Apps
Q: Can we push apps to an iOS/Android device?
Yes, via the App Store or Google Play Store.
Q: Do you have a sample or instructions for how to push individual cases to an iOS/Android device?
Yes, the Starter Kit sample that is shipped with the system shows you how to do this.
Q: Do you support the development of apps for diaries e.g.?
No, but we allow custom apps (created by you) to be hooked into the system.
Q: How do the Blaise Apps work?
You can upload surveys or specific cases to an app. The survey can be connected (Client-Server) or disconnected (stand-alone). In disconnected mode, the data will be stored (encrypted) on the device until you connect again and upload the data.
Q: Is it possible to launch a Blaise 5 instrument (with parameters/data) from our own iOS and Android app?
Yes. The system ships with a sample called Starter Kit. This gives instructions on how to build your own app to do this.
Q: Is it possible to use sensor data?
Yes, in browsers and apps, but you need to write your own custom code for that.
Q: What run mode should I use in my app?
There are 4 run modes. You can set this run mode in the Blaise App Settings in the Server Park. Good to know is, that you can still run the survey in browsers and in CATI if you are using a stand-alone run mode. Those settings apply to the apps only.
The 4 modes are:
ClientServer handles the rules engine and data access on the server. It needs a constant connection to the data entry server.
ThickClient handles the rules engine on the client, and the data access on the server. It ensures there is no data on the device, which can be a security demand. The advantage over ClientServer in this case is that page switches might be faster.
ThickClient with Fallback handles the rules engine on the client, and data access on the server, but if there is no connection, it will store the data locally (encrypted), for uploading at a later point, when there is a connection again. This ensures there is no data loss, but it means there might be data on the device at any point.
Disconnected handles both the rules engine and data access (encrypted) on the client. The only time you need a connection is to download a survey/case/data to the device and to upload data afterwards. This is especially useful in areas with little to no connection.
Q: Why are there multilple versions of the Blaise iOS App in the Apple Store?
They belong to different versions of Blaise. Since we cannot upgrade while people are using it in production, we have to release another version for new major releases. The 5.0.5 version is not compatible with 5.2 or higher, because of added security functionality in 5.2. We recommend using the latest version.
The currently available versions are: 5.0.5, 5.2, 5.2.5, 5.3.0 and 5.4.2.
As of 2019, the App Store won't let us release new apps, as they only allow 1 version of the same app now. Discussion on how to solve this issue is ongoing at the moment.