AppStudio 3.1 Released!

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!

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.

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Use the Pixastic library to manipulate images

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?

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!

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!

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.
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AppStudio 3.0.9 released!

We have just uploaded 3.0.9 to the servers. While it fixes a couple of bugs, it also has a new feature which is sure to make people happy.

The download URL is the same as for 3.0.

3.0.9

  1. Runtime: New FastClick feature: clicks on mobile device react much more quickly now.
  2. Installer: Project running from a different drive than the installation will not have a blank Design Screen.
  3. Run: Error when starting app in Chrome fixed.

The complete list of changes is here.

FastClick makes your apps feel faster and snappier when run on mobile devices. Normally, when you click on a button (or other control) there is a 300-500ms delay before the _onclick() function in your program is executed. That’s not enough for most people to explicitly notice, but enough to make the app feel sluggish. Until now, the solution was to also have a _ontouch() function, which makes things more complex. FastClick calls your _onclick() function as soon as the user touches the screen.

The beta testers, with one exception, report that their apps work without any changes. If you do run into issues, let us know. There is a way to turn off this feature.

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Article on AppStudio

We’ve just composed an article about AppStudio. It gives a balanced description of how it works and what it can be used for:

http://www.nsbasic.com/app/AppStudioIntro.htm

Let us know what you think of it!

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AppStudio 3.0.8 released!

We have just uploaded 3.0.8 to the servers. It has a number of minor enhancements as well as bug fixes.

The download URL is the same as for 3.0.

3.0.8

  1. Code Window: If language is JavaScript, event functions are created properly.
  2. Deploy: Do not include hidden files in manifest.
  3. IDE: Do not allow dashes in Property IDs.
  4. IDE: Opening an invalid project name no longer throws an error.
  5. jQuery Mobile: Updated to 1.3.1
  6. jQuery: Updated to 1.9.1
  7. Runtime: Allow Print to be customized.
  8. Runtime: NSB.Print can be used from JavaScript
  9. Samples: Add display pdf to HTMLview.
  10. Samples: New Emoji sample.
  11. Samples: New Print sample.
  12. Samples: New WaitCursor sample.
  13. ToolBox: Orientation now allows single quote signs in text.

The complete list of changes is here.

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Hacking the Print statement

AppStudio 3.0 introduced a much improved Print statement. It wasn’t long before one of our users, Erkan Kaplan, started wondering whether he could do to make it do more. He realized the text in it is HTML. That opened up all kinds of possibilities.
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