Ultimate list of Libraries for AppStudio

Posted on June 14, 2013 by George Henne

JSDB is a collection of the best JavaScript libraries on the net: at last count, more than 300 are listed.

You should be able to use any of them with AppStudio. After all, if you can do something in JavaScript, you can do it in AppStudio.

The libraries can be used from JavaScript or BASIC: the functions they add to your app become part of your program.

Read more about using JavaScript libraries in Using JavaScript in your App.

Visit the JavaScript Library database here: http://www.jsdb.io.

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AppStudio 3.1.3 released!

Posted on June 13, 2013 by George Henne

We have just uploaded 3.1.3 to the servers. It has enhancements as well as fixes.

You can download the new version from Check for Updates under the Help menu.

3.1.3

  1. Controls: New Line control.
  2. Controls: Audio and Video now use File picker instead of image picker.
  3. Controls: Grid now defaults to scrollable, auto width.
  4. Controls: Grid now has right and bottom properties.
  5. Controls: Image control percent sizing fixed.
  6. Controls: jQM TextArea background color can now be set.
  7. Controls: Make fullscreen=true the default for forms.
  8. Controls: NSB.MsgBox – Suppress heading line if blank on Android.
  9. Controls: jqxCalender: error message fixed.
  10. Find: Do not search for empty find string.
  11. IDE: Check for Updates improved.
  12. IDE: Do not validate again once serial number is OK.
  13. IDE: Error on shutdown fixed.
  14. IDE: image paths are now stored using forward slashes only.
  15. Properties: File picker works like image picker.
  16. Properties: Image thumbnails update properly.
  17. Runtime: Mod function fixed.
  18. Runtime: DatePart Week number calculation fixed.
  19. Samples: New DragDrop sample.
  20. Samples: New PopUpForm sample.
  21. Samples: New Line sample.
  22. Samples: New GridWithButtons sample for jqxGrid.

The complete list of changes is here.

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AppStudio 3.1.2 Released!

Posted on May 31, 2013 by George Henne

We have just uploaded 3.1.2 to the servers. It has enhancements as well as fixes.

The download URL is the same as for 3.1.

3.1.2

  1. Controls: New jqWidgets CheckBox control. (Thanks, Helen!)
  2. Controls: Audio and Video can accept URLs in the src field again.
  3. Controls: jQM List can now accept a % width.
  4. Controls: jQM List now has a new ReadOnly property.
  5. Controls: jqWidgets controls can now accept % bounds.
  6. Project Properties: Values for default images are now blank.
  7. Runtime: AppTitle now returns the title of the app.
  8. Runtime: Error on Android 2.2 fixed.
  9. Samples: New jqWidgets CheckBox sample.
  10. Translator: Fix ‘Not A and B’
  11. Controls: AppStudio updated to work with jqWidgets 2.8.3.
  12. IDE: Images in Project Properties now use Image Picker.
  13. IDE: Bug in form/code import fixed.
  14. Deploy: Problem exporting SQLite files fixed.
  15. Docs: most samples now have JavaScript as well as BASIC.

The complete list of changes is here.

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A couple of debugging tricks…

Posted on May 26, 2013 by George Henne

Examine variables in a running app

You can examine the value of global variables in a running app on any device, without needing to have a debugger hooked up.

Simply enter this into the URL bar:

javascript:alert(a)

This will display the value of a in a message box.

You can also use this to call functions:

javascript:alert(window.innerHeight)

You can enter any valid JavaScript code and it will execute in the current context.

Wow.

View JavaScript errors on Android devices

It’s not easy to see JavaScript errors on Android devices, especially older ones. To do this, you will need to have the Android SDK installed.

Start the simulator or connect your device in debug mode.

Open up a command window and type

adb logcat

You will see a stream of output with all the messages from the device or simulator. The error message will look something like this:


D/dalvikvm(  284): GC_FOR_MALLOC freed 34 objects / 2096 bytes in 212ms
E/browser (  284): Console: TypeError: defineProperty is not supported on DOM Ob
jects http://www.nsbasic.com/i/Order/nsb/hfunc.js:1926
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AppStudio 3.1 Released!

Posted on May 19, 2013 by George Henne

We have just uploaded 3.1.0 to the servers. It has a long list of enhancements.

Here are some of the highlights:

  • Responsive Layout: You can now specify the size and position of controls as a percent of the screen size. When your app is run on a device with a different size, the controls adjust automatically.

  • Android look dialog buttons: NSB.MsgBox and NSB.InputBox will now look like native Android dialog boxes when used on Android devices. The appearance on iOS devices is unchanged.

  • New Controls: PhotoGallery, Rating, Input and ColorPicker.

  • And More: Lots of little improvements, fixes, new samples, updated docs.

We would like to give special thanks to all the beta testers, as well as Hussain, Erkan, Mike and Helen for contributing controls and samples!

The download URL is the same as for 3.0.

The complete list of changes is here.

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2013 Programming Contest Announced!

Posted on May 3, 2013 by George Henne

Our third NSB/AppStudio Programming Contest is underway. We’re looking forward to cool entries which take advantage of the capabilities of devices and AppStudio.

We have five categories:

  • Business – Phone sized apps
  • Business – Tablet sized apps
  • Fun – Phone sized apps
  • Fun – Tablet sized apps
  • Showcase – Screenshots of your app

All registered AppStudio users are welcome to participate. Prizes are $100 USD in each category, with the exception of Showcase.

Continue reading →

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Use the Pixastic library to manipulate images

Posted on April 29, 2013 by George Henne

Hussain Al-Marzooq of Bahrain sent us a fun sample. He used the Pixastic JavaScript library to manipulate an image displayed on the screen. This library makes it easy to do a variety of different image manipulations. Here’s how…
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What does FastClick do?

Posted on April 25, 2013 by George Henne

AppStudio 3.0.9 added a new feature: FastClick. It will make your app feel faster and more responsive when running on a mobile device. Here’s the reason: mobile devices have a built in 200 to 500ms delay from the time you tap until the onclick() function in your app gets fired. FastClick gets rid of that delay. Here’s what is going on…
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AppStudio 3.0.10 Released!

Posted on April 25, 2013 by George Henne

We have just uploaded 3.0.10 to the servers. It has enhancements as well as fixes.

The download URL is the same as for 3.0.

3.0.10

  1. Controls: Image control now displays src image immediately.
  2. Controls: jqWidgets have new pathname property.
  3. Controls: src in Image control now added to manifest automatically.
  4. Design Screen: Changed background image now updates immediately.
  5. IDE: Add ‘View Logs’ button to About screen.
  6. IDE: New form now has proper default programming language.
  7. IDE: Programming language preference is now saved.
  8. Sample: WebSockets sample updated to latest RFC. Should work in iOS 6, Android 4.
  9. Samples: Problem with Save As fixed.

The complete list of changes is here.

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Use AppStudio to win $75,000!

Posted on April 17, 2013 by George Henne

Fast Company has announced a contest to develop apps for Target. The winner stands to make $75,000, and gets a chance to work with one of the leading innovators in the retail space. Seven finalists will also be awarded $10,000 each to turn their proposal into a prototype.
Continue reading →

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