Hello

edawg

Hi, I'm new to all of this programming stuff and have been trolling around Gideros for about 2 weeks now. Before Gideros, I was trolling through 'beer' SDK...my question for you experienced peeps is how should I go about trying to learn all of this stuff?! I have no programming experience whatsoever...should I learn LUA first? Or should I just try to learn off of the tutorials and templates? Please enlighten me as I am totally in the dark but willing to learn! Thanks in advance

hgvyas123

i think tutorial and templates will be fine also consider this

http://appcodingeasy.com/Gideros-Mobile

edawg

Hey, thanks for the reply, I have checked out that link and think 'wow' this look great, but then I take a look at the code and can't seem to grasp how everything comes together. I like to consider myself a pretty smart guy, which is why I am stumped by this! I'm on this site everyday and am hoping eventually, one day, everything will 'click' one day! Thanks again!

Caroline

Hi, edawg - I can't remember learning how to program, it was so long ago, except that we did binary on the first morning, and I almost abandoned the course. Learning any language helps you become a programmer, so any beginning programming book will help you to understand about variables and loops and events etc. Once you have the basics, it's generally pretty easy to learn new languages.

I just found this tutorial about Lua, taking it from the very beginning, which might help, and at least it will get you started typing stuff in. (Typing stuff in is very important - just reading about it will get you nowhere.)

http://www.phailed.me/2011/02/learn-lua-the-hard-way-1/#desc

You can skip the setup, presuming you can play your Gideros Studio examples, and just start a new Gideros project and type in the Gideros IDE. ( (I)ntegrated (D)evelopment (E)nvironment.)

edawg

hey Caroline thanks for the link and the words of wisdom, " (Typing stuff in is very important - just reading about it will get you nowhere.)". I believe this is the mistake I've been making, trying to grasp everything by reading and not actually coding anything! I have gone through the examples, so I am going to skip that part! Thanks again and I will report back with any progress made.

Magnusviri

Hello @edawg,
I'm writing a beginners book. I would appreciate any feedback you can give positive or negative. Here are the first 2 chapters.

http://magnusviri.calepin.co/mobile-game-programming-chapter-1.html

http://magnusviri.calepin.co/mobile-game-programming-chapter-2.html

edawg

Thanks Magnusviri, I will have a look.

gorkem

Hi @edawg - have a look at "Lua programming" section here:

http://giderosmobile.com/DevCenter/index.php/Links_and_resources

It includes many Lua resources to help you get started. For the first few weeks, I believe learning Lua and trying out with hundreds of examples is a must. Do not be depressed down with some of the discussions here in case you find them hard.

Welcome to our forums, and check back often. I'd be a lot interested to see your progress

edawg

Thanks Gorkem, will do! >-

Zoyt

Hello,
I'm in middle school and I've only been Programming for a few years and have achieved a lot. From my personal experience, I wish I started with Lua and a large community. But I started with QBASIC in a virtual DOSBox. No syntax highlighting, nothing helpful. Made Frogger, pong, and Breakout, but it was torture. This is a good IDE, SDK, and language to start with. I think the best thing I ever did was look at example code and recreate old games. Hope that helps! >-

chipster123

Hello,
I'm in middle school and I've only been Programming for a few years and have achieved a lot.

Wow, you write so much older!

MikeHart

Hello,
I'm in middle school and I've only been Programming for a few years and have achieved a lot.

Wow, you write so much older!

)

Zoyt

Thanks! I try not to sound too much like a foolish kid or something like that. And @edwag - I can't wait to see what you've done. And just out of curiosity, I looked for "Beer SDK", but couldn't find it in 28 google pages. If I could have a link to see what it is. Thanks!

Magnusviri

You'd need to do a web search for the the name of a popular beer (C, o, r...). Honestly, I don't know why people don't mention it by name. For the record I'd never even heard about it before I got on this forum. I was familiar with App Game Kit and Monkey.

Zoyt

Ahh... Here's why I don't use these other languages:
C - Too hard to make simple games in...
Monkey - MESSY
Game Maker, Game Salad, Game Editor, etc - Not flexible enough.
Codea (iPad app) - iPad app, but I still love it so much.
Corona - Who needs them when you have the awesome Gideros.
Moai - Too unclear, but good concepts.
Etc., etc. - Just not Gideros Mobile. Sorry. Slightly off topic.

MikeHart

@Zoyt: "Beer" SDK aka C*r*na. Btw. as Monkey is my 1st choice of developing tool, I wrote a book about it, was beta testing it, etc etc.... why do you find it messy?

Another thing, if you don't want to come over like a typical 14 yr old, stop using phrases like "I am an awesome graphic artist". Or try to backup your phrase with a showcase


@Magnusviri: Some don't like to call it by its name because we had some personal issues with the company and don't want to give them extra exposure/commercial.

edawg

Hi @Magnusviri - I read your 2 chapters and found them very helpful. I like your approach and the way you explain everything in such detail. I think I'm finally beginning to see the light, thanks and thanks to everyone else for your help! :-bd

Zoyt

Great edawg. @MikeHart - Sorry to come across braggy and rude. I don't mean to. And I'm working on a showcase. Just have to convert the code. It's a lot of code.
Sorry!
P.S. I'm 12
Edit: On my website I'm setting up for this (I do for everything I love), I have a little show case of what stuff I've made.

MikeHart

Np Zooty, where is your website? I want to check out your graphic work. And what about your Monkey comment? I am really interested to hear your opinion why Monkey is Messy.

Zoyt

@MikeHart - It's in developement. I'll try an get it up this weekend. And for monkey, what I don't like was it didn't have syntax highlighting or suggestions for the mojo module. But now that I think of it, it's really my problem. The other thing is that it developed for many other platforms (which is good), but the SDK functions are not specific to each platform enough. Mostly, it's it's IDE that's messy, but again, that should be my problem. But I do like BlitzMax (one of my first coders). It could also run Lua. Also, it's jut a little easier to do things in Lua. I might look at it again. The last time I looked was a few months ago. But I really like Gideros Mobile a lot...

MikeHart

So you didn't like the IDE. Do you like the Gideros one?

Zoyt

3 things:
1. Needs better IDE
2. More platform specific functions
3. Physics have to be implemented manually.

ar2rsawseen

I'd say platform specific functions are bad. Ok you can't get completely without them, but if there are too much, you'd end up like Titanium, that for everything you implement, you need to check compatability with different platforms. It's just so frustrating.
Better cut off some features, to ensure crossplatform compatability, and extend specific feature needs with plugins for specific platforms.

MikeHart

@ar2rsawseen Exactly. That is why you see there such a great amount of 3rd party modules now.

@Zoyt: Be careful as you have posted false/misleading information about Monkey.

Zoyt

@ar2rsawseen - Sorry, I wasn't clear enough. Many platforms don't allow things that others do, like GameCenter for iOS vs. Android. I like them only when they are CLEARLY split into sections of availability. Monkey Coder does that fairly well with their few multi platform functions... In most sections in the help.
As for @MikeHart - I'm a curios person, so I looked up your book. Looks interesting and might help if I decided I might like to use Monkey Coder. What did I say that was misleading or false? I'm using the demo version, so if I'm missing something in the full version, just LMK. Using demo v45c. Ah... Forgot one other thing that drove me crazy: I can't get access to the forums for help in the free version. That way, I can't search the forums either ti see if something is possible. I almost purchased it... Then I decided to prototype a game idea I had... Much slower in my opinion that Lua and BASIC to code an app. I'm cutting them a ton of slack for building it from the ground up though. Just curious- Why do you prefer Monkey Coder?
Thanks!
P.S. Let's try to wrap up this conversation or put it into PMs because I feel guilty every time I put a post off topic of the original conversation. Thanks!

mykyl66

Forgot one other thing that drove me crazy: I can't get access to the forums for help in the free version. That way, I can't search the forums either ti see if something is possible. I almost purchased it...

Are you sure. I had only tested the demo version myself and Just checked for access to the forums with no issue. (The blitz forums you need to be a registered user but not the monkey forums. They are in a completely different place.) http://www.monkeycoder.co.nz/Community/_index_.php

Anyway back to Gideros...

Mike

Zoyt

Here it says in the terms of use:
Important - Monkey Registration Code Required For Sign Up

Please be aware that in order to sign up for a Monkey website account, a Monkey registration code is required in order to complete the sign up process. A Monkey registration code is obtained by purchasing Monkey.
When I try and search, it gives me this screen:
Search Forum

ERROR:Sorry, the search feature is available to registered users only.


Do they give you a registration code for the demo? Thanks!

MikeHart

@gorkem Could you split this topic into the relax cafe section please?

@Zoyt: Ok, here is my answer why you are wrong.

1. "Syntax highlighting missing for the mojo module". WRONG! It is there. And the IDE (Monk) has even more functionality than the Gideros one. For a simple example, a function list box.
2. "Physics have to be added manually". If you mean by that.... adding the line

import "box2D"

then yes that is manually. But in Gideros you need to require Box2D, right? And the rest is the same. Both implementations are very close to the original.

3. The platform specific functions are added via modules. We have now GameCenter, InApp, Admob, InMobi, Greyscape, 3D, 2D frameworks like my fantomEngine, Lua, etc etc. Evne new targets are created like a blitzmax target.

I don't prefer Monkey over any tool. It is a tool in my toolbox and I use it when it fits a job. Just like I use Gideros. If you limit yourself to one tool, you are missing out anyway.
I just hate it when people spread wrong information and try to show off. But use what you can use. Maybe Monkey is to complicated for your development background. And don't buy the book. It is not for you, I know that.

Btw. The demo of Monkey is HTML5 only anyway and pretty old. We are on version 56b now.

Zoyt

@MikeHart - Thanks. If they could list that in the help, that would be great. I've been behind on Monkey lately. Didn't see the new modules. I'm really behind on it. I'm not trying to show off. Trust me. I really look up to just about every other programmer I meet (including you). So if you could please ask them to update the demo so I can check out some of these new features, please do so. And let us know in more detail on the buy page what is missing in the demo, not only the platforms that's missing. Thanks. And I don't hate Monkey. And trust me, I'm not limited to one tool. You should see all the programing tools/SDKs I have on my computer. And iPad. Here is a little problem with the syntax highlighting:

See, the print in the settings is highlighted, but not on the document. Hope that might help. And check out my new icon I just quickly through together with some images I made earlier. From scratch. Just took the selection areas from the icon. Thanks!
P.S. Please don't imply you think I'm stupid. Because that's slightly how I feel right now.