Does the BusinessObjects Mobile app for iPad support landscape orientation for Design Studio applications?

[MustafaBensan]

Hi All,

Section 4 of the Design Studio Application Designer Guide, titled "Creating Analysis Applications in SAP BusinessObjects Mobile for Mobile Devices", states that a mobile application should only be designed in portrait format as "Landscape orientation is not supported when running the application in the SAP BusinessObjects Mobile application".  Yet all of the standard iPad templates for Design Studio are clearly laid out in landscape format.

I don't have access to a BusinessObjects test system at the moment to check directly myself, so was wondering if anyone can confirm whether or not landscape orientation for Design Studio is in fact supported on the BusinessObjects Mobile app for iPad?

Thanks,

Mustafa.

[TammyPowlas · Accepted solution]

Hi Mustafa,

I just tried it using Mobile BI on the iPad - it works in landscape mode - but remember working versus supporting are two different things.

Tammy

[MustafaBensan · Accepted solution]

Hi Tammy,

Thanks for confirming this by directly testing on the Mobile BI app.  Just out of interest, did you try this with one of the standard iPad templates?  If so, are you able to share a screenshot?

I understand that "working versus supporting are two different things" but can't help wonder if what is stated in the documentation (Application Designer Guide) is an oversight on the part of SAP?  As Mike has pointed out, what's documented in the guide is in direct contradiction to the standard delivered iPad templates which are all in landscape format.

Perhaps a member of the SAP Design Studio Team can chime in to clarify?

Regards,

Mustafa.

[TammyPowlas · Accepted solution]

Here's the iPad1 template on the Mobile BI app, landscape mode

(very simple - I just added a chart/datasource to see if it would work) - it does:

My take: the advice for portrait is really only for iPhones because those templates appear to be portrait only.

Tammy

[MustafaBensan · Accepted solution]

Thanks Tammy.  It's reassuring to know that at least it does work in landscape mode.

[TammyPowlas · Accepted solution]

Just tried using the iPhone template with Mobile BI - it only works in portrait, not landscape.  For sure that is what the documentation intended (in my opinion)

[MustafaBensan · Accepted solution]

Thanks for confirming the iPhone functionality too.  This is good to know and I think it makes sense that it is fixed at portrait mode given the small form factor.

By the way, just for the sake of a complete verification, with your iPad1 template test from before, what happens if you change the orientation of your iPad to portrait?  Does that work?

[TammyPowlas · Accepted solution]

It works in portrait mode too on iPad, but looks better in landscape mode

i can post a picture tomorrow - I closed the laptop for the evening  

[MustafaBensan · Accepted solution]

Okay, thanks Tammy.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

To support Tammy comments I wanted to share something. This example is other way i.e. portrait to landscape

Recently, I created an application in portrait mode (as proof of concept) based on following suggestion in guide:

Application (page 2) in Portrait mode - works fine, I can scroll up/down, swap left/right and select record

Application (page 2) in landscape mode - unable to scroll up/down - end of game i.e. no use

It looks like it is do with height property (or some other property). If we can set it up in such a way that it respect both layouts then it should work.

Cheers

Angad

[MustafaBensan · Accepted solution]

Thanks Angad.  That provides more perspective about the design considerations for the different layout orientations.

[TammyPowlas · Accepted solution]

Wow - really like Angad's answer

Here's the iPad1 template in portrait - really looks better in landscape

[MustafaBensan · Accepted solution]

Thanks very much, Tammy.  Between you and Angad I think that fully covers the question.

[Former Member]

Mustafa,

As per Design Studio designer guide it is not recommended to build design studio application in landscape layout.

Regards

Angad

[mike_howles4]

Then it begs the question why on earth would the delivered iPad templates be in landscape format?

[MustafaBensan]

Yes, this was exactly my thought too.  The standard template formats contradict what is stated in the Application Designer Guide.  I think it certainly makes sense to prefer landscape over portrait for an iPad layout as this is the more common (and I think more useful) app design orientation for tablets.

[MustafaBensan]

Hi Angad,

Thanks for your feedback.  As per my other comments, the guide seems very ambiguous/contradictory given that Tammy has confirmed landscape orientation does in fact work on the iPad for Mobile BI.

Regards,

Mustafa.

[Former Member]

My comments are connected to Tammy's reply "but remember working versus supporting are two different things"

So, I was highlightng "supporting" word. Its not recommendes but you can do it. Two different things. In recent experience I used crosstab for ipad app but it's not recommended in guide. There are other things that SAP has not recommend but they (developers)  do it.

I hope it makes sense.

Regards

Angad