Hi everyone! I'm currently doing some work experience in London and the trainers have asked if I can make an app... I have an idea on what I want the app to do, so I have spent the day doing an presentation page for tomorrow.

So, I've been advised to look on one site by Rob, which is PhoneGap. but I still don't know what I need to do.

I've got a MacBook so I'd need a software that is mac compatible when generating my app for Android / BlackBerry/ iPhone. maybe windows etc...

All the codes confused the hell out of me! I thought it would be an easy Design, Place, Choose action, Export etc...

As for download content ie e-cards, and BIM Content that will be the tricky bit, I'd want the download process to stay within the app, so the user can still brows the app. a little like Google Play aka Android Market

I'd also like a live news feed, so someone in the office can update a blog and it will link up to the Project news of some sort.

Here's the image so you can get an idea on how I want the app to flow.

I think I've explained the basics of what I need.

Thanks for your time, I hope togehter we can make an app work!

Do you have any coding experience?

If not, you're probably gonna struggle big time.

I've used flash basics for 4 weeks at uni about 3 years ago!

I know how to use 3d programs, photoshop, but coding... its so daunting!

I've used flash basics for 4 weeks at uni about 3 years ago!

I know how to use 3d programs, photoshop, but coding... its so daunting!

Yeah you'll probably struggle. I used to do some coding, but I don't even know what language phone apps are coded in. How long do you have to make it?

Do you have any coding experience?

If not, you're probably gonna struggle big time.

^ Sorry I didn't give you a better response Leon. I have been really busy what with leaving uni and starting work within a day.

If you don't have any code experience it is going to be hard. I'm happy to help if you do get stuck - The best way would be to watch some videos. When I learnt how to develop I used:

http://thenewboston.org/

This is probably the best website, I would suggest you do the videos and then try to apply it to your designs. Any time constraint on this one?

Yeah you'll probably struggle. I used to do some coding, but I don't even know what language phone apps are coded in. How long do you have to make it?

There's no deadline, but I'm only there for another 4 weeks...so best before then!!

^ Sorry I didn't give you a better response Leon. I have been really busy what with leaving uni and starting work within a day.

If you don't have any code experience it is going to be hard. I'm happy to help if you do get stuck - The best way would be to watch some videos. When I learnt how to develop I used:

http://thenewboston.org/

This is probably the best website, I would suggest you do the videos and then try to apply it to your designs. Any time constraint on this one?

Ahh Rob, thanks, I will take a look and see how it goes from there. As for time constraints, I'd like to make it before I finish my training.

AFAIK there is no wizard for building phone apps so you'd have to get your hands dirty with some level of coding. To make matters worse, last time I checked, Android, iPhone and Windows all used different languages to create applications (Java, Objective-C and .NET respectively). You'll also need to be familiar with XML for layout of the User Interface, management of resources, etc.

4 weeks is a tall order, but by no means impossible and as Rob points out there are lots of tutorials out there. I'd suggest picking one platform to start with - easiest one will be the one you have so you can easily test the app - and looking for books/tutorials on it. I'm most familiar with the Android platform and there are quite a few Dummies books for Java and for Android programming that are well written and give real-world examples that should be useful. You'll also want to install Eclipse as your development environment (imho ) if you go down that route.

If you go for Android, give me a shout and I'll happily help wherever I can...

Chris

Edited 20 May, 201214 yr by ScoobyChris

I have some bookmarked apps that will help but they're not free for commercial users.

All web based wizards.

AFAIK there is no wizard for building phone apps so you'd have to get your hands dirty with some level of coding. To make matters worse, last time I checked, Android, iPhone and Windows all used different languages to create applications (Java, Objective-C and .NET respectively). You'll also need to be familiar with XML for layout of the User Interface, management of resources, etc.

4 weeks is a tall order, but by no means impossible and as Rob points out there are lots of tutorials out there. I'd suggest picking one platform to start with - easiest one will be the one you have so you can easily test the app - and looking for books/tutorials on it. I'm most familiar with the Android platform and there are quite a few Dummies books for Java and for Android programming that are well written and give real-world examples that should be useful. You'll also want to install Eclipse as your development environment (imho ) if you go down that route.

If you go for Android, give me a shout and I'll happily help wherever I can...

Chris

Wow, I really wish there was a App wizard embedded within Flash or something. I know there's an iPhone template on cs5 but I don't know much! as for all the rest of programs and other things I'm going to have to do it in small steps, get to know the stuff and see where I can go from there. I will be in touch for help no doubt!!

Thanks for your help guys!

If you want to develop for Android, you could try something like the App Inventor - http://beta.appinventor.mit.edu

It was a former Google project, but they closed it down and it's now hosted by MIT, it's about the most "wizardy" thing I know of!

Thats more like what I'm looking for! but I'm guessing the app wizard is only for droid!

@ Rob - That looks like a cracking site.

Try buzz touch.

Are you after a multi-format app or targeting one phone/platform?

I'd suggest a HTML5 web app. Distribution is harder, but project times will be dramatically reduced. Plus you won't need to learn Objective C if you're after iOS.

Plus you're looking at at least £100 for a developer account to distribute a native iOS app unless you're installing on a jailbroken device.

You can then use PhoneGap at a later date if you want to package the HTML5 app as a native one and put it on the AppStore.

Check out jQTouch/iUI etc. and you'll have a prototype up and running using HTML5/JS/CSS3 a lot quicker than trying the XCode/Appcelerator/Objective C pathway?

Just out of interest what would make the people you are working for believe you are capable of creating an app in 4 weeks without a software development background?

Yes you could probably knock something together in a few weeks but without asking all sorts of questions such as what platforms does it need to run on and what external data sources does it need to connect to you will not be able to make the correct coding decisions. For example there is no point in developing an app that is Flash based to run in an iOS environment.

Just the language used in this conversation tells me you don't stand a chance.

As harsh as it is to say, and I apologise for thinking this way - and I intend no offence, but I agree with above. You might want to read what I'm putting here...

You would need to invest significant time and effort into learning how to program, as well as the finer points of app design and learning the framework specifics (i.e. iOS/Objective-C). It's not something you can pick up in matter of days or even weeks. With all due respect, it is highly naive of you to think that you can write an app simply by using a wizard. That's the problem with programming - people think it's easy and it's all done for you! There's a massive misunderstanding between software development and the rest of the commercial world. To put it into perspective, I've been a software developer professionally for 4-5 years now (and a tinkerer before hand) and I'm only just picking up iOS development. Objective C is a very different language to many I've coded in before (I'm proficient in C++, PHP and a bit of Java). Bear in mind that I've probably spent 15-20 hours working through an iOS development book as well, and I'm starting to get the hang of the variety of UI elements, multiple views, outlets, IB actions, etc. Language wise, objective C has a highly esoteric syntax that I'm only just adjusting to, and Cocoa Touch provides a simply huge API of assorted functionality. (I liken being able to program as being able to play an instrument - once you can program and know the theory, methodology, logic and can think like a programmer (read music), it's just the specifics of learning the specifics of each language and associated frameworks and codebases (playing each instrument).

I think it is highly irresponsible, unrealistic and unprofessional for your employer to set you this task or expect you to do it. It's like giving someone the task of designing and building a house who has no knowledge of architecture, engineering or bricklaying skills. Yes, it is just like that. You also need to appreciate that developers who can specialise in multiple mobile platforms are a rarity. It's crazy to think you can write the same app for multiple platforms, singlehandedly. Such the task would usually be the achievement of a small team.

tl;dr - you should probably go back to your employer, and don't be afraid to tell them "no!" this isn't doable. They really should consider hiring a professional in the field.

On the other hand, if you wish to ignore my advice, I would recommend that you learn first to program. Be very careful where you choose to do this. Try and dive straight in at the deep end - learn C++. Most other higher level languages would then come easier. Find a C++ book on Amazon with good reviews. Once you've mastered the basics and are happy using data types and structures procedurally, you would need to become extremely comfortable with Object Orientation as quickly as possible (inheritance, composition, polymorphism). And then I would recommend grasping various design patterns - MVC (Model View Controller) is a must for iOS. Book wise for iOS, I would recommend this one. Also check out the Stanford University iTunes U iOS lectures by Paul Heggarty. You could jump straight into Objective-C/XCode but I would not recommend this in the slightest. You will be hugely confused by everything and would be very limited in what you could achieve.

I hope I haven't caused any offense - this has not been my intention. All the best.

The most important thing is to know what your app will do, if your still unsure its a waste of time doing anything else.

As fas a s I knew you have to be in the Apple developed forum to produce an app and thats about $99 a year and also download Apples SDK (software development kit) so NO coding experience is needed.

Its designed to be easy with no programming experience, that way people with good ideas can still develop apps.

Check with Apple though, and there is info here................... https://developer.apple.com/programs/ios/

No idea about Android apps. Good luck.

Just the language used in this conversation tells me you don't stand a chance.

Be interested to know why they were asked

Presumption by the employer of skills, or over selling skills on their CV as a coder?

It'd be easier to bow out gracefully and admit its out of your relm unless you've told them you can/have done it before?

As fas a s I knew you have to be in the Apple developed forum to produce an app and thats about $99 a year and also download Apples SDK (software development kit) so NO coding experience is needed.

The SDK provides an IDE so you can write your source code so coding experience is pretty much essential unless you want to create an app that looks nice (but doesn't do anything. Imho

Chris

...Lots of very sound advice....

Couldn't agree more and the big problem with wizards is that they generate unwieldy, enefficient code which is a pain to maintain and debug because it's not written by someone who knew what the intention was.

<Thread tangent> The best programmers will come from (relatively) low-level languages and have an understanding of how instructions relate to the computer and which operations are expensive and why. Most of the more higher level languages allow rapid application development (including GUIs) but take away a lot of the more interesting bits like memory management and pointer manipulation which makes for more efficient code. I think it would be brave man that decided to learn C++ as a first language </Thread tangent>

Chris

Couldn't agree more and the big problem with wizards is that they generate unwieldy, enefficient code which is a pain to maintain and debug because it's not written by someone who knew what the intention was.

<Thread tangent> The best programmers will come from (relatively) low-level languages and have an understanding of how instructions relate to the computer and which operations are expensive and why. Most of the more higher level languages allow rapid application development (including GUIs) but take away a lot of the more interesting bits like memory management and pointer manipulation which makes for more efficient code. I think it would be brave man that decided to learn C++ as a first language </Thread tangent>

Chris

You raise a great point about "wizards", and quantify their inefficiency perfectly. I certainly do agree with your point regarding being brave to start with C++! I have found however that the most important concepts of programming and indeed computer science only started to click for me when I learnt C++. I'm talking about memory management at a granular level, how things are actually stored in memory and what I would call "hardcore" object orientation.

But, we digress