App Programming



App and Mobile Programming.  

Pilot DC - 08/07/2015 - Getting Started

Note: 9/7/2016 Use the latest version of LiveCode (currently 8.10) as this has support for the latest Android ADK and Apple SDK.  To download, go to downloads.livecode.com/livecode  

Note: 8/7/2015 - For additional help, answers to questions and help with problems, look here: Resources

Examples of apps (with code) can be found at:  Apps by Students also see  Programs by Students 
Lessons: 
    
*** 9/28/2016 Being Reorganized, updating to v8.1 and more being added ****

A. Building Your Apps:

  1. Simple Apps  - opening  Websites. Docs, PDFs, Files, etc from your app
         Using URLs which can be addresses, files or applications (URL stands for Universal/Uniform Resource Locator) 

      1.0 Launching a Browser/Program - to open websites, documents, files, etc (outside your program) 
          Displaying Documents and Websites  (Launch document, url) - using the applications on your computer
              Project - MySites - make an app with your favorite websites using "launch url "http:/ <mywebsite> "
              Project - Create Your App - make an app accessing websites and opening up documents.
  
       1.1 Using Your Own Browser - to view websites, documents, etc (inside your app)
            1.1a Working with the Browser widget (v8.1 and higher of LiveCode)
                *** Browser Widget - use an internal Browser widget (instead of the Launch command and an outside browser)
            1.1b Working with Browser objects (all versions of LiveCode) - more involved
                  Accessing the Internet (revBrowser) - open your own browser window inside the app 

  2. Working with Data/Info from other websites - Google maps, weather, etc 
       2.1 Getting Started (Put url) - getting data from other sites using API's
             Project - Stock App - make a simple Stock Lookup app
       2.2 Sharing Data - different formats for sharing data
       2.3 Using the Data - extracting your data from them
       2.4 APPs and Mashups (Put url) - getting data from other sites using API's
             Project - MyApp - make an app or mashup with data from another websites

             Student Desktop Apps - Download and try some of the apps that the students wrote


 (pages still good but in the process of being revised and updated)


        Project - Create a School App - It can be a personal one or one for a school, class, club or other organization
 
  
     2.3 More Advanced Desktop/Mobile Apps (revBrowserOpen) - open your own browser window inside the app 
     2.4 Phone Calls and Texting (Launch url "tel:...",url "sms:...") - make a phone call or text someone from the app
          2.  Phone   - How to make and receive phone calls in your app
 
  3. Working with Data/Info from other websites - Google maps, weather, etc 
     3.1 Getting Started (Put url) - getting data from other sites using API's
     3.3 Sharing Data - different formats for sharing data
     3.3 Using the Data - extracting your data from them
     3.4 More Data and Mashups (CSV,JSON, XML) - handling more dataher sites using API's
        Projects - MyApp - make an app or mashup with data from other websites
     3.2 Maps - showing a map from Google maps

  4. Working with Data - Getting Started and Examples 
     4.1 Documents - saving data, preferences, high scores. How to open/read/write files
             Projects -  
     4.2 Lists and Arrays - working with data 
             Projects -  
     4.3 Databases - how to organize data for quick retrieval
             Lesson - How to Create and Use a SQL database
             Projects - 



 3. Working with Data from Your Own Devices -  
     1.0 Basic Functions - getting started... 
           1   Phone Calls and Texting - make a phone call or text someone from the app
             Phone   - How to make and receive phone calls in your app
          2.  Camera  - How to use the camera and take pictures in your app
           3.  Photos   - How to access your photos on your phone
           4.  Maps - showing a map from Google maps
           5.  Google Maps   - How to access Maps
           6.  Back button   - How to use the "Back" button on Androids
           7.  Emails  - How to send emails in your app
           8.  Sensors - Accessing the compass, accelerometer, GPS, etc
      
     1.0 More Functions - getting fancy... 
           1.  Passwords - How to do dialogues, questions and Passwords
           2.  Back button   - How to use the "Back" button on Androids
           3.  Notifications   - How to send alerts and other notifications
           4.  Sounds   - How to play sounds/audio files on your phone
           5.  Shaking   - How to detect shaking motions on the phone
           6.  Play Video   - How to play a video on the phone
           7.  Date Picker   - How to use the mobile date picker on the phone
           8.  Facebook   - How to access Facebook pages
     
      1.9  Mobile Tasks   - How to do more tasks (like the above) on your mobile devices

 4. Various Lessons -  
     New Lessons (slides, PDF's, videos, graphics and code) from LiveCode: (recommended)
        App Academy - How-To do many common and popular tasks with LiveCode
        Create It With LiveCode - How to build the apps that come with your phone 
        Mobile Platforms - How to Code for phones 

     Simple project and programs to practice and put on your device 
       Simple Card Style Apps  (go to) - Create a Mother's Day Card, Ask someone to the prom
       Basic Calculation Apps - (put) Create useful program to have and use on your phone
       More Greeting Cards (Play, Move, Set, Show, Hide) - make fun cards that talk, sing and do things
       Educational Games (Grab, Intersect)  - drag and drop, moving and matching games


B. Deploying Your Apps on Your Devices

  1. Building, installing and testing it for mobile platforms (phones/tablets) - create the apk/app, install from email or cable

    Add the following code to your Stack Script (for both Android and iOS/Apple)
     1.0 Screen Sizing Your App (ScreenRect, fullScreenMode, geometry) - sizing apps for any size screen 

   Android - First Time Access of the Android environment:
     2.0  Android Initial Setup - Pointing the LiveCode to the Android environment
     2.1  Standalone Settings - What settings to choose for Android devices
     2.2 Installing it - Providing the many options to putting it on your phone
 
    iOS (iPhone, iPad):
     3.0  iOS Setup and Install - getting an Apple-ID and installing the app on your iPhone (new) and notes





  
end.






OLD NOTES...Do not Use right now








 
  2. Browser-based Apps  (Launch. revBrowserOpen, revBrowserSet) - (Docs, PDFs, Files, Websites, etc)
     Using URLs which can be addresses, files or applications (URL stands for Universal Resource Locator) 
     2.0 Displaying Documents and Websites  (Launch document, url) - using the applications on your computer
     2.1 Accessing the Internet (Launch url, revBrowser) - how to go to a website from inside an app or program
             Projects - MySites - make an app with your favorite websites
     2.2 APPs and Mashups (Put url) - getting data from other sites using API's
       Working with the Browser widget (v8.1 and higher of LiveCode)
       Working with Browser objects (all versions of LiveCode)
             Projects - MyApp - make an app or mashup with data from another websites


        Project - Create a School App - It can be a personal one or one for a school, class, club or other organization
   *** Student Desktop Apps - Download and try some of the apps that the students wrote

     2.3 More Advanced Desktop/Mobile Apps (revBrowserOpen) - open your own browser window inside the app 
     2.4 Phone Calls and Texting (Launch url "tel:...",url "sms:...") - make a phone call or text someone from the app
          2.  Phone   - How to make and receive phone calls in your app
 
  3. Working with Data/Info from other websites - Google maps, weather, etc 
     3.1 Getting Started (Put url) - getting data from other sites using API's
     3.3 Sharing Data - different formats for sharing data
     3.3 Using the Data - extracting your data from them
     3.4 More Data and Mashups (CSV,JSON, XML) - handling more dataher sites using API's
        Projects - MyApp - make an app or mashup with data from other websites
     3.2 Maps - showing a map from Google maps

  4. Working with Data - Getting Started and Examples 
     4.1 Documents - saving data, preferences, high scores. How to open/read/write files
             Projects -  
     4.2 Lists and Arrays - working with data 
             Projects -  
     4.3 Databases - how to organize data for quick retrieval
             Lesson - How to Create and Use a SQL database
             Projects - 


B. Deploying Your Apps on Your Devices

  1. Building, installing and testing it for mobile platforms (phones/tablets) 

    Add the following code to your Stack Script (for both Android and iOS/Apple)
     1.0 Screen Sizing Your App (ScreenRect, fullScreenMode, geometry) - sizing apps for any size screen 

     Android:
     1.0  Android Initial Setup and (video) in LiveCode - Setting up the Android environment
     1.1  Standalone Settings - What settings to choose for Android devices
     1.3 Installing it - Providing the many options to putting it on your phone
 
    iOS (iPhone, iPad):
     1.0  iOS Initial Setup in LiveCode - setting up the Apple environment (new) and notes


  OLD NOTES...Do not Use right now

  2. Development and Testing - More Tutorials and other Resources
    2.0 Cross-Platform Development - How to develop for multiple environments
    2.1 Setting up for Android - How to set up your computer for Android development
    2.2 Setting up for iOS  - How to set up your computer for iPhone/iPad development

  1. Setting Up and Installing Apps for in LiveCode - 
     Setting-up - Setting up the Android and iOS SDK's (pdf/slides)
     Deploying - Putting the apps on your device

     1.0  Scaling Apps - Building apps for any size screen/phone
     1.1  Resolutions   - How to accommodate different resolutions (Retina/non-Retina)



C. Add-ons and Externals

  1. Building an App/Program - Getting Started and Simple Tasks 
     1.0 Getting Started - (MobGui, lcResTool) - (optional) setting up LiveCode for mobile platforms

  2. Tools, Externals and Plugins for the Mobile Platforms 
      - Most of these are LiveCode Plugins (put in your "My LiveCode" "plugins" folder)

     Free
      lcResTool - plugin - manage and set the different resolutions and screen sizes for mobile platforms
      lcMover - plugin - moves your window around (corners, edges, center) of your screen
  
    Not Free
      MobGUI (Demo version is free)  Manual (pdf)
      MergExt - externals to add capabilities (including barcodes, video recording, Twitter, Mapkit, etc)
 
 - for more general tools that work with both the mobile and desktop platforms, see the Tools page
   
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 copyright (c) 2011 Cyril Pruszko