I am going to develop a non-game app that simply allows entry of data, which will be stored in a file, which will then subsequently be read back in for analysis, the results of which will simply be displayed.
I have never created an app before, but it looks to me like that can be accomplished with Codea/Lua. Am I maybe missing something tho?
Also, confused on the need to use xcode, as some documentation says yes, elsewhere it says only need to select “export” to put on app store… If yes, is a mac required, or is it somehow useable on an ipad?
I’ve written a number of business apps in Codea. In fact, I’m on the road today delivering a new version of an app for tracking fuel/oil/maintenance records.
These apps were developed by using export to send the Codea files to a Mac then compiling with XCode.
1/ you can make what you describe with codea. Pby better to use RETAINED backing mode (but it is a detail).
2/ if you want to transform it to an app on the appstore, “export” will generate Xcode, but you will have to compile it on a Mac (no other way), and suscribe a developper licence by Apple ~100$/year). And you pbly have to tweek xcode a little bit to. Google the forum on the subject, there are many posts on that.
Yes, xCode (and thus a mac) is required (along with other things) to publish to the app store…
There are better people to answer the other part of your question but Ill tell what I’m 95% certain on. Sounds like codea would be fine for what you intend to do, but I don’t know if there’s better methods nor the exactly what you intend to do.
Edit: Wow, you guys are quick, beat me by a minute or two
Pythonista is a much better app for general applications, and has functions like editor programming (you can write scripts that effect how the editor behaves), much more fully featured internet access, read/write to clipboard, and far more powerful graphing tools alongside most of the huge Python standard library.
Of course, it uses Python instead of lua so you may need to learn some more, but although stuff like business tools are possible with Codea it really isn’t the best tool for the job.
Codea for a business app? No no no :). Codea is for gaming and pleasure.
However if you are determined upon pursuing such blaspheme you should do a forum search on ‘Cider’ which is a unique set of ios 7 type controls you can simply drag and drop onto your codea app and turn a perfectly good gaming app into a boring business app that might actually serve a real life practical purpose.
draw commands can be send anywhere in the code (not only in draw() ),
the draw() function can even not be present in RETAINED backing mode,
Then i think codea can be very easily used for non-game apps too. For instance i am working currently on a hand-writing app, and it is really fast and fluid. With no draw() function,
When working in standard backing mode, the 60Hz drawing mechanism via the draw() function is a bit overkill and too much effort for static screen apps.
@Jmv38 I was suggesting it. My laptop runs windows vista ( yeah I know ) and system 32 file became corrupted so it’s currently unusable so I don’t know what it’s like making apps from a pc.
@kirorp, I installed snow leopard in virtual box using a snow leopard cd I bought from a Mac store. I tried to install Xcode and program ios apps. The USB function never worked for me, but that wasn’t the killer. The killer was I could not even get Xcode to install and work correctly. It lagged horribly and opengles did not work.
That being said, I then purchased a MacBook and programming apps was a breeze, if not a bit time consuming.
I have also tried installing mavericks on my pc, but to no avail. Wasted a lot of time. My recommendation would be not to even bother with hackintoshing, or trying to use a virtual machine. Every time an update occurs, which is often you’ll have to start all over trying to get it to work.
