Transfering a Decktop App to an iPad App

[edblackhurst]

Hello, All.

I'm looking forward to interacting with you during our 2013 Summer School. I'll be having a number of questions, but first, a bit of background:

I'm a retired special education professor who spent six years back in the 1990s developing a very complex expert system program using HyperCard. The Single Subject Research Advisor, or SSRA, as it is called, provides a research design consultation that presents a series of Queries about a user's prospective research project. Based upon the answers the user provides, the SSRA recommends 1 of 14 different research designs. Additional information can be obtained about how to implement the design, another component can be used to troubleshoot any problems that are encountered during the research study. An updatable citation database of more than 1,800 references to publications also accompanies the program. PDF forms for collecting and analyzing research data also can be downloaded from the program, as well as sample graphs that illustrate ways to display data collected during the research study. A team of us validated it's content and field tested it at 15 colleges and universities across the US with very satisfactory results. Although it was favorably reviewed by potential publishers, they weren't interested in publishing it because it only ran on Macs.

After my retirement in 1999, I discovered Revolution, and now LiveCode, and have been working off and on to convert and expand the SSRA to a cross-platform program. I anticipate that I'll be finished with that conversion by the end of this year. I have yet to develop a standalone version and am looking forward to developing the know-how to do that during our Summer School. I'll be seeking answers to some of the questions I have via this Forum.

My original intent was to concentrate solely on a desktop version of the program. There is way too much narrative content to think about an iPhone app; however, I do believe that it would be possible to develop an iPad app, which leads me to my first questions.

Since I already have attractive and functional screen designs and navigation system, it seems to me that I should be able to copy those to the iOS development system without using MobGUI. Is that a correct assumption? What, if anything, needs to be changed from the desktop app? I don't see the need for the user to enlarge or shrink images on the screen. All that will be required on the user's part is to tap buttons to make selections, manipulate scroll bars to display text narratives in fields, and use a keyboard to enter notes and descriptions of their projected research projects.

Thanks, in advance, for any assistance or advice that any of you may be able to provide to help me with this project.

Best regards,

Ed Blackhurst

[dbcbos]

Hello Ed,

That sounds like a great application. I wonder if it could also be used abroad.

In theory you are correct, probably the app might even work in the simulator. Most functions if working on a desktop will also work on mobile. You can check the dictionary in livecode for functions you use that are (not) supported. For example the on mouseUp handler for buttons work on both mobile and desktop. Still Apple enforces guideline requirements you need to uphold concerning the way of design or as they say it:

"The App Review Guidelines provide rules and examples across a range of topics, including user interface design, functionality, content, and the use of specific technologies. Ensure your apps comply with these guidelines before submitting them for review."

For the guideline see: https://developer.apple.com/appstore/guidelines.html

In other words if you do not apply by these guidelines, Apple has the right to decline your app being published in there app store and their app store is the only legal way of installing apps on ipad, ipod or iphone.

So you do need MobGUI since it helps you get faster results when trying to comply by the design rules of Apple.

Still if your in luck, most code can probably just be copy pasted and only the design needs to be redone.

Hope this helps and if anyone has more knowledge on this subject please complement or correct me.

Best Regards,

Ronald

[dave_probertGA6e24]

Hi Ed,

And for another view - You really Don't need MobGUI unless you are developing for an iPhone or some other 'Standard Interface' App. If you already have an interface that works then it should just work on the iPad too.

The design rules don't necessarily apply if you are creating a non-standard App. Many iPad Apps nowadays don't use the iPhone Navbar stuff, because that was designed for a small screen with limited visual space. iPads are the equivalent of an xVGA screen from 10 years ago - perfectly adequate for most Apps (often it's actually too much space for some apps!)

The thing you should be aware of is the resolution of the App - 1024x768 (landscape) or 2048x1534 (retina landscape) Make sure that your current desktop version will run at 1024x768 (and/or the portrait version too, if you also require that). If it does then you have most of the problem beat.

After getting resolution solved then the next 'problem' would be the look of standard buttons - to be honest the default buttons look like crap when running on an iPad! The simple solution - make some images of a button that you like and use that inside a 'transparent' rectangle button. Problem solved (except for @2x resolution stuff for retina displays).

Skinning the slider/scroll bars is also a good idea - there is a tutorial in the lessons section of the livecode site about this - best to have a read through that.

With any luck one aspect of the above 'problems' will be solved by RunRev very soon (supposedly at the end of August!) - that of resolution independence. I don't know anything about how they are planning on doing this, but I'm sure that it should be available to you before your project is done (assuming the end of the year!)

The best way to check out what your program will look like on the iPad is to run it through the simulator and try all the various settings (retina, rotation, etc) - it will give you a good idea of what the final thing will look like. Once you get all the functionality working to your satisfaction then get an IOS developer account with Apple, set up a dev provisioning profile and test on an actual device (if you have one handy) Fixing most of the final problems (usually with how it looks and some optimisation steps) is quite easy when you can see it running on the device in front of you

I often create little test Apps that do a couple of things and send them off to my iPad to simply see how it looks and feels on the real device - great for a quick test and also there is a sense of satisfaction that you get when seeing it running for the first time on the magical slab.

If you have any specific questions regarding anything I mention above then please ask.

Hope that helps,
Dave

[edblackhurst]

Thanks, Ronald. Very helpful message and links. Looks like I've got a lot of exploring to do on the Apple Developer site.

Ed

[edblackhurst]

Thanks, Dave. Good suggestions and tips. I like the idea of exploring the look and feel of several alternatives, so I'll experiment with transferring my desktop app features and those I develop via MobGUI.

I appreciate the info.

Ed