[danielbaesel]

Hello everybody!
So I've been browsing around the Blackberry website and landed in the "Developers" section......saw the massive amounts of tools and programs one can download to create Apps.....
I think that it's really neat that "anyone" can get the tools to do so, but my question is: How hard is it really to create an App??? I do realize that it depends on what exactly you're trying to do, but is it possible for someone with pretty good computer and software knowledge but no "official" certifications or software programming training to actually create an App like the light sabor App or other "simple" Apps like that????
I'm just curious and maybe some of you guys that have created Apps or tinkered with the development tools could maybe tell us newbies how extensive App creation is.......
Thanks in advance, and I hope to learn some things as I am very interested in this Geekie stuff :-)

[epicdraws]

What programming experience do you have?

[danielbaesel]

What programming experience do you have?

So far all I have ever done is make one very simple storm theme, so I am pretty much a complete rookie at creating Apps and software programming....I know there are some tutorials on the Blackberry website, and i am downloading the JDE's and Eclipse right now.....I fully expect to tspend alot of time on this and I realize it is going to take a lot of work, but I am just trying to get a little idea on how difficult it really is and if it's even possible for a rook like me to do, or if it is like flying an airplane or brain surgery......

[danielbaesel]

What programming experience do you have?

Were you involved in creating the Apps in your signature??

[epicdraws]

Do you have any experience with Java?

[epicdraws]

And yes, I wrote all those apps.

[danielbaesel]

no exp. with java, and wow. that is very impressive!
I mean Berry wars is a Staple and personally one of my favorites......

[danielbaesel]

Did you create all these Apps with the tools provided on the Blackberry site (JDE, eclipse etc...) or did you use other software as well...I'm just trying to gather all the software first and then read my way and tinker my way through this.....I am sorry for being a noob, this just really interests me and people like you impress me and I just would love to get involved....

[Mr.YoungMoneyEnt.]

I'm with you..I'm a "noob" myself..but very interested in becoming a developer too..so I guess I'll wait and see where this thread leads me.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Mr.YoungMoneyEnt.]

I'm with you..I'm a "noob" myself..but very interested in becoming a developer too..so I guess I'll wait and see where this thread leads me.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[danielbaesel]

I'm with you..I'm a "noob" myself..but very interested in becoming a developer too..so I guess I'll wait and see where this thread leads me.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Yeah I figured this would be a neat thread for Noobs like us, and i searched in the forums for something like this but didn't find anything...i do realize that we are not going to get a walkthrough on writing an App, as it is way more complicated than updating your o.s. or putting a movie on your device, but if we could just get pointed in the right direction and get some advice, it would be great.......I definitely have a new found respect for developers as it looks like an App as simple as Storm slider to the naked eye, really isn't as simple as it seems.....

[epicdraws]

I have to say without Java experience, you're going to have a pretty hard time. Trying to figure out what object oriented programming is while learning something like the RIM API is pretty tough, but not impossible.

To answer your question, yes, I just used the tools from that site. I use Eclipse.

[danielbaesel]

I have to say without Java experience, you're going to have a pretty hard time. Trying to figure out what object oriented programming is while learning something like the RIM API is pretty tough, but not impossible.

To answer your question, yes, I just used the tools from that site. I use Eclipse.

I see....I am reading the tutorial on creating the "hello World" App right now, and so far i am staying with it, but yes, It does seem like a "real" animated app is going to be a much tougher task. what type of training/schooling did you complete to get to where you are if you don't mind me asking? I definitely want to get into this, and realize that i am not going to write a Mario Bros. for the Storm overnight, but maybe eventually i'll be where you are....

[danielbaesel]

I have to say without Java experience, you're going to have a pretty hard time. Trying to figure out what object oriented programming is while learning something like the RIM API is pretty tough, but not impossible.

To answer your question, yes, I just used the tools from that site. I use Eclipse.

well I am definitely going to put some effort and time into this and if I somehow am able to write a nice App for the Storm, it won't be my first blackberry miracle....Last week i dropped my Storm into the Toilet and it was completely submerged....took it out, blowdryed it, let sit for a day and it worked like a charm...maybe Application writing will be good to me too :-)
Thanks again for all your help!!!

[BBA]

I was actually thinking about writing a tutorial for BB-Dev noobs. I'll see if I can make it when I find the time. Well it won't be a full java-tutorial, just a sample app with a lot of documentation on how to use accelerometer and so and I will post the code to it.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[blueskyjunkie]

Since you have no experience with Java or OOP, I'd recommend starting off learning that. Go to your local library and check out as many books on java (not javascript) as you can find. Then once you have a solid grasp on that you can begin learning J2ME and RUM's API. Good luck! Looking forward to seeing some of your stuff in App World some day!

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[DriftDevil]

ive got some java experience and yes ive played round with jde, but i cant seem to figure out how to implement the rim api's

[DriftDevil]

Since you have no experience with Java or OOP, I'd recommend starting off learning that. Go to your local library and check out as many books on java (not javascript) as you can find. Then once you have a solid grasp on that you can begin learning J2ME and RUM's API. Good luck! Looking forward to seeing some of your stuff in App World some day!

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

lol this made me loled

[DriftDevil]

bump
10char

[BostonDan]

well I am definitely going to put some effort and time into this and if I somehow am able to write a nice App for the Storm, it won't be my first blackberry miracle....Last week i dropped my Storm into the Toilet and it was completely submerged....took it out, blowdryed it, let sit for a day and it worked like a charm...maybe Application writing will be good to me too :-)
Thanks again for all your help!!!

did you ever get to the "Doctor" to check that condition? LOL. I actually won an application by doctoring up that story/thread....

Good luck with the programming... I have wanted to try my hand at programming... no Java experience, but C++, and other languages. I just don't have the time with my job right now.... too little time on this Earth to do everything.

Cheers,
B.D.

[bennyj]

I was actually thinking about writing a tutorial for BB-Dev noobs. I'll see if I can make it when I find the time. Well it won't be a full java-tutorial, just a sample app with a lot of documentation on how to use accelerometer and so and I will post the code to it.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

This would be Awesome! I am reading thru Head first Java to try and learn the basics and then jump into RIM api. But a tut on this would be a great help.

[cray1000]

good luck, i tried and failed. i already knew how to progam first too, i cant imagine trying to do bb apps with no programming experience, i would say its close to impossible, but not 100% impossible. just learning programming concepts, especially Object oriented programming is going to be tough, then java which isnt the easiet and then rim's api's and there whole programming "way" which is probably the hardest out there.

i would be surprised if you could do the light saber app in less than a year. its going to take that long to learn how to program.

BBA, rim already has tutorials and walktrhoughs for their sample apps, it doesnt come with them, but its on their website, you might want to check that out before you waste your time, i used them but still had trouble.

all my exerpeicne was in visual studio, where if you want a box to type in, you drag it on the screen, put it where you want it, and make it the size you want, etc. what i never figured out and what might surprise you is that this does not exist at all in making bb apps. its 100% done in code, no visual stuff at all. this is what makes it so hard.

[bennyj]

Would be nice though to have him do a tut on building a simple light saber app.

[DriftDevil]

their tutorials suck, imho, like the hello world app, kool already kno how to do that, what bout all the other api's? (which in this case, idk how to implement them, for example, making an app showing how much application mem u have and using the getFree() (or other memory objects) methods)

[bennyj]

their tutorials suck, imho, like the hello world app, kool already kno how to do that, what bout all the other api's? (which in this case, idk how to implement them, for example, making an app showing how much application mem u have and using the getFree() (or other memory objects) methods)

I could not agree more! You either build a simple Hello World or a freaking enterprise app! would be nice to see something that would be interesting to follow along with, that after completing we could then load onto our phones.