Coming back from the past...?

[Pyyhtiä Christer via use-livecode]

The last developments I did was back in 2016 - five long years ago, using Indy.

Just for fun, I did a fast research and found out that there still might be 
market opportunity for the app I worked on. 

Trying to find out what’s new since 2016:

-   major developments in LC?
-   status in target adoptions, iOS vs Android, WEB adoption (Android was 
clean, Apple painful, HTML not there yet) in 2016?
-   Apple vs Google support & ease of use status (Google piece of cake, 
Apple very painful)?
-   cloud i.e. On-rev availability, compatibility with mobile engine 
version (not fully compatible)?
-   major restrictions & obstacles in publishing for Apple & Google 
(continuous tax changes in charging)?

Rgds
Pyyhtiä Christer
chris...@mindcrea.com
+358-400-410216




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Serverless Google API access

[Pyyhtiä Christer via use-livecode]

In LiveCode (Android) is there a suitable way to access Google API's without a 
server - i.e. have direct request / wait / response receive method?

The aim is to provide a way to use Google licensing payment services directly 
from the device.


Christer Pyyhtiä
MindCrea Ltd


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ScreenRect

[Pyyhtiä Christer via use-livecode]

Using LiveCode 9.0GM on Android 8.0.0, the screenRect gives 1080 x 2031, but 
the phone (Samsung Galaxy Note 8) has 1440 x 2960.  What do I do wrong?

Using LC command 

set the pixelScale to the systemPixelscale

kills the app in the Android device.  Removing this command makes it run with 
no problem.

rgds

Christer Pyyhtiä
MindCrea Ltd
chris...@mindcrea.com


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Filed entry cursor

[Pyyhtiä Christer via use-livecode]

Using different devices I have not found out how to make a well visible text 
field entry pointing cursor. What is seen is typically a very faint vertical 
line, which barely can be seen. I remember having seen a nice vertical tile, 
blinking on the location you can do your entry. How owuld one be able to make 
it with LiveCode text field entry, blinking and possibly utilising colour with 
it to improve the detectability?

rgds

Christer Pyyhtiä
MindCrea Ltd
chris...@mindcrea.com


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Xcode 9.2 & LC 8.1.9

[Pyyhtiä Christer via use-livecode]

Combination Xcode 9.2 and LC 8.1.9 creating iOS app states:

There was an error while saving the standalone application
..then about 20 ines of groups of numbers and different command logs.

However, it sloowly starts in simulator, directly from LC - provided that you 
select only one device from the menu.

Tried carefully make sure the profiles were set up etc.

Of course it can depend on having High Sierra installed, as it was recommended 
if you want to install Xcode 9.3, which is required for iPhone X.

Any hints?

PS.  I would definitely recommend NOT installing High Sierra.  It cuts the 
performance, messes up your contacts, applications crash all the time, 
application windows disappear and you need to kill them to get back.  High 
Sierra in my opinion is a big disaster.

Christer Pyyhtiä
MindCrea Ltd
chris...@mindcrea.com


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Re: High Sierra, LC & Xcode

[Pyyhtiä Christer via use-livecode]

Thank you for the responses. So, took a step too much in the future.

Let you know how it goes with Xcode 9.2.  Amazing learning by trying.


Christer Pyyhtiä
MindCrea Ltd
chris...@mindcrea.com


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High Sierra, LC & Xcode

[Pyyhtiä Christer via use-livecode]

Any experience on the set of OS/X High Sierra, with the latest update patch, 
LiveCode 8.1.9 and Xcode 9.3 Beta?

Shoul I revert to Sierra and Xcode previous versions?  Actually, trying to 
adhere to the Apple requirement of having all apps to iPhone X, which then 
requested me to load the latest Xcode.

With my 2010 MacBook Pro (High Sierra, LC 8.1.9, Xcode 9.3 Beta), with 8GB the 
simulator start takes well over 10 minutes - haven't bee able to get the test 
app to load into the simulator, yet.

Still being fresh to iOS deployment, with a fully operational and tested app on 
Android devices, I just cannot find out a good guide whaat exact steps to take 
to get the process done.  For example, do I have to load Xcode before trying to 
start the simulation from LC?  How exactly should I do the app property 
provisioning; should I first define the app in Xcode (it let me try to create 
app related password, then spitted out its own, neither works to let me log 
in...)?

Loading has now taken more than 20 minutes...the line clock still rotates...

Christer Pyyhtiä
MindCrea Ltd
chris...@mindcrea.com


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Sending from mobile hotspot to WLAN enabled IoTs

[Pyyhtiä Christer via use-livecode]

Is there any way in LiveCode to direct the mobile device (Android / iOS) to 
send calls to WLAN enabled IoT devices.  For example to detect such devices?
 
Christer Pyyhtiä
MindCrea Ltd
chris...@mindcrea.com


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Text fields: text cursor & proper editing

[Pyyhtiä Christer via use-livecode]

It concerns the apps developed for mobile platforms; here I refer to Android as 
have no experience on iOS, yet.

First, on the screen the edit location cursor is a vertical line barely visible 
with high resolution devices.  Is there an option for example a "bold", 
blinking or coloured cursor?

Second, is there an editor, which allows me to click anywhere in the text in a 
field, and begin editing from there (with that "visible" cursor), inserting and 
/ or deleting characters (codepoints)?

Would the answers for iOS be different from Android?


Christer Pyyhtiä
MindCrea Ltd
chris...@mindcrea.com


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mobilePickDate

[Pyyhtiä Christer via use-livecode]

The dictionary states the result from mobilePickDate is in seconds.

The reality with Android the result is in format mm/dd/yy.

Is this known error in documentation?


Christer Pyyhtiä
MindCrea Ltd
chris...@mindcrea.com


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Re: Object layers

[Pyyhtiä Christer via use-livecode]

Just to respond.

Thank you for the advices - very helpful.  However, experiences with the early 
versions (say V5-V7) made me avoid the grouping functionality.  Maybe because I 
could not manage the concept too well.  So I have given it up and manage it (as 
do with scaling etc) with additional coding - with variable success, though.

There were two surprises in this discussion thread.  First, I did not get any 
response form the list on answers to my mail.  It would be helpful to get the 
response as an e-mai to the originator to speed up receiving the information.  
How would it become possible?

Second, there is a lot of really *unnecessary* blaah-blaah yadda-yadda mails 
nothing to do with the subject as a part of the thread (and many other threads 
as well; if you want to make it efficient, also please leave the pages-long, 
repeatedly appearing "when someone created the world" kind of poems).  If you 
do not have anything meaningful to add into the use of LiveCode, please, please 
get off the list, go to your Facebook.  I'd ask the LiveCode folks to put some 
discipline into this.

thx
Christer Pyyhtiä
MindCrea Ltd
chris...@mindcrea.com


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Object layers

[Pyyhtiä Christer via use-livecode]

When setting object layers, how do they work actually?

The documentation states the higher the number of an object, the control is 
higher than the the object it is on.

This means that in case of two objects on top of each other a mouseClick would 
go first to the object with the higher layer number, yes?

And, it seems to be that not any two objects on a card can exist with the same 
layer number, if the objects are not in the same group, right?

Now if you have objects grouped, and you ungroup them, how to keep them still 
above any other layers they are on?  For example, you have a set of game 
buttons on the board, which you initially group to move them together, and then 
you need to ungroup them, and with sequential clocks you want to make sure the 
control is with a single button instead of first hitting the playboard squares, 
how do you make sure the buttons reside on top of the board.

I have experienced that ungrouping may send the individual objects to random 
layers.


Christer Pyyhtiä
MindCrea Ltd
chris...@mindcrea.com 



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LC V8.1.8 IDE has brought new problems

[Pyyhtiä Christer via use-livecode]

1.  When starting, the different windows still get placed somewhat in random 
places
2.  The tools window disappears; you have to switch it off, and switch it on to 
see it again
3.  The IDE just dies, doesn't quit from menu, you have to use Activity Monitor 
to kill it.

1 was a problem in 8.1.7; 2 is now a rule, it was occasional in 8.1.7.

3 is now the new kid around the block.

Using Mac OSX 10.12.6 (16G1036) with MacBook Pro

Christer Pyyhtiä
MindCrea Ltd
chris...@mindcrea.com



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Re: On-Rev Server & character functions

[Pyyhtiä Christer via use-livecode]

It was so easy to figure it out, sorry for asking.

But, what is the version of LC in on-rev server?

Christer Pyyhtiä
MindCrea Ltd
chris...@mindcrea.com


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On-Rev Server & character functions

[Pyyhtiä Christer via use-livecode]

What is the current situation of the LiveCode server version vs V8?

For example, using the functions numToCodePoint etc.


Christer Pyyhtiä
chris...@mindcrea.com


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Apps or via browser using HTML5

[Pyyhtiä Christer via use-livecode]

It might be this discussion has already been on this list.

Recently I have seen and heard future views on the time of apps running in the 
users' devices getting past in a few years. This means the apps run in servers 
and use standard browsers running HTML5 and an efficient language snippets sent 
to the browser to manage the user interaction between the device and the 
application running in the server. Obviously this scenario is assuming there 
would be the de facto language, now JavaScript, to support it.

I find a few problems here. One is the devices will always have non-standard 
functionality, because the development of the world doesn't stop, further 
forcing the development of the interim language as well.  Second, your 
application will not be able to use the best features of the user's device, be 
it screen density, size, form or other jingles and bells, as you are limited to 
work to meet the needs in the most popular devices only.  In essence you have 
to implement your app in the server in a few versions of these different 
devices anyway.  Third, the bandwidth in comms is limiting the complexity of 
the displayed graphics; despite of 4G/LTE the operators have strangled the 
channels due to the fact they cannot expand the networks at the speed the 
demand is growing especially due to the growth of the use of streaming videos; 
this has taken place in the leading countries of mobile data usage.  Fourth, 
regarding the development of applications using LiveCode, will the most of my 
efforts go into maintaining the interim language scripts or putting the most of 
the time into developing the app of my great idea.  Finally, when would be the 
time LiveCode server would allow me to use all the API's, widgets etc what I 
have available at the device level today, and what would it cost to me to run 
everything in the server?

Just wanted to see if there is interest on this topic in this user group.

rgds
christer
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LC 8.1.7 with Mac OS/X 10.12.6

[Pyyhtiä Christer via use-livecode]

Does anyone have similar problems:

1.  starting LC 8.1.7 in Mac, using a second display creates a gray screen 
on the Mac
-   some of the windows, for example Tools Palette remain behind it, you 
have to toggle it off and then on to get it on the screen
-   IDE windows appear nearly in random locations, there is no way to set 
up a screen, save everything and quit LC, start and you would have the same 
display setup available; this was the norm with LC 8.1.3

2.  Screen handling in running the app is just unmanageable, compared to 
8.1.3.  For example, going to another card seems to mess up how the fills work 
(btw is there a comprehensive explanation in the user manual what the heck the 
different fill things work on the stack and objects level? - Is there a way to 
reset the defaults for the stack and objects?).

3.  Screen handling between 8.1.6 in IDE and Android are radically 
different - using card move and lock screen and delays is guess work.  Any 
problems in the iOS world?

4.  Android is definitely up to 10x slower than in 8.1.3.  Could be as bad 
as 100x.  This is reflected in recognising clicks, running scripts (doing some 
simple math), indirect referencing, do sentences.

5.  I have read from LC documentation that there are difficulties with the 
latest Android SDK, not being compatible.  Is this still true?  What should I 
do to fix it, if this is the problem then?

I am not ordering for LC support service currently, the questions above should 
be solved otherwise.

Final question, is there a list of wanted features / developments the users are 
wanting available somewhere?


Christer Pyyhtiä
chris...@mindcrea.com


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Re: Device implementation problems

[Pyyhtiä Christer via use-livecode]

Jacqueline,

this something I suspect as well.

As there are a zillion different Android devices with different performance 
capabilities one has to use the belt and suspenders. In January I will be 
trying with iOS as well, and see if there is a difference.

In the longer term a solution could be an extension to LC, "go to card xyz with 
/ without waiting"; or making a docuentative recommendation being aware this 
possible issue.  And it is not yet excluded that I will find a typo or some 
illegal way of coding in my app.

christer

Message: 22
Date: Fri, 3 Nov 2017 22:44:21 -0500
From: "J. Landman Gay" >
To: How to use LiveCode >
Subject: Re: Device implementation problems
Message-ID: >
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed

On 11/3/17 12:55 AM, Pyyhti? Christer via use-livecode wrote:
> When I issue the "go" and let the script run, many of the objects won't get 
> done completely, for example card background, button or field colouring gets 
> only partially done.  However, if I either add "lock screen" before the "go" 
> statement, or issue "wait 100 milliSeconds" after the "go", everything is OK.

It almost sounds like LC has finished issuing all the commands to redraw 
the screen but the graphics card or the CPU on the device is slow to 
respond. So LC thinks it is finished and moves on to the next line of 
the script while the hardware is still catching up.

I'm not even sure that's possible but that's what it sounds like.

-- 
Jacqueline Landman Gay | jac...@hyperactivesw.com 

HyperActive Software   | http://www.hyperactivesw.com 

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Re: Device implementation problems

[Pyyhtiä Christer via use-livecode]

That is true.  However, just adding the single command "lock screen" before the 
"go card xyz" removes the problem.  I have tried to understand what could be 
"illegal" in the target device point of view in the script code following, but 
so far haven't figured it out.  Actually the script runs until the end, and 
does not exit.  The process this happens is rescaling all the cars of the 
stack, from figuring out the screenRect and then calculating how everything 
would fit on the virtual paper in the optimal way.  If the script is allowed to 
run without locking the screen, filling the background and fields is completed 
only partially, but simultaneously setting the loc seems to work ok.

What I observe is that the colouring of the background & the fill of those 
objects stops randomly as the next object size setting starts.  I do hope I 
will find out a typo, which could be referring to another object - but why then 
lock screen or wait for x milliSeconds would remove the problem?

When you say exit to the top, wouldn't it mean that the stack script execution 
stops?

christer


I've seen this happen when something goes wrong in the code and in a standalone 
that can fail silently. If it does, the engine exits to top and that is why 
things get left undone. 

Bob S


> On Nov 2, 2017, at 22:55 , Pyyhti? Christer via use-livecode 
> > wrote:
> 
> A few days ago I raised the question on how the device behaviour differs from 
> how it is in the IDE environment.  The question posed was if there is a 
> command
> 
>   go card "xyz"
> 
> and the script continues to run immediately, would there be interference in 
> terms of "getting the go done".
> 
> Interpreting a couple of answers, thank you, I understood that it would not 
> cause problems.
> 
> However, there can be interference, and I could prove it and repeat it.  As 
> follows.
> 
> - The target is Android device (I am using an old Samsung Galaxy S4 
> thanks to its screen pixel size (and despite of having dropped it both on 
> concrete and in a lake quite a few times still does great job)
> 
> - In the app there is a virtual screen (card is larger then the # of 
> pixels on the physical screen), and there are about 100 objects on it.  The 
> card is resized based on the screenRect parameters in several sets of 
> different objects, the amount of code running through is maybe > 1000 lines 
> of LC.
> 
> - When I issue the "go" and let the script run, many of the objects won't 
> get done completely, for example card background, button or field colouring 
> gets only partially done.  However, if I either add "lock screen" before the 
> "go" statement, or issue "wait 100 milliSeconds" after the "go", everything 
> is OK.  And all of this can be repeated.  The Android device is kept off 
> other duties, so that it is not getting vast amount of interruts.
> 
> Now, the above method helps me to solve the problem, but would there be any 
> other methods to avoid such an implementation issues?
> 
> Anyone else had similar experience?


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Device implementation problems

[Pyyhtiä Christer via use-livecode]

A few days ago I raised the question on how the device behaviour differs from 
how it is in the IDE environment.  The question posed was if there is a command

go card "xyz"

and the script continues to run immediately, would there be interference in 
terms of "getting the go done".

Interpreting a couple of answers, thank you, I understood that it would not 
cause problems.

However, there can be interference, and I could prove it and repeat it.  As 
follows.

-   The target is Android device (I am using an old Samsung Galaxy S4 
thanks to its screen pixel size (and despite of having dropped it both on 
concrete and in a lake quite a few times still does great job)

-   In the app there is a virtual screen (card is larger then the # of 
pixels on the physical screen), and there are about 100 objects on it.  The 
card is resized based on the screenRect parameters in several sets of different 
objects, the amount of code running through is maybe > 1000 lines of LC.

-   When I issue the "go" and let the script run, many of the objects won't 
get done completely, for example card background, button or field colouring 
gets only partially done.  However, if I either add "lock screen" before the 
"go" statement, or issue "wait 100 milliSeconds" after the "go", everything is 
OK.  And all of this can be repeated.  The Android device is kept off other 
duties, so that it is not getting vast amount of interruts.

Now, the above method helps me to solve the problem, but would there be any 
other methods to avoid such an implementation issues?

Anyone else had similar experience?

rgds

Christer Pyyhtiä
chris...@mindcrea.com


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Re: Go card "xyz"

[Pyyhtiä Christer via use-livecode]

Thank you for a good set of answers!

Now, here is the question asked, the heck I could not express it correctly the 
first time:

"When in a script you issue a command

go card "xyz"

does the next command line of the script get into execution before the "go" has 
been completed?

Is it comparable to the "move" command, where this is true, with the additional 
statement "without waiting"?

Is it possible to find a delay in the "go" command if you for example go from 
card 2 to card 28 and there are many objects in the cards in between?

The fact is that the behaviour varies, same code at different times in some 
cases looks like an action is tried to be done for the card going out."

-

I should have added that in the development / IDE environmen,t yes it behaves 
as nicely as Jeremy Clarkson - no, much more nicely.   But.

But this is the question of LC (8.1.7) running in the target device (good old 
Samsung Galaxy S4 with 1.6GHz octa-core CPU (still beats some of the devices, 
which have come out after it)).  There isn't really a chance of debugging in 
real time how the sequences of messages vs the code execution will sequence / 
synch.  If I add any commands on-top-of-real-time-execution to debug or ask to 
process logging message timings the real-time execution does not really exist 
any more.

The question really is looking into the device execution environment.  

The interpretation is that if a 'go to card "xyz"' is issued, it seems to be 
that the execution continues before all these messages closing the card & 
objects and opening the new card takes place, and possible references to the 
expected new card are causing a stop of execution of the handler asking for the 
go and shoveling new commands into the CPUs..

Thus, my interpretation is that the guiding how to code with LiveCode (or any 
other event-driven middleware) is missing a key point.

There are the following possibilities to manage the problem.

1.  wait x ticks / milliSeconds after the go card command; the problem is that 
if you target to devices, you need to be able to measure what is the best value 
or your app misbehaves or is a laggard;  somewhat ? ...

2.  LC to enhance the "go card" with something like "wait until done";  does 
not sound right, either;

3.  Instead of in a handler issuing 'go card "xyz"' use 'send "go card xyz of 
this stack" (probably need to do it by building a do statement) and put any 
action behind that new card script handler "openCard", which initiates any 
action you want to perform with any objects on that card.  This is probably the 
safest path.  Also, with such a way you would avoid the continuous path of 
handlers chained by continuous handler calls, and break the chain of returns 
handler by handler.

Is there any sense behind this thinking?


Christer Pyyhtiä
MindCrea Ltd
Mobile: +358-400-410216
Skype:  christerp1
chris...@mindcrea.com

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Go card "xyz"

[Pyyhtiä Christer via use-livecode]

When in a script you issue a command

go card "xyz"

does the next command line of the script get into execution before the "go" has 
been completed?

Is it comparable to the "move" command, where this is true, with the additional 
statement "without waiting"?

Is it possible to find a delay in the "go" command if you for example go from 
card 2 to card 28 and there are many objects in the cards in between?

The fact is that the behaviour varies, same code at different times in some 
cases looks like an action is tried to be done for the card going out.


Christer Pyyhtiä
chris...@mindcrea.com


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Re: Radio button scaling

[Pyyhtiä Christer via use-livecode]

Thank you!

1. In the mean while built just a double button scheme, let's see how it looks 
with the devices.  Look forward to simplifying back to single buttons with the 
new icons for checkBox and radio buttons.  "When" is my 2-3 year old question, 
though.  Just ask a nerd nearby to do the job.

2.  Still on Mac OS/X 10.12 level.  Thanks for the warning.  The source of the 
problem may be that I am using different 2nd screens at the different desks I 
work at.  Not a nice problem.

rgds


From: hh >
To: use-livecode@lists.runrev.com 
Subject: Re: Radio button scaling
Message-ID: >
Content-Type: text/plain;   charset=us-ascii

Answer 1.
This is solvable as soon as icons are settable using SVG.
Other scaling would result in non-smooth displays as the icons are images.

But you could make a set of images for different "resolutions" and use
these images as "icons" for the buttons, dependent on your scale.
Also you could make a radio button widget (don't forget the radio-grouping).

Answer 2.
In case you are using MacOS 10.13, then the culprit is the OS, not LiveCode.
MacOS 10.13 is horrible. Sometimes the prefs of some Apps, not only LiveCode,
are reset to default in between working. What you describe sounds like that.

> Christer P. wrote:
> Question 1:
> What is the problem with getting the radio buttons "tick boxes" scalable?
> Trying to remember, I asked about it for a few years ago, and the answer by 
> LC team was, it is about the icon??
> I tried using switch button widgets, but the scaling of those isn't linear 
> (width / height) as any other objects.
> So, do I need to do my own radio buttons (i.e. use a round hilite button + 
> text button) or would there be another solution?
> 
> Question 2:
> LC 8.1.7 rc-3; there is instability in retaining setups.  For example, 
> upgrading from the previous G version the path to SDK was lost.  Also various 
> setups seem to move, the background of the screen goes all grey.  Anyone 
> experiencing oddities like this?


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Radio button scaling

[Pyyhtiä Christer via use-livecode]

1.  Question 1:

What is the problem with getting the radio buttons "tick boxes" scalable?

Trying to remember, I asked about it for a few years ago, and the answer by LC 
team was, it is about the icon??

I tried using switch button widgets, but the scaling of those isn't linear 
(width / height) as any other objects.

So, do I need to do my own radio buttons (i.e. use a round hilite button + text 
button) or would there be another solution?

2.  Question 2:

LC 8.1.7 rc-3; there is instability in retaining setups.  For example, 
upgrading from the previous G version the path to SDK was lost.  Also various 
setups seem to move, the background of the screen goes all grey.  Anyone 
experiencing oddities like this?


Christer Pyyhtiä
chris...@mindcrea.com


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Need help with version number definitions with appStores

[Pyyhtiä Christer via use-livecode]

Just about to re-release my app getDealDone, first with GooglePlay;

-  there are two version definitions in the Standalone Application Settings / 
Android;

-   -   which one is the one Android / Google Play requires to be bump 
ed up with every upload, including the direct development system to device 
installations?

-   -   iOS setup only shows one version number

How should one interprete these?

What would be a common acceptable way of doing the version numbering (in both 
cases)? The bloody fact is, with On-rev server and devices, LiveCode may be the 
only available solution I can kick off apps for all these with a single package 
of source code.

Can I find somewhere a good document helping in these best practices, for all 
mobiles, Windows, Mac OS/X and Linux?

Look forward to good advices

Christer Pyyhtiä
chris...@mindcrea.com


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Widget properties

[Pyyhtiä Christer via use-livecode]

When fixing a problem with non-scaling radio buttons one solution was to use 
widget switch button, which can be scaled.

Now it appears that those buttons do not retain the setup theme, but you need 
to redo it at every stack startup.  Why not.

Actually the first question is why can't the LiveCode team make the radio 
buttons scalable?  Using those on a mobile device you hardly see what the 
hilite status is.


Christer Pyyhtiä
chris...@mindcrea.com


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Re: Resizing stack window by scaling

[Pyyhtiä Christer via use-livecode]

The following is only one opinion of many possible.

First, you should consider automatic scaling only with a very restricted amount 
of cases.  These are for example sort of games, where the "playing field" is 
the better the larger it is, and the icons / images and their relative 
positions or moves act well.

Second, if you want to make a balanced user interface, you might use the full 
size of a phablet, but with larger tablets or laptops, you might choose the 
window to be smaller, and the width and height to be in relation to a phone / 
phablet form.  You maintain your smart phone at a distance of 30+ cm (1 ft), 
and a laptop or tablet twice the distance.  This gives you a guidance for 
required sizing of the display of your app on a smartphone / phablet / tablet & 
laptop.

The result is that you want to do the scaling retaining the relative positions 
of objects in all device implementations. I even think that you should drop the 
option for rotating the display along the device position changes portrait / 
landscape - unless it is a part of the features and functions of your app.

Further the result is that you need to maintain a log of your objects and the 
possible inheritance of sub-objects (icon -> button; text content -> text field 
etc.), and do scaling for each object & level based on the screen size & 
resolution.

Yes it hurts initially, but it allows scaling to any device seamlessly.  In the 
case of laptops you just need to define the max window size you want to use (vs 
the # of available pixels you need), and do some desk simulation what it means 
on different sizes of tablets.  A too big difference from a smart phone screen 
to a tablet may mean that you need to be able to dig out either from the device 
by your app coding (where LiveCode is very efficient), or just make 
assumptions, and have separate versions in distribution.

In addition a good tool is to make a test you can send to any user, mailing 
(with the permission of the user) you all the device characteristics, allowing 
you to embed yet another exception into your scaling code.  Yes, it hurts, but 
becomes easier every time you must take action.


Christer Pyyhtiä
chris...@mindcrea.com


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Character sets in Android, iOS, OS/X, Windows

[Pyyhtiä Christer via use-livecode]

There are character set differences between the different platforms, when 
entered in an app by the user.  Characters slash "/" for example is one of 
these.

Has anyone detected the same problem?  What would be the intelligent solution 
to overcome this?  So when a user is typing "ä" (a with umlaut) from Android 
device soft keyboard, it will be displayed the same on his/her iPAD screen?  
The amount of text typed is not large, 100 or so chars.

Unless there is a new trick since LC V7 (just transferring to V8), the only 
solution would be device-vise use conversionTable[key,os], and maintain it as 
differences appear.


Christer Pyyhtiä
MindCrea Ltd
Mobile: +358-400-410216
Skype:  christerp1
chris...@mindcrea.com


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Moving up from LC V6/V7 towards the current versions

[Pyyhtiä Christer via use-livecode]

At the last LC V6 and early V7 versions I built a mobile (Android) application 
(getDealDone, gDD) working with the On-Rev-backend working real-time with 
(Google) app-store for subscription registration. I think the last version, 
which still works, was updated for about two years ago.  It might be off the 
store, please tell if you want to hack with it.

At the time of the development the important factors were:

-   Just LiveCode only, every line both in the device and in the server
-   I could shift any function to be done at the server from the mobile 
device or vice versa
-   -   there were many functions this way "interchangeable"; could 
move any action to perform either in the device or in the server
-   -   SQL interfaces were equal in the device (to SGLite) and in the 
server (mySQL)
-   -   security functions were equal in server and in the devices
-   -   communication with app-store (Google) was well defined (but not 
well documented in LC), and set to work well
-   scaling of the user interface was to be done by the application, not 
leaning on LC scaling
-   got icons from outside, did some own coarse ones myself
-   make sure the all-newest tricks were not used, but leaned on certainly 
proven self made functions

It was surprising that with very intense crypt/decrypt functions LC V6/V7 
performs very, very well; obviously any small improvement is welcome, but can 
survive without it.

Now the question is, what does LC V8.6 (the latest) add to make the app revisit 
worth while (besides all the wrong design decisions with U/I etc)?

My wish list

#1 would be exactly equal handling of Android, Apple, XX app-store API's and 
device functions, icons etc.
#2 Icon creating add-on (don't want to by $1K Adobe SW for it);
#3 Equal API's for mySQL and the other main free SQL offerings like MarieDB and 
any DBMS
#4 A way to make reviewing of developed applications with LC specialists easier 
(read less £ heavy; both parties would get benefit)

Just thoughts but please tell your reaction.
christer

PS.  My application sold 0 (zero) units.  But it is a great one, anyway. Had a 
lot of fun writing 10K+ lines of pure LC code I still can read.



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Remote debugger vs other issues in targeting

[Pyyhtiä Christer via use-livecode]

The forthcoming Remote Debugger will definitely be of value in targeting 
LiveCode apps to the devices.  However, there are areas, especially in catching 
issues taking place in (nearly) real time, which I - and don't know how many 
others - have met as the most problematic ones.  Not all of the apps won't meet 
these, if developed to be "contained", that means working without external or 
file communication.

The examples having caused excessive headache to me include the following.

-  what happens in communication with the apps library purchasing options like 
subscription;
-  what happens with user clicks - there is a place for an Application Note how 
to make it correctly, for example to avoid double clicks received;
-  user entry into the fields, including the use of del key;
-  where did your PC (Program Counter - I belong to those ancient machine code 
programmers) get lost with chained subroutine / handler calls or continuous 
wake-up's (send to handler after...) and what was done to your global variables 
in what order;
-  why does the exact same user behaviour, for example with Samsung SGS 4 or 6 
or Sony Experia Tablet produce different route of actions as entries are of 
different code, and
-  what is the correct way of handling character sets with different devices' 
I/O and setups (like kb automatic text correction). 

The list is not exhaustive.

The problem escalates if you build a system using back-end server software 
(which thanks to LiveCode On-Rev is very, very easy and efficient), and use the 
file services and external communications from within. There even seems to be 
slightly different behaviour between the selected target devices with exactly 
same source code, how it is sent and received forth and back.  Getting 
expertise in every version turn.

This is not a manifest against the Remote Debugger, vice versa. Unfortunately 
could not extract from the demo if the headaches above could be addressed by 
the new functionality.

I would be interested to hear of any experiences from the user community 
tackling problems like described above.

thx

Christer Pyyhtiä
MindCrea Ltd
chris...@mindcrea.com


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