Roadmap

The following is an in-progress roadmap for the Mobile Web Framework including both development milestones (like version of the MWF) and non-development tasks such as conferences and events.

This roadmap currently includes the following sections:

1. Framework v1.2
2. Framework v1.3
3. Framework v1.4
4. Module Development
5. Events

Framework v1.2

Details coming soon

Framework v1.3

The next planned release version of the mobile web framework will include several new features:

1. Front Splash Page
2. Javascript Interactivity Libraries
3. Basic Native Container
4. Forms UI and Javascript Libraries
5. Messages UI

Front Splash Page

The current front splash page for UCLA Mobile and the Mobile Web Framework supports a main menu and submenus, but it lacks support for deeper organization and personalization. This rewrite of the front splash page will change underlying application logic and add two new features:

1. User personalization of the menus
2. Hierarchical organization of the menus.
3. Two layouts (list or icon) with user customizability.

Because it must maintain state, the new front splash page shall require two additional components:

1. A relational database to store modules and user-defined organization of modules.
2. An authentication mechanism that identifies a user in a unique and recurring way.

The front splash page will support three types of entities: modules, module categories and module directories. Module categories are pre-defined clusters of modules like “Campus Life”, “Student Tools” and “Library Resources”, while module directories are user-defined sets of applications like folders in iOS. The display will also support organization in both list and icon style.

By default, non-authenticated visitors and visitors when they first log in are presented with a set of modules and module categories in a similar form to the current splash page. An administrative interface will allow for configuration of this default set as well as its presentation as a list or icon style.

When logged in, a user will be able to use a set of touches and gestures to customize the splash page (similar to the iPhone home screen). They will be able to select modules and module categories, as well as to create their own module directories, adding the modules and module categories they want into such directories.

All visitors and users will also be able to use a search function to find particular modules and module categories. For visitors, this allows them to access the modules, and for authenticated users it will also allow them to search to add items to their personalized splash page.

Javascript Interactivity Libraries

Touch/Gesture

MWF 1.0 includes two related Webkit-driven libraries, the transitions library for markup-driven Webkit transitions and the touch_transitions library for markup-driven swipe transition triggers for Webkit.

This feature overhaul has two primary objectives:

1. Include transition support for Webkit, Mozilla and Opera engines.
2. Include more robust touch and gesture support and flexibility.

The transitions library will be rewritten to support all CSS 3 transition capable browsers, while maintaining all old interfaces to ensure backwards compatibility.

In addition, a new transition_triggers library will be added to link touches and gestures to transitionable items as triggers. Although touch_transitions will continue to work correctly, it will be deprecated in favor of this more robust library.

On-Page Filter

This library will make it possible to perform a search of a set of properly tagged content.

It will have three primary components:

1. Text input box to define filter terms (support for boolean arguments).
2. Class that denotes searchable area of markup.
3. Class that denotes the content that the searchable area relates to.

Filter-driven functionality is better than AJAX search functionality because, in the event that the browser does not support live DOM writes, the filter can merely not be presented.

Page Transitions

Similar in fashion to the jQuery Mobile AJAX page loading functionality, this library will override standard links to perform AJAX calls to load in the body content between #header and #footer. This provides several major benefits:

1. Going “back” will not require a page load.
2. The user is no longer staring at a blank page while content loads.
3. It becomes possible to use CSS 3 transitions to slide or fade content in and out.

Because it will override the touchdown/click events, it will be fully functional for browsers that do not support these features as links will continue to work as intended.

###Dialog/Alert Boxes

Description coming soon...

Expandable/Collapsible

Description coming soon...

Basic Native Container

Description coming soon...

Forms

The specification for Forms 1.2 is available here.

Messages

The specification for Messages 1.2 available here.

Framework v1.4

A future planned minor release version of the mobile web framework will include several new features:

1. Enhanced Native Container
2. Installation Process
3. Unit Tests
4. Tablet and Desktop Support

Enhanced Native Container

Description coming soon...

Installation Process

Description coming soon...

Unit Tests

Description coming soon...

Tablet and Desktop Support

Description coming soon...

Module Development

Tour (in progress by UCLA)

Description coming soon...

Clicker (in progress by UCLA)

Description coming soon...

Glossary (in progress by UCLA)

Description coming soon...

Events

UC Computing Services Conference (August 7 – 9, 2011)

Description coming soon...

Mobile Web Framework Conference (August 21 – 24, 2011)

Description coming soon...

Educause 2011 (October 18 – 21, 2011)

Description coming soon...