Developing Android apps using MoSync and HTML - Other Tools & General Discussion

I'd like to share a very easy way to rapidly create reasonably sophisticated android phone apps using a simple technique I've been working on. The short version: I'm importing complete HTML websites into an open source android IDE and compiling them into .apk's. The resulting apps look good and perform well.
Here's the basic technique:
1: Download and install the free MoSync SDK.
2:Open up your HTML editor and create a multipage website, scaled to phone screen dimensions. Feel free to include phone numbers, links and so on. compile and save it somewhere.
3: Go to the MoSync project folder you're working with, and replace the contents of the "LocalFiles" folder with the copied contents of your compiled website. Be sure to copy all the folders and files from your site over. Once you have done this, either reopen or refresh the conents of the folder in MoSync.
4. Connect your phone ( you can also run in emulation ) and locate it within MoSync, then compile and send the app over. It will install and launch.
... that's really about it. The only thing I've seen so far is that the over apk size can't be larger than 5MB's or so without the phone refusing to launch the app. Your mileage may vary, but this technique is great for folks like me that have solid HTML experience but are somewhat new to Android development and would like to create something simple but functional while they aquire the new Android skills. Hope this was helpful!

Related

How do i develop a C# or C++ app to copy files

Basically what i want to do is what M2DC does.
i want the program to list all the .zip files that are in a certain theme folder and then when you apply the theme, it unzips the file and copies whatever is in that file and copy it to the windows folder.
Please help me.
i know NOTHING about programming.
you dont even need to show me, even if you give me a link that give me the necessary information to help me do so.
btw, i have Visual Studio 2008.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsmobile/default.aspx
that is microsofts windows mobile developer center you may find some stuff there, but if you have no programing experience you may just want to get the developer of m2dc to help you out getting started
best of luck
forgot to mention i already looked there.
good tutorials. just none of which help me in this situation.
kidnamedAlbert said:
Basically what i want to do is what M2DC does.
i want the program to list all the .zip files that are in a certain theme folder and then when you apply the theme, it unzips the file and copies whatever is in that file and copy it to the windows folder.
Please help me.
i know NOTHING about programming.
you dont even need to show me, even if you give me a link that give me the necessary information to help me do so.
btw, i have Visual Studio 2008.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you download the free copy of visual studio?
bedaweed said:
Did you download the free copy of visual studio?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i have the full version
the only reason he would have asked is that you have to have the full version for windows mobile development....
okay well i do.
but im not a programmer so i need some help.
i started trying to jump in just recently, mostly i've just been skinning before so i am in the same boat
this is the c++ library reference, it may provide some help.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cscc687y.aspx
the code should be the same on a pc performing the same operation
so such code exmpls should be fine too
i tried to do some searching but it appears that there is not very many beginners tutorials for windows mobile so I will just put a couple of suggestions out there.
If you have never written code before I would recommend starting with C#
I personally use C++ but that is because I started writing C++ while still in high school before C# even existed. From what I can tell C# would be a much less painful experience that learning c++.
If you are not all that interested in learning the ins and outs of programming I would take a took at mortscript because that basically gives you just about everything that you would need and I just checked the documentation they have everything you need, the ability to unzip files and make a simple gui
Whenever looking about learning a new programming language you will do best to look for a "Hello World" example, whenever I learna new language / platform (like i am currently doing with android) I always look for a hello world example so that I can get something simple up and running
I end up getting a lot of information from http://www.codeproject.com/ and http://www.pocketpcdn.com/ sometimes the information is outdated, but it is usually pretty good.
The latest and greatest programming website is stackoverflow.com You can ask a question and Usually you will get an answer to your question in a day or so.
If you are ever interested in looking at some C++ things you can look at the full M2DC source code by downloading the zip file from the google code page (latest source code). In the zip file there is a sln file somewhere, that is the entire solution for the program. You should be able to open that file with you copy of visual studio and build a fully working copy of M2DC
good luck
How to teach programming in one post...
Well I don't know where to start, Developing C# apps for PPC is similar to developing desktop apps. The best way to learn is to see what others have done and copy across the code you need (Lookup Popfly Development ).
I'd try and find the code for this in a Normal WinForms app to do this and then port it across to the PPC App.
I'd do it in C#. The un-zipping maybe complicated, I'm not sure what ZIP code is in the .Net Compact Framework.
Let me know if you need any help, I might even knock some code together for ya.
Ta
Dave
mpenguin14 said:
i tried to do some searching but it appears that there is not very many beginners tutorials for windows mobile so I will just put a couple of suggestions out there.
If you have never written code before I would recommend starting with C#
I personally use C++ but that is because I started writing C++ while still in high school before C# even existed. From what I can tell C# would be a much less painful experience that learning c++.
If you are not all that interested in learning the ins and outs of programming I would take a took at mortscript because that basically gives you just about everything that you would need and I just checked the documentation they have everything you need, the ability to unzip files and make a simple gui
Whenever looking about learning a new programming language you will do best to look for a "Hello World" example, whenever I learna new language / platform (like i am currently doing with android) I always look for a hello world example so that I can get something simple up and running
I end up getting a lot of information from http://www.codeproject.com/ and http://www.pocketpcdn.com/ sometimes the information is outdated, but it is usually pretty good.
The latest and greatest programming website is stackoverflow.com You can ask a question and Usually you will get an answer to your question in a day or so.
If you are ever interested in looking at some C++ things you can look at the full M2DC source code by downloading the zip file from the google code page (latest source code). In the zip file there is a sln file somewhere, that is the entire solution for the program. You should be able to open that file with you copy of visual studio and build a fully working copy of M2DC
good luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
actually thats the first thing i tried(using m2dc as a template)
but i was super confused.
i tried taking out unessicary things like softkeys, background, internet, etc. but it didnt want to build. and plus, i probably did it all wrong.
if i cant get a good mortscript to do it, ill look into those websites you recommended me.
im in high school right now and im trying to find classing that will teach me some basic programming.
my school is filled with idiots though.
but im moving to a different city, so maybe they can teach me better than i would here.
thanks again.

App Request [zotero browse]

I have a request for an Android developer. I use Zotero for references, and would like to read my journals on my nook color.
Zotero uses an sqlite database to store all the information within zotero. Additionally it attaches pdf's and other documents to the citations in individual directories defined by a unique hashtag for each entry.
I am thinking about copying the entire reference directory, including all the pdf's and sqlite database from my computer to sdcard. Once there we could parse through the database, find articles with search based on the author name, publication year, and journal title. The file path location can be parsed directly from the database information and if integrated properly, should allow you to open the pdf with quick office or any other app just by clicking on it.
I would be able to willing to pay $10-20 for this kind of functionality depending on how difficult it would be to set up. Currently, I am setting up syncs with Evernote and Dropbox, but it just isn't the same.
Someone has already made clients for linux and windows which does basically what I mentioned previously, however it is designed in python. I know python, and would be able to integrate that with android if android-scripting had more advanced functionality, but I don't know java at all.
The linux / windows python based client : http://www.cogsci.nl/gnotero
Am also pretty interested in this. Seems odd to do it in python though, considering that zotero itself is written in java. But you can run python on android, you know. Check out http://code.google.com/p/android-scripting/

[Q] Latex Edition

People,
I don't know about you guys, but as an engineering student I use a lot Latex to produce documents (articles, presentation, reports, etc...). However seems that a good app to latex edition is lacking in the android world. The hard time to deal with a latex document is having a high number of files and sub-files, and need to be compiled in order to get the final result, a pdf ou dvi file.
Testing alternatives, I found that the compile part is easy, since, as done in the iOS, the best alternative to the 1GB program needed is a remote compilation in a server. Some schools have it, some web applications already use it, and even verbetex (the only LaTex app, besides its limitations) use this approach. For instance I leave you a great project, but a little bit stoped this days..
http://dev.latexlab.org/
The main limitations all the apps and web-service present is file manipulation and text editing. Neither can be good in both, wich is essential. The project I showed could be great if, besides google doc integration (allowing cooperation), I could easily manage the file as its possible in http://www.scribtex.com/. However, the best integration in file manager would be using dropbox, where easily one can add files from desktop, or web browser, editing in normal Latex tools, or in the fly in our tablet or webservice.
Besides a webservice seams a good alternative in desktop, android browser is still not so easy to use. So a dedicated interface, wich allows multiples tabs, to edit multiple files, syntax highlighting, files manipulation with integration and sincronization with dropbox, and some other text edition addons with the possible to online compilation in a remote server would be a very nice app for our android, and mostly for TF since it have a dock.
I don't have for now programming knowledge to promote this type of project. Figuring current available apps using dropbox, remote servers, and text manipulation, I assume necessary tools are available, so I let year a challenge to the brilliant guys in XDA, offering me to test, and when finished to buy it (if it would be a generic code editor for differente languages, allow dropbox and ftp integration, for sure that 10 bucks or more would be a good price for start).
Hope some one respond to my call!
I can think of another use for Latex..........
SORRY! HAD TO SAY IT!!!
I also happen to be a student who regularly use LaTeX for academic purposes. In my opinion, the best solution that exists now on the Transformer is using Vim for editing the tex files, and using sftp to upload it to a server and then ssh to compile it. The later parts can be put into one shell script, and can be executed within vim each time you want to compile the file that you are editing.
As to the editor itself, vim is exactly what I use on my regular laptop for LaTeX editing. I can hardly think of any editor better suited for the job (though some might suggest emacs, but that is another story). Someone has compiled vim for android and you can find it by googling "vim android". I have tried it myself and found it quite usable with the dock. You can even use the excellent vim-latex plugin to help you simplify the editing of latex files.
Vim is too hardcore for me I have it already setup, but not all latex guys like to do it in the terminal

[Q] Wanting to start creating homebrew applications.

Ok, so I have no experience of working with any type of coding of development except for Adobe Flash. I don't think that really counts though, nor help me here, but I want to start off by saying that I'm simply a 17 year old.
I want to start development of an app to edit the registry. For example, I got the idea for everytime you click a button on the app, it edits something on the registry. Of course, phones will have to be Interop-Unlocked (Which my Samsung Focus is).
So to get on topic, how may I start creating an app for Windows Phone to edit registry and etc.? As I said before, I really don't have much experience, but I would love to learn and help the community.
Thanks in advance.
Bump up....
Ok, basic first steps: do you have the WP7 SDK? You can get it for free, and you'll need it. It includes the tools to build and deploy apps (compilers and so forth).
The project you're talking about is a bit heavy for a first foray into app development, but you can give it a shot. One of the easier ways (for me, at least) to learn things is to look at what other people did, which in coding usually means looking at open source projects. There are a few open-source apps which access the registry.
For example, my MultiTaskToggle app (linked in my sig) works on Samsung and provides an example of how to read and write a specific registry value.
If you want to browse the registry at all, you'll need something different. This can be done, using COM to call native APIs. Look at the Homebrew library (used by the Webserver projects, among others) or WP7 Advanced Explorer (open source, code is on Codeplex). These types of project have two parts: managed (.NET code, typically in C#) that calls the COM interface, and native (C/C++, written using the Windows Mobile SDK) that implements the COM object.
You may want to do some research online to get started, either here on XDA-Devs (though I think most tutorials here assume at least basic knowledge) or elsewhere (even from MS directly) if you're really starting from scratch.

learning android development

I want to develop android apps.
But first i need informations.
- What is Kotlin? Is that something new. Should i use that? Does it change java. Is that new language that Google uses?
-Should i learn java language to start learning?
- Free e books to learn from it.
- And about making apps.
Does I type every single code to make app or i use various codes from everywhere , just to copy and paste , and type some mine codes, but not all?
-If i learn very good can i work for Google from home or i need to go there and to work in their country ?
There are some tutorials available, mostly for specific tasks or problems.
If you have no previous coding experience you will have a hard time though.
APK files are usually signed ZIP files, so you can unpack them on your computer and check what is actually inside.
Copy and paste works for some things but the main work will be done either by hand or with the use of dedicated coding programs, depending on the language used.
The comes the compiling and all the required things to make the siged ZIP file.
Using an emulator certainly helps too.

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