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    Android to HomeSeer architectural options

    I'm evaluating HomeSeer both as a user and as a potential developer. My preferred smartphone/tablet platform is Android. So I would love some help understanding the Android to HomeSeer architectural options.

    I'd like to understand this both from a HS2 perspective, and from a HS3 perspective: it seems that HS3 is entailing a substantial rewrite.

    I think I've got it that ...


    ANDROID-TO-HOMESEER-ARCHITECTURE - HSTOUCH

    ... for Android the HSTouch technology stack is promoted by HomeSeer as the leading solution. This is also true for other platforms (Windows, Window CE, iPhone, iPod, iPad) but I'll confine myself to Android considerations.

    The HSTouch suite (from an Android point of view) includes:
    • A Designer to create custom GUIs.
    • A Windows Client (useful for testing if nothing else), running on your PC.
    • HSTouch Home Automation. An Android Client running on your Android device:
    • HSTouch Android Plug-in, a software plug-in for HomeSeer.

    There are two good HomeSeer videos which cover how those components fit together:



    ANDROID-TO-HOMESEER-ARCHITECTURES - ALTERNATIVES

    Alternative Android-to-HomeSeer-architectures vary by the kind of intermediary between the Android Client App and HomeSeer. There is either in practice, or in principle, communication via:

    The latter two techniques could be either implemented by:
    • An Android App using native elements and controls. That would entails having your Android App use the Android API to send, and respond to, HTTP messages. Perhaps, for example, using http://developer.android.com/referen...ttpClient.html
    • Having your Android App embed a web broswer control and serve mobile optimized web pages.



    QUESTIONS

    Common to all the above alternatives is that the IP Application Layer Protocol used is HTTP. That is, some kind of HTTP messaging between the Android Client and the server on which HomeSeer lives. True or false?

    Do, or could, Android clients use an IP Application Layer Protocol apart from HTTP?

    Thinking of HSTouch. I think I understand how it works from a user point of view. You create "projects" in the HSTouch Designer. That entails all sorts of customisations: backgrounds, buttons, sliders, and your particular set of devices and events. You deploy the project to the Android client App. Presto your custom Android GUI runs.

    But what is the underlying technology for HSTouch? What is the IP Application Layer Protocol (also HTTP)? How is the screen on the Android client rendered. I assume it is not with native Android controls. Is it html, flash, ...?

    Noting, from HomeSeer User's Guid > Tips and Tricks > Controlling HomeSeer remotely from external applications

    HomeSeer can be controlled remotely from any VB6 or .NET application, as well as Windows Scripting Host. Note that any application that supports COM can be used to control HomeSeer. The transport used to control HomeSeer is .NET remoting. The functionality is located in the DLL file HomeSeer2.dll.
    Is there any way for an Android Client to use COM, or the newer .NET remoting, (either locally or over the internet)?

    All these Architectural issues are close to other developer issues of: securing connections; developer licensing; and DRM (encrypting code). But let's leave those three as separate issues (I might start one or more separate threads to address those).

    So on actual and possible android-to-homeseer-architectures is the above picture is broadly right? Have I made any key mistakes? Am I missing some significant ideas or technologies?
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