How to Re-Direct Mobile Visitors to Your Library s Mobile App

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Oswald Thornton
8 years ago
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1 One of the easiest ways to get your Library s App in the hands of your patrons is to set up a redirect on your website which will sense when a user is on a mobile device and prompt them to select between your Mobile App and your regular desktop website. Doing so ensures a better experience tailored to the patron s device. For example, an iphone user will almost surely rather use your iphone app than your website. We will make it easy for you to give them what they want! Your webmaster probably knows how to make routine changes to your Library s website. The instructions below assume you are hosted on an FTP accessible web server and should help him or her set up this mobile redirect.

For example, an iphone user will almost surely rather use your iphone app than your website. We will make it easy for you to give them what they want!

2 Step 1 First thing you need to do is to login to the FTP server where your Library s website is being hosted. You will need a host address, username and password. If you don t have them, ask your server administrator. Step 2 Open your FTP client of choice or download a popular FileZilla FTP client from:

If you don t have them, ask your server administrator.

3 Step 3 After successful installation of FileZilla put credentials from step one into inputs on the top of the app host, username and password (leave port empty) and click quick connect.

Step 4 Now you need to identify what kind of programing language your website is using. In most cases it will be PHP (95%) but it can also be ASP, Python or Rails.

4 Step 4 Now you need to identify what kind of programing language your website is using. In most cases it will be PHP (95%) but it can also be ASP, Python or Rails. Identification of programing language is crucial, ask your Webmaster for help if needed. If your website is using PHP you should get a list of files that ends with.php, find the file called index.php and download it to your Desktop.

Identification of programing language is crucial, ask your Webmaster for help if needed.

5 Step 5 Now when we know what programing language we have (for purpose of this tutorial we will use PHP) we need to download the appropriate mobile detection script. Go to and click on a button that says PHP ; your download should start immediately. Step 6 Open the downloaded file using your code editor or simple Notepad. Step 7 You will need your mobile app s code which your Boopsie representative can provide. For example for St. Charles Public Library the code is stcpl and the resulting link you will need is stcpl.boopsie.com For Arlington Heights Memorial Library it s ahml and the resulting link you will need is ahml.boopsie.com. Step 8 Edit the file using your code editor or simple Notepad

Step 6 Open the downloaded file using your code editor or simple Notepad. Step 7 You will need your mobile app s code which your Boopsie representative can provide. For example for St.

$Step 9 Add if($_get[ nomobi ]!= true){ right after <?$

6 Step 9 Add if($_get[ nomobi ]!= true){ right after <?PHP Add ipad playbook silk in front of android bb\d+ meego) And only } before?>

$front of android bb\d+ meego)$

7 Step 10 At the end of the code in the screenshot above, insert a URL to a simple form page (see last step) on your site that allows the user to choose between downloading your Mobile App or going directly to your desktop site. Replace the text mobile with the URL to your simple form page (e.g. Don t remove apostrophes before or after the URL. Select all and copy it to your clipboard.

site. Replace the text http://detectmobilebrowser.com/ mobile with the URL to your simple form page (e.g. http://www.

8 Step 11 Open the previously downloaded index.php, find the text called <body> and paste the content from the previous file. Save it.

9 Step 12 Now go back to your FTP and upload the file.

10 Step 13 Create the simple form page to present the patron with the option of downloading your mobile app or going directly to your desktop page. Here is sample HTML for this page. You will want to change the ahml.boopsie.com link to your code s link as defined above. You will also need to add the /?nomobi=true after your library regular link in the second button. The example below assumes the desktop link takes a parameter?nomobi=true to tell the underlying desktop home page to not auto-detect the device type.

com link to your code s link as defined above. You will also need to add the /?

$com >Download Mobile App</a> <br\><br\> <a href= http://www.ahml.info/?nomobi=true >Desktop site</a> <br/><br/> <! - Add optional checkbox here to support Don t ask again.$

11 <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC -//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN > <html> <head> <title>ahml - Mobile</title> </head> <body <div> <a href= >Download Mobile App</a> <br\><br\> <a href= >Desktop site</a> <br/><br/> <! - Add optional checkbox here to support Don t ask again. Save to cookie --> </div> </body> </html> Step 14 Open your library s home page (i.e. if you are Arlington Heights Memorial Library, type in your home page, www. ahml.info, on your mobile device browser, NOT the simple form page URL) and double check that everything works.

$com >Download Mobile App</a> <br\><br\> <a href= http://www.ahml.info/?nomobi=true >Desktop site</a> <br/><br/> <!$

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