Can I use Corona for making non-game apps?

[J_A_Whye]

(FULL DISCLOSURE: I’m selling a video tutorial on making business-type apps - this post could be seen as promotional.)

While there are a lot more games than business apps made with Corona SDK, the framework can definitely be used for business-type apps.

Here’s a 2-minute video showing an app that’s waiting for approval from Apple right now:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNVabJsPWLI&feature=share&list=UU3lhRdp9X_7JsFulr_zxE5w

It’s an app for B2B salespeople looking for new leads.

I also created an “entertainment” app called NapKeeper that’s on the App Store now – and while it’s an entertainment app, it’s written as a business-type app with picker widgets, tab bar, etc.

I think it’s easier to make a game with Corona SDK than a biz app, but with widgets and storyboard it’s becoming easier and easier to create non-game apps with Corona.

Jay [import]uid: 9440 topic_id: 30563 reply_id: 122515[/import]

[J_A_Whye]

For those wanting a look at how easily biz-type stuff can be done via Corona SDK, here’s one of the videos from Lesson 5 of my course:

http://instantvideowebpages.com/play/tabbarwidget

Not everything is as easy as using newTabBar(), but once you have your head around how things work it’s not as headache-inducing as you might think at first glance.

Jay

PS - Previous disclaimer still applies.
[import]uid: 9440 topic_id: 30563 reply_id: 122528[/import]

[gibsonpa]

I finished my first non-game app about a month ago. It is not exactly business, but is another example of using Corona for a non-game app. It has lots of data entry, reports, etc.

http://www.HomeschoolHelperApp.com

Paul [import]uid: 39506 topic_id: 30563 reply_id: 122530[/import]

[1eimer]

Hi!

Verry interesting thread.

@gibsonpa
What technique did you use to make your UIs? Do you create your “screens” in Photoshop?

Thanks,
tobias
[import]uid: 87385 topic_id: 30563 reply_id: 122581[/import]

[nosheet]

@1eimer,
Yes, I would advise laying out interface in Photoshop first to make sure that the interface is easy to understand and use (ideally you could test the screens by showing them to people).
Then I cut the graphics and pack them all into one texture (TexturePacker is great for this), and then in Corona I use spritesheets to display graphics.

I assume most of people will also write another layer of GUI API on top of Corona’s, that would deal with more specific UI elements ( like in my case, I made widgets like custom input text boxes, table view in which you can drag elements to change order, then various types of graphs, schedules, and also, for example, made my own picker as the built-in was not good enough ).

You may also check WidgetCandy, it might work well for you.

@JAWhye, nice work on tutorials! By the way how’s the Renegade project coming along, as well as the other-sdk-ProjectManager? [import]uid: 80100 topic_id: 30563 reply_id: 122596[/import]

[1eimer]

Thanks a lot for the info!!

[import]uid: 87385 topic_id: 30563 reply_id: 122597[/import]

[gibsonpa]

Hi @1eimer,

Yes, the two screenshots (closed book and open book) were done with Fireworks. But most of the UI was done with Widget Candy…which is great once you get the hang of it!!

Paul [import]uid: 39506 topic_id: 30563 reply_id: 122629[/import]

[1eimer]

Thanks so much @gibsonpa!

I also take a look on the widget candy website, but i wasn’t sure if it will works nice and fast on both ios and android.
Do you had any drawbacks in using this module?

Background: Iam also at a stage to start an educational app, mostly with tables, tab groups filled by JSONs. I first want to go with titanium (Oops), but i like corona/lua more. But since it lacks of realy good ui controls, i gave up.

Tobias [import]uid: 87385 topic_id: 30563 reply_id: 122637[/import]

[Omnigeek_Media]

Yes, you certainly can do business and non game apps with Corona SDK. In fact half of my apps alive in the app store are non-game apps:

Look at what I did with these apps:

Speedy Sender – sends templated SMS messages to people.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/speedy-sender/id492006277?mt=8
Uses picker wheel, tableView, tabBar and text input, widget buttons.

tACKY – RSS feed reader and podCast player
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-animals-can-kill-you/id455118802?mt=8
Uses tabBar, tableView, backgrounding audio, webViews etc. I sell the template for this app, btw.

Yosemite National Park Photo Gallery – Photo Gallery type app
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/yosemite-national-park-gallery/id496141765?mt=8
Not your standard business app with widgets, but clearly **not a game**

[import]uid: 19626 topic_id: 30563 reply_id: 122642[/import]

[nosheet]

Hi Alex,
The answer is absolutely yes, unless your application requires a feature that is out of scope of Corona SDK (like opening a zip archive, for example) - if that’s the case you can still do it, but you’ll need the Enterprise License to be able to extend the SDK yourself.
In practice, I found Corona quite good for most types of the business apps.
Cheers
N [import]uid: 80100 topic_id: 30563 reply_id: 122465[/import]

[myshareit]

Hi N, thanks for your answer !

Could you please point me on a documentation about business apps development on Corona sdk ? I have an idea to create one cross-platform bussiness app and I’m looking for a good development platform. [import]uid: 101208 topic_id: 30563 reply_id: 122468[/import]

[J_A_Whye]

(FULL DISCLOSURE: I’m selling a video tutorial on making business-type apps - this post could be seen as promotional.)

While there are a lot more games than business apps made with Corona SDK, the framework can definitely be used for business-type apps.

Here’s a 2-minute video showing an app that’s waiting for approval from Apple right now:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNVabJsPWLI&feature=share&list=UU3lhRdp9X_7JsFulr_zxE5w

It’s an app for B2B salespeople looking for new leads.

I also created an “entertainment” app called NapKeeper that’s on the App Store now – and while it’s an entertainment app, it’s written as a business-type app with picker widgets, tab bar, etc.

I think it’s easier to make a game with Corona SDK than a biz app, but with widgets and storyboard it’s becoming easier and easier to create non-game apps with Corona.

Jay [import]uid: 9440 topic_id: 30563 reply_id: 122515[/import]

[J_A_Whye]

For those wanting a look at how easily biz-type stuff can be done via Corona SDK, here’s one of the videos from Lesson 5 of my course:

http://instantvideowebpages.com/play/tabbarwidget

Not everything is as easy as using newTabBar(), but once you have your head around how things work it’s not as headache-inducing as you might think at first glance.

Jay

PS - Previous disclaimer still applies.
[import]uid: 9440 topic_id: 30563 reply_id: 122528[/import]

[gibsonpa]

I finished my first non-game app about a month ago. It is not exactly business, but is another example of using Corona for a non-game app. It has lots of data entry, reports, etc.

http://www.HomeschoolHelperApp.com

Paul [import]uid: 39506 topic_id: 30563 reply_id: 122530[/import]

[1eimer]

Hi!

Verry interesting thread.

@gibsonpa
What technique did you use to make your UIs? Do you create your “screens” in Photoshop?

Thanks,
tobias
[import]uid: 87385 topic_id: 30563 reply_id: 122581[/import]

[nosheet]

@1eimer,
Yes, I would advise laying out interface in Photoshop first to make sure that the interface is easy to understand and use (ideally you could test the screens by showing them to people).
Then I cut the graphics and pack them all into one texture (TexturePacker is great for this), and then in Corona I use spritesheets to display graphics.

I assume most of people will also write another layer of GUI API on top of Corona’s, that would deal with more specific UI elements ( like in my case, I made widgets like custom input text boxes, table view in which you can drag elements to change order, then various types of graphs, schedules, and also, for example, made my own picker as the built-in was not good enough ).

You may also check WidgetCandy, it might work well for you.

@JAWhye, nice work on tutorials! By the way how’s the Renegade project coming along, as well as the other-sdk-ProjectManager? [import]uid: 80100 topic_id: 30563 reply_id: 122596[/import]

[1eimer]

Thanks a lot for the info!!

[import]uid: 87385 topic_id: 30563 reply_id: 122597[/import]

[gibsonpa]

Hi @1eimer,

Yes, the two screenshots (closed book and open book) were done with Fireworks. But most of the UI was done with Widget Candy…which is great once you get the hang of it!!

Paul [import]uid: 39506 topic_id: 30563 reply_id: 122629[/import]

[1eimer]

Thanks so much @gibsonpa!

I also take a look on the widget candy website, but i wasn’t sure if it will works nice and fast on both ios and android.
Do you had any drawbacks in using this module?

Background: Iam also at a stage to start an educational app, mostly with tables, tab groups filled by JSONs. I first want to go with titanium (Oops), but i like corona/lua more. But since it lacks of realy good ui controls, i gave up.

Tobias [import]uid: 87385 topic_id: 30563 reply_id: 122637[/import]

[Omnigeek_Media]

Yes, you certainly can do business and non game apps with Corona SDK. In fact half of my apps alive in the app store are non-game apps:

Look at what I did with these apps:

Speedy Sender – sends templated SMS messages to people.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/speedy-sender/id492006277?mt=8
Uses picker wheel, tableView, tabBar and text input, widget buttons.

tACKY – RSS feed reader and podCast player
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-animals-can-kill-you/id455118802?mt=8
Uses tabBar, tableView, backgrounding audio, webViews etc. I sell the template for this app, btw.

Yosemite National Park Photo Gallery – Photo Gallery type app
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/yosemite-national-park-gallery/id496141765?mt=8
Not your standard business app with widgets, but clearly **not a game**

[import]uid: 19626 topic_id: 30563 reply_id: 122642[/import]