I want to develop an app which I stream basic text information about sports. First of all I believe I need a server which my users connect to see my stream as soon as something new is published. But I don't have an idea about how to build something like that. I did some search on web to find lessons or answers but I wasn't able to find anything useful. If it's true that I need a server, is Java language good to code server's program? Because I only know a little bit of Java.
And I want my app to have a monthly fee. I'm completely new to programming but I guess I need a database to keep track of my user information. Do I have to build my own user membership system - which people register with their e-mails etc- for all this? Is it hard to do that? And again I don't have any source of information about this one too.
I'm lost at this point. I don't know what to search to get some answers. So I'm asking you guys. What do I need to build an app with monthly fee that streams live information? I'm not expecting a full answer here but at least I believe you guys can tell me where to look for answers. Thanks.
While I agree the question is very vague and open (we could write a thesis on the topic in question and everyone will have their own way to complete) my suggestion would be to research the following:
Java - read as much as you can about the language and ensure that you are happy with (or know where you can get access to good helpers) the syntax (you mention that you know a little about Java so that is a good start).
Android programming in general. Look up the Activity lifecycle (The Android documentation is good, read as much as you can, follow the examples and try out the tutorials! https://developer.android.com/training/basics/activity-lifecycle/index.html)
Read up on Firebase; this should make the server side a little simpler (although I have only a parsing knowledge (i.e., none) of Firebase, it looks like it will be a good start). Again walk through the examples / tutorials; do the Hello World and then pull it apart to see if you can figure out how it is holding together.
Then when you have questions (which you will, we all do!) come back and I know that you will get some great help!
Once you have a few applications under your belt (personal 'play' apps) then and only then would I consider looking at the Google Play API (https://developers.google.com/android-publisher/).
Hope this gets you on the starting grid at least! Good luck!
Gav
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I've been programming for over 20 years, but mostly in the VB and SQL. As a side job, I host game shows at local bars and restaurants (Trivia, name that tune, etc.) and I'd like to develop an android app that I can install on mobile devices to give to customers to interact with the game.
I'm trying to make the game shows more interactive than just pen and paper (and time-consuming, manual scoring). I can get Kindle Fires for $40 each, so I thought it would be cool to create an app that will allow the user to do 3 things:
Choose an answer from a list (Multiple choice), and everyone can answer
Buzz in (blocking other users out)
type in an answer
I'd like the tablets to send the responses to a central "hub" or application that will record the answers so it can automatically do the scoring for me. If possible, I'd prefer to be able to have everything connect through an ad hoc wifi network that I would set up on site (that part I know how to do, too).
I'm not looking to have the questions appear on the phone at this point; I have an office-based application that automates a powerpoint presentation based on questions/answers and other parameters imported from a database/spreadsheet. (VBA is nice and easy for me.)
Ideally, the quiz questions would work like this:
I project the answer where everyone can see it.
After announcing the questions, the tablet apps are "activated" and
the user can then select their A, B, C or D answer (or buzz in, or
type an answer depending the type of questions/quiz).
My hub application would then receive the following information:
team/player name, answer choice, time it took to answer the question
(because I'm thinking of using a points tier that gives faster
players get more points, either based on time ).
The catch is, I don't even know where to begin from an android development standpoint, as I have no experience in that realm. In most programming cases, I know keywords to search on, but I'm totally flying blind here.
Does this seem like a feasibly application? There are systems online that I can buy, but the buzzers are expensive and the software has some significant limitations that prevent me from spending the money. I'd rather develop something myself and spend $40 per client unit and load it up with my software.
(Then, of course, license the whole kit and kaboodle and make a mint and retire in 5 years, living the good life off of my pub quiz empire...)
So, if you have any suggestions on starting points, or specific methods and processes to being fiddling with, an IDE...any help would be greatly appreciated. Once I'm up and running, I will reward you with extra points if you ever come to one of my events.
Go full kotlin !
Android works well with Kotlin and you can have a server quickly setup with : https://start.spring.io/#!language=kotlin
https://kotlinlang.org/docs/tutorials/kotlin-android.html
A good client for Android is provided here :
https://github.com/square/retrofit
You will probably have hard time to get started. Using same language for every part of the system will make things easier.
Also, Kotlin is less verbose than Java and will prevent you to make the usual mistakes found in Java world.
Also, if you create an open source project out of it, you may be eligible for IntelliJ.
Your very first stop is : http://try.kotlinlang.org/#/Examples/Hello,%20world!/Simplest%20version/Simplest%20version.kt
Get to know the language by trying it out. When you are in ease with it, start looking at Anko (https://github.com/Kotlin/anko).
To do the project in an easy way, break it down in milestones.
Simple app which shows 4 buttons (choices) and shows a message for each button. (Eg. you clicked "1")
Small server with spring boot. It should display whatever you post to it. (An "echo" server)
Improvement of the simple app to POST something to the server and display the answer in a dialog.
At that point, you application is practically done! You would have understood enough to complete it. The hardest thing would be behind.
Don't think your are smarter than the flock. Do these milestones, at least. You will be thankful to yourself.
This post may seems unrelated, but I explain how good Kotlin can be in such projects : https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-do-android-projects-cost-less-than-ios-christian-baune
I want to make an android application which will display an external message (For example: some quotes, proverbs etc) daily.
The message should be retrieved from some place other than the client device and I would like to configure the messages from back end
These messages should also change everyday.
How should the back end be and how can the android application retrieve the configured message ?
Do I need a server at the back end for the same or can avail some cloud services for the same ?
What is the best approach to do?
If you want to avoid having to set up and manage a server on the backend yourself you can take a look at a 'backend as a service' offering.
Two example candidates are:
https://parse.com
http://aws.amazon.com/lambda/
Both Parse and Amazon provide SDK's to allow you interact with the backend from your Android app.
You will likely want to study this a little to decide if you want this type of solution or to build your own server as Brian suggests - I think there are pros and cons to each approach and you'll have to choose which is best for your case.
Yes, you will need a server. You can start building the server software on the same machine as your Android emulator and create them in parallel. You'll need to choose a language and most likely a web server framework that suits your thought process and style.
If you want to use REST, for instance, google some for "best REST server framework". You will get hundreds of answers that don't mean much, but look at the communities that surround the frameworks that come back. Look at the user lists and how many questions about it exist on this site. That will give you a better idea of whether you can ask questions and get answers when they arise. You are making an investment by learning a framework, spend a little time deciding which one you are going to use, possibly by trying a few of them for a very simple site that returns the kind of data you are looking for.
Other than that, you really need to ask specific questions once you've chosen a language and a framework. Hope that helps.
I know this has been asked before (did not find a straight forward answer) but can I (Or how can I) create and Android App using CSS/HTML/Jquery ?
I will not need to hook into native functions, such as the accelerometer, camera, or even the Toast Messages...I only need to create an app to show a list of names and some details when name is selected, therefore I don't know if it's worth learning to make my life more complicated for something like this.
PS: I need the app to work offline, otherwise I would have just made it with jQuery Mobile and uploaded it on a server.
UPDATE AFTER GETTING DOWNVOTED
Ok, so I get downvotes for this question, probably because it's been asked before, or maybe not, since he/she didn't take the time to write a reason...
Anyway, my point is: I did googled it and searched, but at this moment there are a lot of ads of websites and web apps that will help you do this BUT are they reliable, safe..do they really do the trick or it comes with bugs? That is why I asked the question, to see who used what and what was their experience with it. So yeah, you can downvote me for not trusting every ad and not taking the time to try out everything out there!
Well you can use https://software.intel.com/en-us/html5/tools to develop cross-platform apps. I used it to develop too. It is quite good but it only has one major issue: you can't use php. It also enables you to do on-device testing.
Ok, here we go, I have to develop an application, which has to allow electricty and water bill payment, and naturally it's supposed to generate at the end of the transaction a receipt, I particullary need to know how to transfer data and determine what would be displayed on the reciept.
I'v gone through this forum and i've found out some StarIO android sdk, knowing that I have a weak english, and it's a bit hard for me to figure out what's going on in the starIO's documentation, i would like to know if StarIO's packages' are what I need for this application or I just misunderstood the objective behind it.
Thanks in advance.
Well, if you have to work with a Star printer, then yes, their SDK is the way to go. If not, though, we'd need a lot more details to answer your question fully.
I would like to create a custom open source information management application, that I could adapt to practical needs of a psychiatrist. (and also would really like to avoid inventing the wheel). Could someone advise me what would be a good way to start? I have some amateur programming experience (see below), but I have little experience with java and eclipse (which I have set up with Android SDK plugin on my linux PC).
What I would like to achieve is a simple app where I could relatively easily re-program/rearrange information presenting screens. I would like the major development stages to be something like:
Basic framework of the app is done Main information is added
through the programming environment
basic formatting (bold, color, lists) should be supported
I imagine this would be through HTML/CSS markup Hierarchical (not
too deep) screens with concise information about conditions,
treatments; easy, not too cumbersome navigation is a must.
Possibility to attach own notes from android device
on every piece of information (e.g. on medical condition, on medication,
list of differential diagnoses, etc)
A desktop application that allows for easy adding and editing
of the content
initially could be even sqlite manager or something similar
possibility for adding images,
possibility to add rating scales, which would calculate scores
maybe also possibility to print through some android print driver
* in essence I envision this as a sort of an integrated website with a relatively simple database behind it (sqlite?) running on android. My models would be epocrates and medscape apps, but the content would be more specific to everyday psychiatric practice. It would include aspects of psychological therapies as well.
In about a years time, I think, the content would be interesting enough to see whether the app should go on the market.
My (limited) experience:
I am a MD - a Psychiatrist. I have some amateur development experience (php, html, css, Perl, bash, sed, sql, Access and some time ago - AS/400). I would like to start an app that I could modify as I go - in order to have the most useful info at my fingertips, when I need it in my work. I have considered some databases (e.g. HandDB) but my experience with them is that you get very constricted with their user interface and this hinders fast information retrieval when you need it. Adding information can be clumsy as well.
Why I am asking for help here
Most of tasks above seem pretty standard. I imagine that people with lots of programming experience here, probably would be able to point me towards some information that would help me to get started.
Many thanks for considering this :)
Are you going to develop this app? Everything you mentioned can be easily done by reading the android documentation. Although if its you doing the coding i recommend buying a book
You will find a lot of samples and other support in the android doc
Printing can be also setup using Google Cloud print
If you want to open source your application you can always use google code.
You have asked a really broad question here. But i guess the above information is good to get you started.