E-WMS

E-WMS - How to: Installing and configuring the Android WMS client

Installing the APK file on the Android device

The WMS client has to be installed by starting an Android Package (file with an extension apk).
The APK file is stored in the 'WMSClient' subfolder of WMS ASP on the IIS server and can be accessed by browsing to http://webserver/wms/wmsclient (replace 'webserver' with the name or IP address of your web server, and 'wms' with the site name of your WMS website, make sure to add '/wmsclient'). You will then see a landing page with installation choices for Android, Windows CE, Windows Mobile, Pocket PC and Windows PC.

Click the link for Android WMS client download.

Note: Before installing the APK file make sure the security setting “unknown sources” (allow installation of apps from unknown sources) is allowed. This setting is usually located under Settings/Security/device administrations on an Android device.

The APK will be downloaded on the device and you will get a question to install. You can install it immediately or install it later.

To install the APK file later click on the APK file com.exact.globe.wms.apk in the download folder and choose Install. You may need to specifically use a file browser to go to the download folder and install it from there. When there is no file browser installed on your Android device you can download a file browser app from the Google Play store (for example Androzip) to install the APK file from the download folder.

Configuring the WMS client on an Android device

When starting the WMS client you will see a connection screen. The settings here are remembered from the last time you edited them. The orientation (landscape or portrait) of the WMS client is fixed on the orientation the device is in when you first open this screen. A different orientation usually requires to change the resolution and factor settings. When you open the WMS client for the first time some settings are defaulted by the device and some you need to fill in:

Url

Enter the URL of your WMS web server, for example 'http://webserver/wms' or 'http://192.168.1.3/wms'.

Resolution

When opening the screen for the first time this is defaulted by the device. When the default resolution does not match with the screen you can change it to one of the supported resolutions in the list and choose the resolution that resembles the orientation and ratio of the device resolution most closely (width divided by length). You can optimize the size via the factor settings below.

Keyboard options

This setting defines how the on screen keyboard behaves. When you tap on this field there are three options:

Hide keyboard - This is the default option. You can use this when your device has a physical keyboard and you do not want to use any on screen keyboard to enter data.
Show keyboard, except for scan textbox - With this option you will see an on screen keyboard when you tap on an entry field except on the scan box that is usually filled by scanning the barcode. You can still use the physical keyboard on your device if the device has any.
Always show keyboard - With this option you always see an on screen keyboard when you tap an entry field. Use this setting when you need to type the item codes or barcodes manually or when you need to use a keyboard with integrated scan function using the camera on your device.

Horizontal factor

When opening the screen for the first time this is defaulted by the device. Most devices give a default of 1.5, 2.0 or 3.0. depending on the resolution and dots per inch (DPI). You can optimize the horizontal space the WMS client uses on your device by tapping the field and entering a different factor. The smaller the factor the more space it uses. Make sure that you use a dot (.) as a separator for decimals. It is usually best to keep the factor of the 3 settings the same to start with. When you delete the entered factor the system will revert to the default factor from the device.

Vertical factor

When opening the screen for the first time this is defaulted by the device. Most devices give a default of 1.5, 2.0 or 3.0. depending on the resolution and dots per inch (DPI). You can optimize the vertical space the WMS client uses on your device by tapping the field and entering a different factor. The smaller the factor the more space it uses. Make sure that you use a dot (.) as a separator for decimals. It is usually best to keep the factor of the 3 settings the same to start with. When you delete the entered factor the system will revert to the default factor from the device.

Font factor

When opening the screen for the first time this is defaulted by the device. Most devices give a default of 1.5, 2.0 or 3.0. depending on the resolution and dots per inch (DPI). You can optimize the size of the font the WMS client uses on your device by tapping the field and entering a different factor. The smaller the factor the bigger the font. Make sure that you use a dot (.) as a separator for decimals. It is usually best to keep the factor of the 3 settings the same to start with. When you delete the entered factor the system will revert to the default factor from the device.

CONNECT

After entering the URL and if needed changing the settings press CONNECT to go to the login screen. In the login screen you see the effects of the changes in resolution and factors defined in the connection screen. The size of the connection screen is defined by the device itself and cannot be changed.
When tapping the button EXIT in the login screen you get back to the connection screen where you can make further adjustments if needed.