Sponge - Mobile client application

The following chapters show the key features of the mobile application.

2.1. Connections

Figure 1. Selecting a connection to the Sponge instance in the action list screen

The application allows you to connect to a single Sponge REST API server at a time. You may configure many connections and choose one of them.

Figure 2. List of connections to Sponge instances

You may add, edit and remove connections to Sponge instances as well as activate a connection. To remove a connection swipe the corresponding element.

Figure 3. Editing a connection to a Sponge instance

A Sponge address is the URL of the Sponge instance.

2.2. Action list

Figure 4. The action list

The main screen shows the list of actions defined in the connected Sponge engine. Only actions that have argument and result metadata are available. This is because the application uses a generic access to the actions utilizing their data types, display names, descriptions, features and so on. The number in the action icon is the number of action arguments.

To call an action or set action attributes tap the triangular icon on the right side of the action display name.

The floating button allows to refresh the action list from the server. The refresh button clears all entered action arguments and received results.

The application currently doesn’t supports all Sponge data types.

Figure 5. The navigation drawer

The navigation drawer allows switching between the available main views.

2.4. Action call

Figure 6. The action call that manages the Raspberry Pi LCD display

Actions may have read only, provided arguments only to show a data from the server (see the Current LCD text attribute). The REFRESH button retrieves the current values of read only, provided arguments from the server.

The definition of the action that manages the Raspberry Pi LCD display

class ManageLcd(Action):
    def onConfigure(self):
        self.displayName = "Manage the LCD text and color"
        self.description = "Provides management of the LCD properties (display text and color). A null value doesn't change an LCD property."
        self.argsMeta = [
            ArgMeta("currentText", StringType().maxLength(256).nullable(True).features({"maxLines":2}))
                .displayName("Current LCD text").description("The currently displayed LCD text.").provided().readOnly(),
            ArgMeta("text", StringType().maxLength(256).nullable(True).features({"maxLines":2}))
                .displayName("Text to display").description("The text that will be displayed in the LCD.").provided(),
            ArgMeta("color", StringType().maxLength(6).nullable(True).features({"characteristic":"color"}))
                .displayName("LCD color").description("The LCD color.").provided().overwrite(),
            ArgMeta("clearText", BooleanType().nullable(True).defaultValue(False))
                .displayName("Clear text").description("The text the LCD will be cleared.")
        ]
        self.resultMeta = ResultMeta(VoidType())
    def onCall(self, currentText, text, color, clearText = None):
        sponge.call("SetLcd", [text, color, clearText])
    def onProvideArgs(self, names, current, provided):
        grovePiDevice = sponge.getVariable("grovePiDevice")
        if "currentText" in names:
            provided["currentText"] = ArgValue().value(grovePiDevice.getLcdText())
        if "text" in names:
            provided["text"] = ArgValue().value(grovePiDevice.getLcdText())
        if "color" in names:
            provided["color"] = ArgValue().value(grovePiDevice.getLcdColor())

Figure 7. The action call that manages the Grove Pi sensors and actuators

The action call screen allows editing the action arguments.

The definition of the action that manages the Grove Pi sensors and actuators

class ManageSensorActuatorValues(Action):
    def onConfigure(self):
        self.displayName = "Manage the sensor and actuator values"
        self.description = "Provides management of the sensor and actuator values."
        self.argsMeta = [
            ArgMeta("temperatureSensor", NumberType().nullable()).displayName(u"Temperature sensor (°C)").provided().readOnly(),
            ArgMeta("humiditySensor", NumberType().nullable()).displayName(u"Humidity sensor (%)").provided().readOnly(),
            ArgMeta("lightSensor", NumberType().nullable()).displayName(u"Light sensor").provided().readOnly(),
            ArgMeta("rotarySensor", NumberType().nullable()).displayName(u"Rotary sensor").provided().readOnly(),
            ArgMeta("soundSensor", NumberType().nullable()).displayName(u"Sound sensor").provided().readOnly(),
            ArgMeta("redLed", BooleanType()).displayName("Red LED").provided().overwrite(),
            ArgMeta("blueLed", IntegerType().minValue(0).maxValue(255)).displayName("Blue LED").provided().overwrite(),
            ArgMeta("buzzer", BooleanType()).displayName("Buzzer").provided().overwrite()
        ]
        self.resultMeta = ResultMeta(VoidType())
    def onCall(self, temperatureSensor, humiditySensor, lightSensor, rotarySensor, soundSensor, redLed, blueLed, buzzer):
        grovePiDevice = sponge.getVariable("grovePiDevice")
        grovePiDevice.setRedLed(redLed)
        grovePiDevice.setBlueLed(blueLed)
        grovePiDevice.setBuzzer(buzzer)
    def onProvideArgs(self, names, current, provided):
        values = sponge.call("GetSensorActuatorValues", [names])
        for name, value in values.iteritems():
            provided[name] = ArgValue().value(value)

class GetSensorActuatorValues(Action):
    def onCall(self, names):
        values = {}
        grovePiDevice = sponge.getVariable("grovePiDevice")
        if "temperatureSensor" or "humiditySensor" in names:
            th = grovePiDevice.getTemperatureHumiditySensor()
            if "temperatureSensor" in names:
                values["temperatureSensor"] = th.temperature if th else None
            if "humiditySensor" in names:
                values["humiditySensor"] = th.humidity if th else None
        if "lightSensor" in names:
            values["lightSensor"] = grovePiDevice.getLightSensor()
        if "rotarySensor" in names:
            values["rotarySensor"] = grovePiDevice.getRotarySensor().factor
        if "soundSensor" in names:
            values["soundSensor"] = grovePiDevice.getSoundSensor()
        if "redLed" in names:
            values["redLed"] = grovePiDevice.getRedLed()
        if "blueLed" in names:
            values["blueLed"] = grovePiDevice.getBlueLed()
        if "buzzer" in names:
            values["buzzer"] = grovePiDevice.getBuzzer()
        return values

Figure 8. The action call that sends an SMS from the Raspberry Pi

Actions arguments may be edited in multiline text fields.

The definition of the action that sends an SMS from the Raspberry Pi

class SendSms(Action):
    def onConfigure(self):
        self.displayName = "Send an SMS"
        self.description = "Sends a new SMS."
        self.argsMeta = [
            ArgMeta("recipient", StringType().format("phone"))
                .displayName("Recipient").description("The SMS recipient."),
            ArgMeta("message", StringType().maxLength(160).features({"maxLines":5}))
                .displayName("Message").description("The SMS message.")
        ]
        self.resultMeta = ResultMeta(VoidType())
    def onCall(self, recipient, message):
        gsm.sendSms(recipient, message)

Figure 9. The action call argument editor for a color type

The color picker widget allows a user to choose a color as an argument value.

The definition of the action that takes a color argument

class ChooseColor(Action):
    def onConfigure(self):
        self.displayName = "Choose a color"
        self.description = "Shows a color argument."
        self.argsMeta = [
            ArgMeta("color", StringType().maxLength(6).nullable(True).features({"characteristic":"color"}))
                .displayName("Color").description("The color.")
        ]
        self.resultMeta = ResultMeta(StringType())
    def onCall(self, color):
        return "The chosen color is " + color

Figure 10. The action call argument editor for a digit drawing

The drawing panel allows a user to paint an image that will be set as an argument value in an action call.

The definition of the action that recognizes a handwritten digit

class DigitsPredict(Action):
    def onConfigure(self):
        self.displayName = "Recognize a digit"
        self.description = "Recognizes a handwritten digit"
        self.argsMeta = [
            ArgMeta("image", BinaryType().mimeType("image/png")
                   .features({"characteristic":"drawing", "width":28, "height":28, "background":"000000", "color":"FFFFFF", "strokeWidth":1.5}))\
                   .displayName("Image of a digit")
        ]
        self.resultMeta = ResultMeta(IntegerType()).displayName("Recognized digit")
    def onCall(self, image):
        predictions = py4j.facade.predict(image)
        prediction = max(predictions, key=predictions.get)
        probability = predictions[prediction]

        # Handle the optional predictionThreshold Sponge variable.
        predictionThreshold = sponge.getVariable("predictionThreshold", None)
        if predictionThreshold and probability < float(predictionThreshold):
            self.logger.debug("The prediction {} probability {} is lower than the threshold {}.", prediction, probability, predictionThreshold)
            return None
        else:
            self.logger.debug("Prediction: {}, probability: {}", prediction, probability)
            return int(prediction)

Figure 11. The action call for an attribute of type drawing

The action call screen shows all action arguments.

Figure 12. The action call result for a digit recognition

If the action has been called, the result is shown below the action display name. If the result can’t be fully shown in the action list, you may tap the result to see the details.

Figure 13. The action call argument editor for a doodle drawing

Drawing panels can be configured in a corresponding action definition, where a color, a background color etc. could be specified.

The definition of the action that requires drawing a doodle

class DrawAndUploadDoodle(Action):
    def onConfigure(self):
        self.displayName = "Draw and upload a doodle"
        self.description = "Shows a canvas to draw a doodle and uploads it to the server"
        self.argsMeta = [
            ArgMeta("image", BinaryType().mimeType("image/png")
                   .features({"characteristic":"drawing", "width":300, "height":250, "background":"FFFFFF", "color":"000000", "strokeWidth":5}))\
                   .displayName("Doodle")
        ]
        self.resultMeta = ResultMeta(StringType()).displayName("Status")
    def onCall(self, image):
        fileName = str(System.currentTimeMillis()) + ".png"
        SpongeUtils.writeByteArrayToFile(image, sponge.getProperty("doodlesDir") + "/" + fileName)
        return "Uploaded as " + fileName

Figure 14. The action call for a doodle drawing as an argument

The action call screen shows all action arguments, for example a drawing.

Figure 15. The action call that shows argument dependencies

Action arguments may depend on each other. Argument dependencies are supported in the action call panel and allow creating simple, interactive forms where some arguments are provided by the server, some entered by the user, some read only and some depend on the values of others. The important thing is that all that configuration is defined in an action in a knowledge base placed on the server side, not in the mobile application.

The definition of the action that provides arguments with dependencies

class DependingArgumentsAction(Action):
    def onConfigure(self):
        self.displayName = "Action with depending arguments"
        self.argsMeta = [
            ArgMeta("continent", StringType()).displayName("Continent").provided(),
            ArgMeta("country", StringType()).displayName("Country").provided().depends("continent"),
            ArgMeta("city", StringType()).displayName("City").provided().depends("country"),
            ArgMeta("river", StringType()).displayName("River").provided().depends("continent"),
            ArgMeta("weather", StringType()).displayName("Weather").provided(),
        ]
        self.resultMeta = ResultMeta(StringType()).displayName("Sentences")
    def onCall(self, continent, country, city, river, weather):
        return "There is a city {} in {} in {}. The river {} flows in {}. It's {}.".format(city, country, continent, river, continent, weather.lower())
    def onProvideArgs(self, names, current, provided):
        if "continent" in names:
            provided["continent"] = ArgValue().valueSet(["Africa", "Asia", "Europe"])
        if "country" in names:
            continent = current["continent"]
            if continent == "Africa":
                countries = ["Nigeria", "Ethiopia", "Egypt"]
            elif continent == "Asia":
                countries = ["China", "India", "Indonesia"]
            elif continent == "Europe":
                countries = ["Russia", "Germany", "Turkey"]
            else:
                countries = []
            provided["country"] = ArgValue().valueSet(countries)
        if "city" in names:
            country = current["country"]
            if country == "Nigeria":
                cities = ["Lagos", "Kano", "Ibadan"]
            elif country == "Ethiopia":
                cities = ["Addis Ababa", "Gondar", "Mek'ele"]
            elif country == "Egypt":
                cities = ["Cairo", "Alexandria", "Giza"]
            elif country == "China":
                cities = ["Guangzhou", "Shanghai", "Chongqing"]
            elif country == "India":
                cities = ["Mumbai", "Delhi", "Bangalore"]
            elif country == "Indonesia":
                cities = ["Jakarta", "Surabaya", "Medan"]
            elif country == "Russia":
                cities = ["Moscow", "Saint Petersburg", "Novosibirsk"]
            elif country == "Germany":
                cities = ["Berlin", "Hamburg", "Munich"]
            elif country == "Turkey":
                cities = ["Istanbul", "Ankara", "Izmir"]
            else:
                cities = []
            provided["city"] = ArgValue().valueSet(cities)
        if "river" in names:
            continent = current["continent"]
            if continent == "Africa":
                rivers = ["Nile", "Chambeshi", "Niger"]
            elif continent == "Asia":
                rivers = ["Yangtze", "Yellow River", "Mekong"]
            elif continent == "Europe":
                rivers = ["Volga", "Danube", "Dnepr"]
            else:
                rivers = []
            provided["river"] = ArgValue().valueSet(rivers)
        if "weather" in names:
            provided["weather"] = ArgValue().valueSet(["Sunny", "Cloudy", "Raining", "Snowing"])

Figure 16. The action call that shows argument dependencies and value sets

Allowed argument values can be defined in an action and provided from the server every time the action call screen is shown or an argument dependency value changes.

2.5. Action result

Figure 17. The action binary result

Actions may return contents that can be viewed for example as a HTML or a PDF file using the mobile OS viewers.

The definitions of the actions that return a HTML and a PDF file respectively

class HtmlFileOutput(Action):
    def onConfigure(self):
        self.displayName = "HTML file output"
        self.description = "Returns the HTML file."
        self.argsMeta = []
        self.resultMeta = ResultMeta(BinaryType().mimeType("text/html")).displayName("HTML file")
    def onCall(self):
        return String("""
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN">
<html>
    <head>
      <title>HTML page</title>
    </head>
    <body>
        <!-- Main content -->
        <h1>Header</h1>
        <p>Some text
    </body>
</html>
""").getBytes("UTF-8")

class PdfFileOutput(Action):
    def onConfigure(self):
        self.displayName = "PDF file output"
        self.description = "Returns the PDF file."
        self.argsMeta = []
        self.resultMeta = ResultMeta(BinaryType().mimeType("application/pdf")).displayName("PDF file")
    def onCall(self):
        return sponge.process(ProcessConfiguration.builder("curl", "https://www.w3.org/WAI/ER/tests/xhtml/testfiles/resources/pdf/dummy.pdf")
                              .outputAsBinary()).run().outputBinary

Figure 18. The action console formatted result

Actions may return a console output, for example the result of running the df -h command on the server.

The definition of the action that returns an OS command output

class OsGetDiskSpaceInfo(Action):
    def onConfigure(self):
        self.displayName = "Get disk space info"
        self.description = "Returns the disk space info."
        self.argsMeta = []
        self.resultMeta = ResultMeta(StringType().format("console")).displayName("Disk space info")
    def onCall(self):
        return sponge.process(ProcessConfiguration.builder("df", "-h").outputAsString()).run().outputString

Figure 19. The action Markdown formatted result

Actions may return a Markdown formatted text.

2.6. User experience

Figure 20. The application dart theme

The application may be switched to the dark theme in the settings.

2.7. Included demos

The access to actions in the mobile application is generic. However the application may include demos that use a customized UI.

2.7.1. Handwritten digit recognition

Figure 21. The navigation drawer if connected to a Sponge instance that supports a digit recognition

If the current connection points to a Sponge instance that has the required action that performs a handwritten digit recognition, this demo is enabled in the navigation drawer.

Figure 22. The digit recognition demo - the information dialog

Figure 23. The digit recognition demo - drawing a digit

The digit recognition demo screen allows drawing a digit that will be recognized by the Sponge action. After each stroke the remote action call is made and the result is shown in the circle.

Mobile client application

1. Introduction

2. Features