Can a Corona App Run as a Service?

Getting Started Newbie Questions
#1

Having seen my success (so far) with our companies mobile app, another department has expressed a need for an app that notifies users about alerts - closings, late openings, etc.

I assume that the app would need to run in the background or as a service (or whatever the mobile term is) and then occassionally check a website for updates and then if the update met a criteria, it would need to send an alert or something.

Is that possible with corona?  Are there any examples or samples I could look at?

#2

You would need to implement push notifications and have a server check for alerts and push them to the app.

That way you wouldn’t need the app to run in the background.

#3

Can apps receive push notifications when they are not running?

#4

But if the app isn’t running… how would it get the push notifications?

Basically, we need the user to be alerted in the case of a closing, delay, etc.  The user may not (actually probably won’t in 99% of the cases) have the app open.  So how would they get the push notification?

#5

Remote push notifications will show up on the home screen, the lock screen and at the top of the screen when running other apps. It can even alert users with a sound when the phone is in the pocket.

When they get a push and open your app, you can get the app to update the status from a server.

I guess that is what you need?

#6

Can you explain a little about how push notification works? Or refer me to some examples or documentation?  It sounds similar to what I need.

#7

http://docs.coronalabs.com/guide/events/appNotification/index.html

Easiest thing is to use somekind of service eg. parse to handle the notifications, but you can also implement it on your own server.

#8

You would need to implement push notifications and have a server check for alerts and push them to the app.

That way you wouldn’t need the app to run in the background.

#9

Can apps receive push notifications when they are not running?

#10

But if the app isn’t running… how would it get the push notifications?

Basically, we need the user to be alerted in the case of a closing, delay, etc.  The user may not (actually probably won’t in 99% of the cases) have the app open.  So how would they get the push notification?

#11

Remote push notifications will show up on the home screen, the lock screen and at the top of the screen when running other apps. It can even alert users with a sound when the phone is in the pocket.

When they get a push and open your app, you can get the app to update the status from a server.

I guess that is what you need?

#12

Can you explain a little about how push notification works? Or refer me to some examples or documentation?  It sounds similar to what I need.

#13

http://docs.coronalabs.com/guide/events/appNotification/index.html

Easiest thing is to use somekind of service eg. parse to handle the notifications, but you can also implement it on your own server.