im a newbie, and i would like to start developing for the playbook, does anyone know any tutorial to develop an easy app that is open source and is allowed to submit to the app world?
Thanks !!
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im a newbie, and i would like to start developing for the playbook, does anyone know any tutorial to develop an easy app that is open source and is allowed to submit to the app world?
Thanks !!
Well first you need to decide what you want to use for development and the languages you want to learn/already know.
The playbook can have apps developed by:
HTML5 & Javascript
C#/C++
Adobe Air
Or an android app and port it but it wouldn't be a true native playbook app.
Http://www.blackberry.com/developers
I would recommend taking the time to build a useful application. You have lots of time to learn and submit it. No reason to use someone elses code for a PlayBook. Besides it will make you feel better to own the language and learn it :D
PlayBook supports multiple application platforms so you will need to pick one (based on your skills). The dev platforms are:
- Native (C++)
- Adobe AIR (ActionScript)
- WebWorks (HTML5/JavaScript)
- Android Runtime (Java)
All platforms allow you to create full blown PlayBook apps you can publish to AppWorld.
If you decide using on Adobe AIR (this is what I am using for my apps) this page is the best place to start:
https://bdsc.webapps.blackberry.com/air/sampleapps
Good luck!
i understand, but i want to see what im working with, because i started developing an app using adobe flex and im so frustrated :(
this tutorial : Flex for the BlackBerry PlayBook in 90 Minutes - BlackBerry Support Community Forums
is kinda confusing for me, can i ask someone please make a quick video on how to follow this tutorial? it wouldn't take a lot of time and it will help me lots, thanks !!
By definition, a developer is "frustrated" or s/he is not happy. If you are looking for an "easy" path and are hoping for someone to show you the way, you are in the wrong business.
Videos like the one you mentioned are meant for developers who already have basic programming skills and in this particular case, you need a working understanding of of the flex markup language. If you have never written a program before, you are bound to be confused and flustered by the advanced concepts that are covered in such a video.
In life, you need to learn to crawl before you can walk. As a developer you need to learn to write simple "hello world" programs before you can write PlayBook apps. I would suggest that you start with HTML and JavaScript tutorials and write a few web applications that run in your desktop browser. You will discover soon enough if you have the aptitude and the sheer determination required to eventually become a successful App World vendor. Good luck.
If you already know HTML or have absolutely no coding experience, I'd recommend starting with webworks.
Or, if you already know flash or have absolutely no coding experience, I'd recommend starting with Adobe.
Yes, I recommended two coding types for absolute beginners ;)
Webworks (IMO) is a little simpler but is also a little more limited.
I don't have any c++ knowledge so I can't speak to that.
To add onto this, its not meant to be personal or to dishearten. Programming languages have changed a lot from the Pascal days. To put this in context, it used to be managable for someone to quickly learn Pascal in a very short time.
Ironically this isnt as easy with object oriented languages and classes these days as it used to be although the IDEs have come a heck of a long way. For example, AIR is notorious for having problems recognising RIMs API's. So you need to know a bit about librarys to fix those initial QNX class errors unless you follow the tutorials carefully :)
You *always* have to start with simple hello world apps from a tutorial - it will make life much easier. I wasnt trying to be mean, but Open Source is rarely a hands-free solution. It usuallu means reworking libraries (SDL) and adding new libraries that are platform specific (TouchScreenLib). Plus, TBH, Open.Source code is predominently C++. You will find very little in AS3 or Flex because contrary to what Adobe wants you to believe, Flex and AIR apps really aren't that portable. Often you need a system specific class or library. So iOS code grabbed of the net typically wont work out of the box. In order to make it work, you need to understand how the libraries and classes work - which is why those tutorials are valuable :).
I was able to run with the QNX AIR api documentation no problem, but programming is very normal for me and I've dealt with AS2 before.
Anyway, take baby steps. Its better to learn right (sustainable) instead of to rush through and not understand what youve done.
Also, AIR (Flex and AS3) are not as tough to learn as C++ maybe. But its really not the most robus language (try importing an image or creating a multidimensional array).
Your best off working on HTML4/5 and using the web tools to build your app... Its just the easiest. Edit: Once HTML is easy, you can look at AS3. Once AS3 feels good it might be good to add Flex (as it incorporates AS3 as well as its own formats). But Flex *is* faster to use. And once you need even more power look at C++. But simple apps are hands down easier in HTML thanks to free wysiwyg html editors.
Ed
hmm that sounds interesting, but i don't know where or how to start :( can you link me to a beginner tutorial for adobe air maybe? or some program that isn't too complicated for a newbie? since there is a long weekend coming soon, i would like to to create a small app to show to my friend
Further to Ed's comments:
1. Object Oriented Programming - learn about it before writing a complex PlayBook app.
Object-oriented programming - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
2. About AS3 being "easy" to learn - I am an experienced Java programmer and found it to be downright annoying (although it is a lot less so now that I've got the hang of working around its shortcomings) . Ed mentioned a couple of things that really bothered me in the beginning - but lack of advanced features like threads and overloading methods caused me one headache after another. Flex is still incomprehensible and not much use to me given the type of app that I like to write. I am now learning c++ because it is a much more robust language (and it sure looks like Java will never be supported on the PlayBook).
Here are some sample apps you can import into flash builder and play with. There are also links on this page to a development guide, documentation and lots of other resources. This is where I started learning about AIR apps and I think that you will find it interesting too.
https://bdsc.webapps.blackberry.com/air/sampleapps
I would say you nailed it :D. AIR is a frustrating language and (I might get flamed for this) functions a lot like an older VB app on Windows. You can get the job done, but it wont ever quite work right or as fast as it should.
Also, IMO - learning flash and AS3 is ok (definitely fustrating) but if you can master C++ you now have a cross platform marketable skill.
So after careful hought I'm going to simplify and echo BuaaStarFields comments. Focus on HTML4/5 or C++. You will find better portability with both.
In my first year of uni I learnt basic C++ and managed to write an awesome mastermind game all in the DOS window :D
If only it was back when DOS was the main OS and I could have made some money on it haha
However I do plan on taking my C++ code for that and turning it into a Playbook app.
On peoples opinions here, how feasible would that be? I know I would have to change all the libraries etc but all the calculating code to work out the game would be the same?
It is depend on your taste of your study. If you know HTML , Javascript and flash you can do this. If you are a hard working mind you go with c++. BUt better study easy language first. If you go with C# C# Tutorial , C# Help , C# Source Code , you can easily study this language . Also microsoft providing a very good development environment - Visual Studio - which is very userfriendly environment for a beginner like you. All the best.
Antonio.
This was an easy app to develop:
https://appworld.blackberry.com/webs...85737/?lang=en
I can show you the source code for android and you can learn a bit from that.
I could also show you how to do this one:
https://appworld.blackberry.com/webs...88847/?lang=en
But only in Java for Android, which you can port to the Playbook.