[skilas]

Hey everyone,

I'm your typical guy who spends his days browsing App World, and thinking "Why don't I make something?"

So finally I decided that I'm going to take some time and figure things out.

This is a question I've seen several times, but I need to ask it again. What should I use to develop my apps? Java, HTML5, Air? I don't have a preference, but don't want to get off on the wrong foot and hinder myself from the very beginning. If I had all the time in the world, I would just learn all of them!

Currently, I'm a total beginner. I learned some BASIC in high school, and tinkered with HTML in making crappy personal websites on geocities. I've never had the time to totally engross myself (and to be honest, likely won't ever).

But what are your suggestions? Is one platform better for one thing, but worse for others? Is one easier to program, but weaker on options? I'll be considering developing for Blackberry phones and Playbooks. Thanks in advance for any tips.

[kbz1960]

I'm no developer but I think if you want to do both bb10 and the OS7 phones that html5 is the one that will work on both. If you want to do bb10 pb and bb10 phones then any you choose or do will work on both.

[skilas]

I'm thinking HTML5 as well.

So I've started downloading what I think I'll need. So many logins to create and things to download. Webworks, Java Dev Kit, Ripple. Hopefully on the right track.

[kbz1960]

Have you looked here also?

https://developer.blackberry.com/

[James Nieves]

bbUI.js google dat shiz

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[James Nieves]

sorry I was being lazy: http://opensourcebb.com/osbbx/index....d-with-bbui-js

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[recompile]

If you're looking for some general advice...

Skip Java. It's basically dead on BB and the new tools are much easier to use anyway.

Air and WebWorks are by far the easiest to get started with. WebWorks has the edge there, however, with some great third-party libraries like bbui.js and three.js that, unlike many js libraries, actually save you time and effort.

I don't know how comfortable you are with development or if you've worked any "big" projects to completion. If you're new at this, remember to start small. Don't start off with a design for a big game or complicated app -- that's a recipe for failure. Write a bunch of little apps/demos to get a sense of the BB platform and you're own personal limits (one developer can only do so much alone).

Every year, I have at least one student that has a very clear vision about what they want to create, and doesn't see the point in writing small programs as it's just time away from their magnum opus. It puts me in mind of the home-computer revolution in the early 80's. Back then, among computer hobbyists, there were two kinds of kids: the kind who would ask "how to I make a guy shoot" and the kind who would ask "how do I get input from the joystick" -- needless to say, the former type were dramatically less successful in their autodidactic adventures.

So start small. Write a bunch of little apps that you'll have no interest in publishing that do interesting things like reading and writing some text to a file, bounce a ball around the screen, or whatever.

When you feel like you can tackle a "real" project, aim low and (above all else) see the project through to completion. One of the hardest parts about development is finishing up the uninteresting or boring parts that make for a complete and polished app. Nothing is more disheartening than seeing a directory full of half-finished projects as you eagerly begin a new one.

I'd like to hear user Otacon's opinion on this. He went from zero to complete app rather quickly -- starting with a simple app idea that he saw through to completion. Check out his first HTML5 app

Good luck, btw. It's always great to see new developers targeting our beloved platform!

[kdna]

You need to learn C++.

[squished18]

Hi skilas,

If you need to get some beginner programming lessons, check this out: udacity.com. It's a site of totally free online computer-related courses. It's driven by a guy named Sebastian Thrun <sp?>. You might have heard of him. Won the Darpa Grand Challenge a couple years ago. Now is a Google Fellow working on the Google self-driving car. Kind of a rock star in the programming world. Anyhow - these courses will give you some very good fundamentals on the science of computer programming (computer science!). They use Python, but it will still give you the fundamental theory you will need to write some decent code.

BTW - great initiative! It's always great to see people who think "I want to build something".

Cheers,

[MXBerry]

Hello gents!

I was trying to developed a WebIcon App Link to one of my websites for BlackBerry Users.

I was trying with the JDK for BlackBerry but now that i read that java is almost dead on BlackBerry, I was wondering what do i have to use for this small quest.

This of course is a small step for me on developing for BlackBerry. In the future i want to build more apps of course but i have been reading and installing a lot of software to developed this simple app and i can't get it done

Any advice will be appreciated

[copperred1.3]

If you're looking for some general advice...

Skip Java. It's basically dead on BB and the new tools are much easier to use anyway.

Air and WebWorks are by far the easiest to get started with.

recompile is right. I would even say to avoid AIR since WebWorks will be more valuable in the long run.

[MXBerry]

Indeed you guys are right. But still RIM is using Java for signing the apps.

I developed my PlayBook App for my website. Is just a WebIcon but i pretend to do it as an App fully funtional and everything went great using HTLM5 + WebWorks for Tablet. But for the Smartphones SDK is a nightmare. I can't really get signed my app already. I have like 2 weeks trying to sign it and Java is the problem.

But well. I hope RIM get a better way to sign the apps.

[EdY]

Webworks is the way to go, especially if starting out. Do it for the Playbook as it is the easiest and also standard screen size gives you least amount of headaches.

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