Difference between revisions of "System requirements for use of InfoEx application"

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{{Requirements|UserLevel=All user levels|Connectivity=n/a}}
 
{{Requirements|UserLevel=All user levels|Connectivity=n/a}}
  
This document describes the system requirements for running the InfoEx application. We recommend that you use the latest version of [https://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/browser/ Google Chrome] on either a PC or a Mac to enjoy the full capabilities of the InfoEx application.
+
This document describes the system requirements for running the InfoEx application.  
 +
{{Note| We recommend that you use the latest version of [https://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/browser/ Google Chrome] on either a PC or a Mac to enjoy the full capabilities of the InfoEx application. These are the only two configurations that have been tested extensively.|NoteWithImage}}
  
 
==Background==
 
==Background==
The new InfoEx system is a web application that runs in a browser. When you load the application for the first time from {{InfoExURL}}, it is downloaded and stored in the application cache of your browser. Having it stored locally will allow you to use certain features of the application (e.g., observation entry) even when you do not have an Internet connection. The usability of the InfoEx application on different platforms is determined by the availability of two main technologies.
+
Some of the fundamental requirements for the development of the new Infoex system were:
 +
* platform independence
 +
* support of base functionality without connectivity
 +
* considerable mapping functionality
  
===Support for the Filesystem API of HTML5===
+
To support the platform independence, the new InfoEx system is a web application that runs in a browser. When you load the application for the first time from {{InfoExURL}}, it is downloaded and stored in the application cache of your browser. Having it stored locally will allow you to use certain features of the application (e.g., observation entry) even when you do not have an Internet connection. To further fulfill the requirements for offline and mapping functionality, the InfoEx application takes advantage of another more recent web technology:
 +
 
 +
===Filesystem API of HTML5===
 
The filesystem API of HTML 5 allows web applications to read and write files to a sandboxed file system within the browser. The InfoEx application uses this technology for the following features:
 
The filesystem API of HTML 5 allows web applications to read and write files to a sandboxed file system within the browser. The InfoEx application uses this technology for the following features:
 
*Allowing users to enter and store observations while being offline
 
*Allowing users to enter and store observations while being offline
*Storing local customizations such as setting for observation entry forms
+
*Storing local customizations such as settings for observation entry forms
At the time of this writing only [https://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/browser/ Google Chrome], [http://www.opera.com/ Opera] and [http://ca.blackberry.com/ Blackberry Browser] are supporting this technology. See [http://caniuse.com/#search=filesystem Can I use...] for the latest information on browser support for this HTML 5 standard.
+
At the time of this writing only [https://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/browser/ Google Chrome], [http://www.opera.com/ Opera] and [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.android.chrome Chrome for Android] are supporting this technology. See [http://caniuse.com/#search=filesystem Can I use...] for the latest information on browser support for this HTML 5 standard.
  
===Google Earth plug in for browsers===
+
==Supported configurations==
The InfoEx application uses the [http://www.google.com/earth/explore/products/plugin.html Google Earth plug-in for browsers] to display InfoEx data geospatially on a map background. While the plug-in allows you to zoom into areas and explore the landscape in a three dimensional view, it does not have the full capabilities of the Google Earth application. At the time of this writing, the Google Earth plugin is only available for a limited number of browsers on the Windows operating systems (XP and higher) and Mac OS X (10.4 and higher). The plugin is not available for any version of iOS or the Android platform.
+
The full functionality of the InfoEx application has been tested and is supported by the CAA for the following configurations
 +
* '''Google Chrome (30.0+) on Windows 7 and later'''
 +
* '''Google Chrome (30.0+) on OS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion) and later'''
 +
It is recommended that your computer has at least 4GB of RAM and a screen resolution with a width of at least 1280 pixels.
  
==Platform support==
+
==Functionality on other configurations==
It is the support for the two software requirements mentioned above that limit the use of the InfoEx system on various devices. See the table below for more details on the supported of the InfoEx functionality on the various platforms.
+
It is the current availability of the support for the Filesystem API that determine the functionality of the InfoEx application on different platforms. See the tables below for more details on the supported InfoEx functionality on the various platforms. Please note that the platforms other than the two mentioned above have not been tested and are not supported by the CAA.
  
{|class="TblGeneral" style="max-width:1200px;"
+
===PCs running Windows XP Service Pack 2, Vista, 7, 8 or 10===
 +
 
 +
{|class="TblGeneral"
 
|-
 
|-
!style="vertical-align:bottom;width:250px"|Platform
+
!style="vertical-align:bottom;width:175px"|Browser
!style="vertical-align:bottom;text-align:center;width:120px;"|InfoEx support
+
!style="width:10px"|
!style="vertical-align:bottom;text-align:center;width:120px;"|Google Chrome
+
!style="vertical-align:bottom;text-align:center;width:200px;"|Avaliable<br/>InfoEx functionality
!style="vertical-align:bottom;text-align:center;width:120px;"|Ability to write to local file system<sup>1</sup>
+
!style="vertical-align:bottom;text-align:center;width:50px;"|Tested
!style="vertical-align:bottom;text-align:center;width:120px;"|Google Earth plugin for browsers
 
!style="vertical-align:bottom;"|Comment
 
 
|-
 
|-
|Any '''PC''' running Windows XP Service Pack 2 or later, Vista, 7 or 8
+
|'''Google Chrome (13.0+)*'''
|{{CellYes|Fully<br/>functional}}
+
|&#8594;
 +
|{{CellYes|Full functionality}}
 
|{{CellYes}}
 
|{{CellYes}}
 +
|-
 +
|Internet Explorer (10.0+)
 +
|&#8594;
 +
|{{CellPartial|Reports only}}
 +
|{{CellNo}}
 +
|-
 +
|Firefox (3.5+)
 +
|&#8594;
 +
|{{CellPartial|Reports only}}
 +
|{{CellNo}}
 +
|-
 +
|Opera (17.0+)
 +
|&#8594;
 +
|{{CellPartial|Full functionality}}
 +
|{{CellNo}}
 +
|-
 +
|Other recent browsers
 +
|&#8594;
 +
|{{CellPartial|Reports only}}
 +
|{{CellNo}}
 +
|}
 +
<span style="font-size:smaller;"><nowiki>*</nowiki>Preferred and only supported environment<br/>
 +
 +
===Mac computers running OS X 10.6 or later===
 +
 +
{|class="TblGeneral"
 +
|-
 +
!style="vertical-align:bottom;width:175px"|Browser
 +
!style="width:10px"|
 +
!style="vertical-align:bottom;text-align:center;width:200px;"|Avaliable<br/>InfoEx functionality
 +
!style="vertical-align:bottom;text-align:center;width:50px;"|Tested
 +
|-
 +
|'''Google Chrome (13.0+)*'''
 +
|&#8594;
 +
|{{CellYes|Full functionality}}
 
|{{CellYes}}
 
|{{CellYes}}
|{{CellYes}}
 
|Google Earth plug in only works on the desktop environment of Windows 8 and not the Metro interface
 
 
|-
 
|-
|Any '''Mac''' computer running OS X 10.6 or later
+
|Safari (4.0+)
|{{CellYes|Fully<br/>functional}}
+
|&#8594;
|{{CellYes}}
+
|{{CellPartial|Reports only}}
|{{CellYes}}
+
|{{CellNo}}
|{{CellYes}}
+
|-
|
+
|Firefox (3.5+)
 +
|&#8594;
 +
|{{CellPartial|Reports only}}
 +
|{{CellNo}}
 +
|-
 +
|Other recent browsers
 +
|&#8594;
 +
|{{CellPartial|Reports only}}
 +
|{{CellNo}}
 +
|}
 +
<span style="font-size:smaller;"><nowiki>*</nowiki>Preferred and only supported environment</span>
 +
 
 +
===iPhones, iPads and iPod touch running Apple's iOS 6.0 or later===
 +
 
 +
{|class="TblGeneral"
 +
|-
 +
!style="vertical-align:bottom;width:175px"|Browser
 +
!style="width:10px"|
 +
!style="vertical-align:bottom;text-align:center;width:200px;"|Avaliable<br/>InfoEx functionality
 +
!style="vertical-align:bottom;text-align:center;width:50px;"|Tested
 
|-
 
|-
|Any '''Android''' phone or tablet running Android 4.0 or later
+
|Recent browsers
|{{CellPartial|Partially<br/>functional}}
+
|&#8594;
|{{CellYes}}
+
|{{CellPartial|Reports only}}
|{{CellYes}}
 
 
|{{CellNo}}
 
|{{CellNo}}
|Mapping functionality not available due to the lack of the Google Earth plugin
+
|}
 +
 
 +
===Phones or tablet computers running Android 4.0 or later===
 +
 
 +
{|class="TblGeneral"
 +
|-
 +
!style="vertical-align:bottom;width:175px"|Browser
 +
!style="width:10px"|
 +
!style="vertical-align:bottom;text-align:center;width:200px;"|Avaliable<br/>InfoEx functionality
 +
!style="vertical-align:bottom;text-align:center;width:50px;"|Tested
 
|-
 
|-
|'''iPhone''', '''iPad''' and '''iPod touch''' running Apple's iOS 6.0 or later
+
|Google Chrome (29.0+)
|{{CellNo|Not<br/>functional}}
+
|&#8594;
|{{CellYes}}
+
|{{CellPartial|Full functionality}}
 
|{{CellNo}}
 
|{{CellNo}}
 +
|-
 +
|Other recent browsers
 +
|&#8594;
 +
|{{CellPartial|Reports only}}
 
|{{CellNo}}
 
|{{CellNo}}
|Unable to use the application due to the limited capabilities of the Google Chrome browser on the iOS operating system
 
 
|}
 
|}
<span style="font-size:smaller;"><sup>1</sup>Support of the Filesystem API<br/>
 
</span>
 
  
 
==Related documents==
 
==Related documents==
Line 64: Line 135:
  
 
==Functionality tested by==
 
==Functionality tested by==
* Oct. 22: Pascal Haegeli / QA Server / Test Version 0.31.00)
+
* Nov. 20, 2015: Stuart Smith
  
[[Category:Super User]][[Category:Operation Administrator]][[Category:Observation Moderator]][[Category:User]][[Category:Administration]][[Category:Version 0.31.00]]
+
[[Category:Super User]][[Category:Operation Administrator]][[Category:Submission Moderator]][[Category:User]][[Category:Administration]][[Category:Version 3.4.0]]

Latest revision as of 13:43, 20 December 2018

REQUIREMENTS
Permission All user levels
Connectivity n/a

This document describes the system requirements for running the InfoEx application.

NOTE We recommend that you use the latest version of Google Chrome on either a PC or a Mac to enjoy the full capabilities of the InfoEx application. These are the only two configurations that have been tested extensively.

Background

Some of the fundamental requirements for the development of the new Infoex system were:

  • platform independence
  • support of base functionality without connectivity
  • considerable mapping functionality

To support the platform independence, the new InfoEx system is a web application that runs in a browser. When you load the application for the first time from https://infoex.avalancheassociation.ca/, it is downloaded and stored in the application cache of your browser. Having it stored locally will allow you to use certain features of the application (e.g., observation entry) even when you do not have an Internet connection. To further fulfill the requirements for offline and mapping functionality, the InfoEx application takes advantage of another more recent web technology:

Filesystem API of HTML5

The filesystem API of HTML 5 allows web applications to read and write files to a sandboxed file system within the browser. The InfoEx application uses this technology for the following features:

  • Allowing users to enter and store observations while being offline
  • Storing local customizations such as settings for observation entry forms

At the time of this writing only Google Chrome, Opera and Chrome for Android are supporting this technology. See Can I use... for the latest information on browser support for this HTML 5 standard.

Supported configurations

The full functionality of the InfoEx application has been tested and is supported by the CAA for the following configurations

  • Google Chrome (30.0+) on Windows 7 and later
  • Google Chrome (30.0+) on OS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion) and later

It is recommended that your computer has at least 4GB of RAM and a screen resolution with a width of at least 1280 pixels.

Functionality on other configurations

It is the current availability of the support for the Filesystem API that determine the functionality of the InfoEx application on different platforms. See the tables below for more details on the supported InfoEx functionality on the various platforms. Please note that the platforms other than the two mentioned above have not been tested and are not supported by the CAA.

PCs running Windows XP Service Pack 2, Vista, 7, 8 or 10

Browser Avaliable
InfoEx functionality
Tested
Google Chrome (13.0+)* Full functionality
Internet Explorer (10.0+) Reports only ×
Firefox (3.5+) Reports only ×
Opera (17.0+) Full functionality ×
Other recent browsers Reports only ×

*Preferred and only supported environment

Mac computers running OS X 10.6 or later

Browser Avaliable
InfoEx functionality
Tested
Google Chrome (13.0+)* Full functionality
Safari (4.0+) Reports only ×
Firefox (3.5+) Reports only ×
Other recent browsers Reports only ×

*Preferred and only supported environment

iPhones, iPads and iPod touch running Apple's iOS 6.0 or later

Browser Avaliable
InfoEx functionality
Tested
Recent browsers Reports only ×

Phones or tablet computers running Android 4.0 or later

Browser Avaliable
InfoEx functionality
Tested
Google Chrome (29.0+) Full functionality ×
Other recent browsers Reports only ×

Related documents

Functionality tested by

  • Nov. 20, 2015: Stuart Smith