Connecting Android App to PHP Server

Question

What is the best way to write an android application that logs into a server? I am thinking I do not want to maintain a socket, so I think I want to avoid that, I think I want to use the http protocol. My question with that is, on the server side, ideally I would like to use PHP to handle the GET/POST calls from the android app, but I don't know how to return (using PHP) information that my app can handle and not just an html file.

So for example, the facebook app for android. When you first download the app, you login and then the app maintains your connection, but obviously the app is not another web browser, but a regular app that presents its information as if it were a web site. How does the app pass the session cookie so that the PHP $_SESSION variables maintain themselves? How does the android app handle the data that comes back?

If I send a get requestion to htt://www.test.php can the PHP code that executes on the server return a custom set of data? Will the $_SESSION variables be automatically maintainted?

Thank you

Answer 1

You can send a get/post request to log on the server. The PHP page can return JSON or XML. Then your Java (Android) code will have to parse that response.

You can have the PHP page log first, and then start a session. Maybe generate a token key and store this in the database, and then return this to the android app. Android app will get this token (after parsing), and probably save it in a preferences file. This approach is basically a custom session. You will have to figure out things like expiration of token, etc.

There might be a way to store PHP sessions, but not sure how an app behaves differently from a browser. I think sessions can be little bit more complicated with apps.

More discussion here: php session destroyed in android application

Answer 2

You just need to create Server Side API which receives and sends data back to Client. Server start session, when API is requested, and Client receives PHPSESSID which is used to keep session opened. On Client, you use cookie for sessions.

Read about sessions: PHP Sessions (simple) and Session Handling (comprehensive)