Question

i have web and mobile application. On my web application i have url address http://www.myweb.com/mobile/update which generate xml for mobile application (java application, xml is used for updating data in this app). Is some way how to made these url accessible only from mobile (java application) and restrict it for others web users? I am using php and apache server.
Thanks for you advices and sorry form my english. 😉

Answer 1

On you’re specific page, you’ll have to detect if the browser which is loading the page is a mobile one or not — and, if it is, redirect the user to another page.

In order to detect if a user is using a mobile browser, you can use solutions such as WURFL.

But note that it’s the browser itself that’s indicating if it’s a mobile one… so that information is not to be trusted.

Several mobile browsers allow the user to change the User-Agent that’s sent to the server — quite often, that feature used because the user feels his choice is better than the webmaster’s one (I’m the best placed to judge if I want to see the mobile website, or the non-mobile one !)

Generally speaking, you should :

• Detect if a user is using a mobile device
  • If he not is (and is on the mobile website), suggest him to visit the normal website
  • If he is (and is on the normal website), suggest him to visit the mobile website.

But :

• Never trust the User-Agent.
• And let each user the choice.