Database Users

What Programming Language should i learn first??

im a noob to programming and since school is now over i would like to get started with some android dev. But first want to learn a Computer language, which one would be ideal for Android Dev?

It's not hard at all I don't know any languages and I made my own rom I have advanced knowledge in cmd though, but I guess if you had to pick on I see a lot of XML documents so try that.

c++ hands down.
EDIT:
Wait didn't read all of your post.
Android apps are written in Java...end of story.
There is a MonoDev thingy somewhere that lets you write in C# and convert...but I am not sure how well that will work.
To get started in programming and actually have a comprehension of what you are doing. c++ and console apps.
You can't do GUI until you understand what is going on in the background.
EDIT #2:
Beers are getting to me, and I am gettin lng winded.:
Google Dev site has a VERY good tutorial on setting up Eclipse (The prefered Android Dev IDE) and also some decent tutorials on writing an app.
Hello World doesn;t count in Android, Elcipse write the whole dam program for you by detalt.

english ftw

Kcarpenter said:
c++ hands down.
EDIT:
Wait didn't read all of your post.
Android apps are written in Java...end of story.
There is a MonoDev thingy somewhere that lets you write in C# and convert...but I am not sure how well that will work.
To get started in programming and actually have a comprehension of what you are doing. c++ and console apps.
You can't do GUI until you understand what is going on in the background.
EDIT #2:
Beers are getting to me, and I am gettin lng winded.:
Google Dev site has a VERY good tutorial on setting up Eclipse (The prefered Android Dev IDE) and also some decent tutorials on writing an app.
Hello World doesn;t count in Android, Elcipse write the whole dam program for you by detalt.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ok so java is the way to go, then from there learn c++ ??

did not know that google mobile apps where created using JAVA.
cool...
Kcarpenter said:
c++ hands down.
EDIT:
Wait didn't read all of your post.
Android apps are written in Java...end of story.
There is a MonoDev thingy somewhere that lets you write in C# and convert...but I am not sure how well that will work.
To get started in programming and actually have a comprehension of what you are doing. c++ and console apps.
You can't do GUI until you understand what is going on in the background.
EDIT #2:
Beers are getting to me, and I am gettin lng winded.:
Google Dev site has a VERY good tutorial on setting up Eclipse (The prefered Android Dev IDE) and also some decent tutorials on writing an app.
Hello World doesn;t count in Android, Elcipse write the whole dam program for you by detalt.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Julianmgn said:
ok so java is the way to go, then from there learn c++ ??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
C++ should be anyones first language. It forces you to use your head and the compiler does very litte for you.
If you don't have any care to do any other type of programming your life..or make a career out of it...sure just learn Java...
Theory works the same for all languages...but C++ forces you to be a [email protected] Very unforgiving...more forgiving than plain C...but still.

Kcarpenter said:
C++ should be anyones first language. It forces you to use your head and the compiler does very litte for you.
If you don't have any care to do any other type of programming your life..or make a career out of it...sure just learn Java...
Theory works the same for all languages...but C++ forces you to be a [email protected] Very unforgiving...more forgiving than plain C...but still.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thank you sir you've been most helpful and i do plan on making a career out of this...i just wanted to know what i should start with to put my foot through the door...thanks

Kcarpenter said:
C++ should be anyones first language. It forces you to use your head and the compiler does very litte for you.
If you don't have any care to do any other type of programming your life..or make a career out of it...sure just learn Java...
Theory works the same for all languages...but C++ forces you to be a [email protected] Very unforgiving...more forgiving than plain C...but still.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Completely agree. My first formal language was C, then C++. Do object oriented C++ first, because it will make you appreciate Java. I am a Java/J2EE dev, but my data structures class was in OO C++ and I am thankful for every day I can write Java and not have to worry about pointers, memory allocation and segmentation faults. I have done some embedded C, which is the other end of the spectrum cause you are doing everything by direct addressing of memory, which is also kinda fun.
If you want to go straight into Android development, than yes you can make the jump to Java, and the SDK does allow for both XML based UI design, and Swing-like. Just make sure you read up on garbage collection within the JRE(Make sure you understand what weak and soft referances are) and also there are some talks from Google IO in the past years that touch on some good practices.
BTW, XML is not a programming language, it is a markup language. It is most commonly used in serializing data, mostly because it too is object oriented. One alternative to XML that is becoming more popular due to the increasing amount of AJAX applications is JSON. Also, if you do any XML parsing, make sure you know the difference between a DOM based parser(JDOM) and an event-based parser(SAX), using the right one can drastically increase performance.

lineman78 said:
Completely agree. My first formal language was C, then C++. Do object oriented C++ first, because it will make you appreciate Java. I am a Java/J2EE dev, but my data structures class was in OO C++ and I am thankful for every day I can write Java and not have to worry about pointers, memory allocation and segmentation faults. I have done some embedded C, which is the other end of the spectrum cause you are doing everything by direct addressing of memory, which is also kinda fun.
If you want to go straight into Android development, than yes you can make the jump to Java, and the SDK does allow for both XML based UI design, and Swing-like. Just make sure you read up on garbage collection within the JRE(Make sure you understand what weak and soft referances are) and also there are some talks from Google IO in the past years that touch on some good practices.
BTW, XML is not a programming language, it is a markup language. It is most commonly used in serializing data, mostly because it too is object oriented. One alternative to XML that is becoming more popular due to the increasing amount of AJAX applications is JSON. Also, if you do any XML parsing, make sure you know the difference between a DOM based parser(JDOM) and an event-based parser(SAX), using the right one can drastically increase performance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thank you sir's, i will then start on c++ right away lol...well tomorrow haha
yeah cuz this is my career path of choice and i now know how to get started thank u lol

If you wanted to get started in programming apps for Android then you might as well start with Java since that is what it uses and will get you going the quickest.
If programming is something you would like to pursue then I would recommend a slightly different longer route.
First and foremost is stay away from doing anything visual. You want to just program console apps. The visual GUIs come later after you have an understanding of programing and it will only confuse you this early on.
For a complete newbie I would recommend playing around with some form of BASIC. You don't really need to but I feel it helps to start understand the ideas of programming.
From there I would highly recommend regular old C. C code will actually work in C++ but I recommend C so that you stay away from some of the stuff in C++. Mainly the Object Oriented parts of C++.
First you need to learn about data types, variables, arrays, loops, and functions.
After that then I would recommend jumping into C++ for a little bit to program some classes. Just to understand classes a little bit. Then I think move over to Java to start to fully understand object oriented programing and learn more about problem solving, algorithms, recursion.
And then after that... well, by that point you probably will know where you should be headed but it will probably involve going back to c/c++ for some more advanced programing, optimization, a better understanding of how everything works down to the compiler and OS level interprocess communications.

centran said:
If you wanted to get started in programming apps for Android then you might as well start with Java since that is what it uses and will get you going the quickest.
If programming is something you would like to pursue then I would recommend a slightly different longer route.
First and foremost is stay away from doing anything visual. You want to just program console apps. The visual GUIs come later after you have an understanding of programing and it will only confuse you this early on.
For a complete newbie I would recommend playing around with some form of BASIC. You don't really need to but I feel it helps to start understand the ideas of programming.
From there I would highly recommend regular old C. C code will actually work in C++ but I recommend C so that you stay away from some of the stuff in C++. Mainly the Object Oriented parts of C++.
First you need to learn about data types, variables, arrays, loops, and functions.
After that then I would recommend jumping into C++ for a little bit to program some classes. Just to understand classes a little bit. Then I think move over to Java to start to fully understand object oriented programing and learn more about problem solving, algorithms, recursion.
And then after that... well, by that point you probably will know where you should be headed but it will probably involve going back to c/c++ for some more advanced programing, optimization, a better understanding of how everything works down to the compiler and OS level interprocess communications.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that makes sense...thank you sir very helpful but do u think it would be ok if i just jump into C then C++

Julianmgn said:
thank you sir's, i will then start on c++ right away lol...well tomorrow haha
yeah cuz this is my career path of choice and i now know how to get started thank u lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't bother trying to figure out any of the C++ graphics languages, just do some programs with command line interfaces. I would also suggest that once you figure out the basics that you concentrate on object oriented C++ as it will make for an easier transition to Java, but you should also learn the difference in pass by reference and pass by value, which also involves learning about pointers. Also, learn make early on as it will make compilation easier. The Java equivalent to make is Ant when you get there.
This seems to be an okay book to get you started.
I wouldnt suggest working on all data structures, concentrate on some of the more common ones like linked lists and b-trees. In Java, a lot of these are already implemented, but it is good to know how they work. If you want a real challenge try and do a skip list. It is very difficult, but if implemented correctly you should be able to take a file filled with millions of data points of randomized data, read it in and index it for instantaneous search in under a minute.

Julianmgn said:
that makes sense...thank you sir very helpful but do u think it would be ok if i just jump into C then C++
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That should be fine. Stick to C to learn the basic stuff and then you can then learn some of the object oriented stuff in C++ like classes. That will help you when you move over to Java. You can then start to learn the more complicated stuff.
Like lineman78 said, Java implements some complicated data structures like stacks and linked lists and a bunch of others. Do not use those! When you are making the leap from C++ to Java you are doing so to learn to code those things for yourself.
Oh, and don't let people put you off to C. If you are sticking to the very basics I feel it is a good way to start. Then after you learn a bunch of stuff you can come back to C to learn some of the harder stuff.

centran said:
That should be fine. Stick to C to learn the basic stuff and then you can then learn some of the object oriented stuff in C++ like classes. That will help you when you move over to Java. You can then start to learn the more complicated stuff.
Like lineman78 said, Java implements some complicated data structures like stacks and linked lists and a bunch of others. Do not use those! When you are making the leap from C++ to Java you are doing so to learn to code those things for yourself.
Oh, and don't let people put you off to C. If you are sticking to the very basics I feel it is a good way to start. Then after you learn a bunch of stuff you can come back to C to learn some of the harder stuff.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thank you and to all of u for ur help...C it is then C++ then java lol

These are my sole opinions and no one else's, take this as you will.
With programming, you shouldn't be bound to a specific language when you first begin; rather you want to learn the semantics and syntax of programming. Whether you start with C++, C, or Java shouldn't make too much of a difference, especially since all three languages are essentially all derivatives of each other.
Java is the highest level language and as such is considered to be a standard language all CS/MIS students have to take nowadays. When I was freshmen in college, I started with C++, but the very next semester -- the CS/MIS department said that C++ would stop being offered and that Java would take its place as a beginner level course.
I'm not saying C++ isn't still used to, because that's not even remotely true; however almost all Universities now teach Java as a beginner CS course for new students, mainly because it's a high level language and it allows for students to learn OOP (Object Oriented programming).
Since your end goal is to develop applications for Android, it's probably best you learn Java, since all the Android apps are built using Java and XML.
Your best resource is the Internet.
You can find University Lectures all over the web. The OpenCourseWare project has grown a lot and allows for the entire world to get an education. For FREE. If you don't know it is, you can go HERE to read more. Basically though, it's a collaboration of the top Universities (MIT, Standard, CIT, Harvard, etc) to provide there coursework and almost all classes they offer to the world. These universities record all there lectures and host them either on their sites or on Youtube. They also provide all the materials you'll need to learn alongside everyone else, as if you were in the classroom yourself. You can go at your own pace; stop, rewind, pause the video if you're stuck, and take as long as you want on the assignments. It's a great way to self-teach yourself programming; plus the Internet will most definitely give you the answer to any questions you get stuck on.
I'm currently doing the Beginner Java course that Stanford is offering (as a refresher). The professor that teaches the course is exceptional and you'll see that my sentiment is echoed in the comments section on Youtube. Stanford's way of teaching Java and especially OOP allows new students to slowly, but surely grasp the OOP concepts (as they can be a little difficult to understand at times). You should benefit from this, just make sure you follow through and do it.
Stanford Java Course
Here's a list of other helpful resouces:
Cosmolearning - Intro to CS
All of MIT's CS Lectures
Google Books -- You'll find endless amounts of books, just search the language you want to learn and have a go.
Good luck.

I was a computer science major for one semester. lol. We started with Java.

the CS/MIS department said that C++ would stop being offered and that Java would take its place as a beginner level course.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My university started allowing students to use Java, but still taught in Contrast++ after I finished. It is 2 different teaching styles, and I prefer low level first because it makes you think about things that when you go to a high level language like Java become trivial but useful in optimization. Granted, it is a steeper learning curve this way and I can see why someone would argue that starting with a higher level language is a better approach. But there are things a lot of people do wrong in Java because they don't understand the basics. The most common result is a memory leak or concurrent modification exceptions. Personally, my path was TI-83 programming, BASIC, C, PHP, OO C++, Perl, Java, Javascript.
-------------------------------------
Sent via the XDA Tapatalk App

my progrmmaing path was:
C -> C++ -> Java
also learned
vb,Vb.net and C#.net ,Java Script,PHP
I would recommend starting with C++ (with atleast basics )and then switch over to Java.

go to EDUmobile.org. They offer an Android development program for about 200 bucks with certification ath the end. They also offer iphone.

[Q] Newbie wanting advice on developing

I am wanting to possibly get into developing for android and learning. I have a spare pc that i put together just for this purpose. I also have a spare vibrant that i can mess around with and is not my daily driver.
I have a few questions.
1. Is windows of ubuntu better for developing because i will learn linux if need be.
2. Is there somewhere i can go to just get the basics of how to use the dev tools and make apps in the future.
I know this is pretty broad, but this forum has the best developers on the internet.
Any opinion or suggestions are welcomed. Thanks

1. Windows works fine for me. You will be programming in JAVA. Java is a universal language pretty much. Android is based on linux so learning the files system and all that jazz will be easier if you are familiar with linux, but it's not necessary. Just download Eclipse and the Android SDK and you'll be on your way.
2. http://developer.android.com/index.html is a good place to start. Also maybe check out some Java tutorials on youtube. I found thenewboston to have some pretty good tutorials.

From the king:
Some advice..

Thank you so much. I searched but didn't see that. Programming I will learn.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

There isn't any reason to use a spare PC, nothing about Android programming will have any serious impact on your regular PC.
The cyanogen post linked above was directed at people who thought they'd just jump into ROM development from scratch. His point being, that's not a very good approach. That's like deciding you're going to open an auto repair shop without learning to drive, first. And in the same way the advice, "Learn to drive, first," isn't actually instructions about how to drive, his post isn't actually instructions about learning the basics of Android development.
What other kinds of development experience do you have?

I have absolutely no experience developing anything at the moment. Im getting my stuff together to try and learn to do this. The reason for another pc is i have more than one person in the house and my main pc can get virus filled somehow and i have to format. I dont want to lose my work.

Then I would not personally recommend a phone platform for learning purposes. (I have 30 years of dev experience using nearly everything you can imagine.)
Pick something with fewer quirks and an easier learning curve to get your feet wet. There are two parts to programming. One is the nuts-and-bolts stuff, like how your dev environment works and so on. That will change from platform to platform and language to language. The other is the conceptual stuff, how to design programs, the general concepts of looping and if statements and variables and arrays, along with object oriented concepts. These are generally transferable to all of your dev work. Each platform and language has quirks (like Android's Intents) but they usually have some abstract equivalent, and when they don't, if you have sufficient generalized experience then picking them up won't be hard.
Hell, these days I'd say create an HTML file on your desktop and start fiddling with Javascript as a starting point. That'll at least start exposing you to some of the important basic generic concepts and all the tools are still free. (Not that Javascript is a good language -- it's awful, and if you spend too much time with it you'll learn bad habits -- but it makes a super-easy and very forgiving starting point.)

I want to be an Android developer when I grow up.

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.

[Q] Learning to Dev

I have been a member of XDA for a while and now I want to contribute. I have a basic understanding of computers and want to learn more. Obviously our greatest devs were not born devs they had to learn everything from somewhere. I'm looking for suggestions on where to start on the road to become the best dev I can be. Keep in mind I'm flat broke so I cannot hit up the local bookstore or download any paid software, but with the way the internet is today there must a free legitimate source for everything somewhere. So anyone willing to help a noob If I posted in the wrong section please kindly redirect me rather than flame me. Thanks in advance.

It all depends on what you want to contribute. I'm a beginner myself (only developing since august). It is easy to learn Java, for the most part. I would suggest heading over to http://developer.android.com/index.html for starters. There are many examples and if you want to know something specific, try using the search bar at the top right (it comes in handy). I have already published an app, a simple one, but still an application none the less. I am working on two other projects simultaneously (a live wallpaper and a home-replacement app). You can come to my website http://futurinnovations.blogspot.com/ to see what I'm working on. I am still in the process of learning, and being in college slows things down a bit. Just make sure not to give up. If your stuck, ask someone (or everyone) on forums like this.

Futur Innovations said:
It all depends on what you want to contribute. I'm a beginner myself (only developing since august). It is easy to learn Java, for the most part. I would suggest heading over to http://developer.android.com/index.html for starters. There are many examples and if you want to know something specific, try using the search bar at the top right (it comes in handy). I have already published an app, a simple one, but still an application none the less. I am working on two other projects simultaneously (a live wallpaper and a home-replacement app). You can come to my website http://futurinnovations.blogspot.com/ to see what I'm working on. I am still in the process of learning, and being in college slows things down a bit. Just make sure not to give up. If your stuck, ask someone (or everyone) on forums like this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I forgot to mention I want to learn to dev for Android. I want to start out with simple apps then work my way up to building/porting roms. Also I just downloaded the Java JDK and am using Java's "Greenfoot" Tutorial to get started since I have no experience with Java. And I will be sure to check out your blog and thank you for the reply.

porting and building is something far different from app development...you have to know much more if you want to work with kernel,drivers,basically you have to know everything from hardware level to user level (if you want to be top of the class)...good luck

farukb said:
porting and building is something far different from app development...you have to know much more if you want to work with kernel,drivers,basically you have to know everything from hardware level to user level (if you want to be top of the class)...good luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well we all gotta start somewhere. Now is probably a good time for me as I'm only 18 and a senior in high school. Since I don't have a job at the moment I have plenty of free time after school and on weekends.

I'm only 18 myself. I started straight with downloading Eclipse and all of the appropriate software for developing and just dove in. I would recommend watching these tutorials: http://www.xtensivearts.com/topics/tutorials/. They helped me A LOT. I am taking a programming in C class in the spring semster, which I am looking forward to. Programming in Java for Android is different than regular programming. It's the same concepts, just different APIs and tools. I like using Eclipse because it is easy to learn and get used to. There are a lot of fancy features like a type of autocorrect (not like on the phone, but smarter). Like you said, just start from the basics, like "Hello World" (Hello Android) and practice creating different layouts using the tutorials given on the Developer site. Explore the site and look through everything because eventually you may need to know where its located for quick access. Just don't set too high of goals for yourself, other wise you might be more prone to give up (like I almost did). Good luck

Im in ths same boat as you we got to start somewhere

mit have a fantastic course in computer science online.
search for MIT open courseware then introduction to computer science.
I'm on 10 now, getting very complicated

crowstar said:
mit have a fantastic course in computer science online.
search for MIT open courseware then introduction to computer science.
I'm on 10 now, getting very complicated
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks bro I'm checking out that MIT course right now it looks really helpfull

This is a great starting point for Android development, as it deals quite well with getting the Android SDK and Eclipse IDE set up and working together.
http://www.vogella.de/articles/Android/article.html

Futur Innovations said:
I'm only 18 myself. I started straight with downloading Eclipse and all of the appropriate software for developing and just dove in. I would recommend watching these tutorials: http://www.xtensivearts.com/topics/tutorials/. They helped me A LOT. I am taking a programming in C class in the spring semster, which I am looking forward to. Programming in Java for Android is different than regular programming. It's the same concepts, just different APIs and tools. I like using Eclipse because it is easy to learn and get used to. There are a lot of fancy features like a type of autocorrect (not like on the phone, but smarter). Like you said, just start from the basics, like "Hello World" (Hello Android) and practice creating different layouts using the tutorials given on the Developer site. Explore the site and look through everything because eventually you may need to know where its located for quick access. Just don't set too high of goals for yourself, other wise you might be more prone to give up (like I almost did). Good luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, I'm 24. And I learn how to 'program' since 14-15.
It's easy to write apps for Android. But it's hard to write good apps.
You should take Software Engineering course (NOT Computer Science course).
If you take CS (Computer Science) course, than you will learn mainly about algorithm.
But if you enter SE (Software Engineering) course, you will learn about SDLC, software QA/testing, and planning to write programs for living
:-D

I personally don't like eclipse, it's just bloated IDE :-(
I use SciTE, apache ant, MinGW/MSYS (GCC 4.5.0), Java SDK, ActivePerl, Dev-C++ IDE. That's should be enough for development :-D

I will see if there are any software engineer classes at the college I am attending. If so, then I will sign up for it. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. Is taking the programming class still beneficial?
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App

Futur Innovations said:
Is taking the programming class still beneficial?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd really recommend a class if it's a viable option. It will help you understand object oriented programming, where just working through examples won't actually teach you how to understand what you're doing. Things like classes, inheritance and polymorphism are pretty difficult principles to grasp unless you've got someone to explain them to you. Then it's pretty easy.

[Q] Suggestions for tablet app dev tools?

I'm looking for a simplified approach to tablet development for the a500. I'm currently looking into flash builder ( seems like I need the full Adobe suite to really leverage it, so too much $ ). I'm dabbling in Eclipse, but am not too psyched about learning a new IDE. I grabbed the Mono for Android trial but it's not really ready for tablets as of yet. I've been building in the Buzztouch interface, exporting and recompiling in Eclipse with some success, but it's really not tablet focused. It seems like the app Inventor isn't ready for tablets either.
Has anyone encountered a tablet-centric toolset out there? I'm looking for only very simple functionality, nothing elaborate needed. Honestly, if it even supported simple HTML iFrames I could get by with it. I'm fine with web based tools if needed, maybe something with templates for the Acer, Xoom, and so on... I can work in VS 20xx, Eclipse if I have to. any suggestions would be really appreciated. thanks!

My suggestion is to use eclipse and official SDK. Because when you use third-party tools or workarounds like flash/htlm, your apps look non-native, break when the user updates his device with a newer os and. It causes a lot of frustrations - people hate such apps and recommend all their friends not to use them. At least I always do.
So I advise you to learn java and eclipse. You may even have to use these tools from time to time not only for android because java no matter how it sucks is everywhere. Besides, you get a lot of advantages when using sdk and java api like saving settings, gettinge events like app close/hibernate and so on. The learning curve may differ from flash but java is certainly much more useful. Although given that you know C# (as you're suggesting mono) and javascript/actionscript (as you're using flash) learning Java will be easier, although Java is corporate crap built on spike solutions and rejecting progressive stuff.
Actually you should ask mods to move this thread to android development or off-topic. I am sure you more people will share their opinions on the matter there

thank you for your reply... you are right, the smart thing to do is stop whining and learn the tools C# C++, flash ... I guess the idea of having to learn something else isn't the end of the world, but I was hoping a toolset would lighten the load a bit. thanks again

angus454 said:
thank you for your reply... you are right, the smart thing to do is stop whining and learn the tools C# C++, flash ... I guess the idea of having to learn something else isn't the end of the world, but I was hoping a toolset would lighten the load a bit. thanks again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
pssst.. hit that thanks button for sp3dev.

angus454 said:
thank you for your reply... you are right, the smart thing to do is stop whining and learn the tools C# C++, flash ... I guess the idea of having to learn something else isn't the end of the world, but I was hoping a toolset would lighten the load a bit. thanks again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think his suggestion was for you to learn C / C++ or flash. Based on your OP, he figured you might know them well and that knowing them might help ease the learning curve learning Java. You will still have to learn it though.
As he rightly said, for an uninterrupted user experience, always stick to the native development tools. No easy way out unfortunately.

you know, I should just write the program myself and release it up here for others to benefit from... thanks for the thank reminder; done!