Hey all!
Anyone who has tried to use Twasebook on a mobile device, particularly a small screen device such as an iPhone, will have noticed that the interface isn’t the easiest thing to navigate through. Actually, scratch that, the application is nigh on impossible to use in such situations. Given that more and more people are using mobile devices these days, and given that it makes sense that people will be using Twasebook outside the traditional desktop metaphor (e.g. on the train, in the country in which their target language is spoken, even in the little boy’s/girl’s room if that’s where you like to do your language acquisition), it makes sense to produce a mobile version.
So, a mobile version is coming soon, right? Yes.
Well, almost. Over the course of the next month or so, I’m going to make some cosmetic changes to the interface so that it becomes responsive. In non-technical terms, this means that the website will adapt depending on the size of the screen – therefore, those viewing the application on a smartphone, for example, won’t have to zoom in to be able to use the form, read the text, and so on. The advantage of taking a responsive approach is that I won’t need to redevelop a separate application for each type of device – applications for iPhones, Android phones, etc. normally need to be developed separately which, as you can imagine, can be very time consuming, but also means that some functionality might work in some devices and not in others. Having a single site that loads in your device’s browser and visually adapts to whichever device you are using is obviously a better solution.
The downside is, however, that changing the interface to accomodate a responsive layout will involve a fair bit of redevelopment on my part, although it does mean I can tidy up the code in preparation for a few new extra features I plan to implement in the near future (e.g. storing results). Coupled with this is the fact that I’m the only person involved in the development, and on a part-time basis – and, given that I work as a researcher in computing, the last thing I often want to do during the evening and at weekends is to stare at a monitor!
So, I’ve set myself the target of finalising the “new” interface by mid-March 2012. Until then, and it pains me to say this, you’ll need to use your phone’s Zoom option if you plan to use the application on an Android or whatever. After mid-March 2012, this will no longer be the case, I promise – otherwise, feel free to send over a plague of angry bees to sting me into submission to complete development or, if that’s going to be too much of a problem, tut very loudly. Thanks.