In this tutorial, we will cover how to use WordPress as a backend for a Intel XDK mobile app. We’ll then look at how we can create REST APIs for WordPress so that the Intel XDK app can communicate with WordPress using those APIs. We’re also going to build a simple Intel XDK app which allows users to login and then display a list of WordPress blog posts.
Mobile application development solutions like AppPresser, Mobicloud and IdeaPress are limited to creating blog-style apps. Understanding how to integrate WordPress with Intel XDK will help you to build any kind of app utilizing WordPress as a backend.
Creating WordPress REST APIs
Let’s start with setting up WordPress REST APIs. WordPress provides you the necessary actions to create REST APIs which can be used by any HTTP client. REST APIs can be installed via a WordPress plugin or theme.
WordPress actions “wp_ajax_” and “wp_ajax_nopriv_” can be used to create GET or POST REST APIs.
A callback attached to “wp_ajax_” is executed if the HTTP client making the request is logged in into WordPress. Similarly a callback attached to “wp_ajax_nopriv_” is executed if the HTTP client making the request is not logged into WordPress.
Let’s create a REST API which allows a user to login into WordPress.
function already_logged_in()
{
echo "User is already Logged In";
die();
}
function login()
{
$creds = array();
$creds['user_login'] = $_GET["username"];
$creds['user_password'] = $_GET["password"];
$user = wp_signon($creds, false);
if (is_wp_error($user))
{
echo "FALSE";
die();
}
echo "TRUE";
die();
}
add_action("wp_ajax_login", "already_logged_in");
add_action("wp_ajax_nopriv_login", "login");
Let’s see how the above code works:
- If the user is already logged in the while making an AJAX request using Intel XDK, a user session cookie is automatically sent to the server. In this case “already_logged_in” function is executed.
- If no user session cookie is sent to the server i.e., user is not logged in then login function is executed.
- We need to make HTTP requests to “http://[your_domain_name]//wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=login&username=your_name&password=your_password”. Here the action is the REST API name i.e., the string name that comes after “wp_ajax_” and “wp_ajax_nopriv_”.
- You can either make a GET or POST request to this URL but it’s compulsory to provide the REST API name.
- wp_signon is used to create a user session cookie i.e., used to login a user into WordPress.
Let’s create another REST API which returns the ten latest blog posts in JSON format.
function posts()
{
header("Content-Type: application/json");
$posts_array = array();
$args = array("post_type" => "post", "orderby" => "date", "order" => "DESC", "post_status" => "publish", "posts_per_page" => "10");
$posts = new WP_Query($args);
if($posts->have_posts()):
while($posts->have_posts()):
$posts->the_post();
$post_array = array(get_the_title(), get_the_permalink(), get_the_date(), wp_get_attachment_url(get_post_thumbnail_id()));
array_push($posts_array, $post_array);
endwhile;
else:
echo "{'posts' = []}";
die();
endif;
echo json_encode($posts_array);
die();
}
function no_posts()
{
echo "Please login";
die();
}
add_action("wp_ajax_posts", "posts");
add_action("wp_ajax_nopriv_posts", "no_posts");
Let’s see how the above code works:
- Here we registered a HTTP API with name ‘posts’.
- If a user is not logged in then it returns a message to login. If the user is logged in, then it sends a JavaScripts array with ten latest posts.
- Here we use WP_Query object to retrieve the blog posts.
Creating a Intel XDK App
Let’s now see how to create a Intel XDK app by using WordPress as a backend.
There are a couple of points to note before proceeding with this tutorial:
- Intel XDK app doesn’t obey AJAX and Cookie Same Origin Policy. Therefore you can make an AJAX request to any website using JavaScript running in the Intel XDK app. Also during HTTP requests, all cookies are sent to the server and any domain can store cookies in the app.
- You need to download and install Intel XDK.
The Intel XDK app we will building in this tutorial will have the following directory structure and files.
--cordova.js
--js
--index.js
--index.html
--app.js
--init-app.js
“www” directory will be present in your newly created project.
Remove all content present in “index.js” and “index.html” file.
Put this code in your “index.html” files.
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8" />
<meta name="viewport" content="user-scalable=no, initial-scale=1, maximum-scale=1, minimum-scale=1, width=device-width, height=device-height" />
<title>Intel XDK App using WordPress</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="http://code.jquery.com/mobile/1.4.4/jquery.mobile-1.4.4.min.css">
</head>
<body>
<div data-role="page">
<div data-role="header" data-position="fixed">
<h1>Login</h1>
</div>
<div data-role="main" class="ui-content">
<input id="username" type="text" placeholder="Enter Username">
<input id="password" type="password" placeholder="Enter Password">
<button onclick="login();">Login</button>
<a href="#pagetwo" id="page_two_link"></a>
</div>
<div data-role="footer" data-position="fixed">
<h1>Made by @narayanprusty</h1>
</div>
</div>
<div data-role="page" id="pagetwo">
<div data-role="header" data-position="fixed">
<h1>Posts</h1>
</div>
<div data-role="main" class="ui-content">
<ul data-role="listview" id="posts">
</ul>
</div>
<div data-role="footer" data-position="fixed">
<h1>Made by @narayanprusty</h1>
</div>
</div>
<script type="text/javascript" src="cordova.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="js/app.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="js/init-app.js"></script>
<script src="http://code.jquery.com/jquery-1.11.1.min.js"></script>
<script src="http://code.jquery.com/mobile/1.4.4/jquery.mobile-1.4.4.min.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="js/index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>
Let’s see how the above code works:
- Here we are using jQuery mobile to create the UI of the app. jQuery mobile is loaded from CDN.
- We have two pages. The first one is a login page and if the credentials are correct then user is moved to second page where a list of posts is displayed.
- When the login button is clicked a JavaScript “login” function is called.
Now we are done with the UI of the app, let’s code the frontend functionality. Put this code in “index.js” file.
{
var xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();
xhr.open("GET", "http://localhost/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=posts");
xhr.onload = function(){
var posts_array = JSON.parse(xhr.responseText);
var html = "";
for(var count = 0; count < posts_array.length; count++)
{
var title = posts_array[count][0];
var link = posts_array[count][1];
var date = posts_array[count][2];
var image = posts_array[count][3];
html = html + "<li>" + "<a href='javascript:open_browser("" + link + "")'>" + "<img height='128' width='128' src='" + image + "'>" + "<h2>" + title + "</h2>" + "<p>" + date + "</p></a></li>";
}
$("#posts").innerHTML = html;
$("#posts").listview("refresh");
}
xhr.send();
}
function login()
{
var username = $("#username").value;
var password = $("#password").value;
if(username == "")
{
intel.xdk.notification.alert("Please enter username","Username Missing","OK");
return;
}
if(password == "")
{
intel.xdk.notification.alert("Please enter password","Password Missing","OK");
return;
}
var xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();
xhr.open("GET", "http://localhost/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=login&username=" + encodeURIComponent(username) + "&password=" + encodeURIComponent(password));
xhr.onload = function(){
if(xhr.responseText == "FALSE")
{
intel.xdk.notification.alert("Wrong Username and Password","Wrong Creds","Try Again");
}
else if(xhr.responseText == "TRUE")
{
fetch_and_display_posts();
$("#page_two_link").click();
}
}
xhr.send();
}
function open_browser(link)
{
window.open(link, '_blank', 'location=yes');
}
Let’s see how the above code works:
- Here we have three functions. “login” function retrieves the username and password from the form and sends it to WordPress. If the credentials are correct then WordPress sends back a session cookie indicating a user is logged in. Then we call the “fetch_and_display_posts” function which actually retrieves the latest ten posts and displays it in the second page. When someone clicks on a post we call the “open_browser” function which displays the complete article in a new browser window i.e. using Intel XDK InAppBrowser.
- Here during AJAX request I have used domain name as localhost. Make sure you replace that with your own domain name.
Here are the screenshots of the working Intel XDK App using WordPress.
Final Thoughts
So now you know how to create a simple Intel XDK app using WordPress as a backend. If you’re looking for more information, here are a list of some other useful resources that are great for new Intel XDK developers:
Getting Started with Intel XDK
Building Cross Platform Mobile Apps using Intel XDK
Official Intel XDK Documentation
