Create web site specific to mobile device, how to detect? RSS

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  BigMeat

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  Create web site specific to mobile device, how to detect?

  Oct 28, 2007 10:38 PM|LINK

  Hi
  
  I have a website that is written in .Net 2.0 which uses all the nice rich functionality of the web (Ajax, javascript etc..).  However I have noticed that the site does not display very well on mobile devices. 

  So therefore I would like to create a more streamlined version of my site that is better tailored to these devices.  However how do detect that the user has come to the site via a mobile device and how can i redirect them to my tailored page
  
  Many thanks in advance

  • Moved by SGWellens on Oct 28, 2007 10:46 PM
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  Zhao Ji Ma -...

  All-Star

  23104 Points

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  Re: Create web site specific to mobile device, how to detect?

  Oct 31, 2007 12:50 PM|LINK

  Hi BigMeat,

  You can use Request.Browser["IsMobileDevice"] to determine whether the request is from a mobile device and redirect to different version of web pages accordingly.

  Here is the example:

  <script runat="server" language="c#">
  
      public void Page_Load(Object sender, EventArgs e) 
      {
          if (Request.Browser["IsMobileDevice"] == "true" ) 
          {
              Response.Redirect("MobileDefault.aspx");
          }
          else 
          {
              Response.Redirect("DesktopDefault.aspx");
          }
      }
  
  </script>

  This is from: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/fhhycabe(VS.71).aspx

  Hope it helps.

  Zhao Ji Ma
  Sincerely,
  Microsoft Online Community Support
  
  “Please remember to click “Mark as Answer” on the post that helps you, and to click “Unmark as Answer” if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread. ”
  
  • Marked as answer by Zhao Ji Ma - MSFT on Nov 02, 2007 01:50 AM
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  BigMeat

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  Re: Create web site specific to mobile device, how to detect?

  Oct 31, 2007 01:07 PM|LINK

  Thats great thanks for that

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  matrixvibe

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  Re: Create web site specific to mobile device, how to detect?

  Jul 31, 2009 11:04 AM|LINK

  You can easily detect that a request is coming from mobile device using http://www.51degrees.mobi/Products/NETMobileAPI

  This API gives detailed information of the device making the request and also has the facility to redirect user automatically to mobile specific page when request in coming from mobile device.

  I have found this very useful and easy to implement in mobile website developments.

  Let me know if you face any issues in usage.

  Thanks

  Detect Mobile Device Detect Mobile Browser Detect Mobile Detect Mobile Infomation Detect Mobile Settings

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  anantjains

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  Re: Create web site specific to mobile device, how to detect?

  Sep 01, 2009 12:16 PM|LINK

   I don't trust this property of determining whether the request is from Mobile device or not, since once it failed to correctly identify Opera mobile on my WIndows Mobile Phone. I suspect some thing similar might happen with the i phone.

  I sugguest you to use the below mentioned code to identify whether the request is from mobile device or not.

  public static bool isMobileBrowser()
  {
      //GETS THE CURRENT USER CONTEXT
      HttpContext context = HttpContext.Current;
  
  
      //FIRST TRY BUILT IN ASP.NT CHECK
      if (context.Request.Browser.IsMobileDevice)
      {
          return true;
      }
      //THEN TRY CHECKING FOR THE HTTP_X_WAP_PROFILE HEADER
      if (context.Request.ServerVariables["HTTP_X_WAP_PROFILE"] != null)
      {
          return true;
      }
      //THEN TRY CHECKING THAT HTTP_ACCEPT EXISTS AND CONTAINS WAP
      if (context.Request.ServerVariables["HTTP_ACCEPT"] != null &&
          context.Request.ServerVariables["HTTP_ACCEPT"].ToLower().Contains("wap"))
      {
          return true;
      }
      //AND FINALLY CHECK THE HTTP_USER_AGENT
      //HEADER VARIABLE FOR ANY ONE OF THE FOLLOWING
      if (context.Request.ServerVariables["HTTP_USER_AGENT"] != null)
      {
          //Create a list of all mobile types
          string[] mobiles =
              new[]
                  {
                      "midp", "j2me", "avant", "docomo",
                      "novarra", "palmos", "palmsource",
                      "240x320", "opwv", "chtml",
                      "pda", "windows ce", "mmp/",
                      "blackberry", "mib/", "symbian",
                      "wireless", "nokia", "hand", "mobi",
                      "phone", "cdm", "up.b", "audio",
                      "SIE-", "SEC-", "samsung", "HTC",
                      "mot-", "mitsu", "sagem", "sony"
                      , "alcatel", "lg", "eric", "vx",
                      "NEC", "philips", "mmm", "xx",
                      "panasonic", "sharp", "wap", "sch",
                      "rover", "pocket", "benq", "java",
                      "pt", "pg", "vox", "amoi",
                      "bird", "compal", "kg", "voda",
                      "sany", "kdd", "dbt", "sendo",
                      "sgh", "gradi", "jb", "dddi",
                      "moto", "iphone"
                  };
  
  
          //Loop through each item in the list created above
          //and check if the header contains that text
          foreach (string s in mobiles)
          {
              if (context.Request.ServerVariables["HTTP_USER_AGENT"].
                                                  ToLower().Contains(s.ToLower()))
              {
                  return true;
              }
          }
      }
  
  
      return false;
  }

  
   

  There's always a better code available. I am using this function from long time and it has never failed me.

  Thanks

  Anant

  Mark "answer" if this post answered your question.
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  matrixvibe

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  173 Posts

  Re: Create web site specific to mobile device, how to detect?

  Sep 02, 2009 12:57 PM|LINK

  Hello Anant
  
  I agree with you that we cannot rely on property IsMobileDevice. Also the code what you have written covers most of the mobile not all, also you have to update existing .aspx page to include above code on pageload event.
  
  I would suggest you have a look at http://www.51degrees.mobi/Products/NETMobileAPI . It gets integrated easily in existing .aspx pages without making any change, also it covers very wide range of User Agents than what you have mentioned above. Apart from all this it also gives detailed information of capabilities of mobile that is requesting website which can be very handy for designing mobile web pages.
  
  Thanks

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  Irianna

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  41 Posts

  Re: Create web site specific to mobile device, how to detect?

  Dec 15, 2009 01:36 PM|LINK

  Silly question but with the code posted by Anant above, where do you put the location you want to redirect to?
   

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  matrixvibe

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  Re: Create web site specific to mobile device, how to detect?

  Dec 16, 2009 06:00 AM|LINK

  Hello

  You look at below article explaining details how easily you can do the detection & redirection by considering large database of mobile devices.

  http://www.51degrees.mobi/Products/NETMobileAPI/MobileDeviceDetectionandRedirectionASPMVC/tabid/113/Default.aspx
  
  Thanks

   

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  SKT_01

  Participant

  1930 Points

  435 Posts

  Re: Create web site specific to mobile device, how to detect?

  Dec 16, 2009 06:56 AM|LINK

  Hello,

  the current approaches are ASP.NET Web Forms or MVC applications. Take also a look at this forum thread about the Mobile Device Browser File from Microsoft and how to use Browser Definition Files in your mobile projects.

  Remember that ASP.NET Mobile Web Forms/ASP.NET Mobile Controls are obsolete/deprecatd from .NET Framework 4.0 and that the Browser Definitions will be changed. Cf. .NET Framework 4.0 System.Web.UI.MobileControls

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  amar_j

  Member

  76 Points

  55 Posts

  Re: Create web site specific to mobile device, how to detect?

  Aug 13, 2010 01:52 PM|LINK

  51degrees.mobi foundation the .NET open source is now available in Codeplex http://51degrees.codeplex.com/releases

  Few user fiendly example are also available

   

  - Thanks

  • Edited by amar_j on Aug 13, 2010 01:53 PM