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 (revBrowseropen 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(putCreate 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