Collaborative development of
open source software for mobile and
web data capture and management
Achievements, tools and processes, lessons
learned and dynamics of changing mobile platforms
Jørn Klungsøyr
DESIGN www.openXdata.org COLLECT www.openxdata.org MANAGE DESIGN
Video tutorials available at: doc.openXdata.org
www.openXdata.org [email protected]
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Design complex forms in graphical interface•
Supported question types include e.g.:Text, Numbers, Date, Time,
Single / Multi-select,
Multimedia, Geotagging
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Define skip logic & answer validation criteriaCollect -
Mobile
Structured SMS – manually coded forms – for any phone
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Web-based forms can be accessed through desktop computer, laptop, netbook, pads/tabs andsmartphones with access to the internet and
JavaScript support
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Own your data - host on your own servers•
Define roles for different types of users (e.g. administrator, study manager,mobile data collector)
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Export data to CSV or direct to a relational database•
Manage data and forms using a standard web-browser•
Palm (C/C++)•
PocketPC / Windows Mobile (VB.net / C#)•
J2ME (Java) – Nokia / Sony Ericsson / Blackberry•
Linux (C/C++)•
iPhone/iPad (Objective C)•
Android (Java)•
WebOS•
HTML5 / JavaScript•
Requires flexible architecture to support multiple platforms, sizes and versions.•
EpiHandy was developed using .NET / Microsoft Technologies (MSSQL, IIS, VB, C#)Running on Windows and PocketPC
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EpiHandyMobile using Java (J2ME and J2SE) connected to existing .NET based applicaiton•
OpenXdata was developed in Java.Replaced EpiHandy and built on EpiHandyMobile
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OpenXdata uses GWT/JavaScript for web front end.•
Next steps? JavaROSA based android, native android, eCollect – HTML5/JavaScript client.•
GarageHacking / Anarchy - just make it work•
High level of trust/autonomy - no way to handle review/merits•
Distributed teams – no fixed/regular interaction cross sites.•
Ant based - no dependency management•
Dependencies as binaries in subversion•
Fragile release management•
Mobile build required WTK•
Long release cycles (1/2 - 1 year)•
Numerous forks and paralell efforts•
Formal consortium founded in June 2010•
Organizations as members•
Management Committee•
Steering Committee•
Core Developers•
External Contributors•
Agile / XP and Apache community influenced•
Tickets•
Management Committee•
Prioritized backlogs•
Core committers - how to become•
Milestones•
Patch submission•
Daily standups - skype•
2 week iterations with releases of each discrete component•
Public releases handled through maintenance releases.Iterations / Releases Backlog
Projects / Sources
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Maven – Code build and dependency management tool•
Subversion - Code repository•
Trac – Ticket and development management•
Jenkins – Continuous Integration server (build server)•
Nexus – Artifact repository (dependencies)•
Cobertura – Test coverage•
FindBugs – Code analyse•
Checkstyle – Code style checking•
Concordion - Acceptance tests•
Clinical Study in Peru with ~24K participants (OpenMRS)•
Routine HIV reporting in South Africa ~10K users (DHIS)•
DOTS for MDR-TB in Pakistan++ (OpenMRS Xforms)•
Community HW - MoTeCH in Ghana(MoTeCH+OpenMRS)•
Mobile Clinical Trial: OMEVAC in Uganda (OpenClinica)•
Immunization Registry: mVAC Albania - Workflow (YAWL)•
Web mapping: OpenXmapper (GeoServer/OpenLayers)•
Web analytics: OpenXanalyzeR (R for analysis)•
Offline web (eCollect)•
Reporting (JasperReports)•
Security: OpenXsecure (BouncyCastle)•
Initial assumption to use structured SMS by health workers to create and update medical records using their own phones using "free" SMS.o The required messages were long and complex
o The costs of SMS's would sum up to be a significant cost
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Calculated costs of SMS compared to forms based application (J2ME).o It was much cheaper to give new phones and pay for mobile data than cover costs of "free" SMS.
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User comparison / validation workshopo SMS was surprisingly cumbersome, challenging and unfamiliar o openXdata was intuitive and required little training to start using
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Conclusion:o "on all fronts it ended up being better. It was cheaper, better ease of use, better quality of data that could be presented and we could collage much more data - enabling more functionality in the system."
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OpenXdata introduced risks and challengeso Knew they had to change/modify to make more robust
o No proper release process
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Interoperability was challengingo Used pieces of openXdata – not the full package
o Used whitebox integration with OpenMRS
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Unstable componentso Xforms designer in openXdata was extremely fragile
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Designer has been source of a lot of griefs and tears.•
Performance issue - some things can be quite slow in the admin interface.•
The form designer takes quite some time to load.•
Large projects managing users - usernames, passwords -especially if users only have access to mobile.•
Lack some features like automated reports/statistics•
Problems with Data validation and Form version creation.•
Lack of support for advanced logic•
Development branches – re-integration•
Lack of multitenant hosted/cloud solution•
Ability for a someone who is not a programmer to design aquestionnaire – a very powerful questionnaire with complex skip logic
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Flexibility to create forms based applications for any type of domain.•
Change management – in custom applications – a change can have huge implications. How we can manage that in openXdata is incredible.•
Remote – used openXdata at the furthest locations on low-end phones in disconnected mode.•
Enabled individual level data at point of service•
Xforms and XML based•
Web-based dashboard and management•
Supports very large and complex forms on both web and mobile•
Automated availability of data in regular SQL database.•
It is open source and free and cost of maintenance is very low.•
Do not need latest phone models.•
Dashboard works in regular browsers•
Mobile works on low-end / low-cost phones•
Flexibility to adapt it to the requirements of clients•
Ability to deliver solutions fast due to not starting from skratch•
Immediate availability of data once uploaded from phone•
Data is validated during collection•
Reduced cost of data capture•
Digitized individual level data – automated reporting•
Mobile is easy – field workers have not have had challenges – the cell phones is ubiquosDESIGN www.openXdata.org COLLECT www.openxdata.org MANAGE DESIGN
Video tutorials available at: doc.openXdata.org
www.openXdata.org [email protected]
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Java•
Spring•
Hibernate•
GWT/GXT•
MySQL•
Apache Tomcat•
Xforms and XML•
Liquibase – Database change management•
Testing frameworks - JUnit / Spring TestingFramework
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Build Tool – Maven•
Dependeny management -Nexus•
Mobile: J2ME•
Binary Protocol plugin – handle multiple versions of clients.•
Non-binary protocol support e.g. REST•
Serverside processing of XForms and XML•
Versioned Hybrid XML and Relational DB•
2 locations 400km apart in Norwayo University of Bergen
o University College of Ålesund
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Local backup and cross site replication•
LDAP – Linux servers and services.•
Pgina is investigated to offer authentication for windows clients.•
Account registration•
30+ vm’s on XenServer (4 physical – 2 simple)•
CentOS 5.7•
Ubuntu 10.04 (switching to12.04)•
Windows 7 / 2003DESIGN www.openXdata.org COLLECT www.openxdata.org MANAGE DESIGN
Video tutorials available at: doc.openXdata.org
www.openXdata.org [email protected]
