Can I build a form app using Corona?

Getting Started Newbie Questions
#1

I am wondering if Corona fits my application - a basic form (text entry (keyboard popup), drop down list, etc.) that connects to the phone database (to keep record).

I need a development environment for both the Android and iPhone as the app will be used across these platforms and then take the data into one external database for data mining. The form will also be able to create graphs of the data.

Is Corona overkill for what I need? I plan on creating some simple games in the future but it would be nice to develop this app as well with a tool like Corona.

Thanks! [import]uid: 93439 topic_id: 15618 reply_id: 315618[/import]

#2

yes you can. However you will have to note that there are a few little things in Corona that you will have to take care of, like the fields getting covered by the keyboard.

As far as Database, graphs, etc are concerned, Corona can do that for you quite easily.

Have a look at one Graph custom Control I have here and there are others too that you can get.

The CoronaUI(AnscaMobile) and the CoronaUIAdvance (3rd Party) are two libraries that offer you native looking controls for use with CoronaSDK.

Think of it this way, if you are proficient with Objective-C and need to only manage forms, then maybe that would be easier for you to build an engine to handle forms.

On the other hand, if you are after a quick and easy way to get things done, where you want to concentrate more on the logic than the framework, then CoronaSDK is the solution for you, given that there are a few quirks, which are due to the fact that OpenGL plays a bit differently with Native controls.

cheers,

?:slight_smile: [import]uid: 3826 topic_id: 15618 reply_id: 57687[/import]

#3

Thanks JayantV to the link to the Graphic Custom Control - I am assuming that this graph can be created dynamically from pulling data from a database. Correct? Is this part of CoronaSDK or would this be getting into the code and creating it?

I like the ease of use of CoronaSDK - thinking of maybe using it for a front end - how does it work with a web service (can I create a web service in CoronaSDK?)? I will need to eventually connect with the database to upload and download data.

Many thanks for your input!

Mark [import]uid: 93439 topic_id: 15618 reply_id: 57718[/import]

#4

mark,

  1. It is not *data bound*, so you have to get the data and set up the graph, have alook at the sample code supplied on how to use it.
  2. You cannot create a webservice on CoronaSDK but you can access webservices from CoronaSDK.

cheers,

?:slight_smile: [import]uid: 3826 topic_id: 15618 reply_id: 57720[/import]

#5

How do games store the data, such as high score and user? Is this through a database? The reason I am asking is that I was thinking of creating the form and then uploading the data externally (allowing the user to update or change the info and then upload later).

One other idea I was looking at is to create the form as a web interface to the external database (but not sure how this would work if no access to the database (which is why I was needing local storage)).

Thanks,

Mark [import]uid: 93439 topic_id: 15618 reply_id: 58248[/import]