Head First Mobile Web

Chapter 5. Device Databases and Classes: Get with the group

Setting the bar for the devices we support doesn’t take care of a few nagging issues. How do we find out enough stuff about our users’ mobile browsers to know if they measure up before we deliver content to them? How do we avoid only building (lame) content for the lowest common denominator? And how do we organize all of this stuff so that we don’t lose our minds? In this chapter, we’ll enter the realm of device capabilities, learn to access them with a device database, and, finally, discover how to group them into device classes so that we can keep our sanity.

A panic button for freaked-out students

AcedIt! Test Prep hangs its hat on superior customer service. Its goal is to make each and every one of its students—who are hard at work nerve-rackingly studying for career- or academic-advancing standardized tests and certifications—feel like they have a one-on-one connection with tutors who are experts in their subjects.

Sometimes students panic. That’s why AcedIt! wants to create a page on its website specially attuned to its customers who are on the edge. It’s called the I’m Freaking Out! page, and its goal is simple: connect the customer with an on-call tutor right away.

The button is for mobile phones only ...