Tag: Android

Using ANT to package the same AIR app to Multiple Devices

I had some fun today playing with the BlackBerry Tablet SDK. In addition to getting a little demo up and running I got to show off some cool multiscreen goodness. Basically, I wrote one AIR app targeted at the Samsung Galaxy tab and the BlackBerry PlayBook (emulator, no device for me yet). I got them both to compile and install at the same time.

They also both ran, which was even awesomer.

I’ve embedded GISTs of the ANT script and properties file. Enjoy.

https://gist.github.com/735454.js

Compiling Flex Hero Apps with MXMLC in ANT

I ran into a problem today trying to use ANT to publish the same AIR application to BlackBerry and Android at the same time. Basically, when I used Flash Builder Burrito to push directly to a device for either platform it worked perfectly. When I did it via the ANT script I just got a white screen.

The cause: I had the wrong config loaded. I had air-config.xml as the configuration, and needed airmobile-config.xml as the configuration.

Took me a bit, but I figured it out. So if you’re looking to compile your Hero apps via ANT, use the right config.

https://gist.github.com/735429.js?file=build.xml

Multiple Screens, One Server – Max Session

There are several ways to approach mobile application development. You can:

  • Write native apps
  • Write mobile browser based app
    • Rolling your own
    • Use a mobile framework
  • Use Flash and an AIR packager
Each has their plusses and minuses, but they all have one thing in common: They have to talk to a server somewhere. If I were to build the ideal server for a mobile application I think it would have the following attributes:
  • Ability to communicate with JavaScript Frameworks
  • Ability to communicate with Flash
  • Ability to communicate efficiently

It’s be nice if it did all that, and didn’t make me jump through hoops to get the same backend to do all three of them with the same code. If you threw in SMS communication, that would just be gravy.

It turns out (quite coincidentally) I know a server that fits all of those criteria. It’s also easy to use, and does a lot of other stuff for you. Of course it’s ColdFusion.
Come to my MAX Session Multiple Screens, One Server, to find out how ColdFusion can speed up your mobile development efforts.

Multiple Screens, One Server

Monday, October, 25th, 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm

Holy Crap I’m a Mobile Developer: Prototype to Desktop

For my second video in the series, I’ll show you how to take a Flash Catalyst interactive composition and turn it into a stand-alone application using Flash Builder and Adobe AIR.

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=13036185&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF&fullscreen=1

Flash Catalyst for Mobile Development 2 from Terry Ryan on Vimeo.

Holy Crap I’m a Mobile Developer

I’m starting up new little series entitled “Holy Crap, I’m a Mobile Developer.” The idea is that somewhere along the way I developed the ability to build applications for mobile devices, specifically Android. Sadly I can’t take any credit for this. The Flash Platform engineering teams did this to me.

In my series of demos, I’m going to show how to take a static Fireworks composition and turn it into an application running on a Nexus One. I start out using Flash Catalyst to turn the static composition into an interactive one (interactive composition sounds better than “dumb prototype”). After Catalyst, I add business logic using Flash Builder. Finally I use the AIR 2.5 SDK and the Android SDK to convert it to an Android app and drop it onto my phone.

My point here with these posts is to show off just how frickin’ easy it is to get your stuff onto a mobile device with the Flash Platform. It’s so easy that I can do it. That’s not false modesty, I’m mostly a back-end ColdFusion expert; on the front-end though, I’m usually at a loss. Not with these tools, I’m not. These tools make me look like a front-end genius. So I hope you enjoy this series.