SyncML (Synchronization Markup Language)

See SyncML/HowTo for a description how to sync your client device with Horde.

SyncML (Synchronization Markup Language) is a protocol standard defined by the Open Mobile Alliance for platform-independent information synchronization.

SyncML is most commonly thought of as a method to synchronize contact and calendar information between some type of handheld device and a computer (personal, or network-based service), such as between a mobile phone and a Horde installation.

Horde includes a SyncML server functionality that allows all SyncML capable clients to replicate their calendar events, tasks, notes, and contacts with Horde. Some phones have a SyncML client included (most modern mobile phones), for others there are SyncML software packages such as:


    The commercial Synthesis client (http://www.synthesis.ch) for PocketPC, Windows Mobile, Smartphone and PalmOS
    The open source Funambol client (http://www.funambol.com) for Windows Mobile, PalmOS, Blackberry, Symbian and Outlook.
    TSync (http://www.topologilinux.com/syncml) - An open source client for syncing to to Mozilla Thunderbird or SeaMonkey

Horde's SyncML server functionality is implemented in a horde PEAR package named SyncML. This package is designed to be independent from Horde. Other groupware applications can use this package to provide SyncML as well. The only thing that's need to be done is the implementation of a backend interface for their application. Please drop a note on the horde sync mailing list (sync@lists.horde.org) if you are interested in this.


Resources, Links, Downloads


SyncML Spec/Implementation


    Syncml.org
    Downloads
    SyncML Protocol
    SyncML Representation
    DevInf
    MetInf
    Short Intro to SyncML
    Several IBM Devworks articles on SyncML: Syncing data: An introduction to SyncML, XML Watch articles 1, 2, and 3, SyncML intensive, and finally, search results for syncml on developerworks.
    XML.com article: Staying in Synch
    SyncML overview and list of resources


SyncML Applications:


    Boheme (a PHP SyncML server) (SourceForge)
    Apple's iSync supports a bunch of SyncML and other devices.
    OpenGroupware.org's SyncML support
    MultiSync, a Gnome SyncML client.
    Sync4j
    Synthesis, a commercial SyncML client/server
    informIT article on SyncML applications


WBXML:


    Open Mobile Alliance Technical Section
    The W3C version of the WBXML spec, somewhat less useful
    WBXML library, for reading/writing wireless binary compressed XML used by SyncML mobile devices.
    An article on WBXML