Im a c# desktop developer and would like to start messing with mobile application development but i find that .net compact is a bit limited and slow.
What other freeware/open source tools are there ?
I recently found XFlib - it's intended mainly for games and it's still on an early stage of development, but looks really interesting and might probably be used for other kinds of software as well. For compiling it depends on ceGCC - an opensource compiler for ARM CPUs, and for development you can use pretty much any text editor/IDE:
http://www.xflib.net/
you could try this
Meme IDE is now available for download.
Build with a drag and drop editor. Develop complex functions using the unique MemeScript. A language created to make elements simple and cohesive on any platform.
It is currently in beta release and at the moment you can develop for Android and WM. IOS will be included in the full release and Blackberry further down the line.
OH and its FREE
find out more or download and play with it at www.memeapps.com
this is a community based beta release so we want to hear what you have to say about it
Related
I want to focus on developing GUIs but I'm not sure where to start. I just read through a few pages of http://source.android.com/ to get more information and it was helpful but I'm still not sure what my skill set should be. I also went through Google's new App inventor and finished all the tutorials but it still seems like a toy.
I can: design interfaces, code javascript, implement XML (weak on C and Java but I get it), create anything using photoshop or any graphic application, color-coordinate, test and implement and write--I can write technical instructions fairly well.
So... that said, what's a typical Android designer's skill-set?
Thanks.
Patience, mellowness and a strong constitution!
The Android development platforms so far available are pretty poor if you're used to something like Visual Studio. The best option seems to be Eclipse running the Android ADT plugin. There is plenty of documentation about how to get it all up and running and it is quite easy to install and configure. The app inventor is a toy for non-developers to create simple applications and it works well for what it is but as soon as you want more complex UIs or more complex code, especially when it comes to using external libraries, you will need to get into Eclipse.
You have the right skills, in fact I would say UI and graphics design is the weakest area for many developers. It is for me. I can write beautiful functional code that does amazing things but my UIs suck unless they are simple. I always need to find someone who can help me with that. In my experience, and I have a lot of commercial code development experience, good UI design is a widely missing skill. It therefore pays well and is highly sought after. You might consider specialising in it?
Be careful going from C to Java. Java is still a pig of a language, do a little googling for "problems with Java" and be especially careful of the fact that Java passes everything by reference unless you use cloning. If you don't always write very loosely coupled methods and are good with encapsulation, this will bite you and often in very difficult to understand ways. I recommend running through each method with only this in mind before you consider the first version of the method complete.
My advice to you is to get Visual Studio Express (they're free), either VB or C#, it really doesn't matter, and become proficient with object oriented programming, proper error handling and scope of objects and variables. Do these things, and assuming that you have the right mindset to create good code, and you'll protect yourself from all the usual bugs that amateur developers introduce.
Then move back to Java. Java is a lot easier to be proficient in when moving from something like VB or C# because whilst frustrating, due to the things you'll miss, you will at least know rather than "not know what you don't know", if that makes sense.
If you are serious about doing this for a living, buy some books by Steve MacGuire.
"Writing Solid Code"
"Debugging the development process"
If every develope could do what these books teach, we would have a much more capable software world.
Good luck!
I have the same question? What do you think will be future programming? Developing web apps like Facebook or Android apps?
How is with work today?
I did banchelors from computer science, and want to try masters now, but I need to choose developing Androids apps or Webapps. I am pretty good at C#, JavaScript, XML.
There's a lot of milage in mobile apps, will be good for many years but there is no doubt that the future is web apps.
Excellent! What a great response. Source.android has a lot of information on what a developer should know but I still can't find information on Android GUI design--specifically. Any advice on this?
Thanks.
I think everyone should learn some c/c++ or other native language. Most will say im crazy for saying this but to appreciate what comes with the languages u mentioned above(which are all managed code) I think you should learn power and use behind native code.
c#, java, .net are all good places to start, i would not go with vb. If you choose to start with c/c++ you will be able to do any of the above easily. Tho others think its harder to learn...I say others bc i have always preferred c/c++ to the above.
Simonta... You rock!
Many Thanks.
Considering that ARM's chip architecture is found in the vast majority of smartphones today, a new Android development kit issued by the Brits can only be welcome news.
The DS-5 Community Edition kit promises up to 4 times faster application performance than Java code, and differs from Google's own SDK and NDK in that it is optimized for energy efficiency.
Today, ARM announced their new Android development toolkit, Development Studio 5 (DS-5) Community Edition (CE). The free software will let Android developers create applications that can run up to four times faster than Java code on Android. What makes it unique compared to the SDK and NDK development tools is that DS-5 CE will help developers to be more energy efficient in terms of performance.
DS-5 Community Edition’s purpose is to make life easier for Android application developers. The toolkit allows one to see processor information, as well as allowing the development of Java and C/C++ code. It also includes an integrated graphical debugger.
The toolkit features the ARM Streamline Performance Analyzer, which captures information on system performance and makes it easier for developers to see problems in their code and make it more efficient. Support for Streamline can be added with an open source driver from Linaro.
The goal is to help developers create amazing user experiences with their applications. John Carnish, ARM’s executive vice president and general manager, system design division says “ARM DS-5 Community Edition offers developers an easy to use environment for debugging and optimizing C/C++ code. This allows them to take full advantage of ARM processor technology using native code to deliver the performance and functionality that consumers demand.”
More information is available at the DS-5 CE website.
Link for the lazy :
http://www.arm.com/products/tools/software-tools/ds-5/community-edition/index.php
Looks good!
Sent from my GT-I5800 using XDA App
so who r workin on this?
I do not believe that people find out this program to optimize the use of the processors arm this post does not have many visits…
somebody uses east program, improves the duration of the battery….
it will try, I hope that it is not very difficult my knowledge are not very ample
Thank you
it will be helpful.
But I have one question
What is the output of DS-5?
Has anyone used Xamarin to build their android apps? I have been programming using C# for sometime now but have never used it to build anything for android.
They have tons of free libraries, but as for licensing, I am skeptical in purchasing. Anyone like or dislike Xamarin? If you do or do not, can you explain why? Thanks a bundle!
Haven't used it but you have to think whether it's worth the price. The advantage is you can write in C# and share code between Android/iOS. However the UI is still platform-specific, so it has to be implemented twice. A free alternative is to use C++ for shared code (Android: via NDK, iOS: compiles directly), but that definitely needs more initial setup effort than buying Xamarin's product.
Here is an informed opinion
There is a gaming studio that used Xamarin to port their WP stuff to Android and iOS, and they're quite happy with how it turned out.
Do a search for "FourBros Studios, Cross-Platform Game Development with Xamarin and MonoGame". I can't post a direct link because of forum rules here.
Of course games are entirely different beasts than regular apps (for example, UI-wise), so not everything may apply to your situation.
I've plaid with Xamarin... and its a good system.. but Is it worth $300 to not learn java?
Cross platform development tools have their place, but IMHO unless you have a large project and NEED a cross platform development tool you are hurting yourself by not going native.
Just my .000002c
Java is so similar to C# I would think you'd be fine just going native - in terms of syntax they're virtually identical. I do kind of miss the var keyword though lol
I agree with LostByte - there's no real point to going cross platform unless you really need it. Don't stay with C# just because it's what you know! Use what's most appropriate for the app
Ok, im new in android development, used gamemaker studio for couple of hours, used eclipse for very short time, and basic4android little bit more than the eclipse.
so what are the differences in these programs. could i make a game in eclipse alone (no need gamemaker studio and basic4android)?
Yes you can make a game, or any app for that matter, in eclipse.
Eclipse is an IDE (Integrated Development Environment) which helps the user during coding sessions with auto-assist features, corrections, color-highlighting, auto-formatting, amongst many many more features.
What Game maker is (from my understanding anyhow) is a more graphically oriented IDE. It does more "coding" for you behind the scenes, whereas in eclipse, you're basically writing in a very sophisticated version of notepad.
I develop using eclipse, and have been since I started almost 4 years ago. Since Android Studio has emerged, I tend to play around with that a bit.
My suggestion for you if you are looking to develop strictly for android is Android Studio here : http://developer.android.com/sdk/installing/studio.html
The android developers website has plenty of useful tutorials, guides, references, and troubleshooting.
Hope this gets you started in the right direction. Good luck, and happy coding!
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thanks for recommending me the android studio, since i will be ONLY making apps for android.
hell911 said:
thanks for recommending me the android studio, since i will be ONLY making apps for android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, Android Studio is highly recommended but may be a little more complicated when getting into advanced projects (external libraries, gradle, etc...). But if you are just starting out, it has a lot of helpful features and tooltips that may help your understanding a bit. Another downfall is that Android Studio is still in fairly early development, which may present bugs from time to time.
Eclipse is also highly recommended, as it is a very solid build. It is not designed strictly for Android, so it is not as helpful with all of it's features.
Either way, stay motivated and believe you can do it. That's what really matters.
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I'm a senior engineer on the Visual Studio team at Microsoft. I'm not a marketing guy or recruiter.
I’m looking to talk to Android native app developers like yourself to understand experiences and pain points. That would help us figure out potential tools/features we could build to make your life easier. Would you be willing to spend 30 minutes on the phone with me?
Since I build development tools for building Android and iOS apps, I'll be also looking forward to answering questions you may have.
Help shape the future of Android dev tooling! PM me if you're up for chatting and I'll setup a call.
Thanks very much,
Bret
Can't help with a phone call, but the number one pain point in Android development is the build tool chain. Working together with Gradle Inc. and the Android folks to improve this would go a long way to eleviate the pain. The worst part atm are build times and the lack of proper incremental tooling.
Another pain point is Java 8 compatibility. There's retrolambda giving us lambdas (and limited default methods), but all the Java 8 APIs are missing. I understand if MS doesn't want to touch that topic though
You already did quite a nice job on emulator performance with your custom emu in Visual Studio
I also can't help with a phone call. If you want info/ideas, do it online in this or other forums.
I use Android NDK low level C code a lot.
NDK integration with Android Studio still sucks.
If you have something like NDK/NativeDevKit integrate it well.