested several changes over the years, most notably the ability to specify and validate more granular business rules and also to allow flexible schema evolution. There are numerous changes and enhancements in the XML Schema 1.1 Recommendation aimed at addressing these issues.
Let’s take a look at the most notable new features and some resources for learning more or getting started right away with XML Schema 1.1.
Read more…
Software Modeling for Projects of Any Size
UModel is Altova’s tool for software modeling with support for all 14 UML diagrams, additional UML-style diagrams for databases and XML Schemas, plus Business Process Modeling (BPM), and SysML. UModel 2016 Release 2 adds code engineering support for C# 6.0, complementing support for Java, Visual Basic, and earlier versions of C#. Creating a UML model from existing code can be a great way to analyze and document an unfamiliar project.
Read more…
Starting Business Reports from Word
So much content these days is in the form of Microsoft Word documents. Word is where content or report creators often begin, and it has great tools for designing layouts and including images, tables and hyperlinks, and so on. What Word lacks though, is the ability to publish dynamic content or publish multiple versions of that content using the same template in an automated way, and that’s where Altova StyleVision comes in.
StyleVision is a unique product that is often difficult to describe because it does so much. Whether you want to auto-generate an XSLT stylesheet based on a visual design, create multi-channel business reports from dynamic XML or database data, or build user-friendly enterprise forms, StyleVision has you covered.
Starting with StyleVision 2016 Release 2, you can begin your StyleVision design based on an existing Word doc. Let’s take a look at why this saves an incredible amount of time, giving report and form designers the best of both worlds.
Read more…
Faster EDI Data Translation
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) standards accelerate commerce worldwide by allowing companies and other organizations – even those in different regions, using different languages and currencies – to send and receive unambiguous information. Some EDI communication protocols and message formats still in wide use today were developed over 30 years ago, when telecommunication systems were slower and data storage was more expensive.
Read more…
XBRL Data Mapping: WIP Taxonomy
The usefulness of the XBRL standard reaches far beyond SEC requirements for filing financial statements. Organizations such as XBRL.US and XBRL International are working to develop XBRL taxonomies and accompanying software solutions for countless other practical applications where standardizing data submission results in increased accuracy and productivity for all involved – for report filing, data analysis, and beyond.
One such project is the Work in Progress (WIP) Taxonomy created by XBRL.US for the surety industry. The new taxonomy helps save time and increase accuracy for report submission, and at the same time enables new opportunities for data analysis and decision making.
Read more…
Data Mapping REST Web Services
MapForce 2016 Release 2 includes expanded functionality for Web Services data mapping, providing robust support for REST Web services. MapForce accepts XML or JSON as the Web service response, allows definition of parameters, and supports custom HTTP headers. Users may define the Web service interface manually or by importing settings from a WADL file or a URL. Manual definition of REST Web Service Settings lets developers create settings based on a template URL. This is a convenient step when developers test and refine REST calls in a Web browser window, since the URL can be copied from the browser to become the template.
Read more…
How to Debug XPath and XQuery Expressions
XPath and XQuery are powerful functional programming languages for selecting and querying data in desktop or mobile applications – and, in fact, XQuery was added to the TIOBE Index in early 2016.
When you’re writing XPath and XQuery statements, it’s vital to ensure your expressions return the desired results, and this can be a frustrating process of trial and error. The XPath / XQuery Debugger in XMLSpy makes it easy to test and troubleshoot your code, in the very same window where you’re developing your expressions.
Read more…
Five Not-to-Miss Features in Altova’s Latest Product Release
I’m excited to reveal some details of today’s Release 2 of Altova MissionKit 2016 desktop developer tools and software products!
v2016r2 introduces over 20 new features and updates to the Altova product line – but that’s a lot to cover in one blog post. Let’s take a look at the top five that are sure to blow your socks off.
Read more…
Don’t Make This App Development Mistake
You’ve done everything right, making sure your app has powerful access to back end data, a beautiful and intuitive UX, and availability for iOS, Android, and even Windows phones. It’s in the app stores and ready for those five star ratings. What could you possibly have overlooked?
You’re too mobile.
Read more…
Delight Users with Mobile App Features Tailored to the Device
An incredible variety of mobile phones and tablets exist in the world today and new models are announced continuously. All these mobile devices have different specifications and capabilities, which can be a problem for developers creating mobile apps. Tablets have large screen sizes, but don’t necessarily include cellular data, default color sets vary by phone manufacturer, and built-in mobile features may behave differently in each mobile operating system. Fortunately, the MobileTogether Designer provides an integrated development environment that lets users quickly design and build cross-platform mobile app features ideally suited to each end-user’s device.
Read more…
Demand These 10 Features for Mobile App Development
“We need an app for that.”
This simple declaration carries with it underlying implications that can be anything but simple to implement: an app must be available for all devices, it must delight end users – and it must be ready yesterday.
As the need for mobility in data centric apps has increased, so has the number of products claiming to provide the best in cross-platform mobile development. But how can you cut through the flowery marketing claims? We’ve put together a list of the top 10 criteria for choosing a mobile development framework.
Read more…
REST Services as Data Sources for Mobile Apps
MobileTogether empowers developers to populate mobile apps with information retrieved from external sources via REST and SOAP Web services, and consume the data received whether it is XML, JSON, or HTML. MobileTogether support for both REST and SOAP provides mobile app developers with access to vast online data resources for a wide range of applications.
Read more…
Using Google Cloud SQL
Google recently announced their next generation of managed MySQL offerings on Cloud SQL, so we wanted to take it for a spin and create a cloud-based SQL database that we could then utilize as the back-end for mobile apps, or even for advanced data analytics from our desktop.
According to Google, the two principal goals of the second generation of Cloud SQL were better performance and scalability per dollar. It seems that they succeeded in these goals: the second generation Cloud SQL is more than seven times faster than the first. And it scales to 10TB of data, 15,000 IOPS, and 104GB of RAM per instance — well beyond the first generation. So it looks like the ideal, scalable cloud-based database back-end for mobile apps.
Read more…
Applying Data Mapping Patterns
Altova MapForce includes powerful mapping components that correspond to design patterns for data transformation requirements. Analyzing a data mapping challenge up front and following a few straightforward guidelines can uncover data mapping patterns that help simplify creation of the mapping design and lead to an optimal solution. The MapForce Examples project provides sample mapping files and data sets that illustrate many common data mapping patterns. Reviewing these examples and executing them with the MapForce Built-in Execution Engine is another good way to help select the best pattern for your own project.
Read more…
Capture Signatures in Your Mobile Apps
You’ve probably signed an electronic display recently to make a credit card purchase or accept a package delivery. Now Altova MobileTogether 2.0 lets you incorporate signatures into your own mobile apps for all platforms.
Read more…
Is it just a wrapper around HTML5 and JavaScript?
When we demonstrate MobileTogether at tradeshows, we often get asked this question: “So is it just a native app wrapper around HTML5 and JavaScript?” The simple answer is: “No.”
MobileTogether is a complete mobile app development framework that is based on our very own rendering and processing engine, which gives us a lot more flexibility and power to provide a true native app experience on each mobile operating system platform and also make important mobile platform functions that are not commonly accessible from JavaScript or HTML5-based web apps available to the developer.
Read more…
New RaptorXML scripts added: XBRL.US DQC Rules, EFM v35, and EBA Filing Rules
Altova is a member of XBRL.US and has recently joined the XBRL US Center for Data Quality to support the Data Quality Committee’s initiative to address the public’s concerns about the quality and usability of XBRL financial data filed with the SEC.
As such, we are pleased to announce that we have just released a new set of EDGAR Tools for RaptorXML+XBRL Server on GitHub. These new Python scripts for RaptorXML+XBRL Server now support validation against the new Edgar Filer Manual (EFM) version 35, as well as implementing all the Approved DQC Guidance and Validation Rules from XBRL.US.
Read more…
10 Reasons to Pick MobileTogether Over Microsoft PowerApps
Microsoft’s recent announcement of their new PowerApps product comes at an interesting time, considering that MobileTogether has been on the market for over a year now. Though Microsoft is a bit late to the game with this offering, their announcement serves to underscore the importance of enterprise mobility and the challenge that MobileTogether was created to solve: businesses need to mobilize essential processes – for all devices – in a reasonable amount of time.
MobileTogether has been filling this need for over a year now, allowing developers and power users with no mobile development experience to build powerful, data-centric apps. If you can build formulas in Excel or write simple SQL queries, you have the technical skills needed to build a robust, sophisticated app using MobileTogether. While PowerApps may be a boon for Office users who need to mobilize simple productivity tasks via basic apps, MobileTogether lets customers take it many steps further, adding rich functionality for processing, analyzing, and collecting data in ways that add value beyond simple mobile access to services.
And in the 2.0 version of MobileTogether, Altova brought the same ease of developing cross-platform business solutions to building fully native apps for all mobile platforms. This is something that PowerApps promises to do – but you only get native apps from PowerApps if you develop the mobile app by hand via the native SDKs on each platform or use a cross-platform framework like Xamarin and then access PowerApps APIs on Azure. In contrast, building cross-platform native AppStore apps in MobileTogether 2.0 is really just a matter of selecting the “Generate code” command from the menu.
The Microsoft PowerApps announcement can be really confusing to parse, so we’ve put together a list of the top 10 reasons why we believe MobileTogether is superior to PowerApps.
Read more…
Altova Honored to Win ComponentSource Awards
Every year ComponentSource issues awards in two categories: Bestselling product award and Bestselling publisher awards. The allocation of these awards is calculated based on real sales orders placed by ComponentSource customers globally during the previous year.
ERN Registration for SSL use in Mobile Apps
Apps built with MobileTogether include the ability to use SSL encryption between the mobile app and the back-end server, and with it come restrictions on importing and exporting the app in the United States and potentially other countries. If you intend to submit the AppStore App to Apple’s App Store or Microsoft’s App Store (and potentially others), their submission processes will ask whether the app includes encryption. Since all AppStore Apps built with MobileTogether include the ability to use the OS-provided libraries for SSL use in mobile apps and in particular for the encryption of the communication between the mobile app and server using the https protocol, the answer to this question is “YES.” At some point in the process, this answer will then trigger a prompt to upload your Encryption Registration Number (ERN). So how does one obtain an ERN?
Read more…
MobileTogether Continues to Redefine Mobile Development in Version 2.0
To match the speed of business, mobile app development must be simple, fast, and efficient. Your apps must meet user demands on all platforms and mobilize essential processes seamlessly. Sounds easy enough, right? With MobileTogether, it is.
In true version 2.0 fashion, MobileTogether delivers the final piece of the puzzle: you can build your own, custom-branded app to submit to the app stores.
The new AppStore Deployment process is well suited for customer-facing or specially-branded apps. This option adds to existing support for Instant Deployment of enterprise app solutions using the MobileTogether Mobile Apps. With either approach, you’ll still get your app in end users’ hands in record time – much faster than any other approach.
Read more…
How to stay productive in the age of distraction – the secret to getting things done
If you live in the 21st century and are not actually hiding underneath a rock or living in a cave, you probably are suffering from some form of information overload and feel overburdened by the number of things you have to do at any given moment in time. New information is constantly coming at you in the form of Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, text messages, or the latest social media app you installed on your smartphone, as well as good old radio, TV, newspapers, and magazines in their classic or digital versions, not to mention work or school email, personal email from friends and family, and all the social obligations from clubs, charities, and local community organizations.
So how do you actually manage to stay productive and deal with this onslaught of information without going crazy? How do you get things done, achieve your goals, and get to the mountaintop despite the constant head-wind?
Read more…
Interactive Debugger for Data Integration Projects
MapForce 2016 introduces a revolutionary data mapping debugger that lets developers working on data integration projects examine data mapping output step by step to diagnose and perfect projects of any complexity. The MapForce data mapping debugger gives users deep insight into the exact inner workings of data integration and ETL projects in a way that was never before possible.
The debugger works with all MapForce data mappings for any combination of XML, XBRL, JSON, databases, flat files, EDI, Excel, or Web services data, including chained mappings, mappings with multiple input or output components, and mappings that include user-defined functions.
The MapForce data mapping debugger supports breakpoints and conditional breakpoints, and includes multiple manual stepping options to manually debug a data mapping or continue execution after a breakpoint is reached, allowing users to see as much detail as they need.
Read more…
New JSON Schema Editor and Data Mapping Debugger Debut in Altova Version 2016
We are excited to announce details of the latest release of Altova MissionKit desktop developer tools and server software products. Version 2016 includes full Windows 10 compatibility and updated relational database support across the product line, and it also introduces some new features that you simply will not find anywhere else.
XMLSpy 2016 includes the first full featured, enterprise-grade graphical JSON Schema editor. MapForce, our data integration tool, now includes a data mapping debugger that will revolutionize the way you define and test data mapping projects. Let’s take a closer look at these new features.
Read more…
New Altova Online Shop
We’re pleased to announce the launch of the brand new and greatly improved Altova Online Shop.
It’s as convenient and secure as ever to purchase Altova software products, server license renewals, and support and maintenance (SMP) online. The first thing you’ll notice in the new shop is the redesigned, more modern UI that makes it easier to navigate, view your options, and request a quote. When you’re ready to purchase, the completely rebuilt back end will help process your order even more efficiently.
It’s also easier to navigate the upgrade process for products and support as well as annual server licenses, where you’ll have access to more flexible upgrade options.
We’re constantly striving to improve the purchasing experience for our customers and hope you’ll share any feedback or suggestions you have after visiting the Altova Online Shop in the comments below.
XPath Editor and Tester (Video)
Writing XPath expressions is an important skill for any developer – whether they are for an XSLT stylesheet, complex XQuery instruction, or even selecting data in a mobile application. And while XPath syntax is simple by nature, it’s also powerful, and writing and debugging the most efficient expression to select exactly the data you need can be a challenge.
This quick video demonstrates some of the tools in the XMLSpy XPath editor that make developing and testing XPath, as well as XQuery, easier. By using a point and click interface for interactive, incremental expression building, you’ll get what you need faster and with less frustration.
To learn more about XPath, check out these free resources:
Data Mapping Files with XML Mixed Content
As more specialized data is adapted for delivery on demand to mobile devices with smaller screens, documents with complex structures can be a challenge. Fortunately, MapForce, Altova’s graphical data mapping, conversion, and integration tool, has special features to accelerate data integration projects of all sizes.
For example, richly-formatted documents may include XML mixed content, a complex datatype that permits an XML element to contain text, attributes, and other child elements. Common instances of XML mixed content include blocks of text with tags for bold or italic fonts, or tags that select terms for indexing or other special treatment. Documents with XML mixed content can be difficult to include in a data integration project, since they appear to be free-form and unpredictable, with child elements that occur in any order or even multiple times within the parent.
Read more…
XBRL Data Quality of SEC Filings in EDGAR
For fundamental investors probably the most important financial information to study are the financial reports from companies that they wish to potentially invest in. For publicly traded companies in the US, the SEC regulates what data needs to be reported and at which frequency, and investors typically access those financial reports through their own brokerage firm’s website, or through publicly available databases from other Internet providers. In addition, all the original filings from all companies are also directly available from the SEC in the EDGAR database. In addition to HTML and PDF versions of those financial reports, the EDGAR database also contains XBRL versions of those company filings since 2007, with the intent of making this data more easily comparable and directly consumable by computer programs for further analysis.
At least that is the goal…
In this article we’re going to look at some issues with the XBRL data quality of company filings in the SEC’s EDGAR database and show the surprising lack of correlation of high-level financial data extracted from the XBRL filings with publicly available financial data about US companies provided, e.g., by Yahoo Finance, Google Finance, and Fidelity Investments, as well as the shocking discrepancies found in the data reported by those separate services amongst one another.
Read more…
7 Ways to Summer Proof Your Phone
You are going to the beach for the day and you want to bring your phone, but you’re worried that the salt and sand might damage it. You could leave it at home, but you might need it to take cute pics with your friends – er, finally enter your expense reports from that business trip last week. Not you? How about this one:
SPLASH. Your friend just pushed you in the pool, fully clothed, as a joke. We all have that one friend, right? But it doesn’t seem so funny when you realize your phone was in your pocket. Now you are soaking wet and your phone is completely destroyed.
Or maybe you simply want to protect your phone because you don’t want it to suffer any damage this summer. Whatever your situation, here are a few ways to waterproof, sand-proof, and sunscreen-proof your smartphones.
Read more…
XBRL Example Files on GitHub
Did you know that Altova has a sample source code repository on GitHub? We are building this out based on customer requests, and at the moment we’ve posted a collection of XBRL example files, code snippets, and Python scripts for working with XBRL data, including instructions for accessing and processing the vast amount of data from filing companies available on the SEC web site, as well as some essential tools for performing validation on EDGAR filing data.
Here are some details on what you can find there.
Read more…
5 Mobile Strategy Secrets that Your Competitors Don’t Want You to Know
With projections of the smartphone market growing more than 10% every year for the next few years or more, and enterprise use of tablets soaring, it is imperative to any business today to ensure a strong mobile strategy. Here are some great thought provoking ways to get ahead of the competition and bring your mobile strategy to the next level.
How to upgrade an old MacBook Pro to Windows 10
With the recent release of Windows 10, I embarked on a fun weekend project to convert my old MacBook Pro laptop (late 2013 model) into a new Windows 10 laptop. The process was surprisingly straight-forward, and the machine runs extremely well with all hardware features fully supported, including the high-resolution screen (“Retina display”), integrated camera (“iSight”), WiFi, Bluetooth, and all external ports. In fact, startup times, as well as time to wake from sleep, are slightly better than under MacOS, and all of the software, including Office, Adobe Creative Suite, etc., appears to perform better as well. I’m very happy with the result and this is now going to be my main laptop for all my business trips (and vacations) going forward.
You may ask why anybody would want to convert a MacBook Pro into a Windows 10 laptop in the first place. So let me explain my motivation…
Read more…
Tablet Sales Have Plateaued – And Why You Shouldn’t Care
A recently published Forrester study reveals that tablet sales, once soaring as Apple, Samsung, and other tablet producers fought for market share, have plateaued. The allure of these larger screens has waned as the size of smartphones has grown over time, and existing customers just aren’t as enthusiastic about upgrading their tablets to a new version as they are about getting the latest and greatest smartphone.
One area where tablet use isn’t slowing appears to be the enterprise, as end users continue to utilize iPads and Android tablets for business-related tasks, and employers are willing to let them BYOD.
This is great news for MobileTogether developers building enterprise mobile apps for tablets (as well as phones and desktop devices) – but really, they don’t care.
Read more…
Welcome to the new Altova Blog
We’ve just completed a major redesign of the Altova Blog, moved to a modern blogging platform, cleaned up categories and tags, and implemented a responsive design that will adapt to whichever device you use when you visit the blog.
We’re ready for take-off and we hope you like the new look…
New Service Pack Available
Service Pack 1 for Altova Software Version 2015 Release 4 is now available with helpful bug fixes. This is a free update for all v2015r4 customers of Altova MissionKit desktop developer tools, as well as v2015r4 server software products.
Download and install SP1 now.
Manipulating Data in Cross-Platform Mobile Applications
Altova MobileTogether empowers enterprises of any size to design and deploy custom mobile solutions that run on all mobile platforms. This post is part 2 of a discussion of the MobileTogether Actions Dialog that lets developers quickly create sophisticated event handlers, control flow, and operations that work the same on iOS®, Android™, Windows® Phone 8, and Windows 8 devices, as well as an HTML5 browser-based client, without worrying about the unique details of the API or SDK for each mobile operating system.
(Click here if you missed part 1, titled Defining Event Handling and Control Flow for Cross-Platform Mobile Applications.)
This post covers some of the MobileTogether actions that manipulate data and are flexible, powerful, and accelerate building data-driven mobile enterprise apps to deliver up-to-the-minute information to busy users on the go.
Read more…
Learn XPath 3.1 with Altova Online Training
We’ve recently updated our free, online XPath Training course to include information on what’s new in XPath 3.1, which is the latest version of the XML Path Language.
XPath 3.1 adds vital new functionality, including support for arrays and maps, functions for processing JSON data, and a collection of new operators and functions.
The XPath Training course covers these in detail, explaining each new function and operator and illustrating its use with helpful examples. The course also provides sample XML files that you can download for hands-on practice as you progress through the chapters.
Access the free XPath 3.0 and 3.1 Training now!
Or check out our other free online course offerings, including XMLSpy Training, XML Schema 1.1 Training, and more.