MobiForms Latest Release Adds More To Mobile Database Sync

[Jon Westfall]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.mobiforms.com/' target='_blank'>http://www.mobiforms.com/</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"Following the global success of the inituitive drag and drop mobile application development tool MobiForms Developer, the team at MobiForms are proud to announce the release of the MobiForms Advanced edition. The MobiForms Advanced edition includes the MobiForms Developer and the new MobiForms Sync Server. The MobiForms Sync Server (MSS) is a complementary tool to the MobiForms Developer offering a true offline wireless store and forward capability with sophisticated online synchronisation, replication and offline data buffering."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/zt/auto/1233591090.usr7.jpg" style="border: 0px solid #d2d2bb;" /></p><p>The latest release from MobiForms allows devices to connect to a variety of databases through a dedicated MobiForms server system. Rapid application development plus over the air database access can put together a mean package on the handheld!</p>

[phmurphy]

The program has lots of potential if you want wireless connection, but I have been floundering trying to understand it. It is incredibly idiosyncratic with a "tutorial" manual that leaves too much out and often never explains important details. For example,

You can't use the > symbol in a next record button because it is a reserved symbol and your button will disappear if you use it.

There is no built in handling of autonumber fields.

The buttons have a built in buffer on the left and right of the text so you can't make buttons just the size of the text.

You can't enter numbers from the numeric keypad while in design mode.

To delete a record requires that the primary field be at the top of the list of fields, but there is no explanation of the non-intuitive way to move items on the list.

Just getting the form to open with all of the records available has been a struggle to figure out since the examples don't include this option.

There are no options to align text in the controls.

The support has been good but I am asking a question about every 20 minutes. I try to search the manual for answers but the explanations are either missing, incomplete, or poorly explained.

Perhaps I will like it better in a few days, but the learning curve is painful.