Professional iOS Network Programming
Connecting the Enterprise to the iPhone and iPad
Published on 23. October 2012
Book
Paperback/Softback
360 pages
978-1-118-36240-2 (ISBN)
Description
Learn to develop iPhone and iPad applications for networked enterprise environments
The iPhone and iPad have made a powerful impact on the business world. Developers creating iOS apps for the enterprise face unique challenges involving networking, system integration, security, and device management. This Wrox guide provides everything you need to know to write iOS apps that integrate with enterprise network resources, providing options for networking iOS devices to enterprise systems and to each other.
* Offers a complete compendium of methods and techniques for networked communication between iOS applications and other platforms and devices
* Includes instruction on incorporating synchronous and asynchronous HTTP requests, security, communication issues, and more
* Covers payload handling, network security, GameKit and Bonjour communications, and low-level network communications
Professional iOS Network Programming focuses on the networking aspects of iOS and its relationship to remote data sources, offering a truly unique approach.
The iPhone and iPad have made a powerful impact on the business world. Developers creating iOS apps for the enterprise face unique challenges involving networking, system integration, security, and device management. This Wrox guide provides everything you need to know to write iOS apps that integrate with enterprise network resources, providing options for networking iOS devices to enterprise systems and to each other.
* Offers a complete compendium of methods and techniques for networked communication between iOS applications and other platforms and devices
* Includes instruction on incorporating synchronous and asynchronous HTTP requests, security, communication issues, and more
* Covers payload handling, network security, GameKit and Bonjour communications, and low-level network communications
Professional iOS Network Programming focuses on the networking aspects of iOS and its relationship to remote data sources, offering a truly unique approach.
More details
Content
INTRODUCTION xix
PART I: UNDERSTANDING IOS AND ENTERPRISE NETWORKING
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCING IOS NETWORKING CAPABILITIES 3
Understanding the Networking Frameworks 3
iOS Networking APIs 4
NSURLConnection 5
Game Kit 5
Bonjour 5
NSStream 6
CFNetwork 6
BSD Sockets 6
Run Loops 7
Run Loop Modes 8
Summary 8
CHAPTER 2: DESIGNING YOUR SERVICE ARCHITECTURE 9
Remote Façade Pattern 10
Example Façade Services 12
Example Façade Clients 15
Service Versioning 17
Example Versioned Services 18
Example Client Using Versioned Services 19
Service Locators 20
Summary 24
PART II: HTTP REQUESTS: THE WORKHORSE OF IOS NETWORKING
CHAPTER 3: MAKING REQUESTS 27
Introducing HTTP 28
Understanding HTTP Requests and Responses 29
URL Structure 30
Request Contents 31
Response Contents 33
High-Level iOS HTTP APIs 35
Objects Common to All Request Types 35
Synchronous Requests 39
Queued Asynchronous Requests 42
Asynchronous Requests 45
Advanced HTTP Manipulation 53
Using Request Methods 53
Cookie Manipulation 54
Advanced Headers 60
Summary 63
CHAPTER 4: GENERATING AND DIGESTING PAYLOADS 65
Web Service Protocols and Styles 66
Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) 66
Representational State Transfer (REST) 68
Choosing an Approach 69
Payloads 70
Introducing Payload Data Formats 70
Digesting Response Payloads 73
Generating Request Payloads 86
Summary 92
CHAPTER 5: HANDLING ERRORS 93
Understanding Error Sources 93
Operating System Errors 95
HTTP Errors 101
Application Errors 102
Rules of Thumb for Handling Errors 103
Include Error Handling In the Interface Contract 103
Error Statuses Lie 104
Validate the Payload 104
Separate Errors from Normal Business Conditions 104
Always Check HTTP Status 105
Always Check NSError 105
Develop a Consistent Method for Handling Errors 105
Always Set a Timeout 105
Gracefully Handling Network Errors 105
Design Pattern Description 106
Command Dispatch Pattern Example 111
Summary 116
PART III: ADVANCED NETWORKING TECHNIQUES
CHAPTER 6: SECURING NETWORK TRAFFIC 119
Verifying Server Communication 120
Authenticating with HTTP 124
HTTP Basic, HTTP Digest, and NTLM Authentication 125
Client-Certifi cate Authentication 127
Message Integrity with Hashing and Encryption 131
Hashing 132
Message Authentication Codes 136
Encryption 139
Storing Credentials Securely on the Device 151
Summary 155
CHAPTER 7: OPTIMIZING REQUEST PERFORMANCE 157
Measuring Network Performance 158
Network Bandwidth 158
Network Latency 159
Device Power 160
Optimizing Network Operations 161
Reducing Request Bandwidth 161
Reducing Request Latency 168
Avoid Network Requests 170
Summary 173
CHAPTER 8: LOW-LEVEL NETWORKING 175
BSD Sockets 176
Configuring a Socket Server 177
Connecting as a Socket Client 178
CFNetwork 182
NSStream 186
Summary 190
CHAPTER 9: TESTING AND MANIPULATING NETWORK TRAFFIC 191
Observing Network Traffic 192
Sniffing Hardware 192
Sniffing Software 193
Manipulating Network Traffic 200
Setting Up Charles 202
HTTP Breakpoints 205
Rewrite Rules 207
Simulating Real-World Network Conditions 209
Summary 211
CHAPTER 10: USING PUSH NOTIFICATIONS 213
Scheduling Local Notifications 214
Creating Local Notifications 214
Canceling Local Notifications 218
Handling the Arrival of Local Notifications 219
Registering and Responding to Remote
Notifications 223
Configuring Remote Notifications 224
Registering for Remote Notifications 229
Remote Notification Payloads 234
Sending Remote Notifications 236
Responding to Remote Notifications 240
Understanding Notification Best Practices 243
Summary 244
PART IV: NETWORKING APP TO APP
CHAPTER 11: INTER-APP COMMUNICATION 247
URL Schemes 248
Implementing a Custom URL Scheme 248
Sensing the Presence of Other Apps 251
Advanced Communication 252
Shared Keychains 257
Enterprise SSO 257
Detecting Previous Installations 264
Summary 266
CHAPTER 12: DEVICE-TO-DEVICE COMMUNICATION WITH GAME KIT 267
Game Kit Basics 268
Peer-to-Peer Networking 271
Connecting to a Session 272
Sending Data to Peers 274
Client-Server Communication 279
Summary 280
CHAPTER 13: AD-HOC NETWORKING WITH BONJOUR 281
Zeroconf Overview 282
Addresses 282
Resolution 283
Discovery 283
Bonjour Overview 284
Publishing a Service 284
Browsing for Services 290
Resolving a Service 293
Communicating with a Service 295
Implementing Bonjour-Based Applications 299
Employee Application 301
Customer Application 309
Summary 317
INDEX 319
PART I: UNDERSTANDING IOS AND ENTERPRISE NETWORKING
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCING IOS NETWORKING CAPABILITIES 3
Understanding the Networking Frameworks 3
iOS Networking APIs 4
NSURLConnection 5
Game Kit 5
Bonjour 5
NSStream 6
CFNetwork 6
BSD Sockets 6
Run Loops 7
Run Loop Modes 8
Summary 8
CHAPTER 2: DESIGNING YOUR SERVICE ARCHITECTURE 9
Remote Façade Pattern 10
Example Façade Services 12
Example Façade Clients 15
Service Versioning 17
Example Versioned Services 18
Example Client Using Versioned Services 19
Service Locators 20
Summary 24
PART II: HTTP REQUESTS: THE WORKHORSE OF IOS NETWORKING
CHAPTER 3: MAKING REQUESTS 27
Introducing HTTP 28
Understanding HTTP Requests and Responses 29
URL Structure 30
Request Contents 31
Response Contents 33
High-Level iOS HTTP APIs 35
Objects Common to All Request Types 35
Synchronous Requests 39
Queued Asynchronous Requests 42
Asynchronous Requests 45
Advanced HTTP Manipulation 53
Using Request Methods 53
Cookie Manipulation 54
Advanced Headers 60
Summary 63
CHAPTER 4: GENERATING AND DIGESTING PAYLOADS 65
Web Service Protocols and Styles 66
Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) 66
Representational State Transfer (REST) 68
Choosing an Approach 69
Payloads 70
Introducing Payload Data Formats 70
Digesting Response Payloads 73
Generating Request Payloads 86
Summary 92
CHAPTER 5: HANDLING ERRORS 93
Understanding Error Sources 93
Operating System Errors 95
HTTP Errors 101
Application Errors 102
Rules of Thumb for Handling Errors 103
Include Error Handling In the Interface Contract 103
Error Statuses Lie 104
Validate the Payload 104
Separate Errors from Normal Business Conditions 104
Always Check HTTP Status 105
Always Check NSError 105
Develop a Consistent Method for Handling Errors 105
Always Set a Timeout 105
Gracefully Handling Network Errors 105
Design Pattern Description 106
Command Dispatch Pattern Example 111
Summary 116
PART III: ADVANCED NETWORKING TECHNIQUES
CHAPTER 6: SECURING NETWORK TRAFFIC 119
Verifying Server Communication 120
Authenticating with HTTP 124
HTTP Basic, HTTP Digest, and NTLM Authentication 125
Client-Certifi cate Authentication 127
Message Integrity with Hashing and Encryption 131
Hashing 132
Message Authentication Codes 136
Encryption 139
Storing Credentials Securely on the Device 151
Summary 155
CHAPTER 7: OPTIMIZING REQUEST PERFORMANCE 157
Measuring Network Performance 158
Network Bandwidth 158
Network Latency 159
Device Power 160
Optimizing Network Operations 161
Reducing Request Bandwidth 161
Reducing Request Latency 168
Avoid Network Requests 170
Summary 173
CHAPTER 8: LOW-LEVEL NETWORKING 175
BSD Sockets 176
Configuring a Socket Server 177
Connecting as a Socket Client 178
CFNetwork 182
NSStream 186
Summary 190
CHAPTER 9: TESTING AND MANIPULATING NETWORK TRAFFIC 191
Observing Network Traffic 192
Sniffing Hardware 192
Sniffing Software 193
Manipulating Network Traffic 200
Setting Up Charles 202
HTTP Breakpoints 205
Rewrite Rules 207
Simulating Real-World Network Conditions 209
Summary 211
CHAPTER 10: USING PUSH NOTIFICATIONS 213
Scheduling Local Notifications 214
Creating Local Notifications 214
Canceling Local Notifications 218
Handling the Arrival of Local Notifications 219
Registering and Responding to Remote
Notifications 223
Configuring Remote Notifications 224
Registering for Remote Notifications 229
Remote Notification Payloads 234
Sending Remote Notifications 236
Responding to Remote Notifications 240
Understanding Notification Best Practices 243
Summary 244
PART IV: NETWORKING APP TO APP
CHAPTER 11: INTER-APP COMMUNICATION 247
URL Schemes 248
Implementing a Custom URL Scheme 248
Sensing the Presence of Other Apps 251
Advanced Communication 252
Shared Keychains 257
Enterprise SSO 257
Detecting Previous Installations 264
Summary 266
CHAPTER 12: DEVICE-TO-DEVICE COMMUNICATION WITH GAME KIT 267
Game Kit Basics 268
Peer-to-Peer Networking 271
Connecting to a Session 272
Sending Data to Peers 274
Client-Server Communication 279
Summary 280
CHAPTER 13: AD-HOC NETWORKING WITH BONJOUR 281
Zeroconf Overview 282
Addresses 282
Resolution 283
Discovery 283
Bonjour Overview 284
Publishing a Service 284
Browsing for Services 290
Resolving a Service 293
Communicating with a Service 295
Implementing Bonjour-Based Applications 299
Employee Application 301
Customer Application 309
Summary 317
INDEX 319