LongRange for LANSA
IBM i RPG/COBOL users should go to this page. The LongRange version below uses LANSA and is cross platform.
Build and maintain native mobile apps for Apple iOS and Android using LANSA development tools and methods. LongRange does not require any programming on the mobile device to use features such as photos, videos, audio recordings, documents, maps and geo-location in LANSA applications. Developers don’t have to learn any new programming languages such as Objective C (Apple), Java (Android) or other coding techniques like HTML, CSS and JavaScript.
Timely and cost effective mobile application development
LongRange encourages results oriented programming as it allows developers to concentrate on business requirements and not mobile device technology. This means that the total-cost-of-ownership for a mobile app becomes a viable proposition, especially for companies without any previous experience in developing apps for mobile devices.
No new skills required – you only need LANSA and you're already an expert with this!
Short time-to-market – significantly reduce the time to design, program and deploy native apps for multiple mobile platforms:
- Use LANSA on the server; no programming is required for the mobile device.
- The same programs will service iOS, Android and Windows tablets and PCs.
- The user interface of the LongRange native mobile app automatically reshapes and resizes to accommodate different screen sizes (e.g. smart phones versus tablets).
Low total-cost-of-ownership – maintaining and extending native apps using familiar development skills will be as easy in the future as it is today:
- There is no additional cost of hiring and retaining developers with specialized mobile app development skills.
- You only need to maintain one set of LANSA source code to support multiple mobile platforms.
Rapid return on investment – quickly deliver easy-to-use native mobile apps with a rich user interface and enhance your users' productivity.
- Reduced ongoing maintenance costs – same source code for both iOS and Android.
- Minimal developer learning curve – no need to learn mobile specific programming.
Using LongRange, companies can develop and deploy apps for mobile devices quickly. The time-to-market is short as development is incremental and evolutionary.
Speed up mobile app development
The LongRange mobile app is a working native app and provides a ready-made infrastructure into which developers can add the programs of a business application. LongRange allows developers to start developing the business logic and database without having to develop the services the LongRange mobile app provides (e.g. touch enabled user interface).
Developers are productive immediately because they can use the same programming model they already use and are well equipped to trace and debug intuitively.
Developers can design apps to operate online when there is a network connection or offline when no network is available. In offline mode, the apps use data stored in a database on the mobile device and forms that allow users to view and edit the data. When a connection is available, the apps can send data to a server and receive data from a server.
Use LANSA development tools
Developers can use LANSA to build programs for mobile devices without learning new programming languages. There is no need to learn Java, Objective-C or brush up on HTML, CSS and JavaScript skills.
Developing a mobile app using LongRange is a three-step process:
- Step one defines the navigation, menus, forms and views using LongRange Studio. This definition (application schema) tells the LongRange mobile app how you want the business application to operate and you can run this as a prototype to test your design.
- Step two allows you to use your LANSA skills to build the business logic, screen layout and data content.
- Step three is where you add the programs into LongRange by telling the schema what program to call for each screen in the business application.
Use your existing assets
LongRange has been designed to use your existing investments, infrastructure and developer skills and does not replace or change anything already in place or in use.
LongRange works in your existing environment and requires:
- No large upfront investments.
- No new OEM software.
- No new hardware.
- No operating system upgrades.
LongRange runs on your existing LANSA environment.