Can I use Corona to build a custom social networking app?

Getting Started Newbie Questions
#1

Hello,

I’m interested to know what % of the below requirements for an smart phone application Corona could meet? 

I thought it was just for game development, but it looks like it has some ability to build custom functionality as well?

What version would I need to develop the below app, or I’m I better just using the native IOS SDK?

Thanks for your input!

Outlined requirements

User Management 

-    Register

-    Login

-    Manage Account Details

-    Delete Account

Content (Image)

-    List of pre-defined images for all users to use held in a repository with different categories

-   -    Ability for friends or followers to send content to each other’s profile/homepage

-    Ability for user, friends and followers to comment on shared content

-    Ability to delete content and comments

Functions

-    Ability to block or delete friends or connections

-    Ability to auto accept or decline content submitted by certain friends or followers

View of content (Users single profile/homepage)

-    Tiled

-    List

Content filtered by (Users single profile/homepage)

-    Date

-    Friend

Sharing (share or automatically send own or friends image uploads to)

-    Facebook

Admin function 

  • The app should also include an admin function to administrate all data held within the app.
#2

No one has any ideas about this?

#3

Well your question is kind of complex.  First, most of the things you are asking are going to be done by some server on the internet.  Depending on how big you expect your service to grow, you could for something small use a web hosting company with a PHP/MySQL database and build your own REST based API calls to let clients talk to the server.  If you want to be bigger, you’re going to have to have some infrastructure to handle large scale cloud computing. 

None of this has anything to do with Corona SDK or any other Client engine.  Most everything in your list is going to be managed by this service and what Corona SDK would do is present whatever forms you need to your user to input data and then query the service and when it gets data from the service display it to the person running the app.

Corona is more than capable of handling uploading/downloading files from servers, displaying information from a network web based service, collecting input from the apps users and sending that input to the service in question.

#4

Thanks for your comments, so if I understand you correctly the starting point would be to develop the mySQL database structure and required APIs, then look to build the front end with Corona (For example) once this has all been set up and agreed?

#5

Hi Dano_w,

You can absolutely achieve this with Corona when combined with a cloud based backend service, here I would recommend using Parse, instead of building your own.

Corona will give you the quick development on multiple platforms and Parse you can store and manage your data easily.

I believe there is some code for using Parse in Corona, also there are a few people in the forums that have Parse experience.

Good luck,

-Mohamed

#6

Thanks Mohamed,

So with Parse I’d use https://www.parse.com/products/hosting or https://www.parse.com/products/cloud_code ? or both? nice idea, thanks for your input.

Dan

#7

Hi Dan,

Parse Cloud Code is specifically used if you want to program some logic on the server side, but if as I see it, all you are doing is basically storing, updating and retrieving data, which should be covered by the basic Parse functionality.

I would start by using the basic functionality which has a lot of features already such as user & roles management which you can use straight away. Then see if you need anything specific which you can code in Cloud Code.

Its pretty straight forward so don’t be afraid to dive in.

-Mohamed

#8

No one has any ideas about this?

#9

Well your question is kind of complex.  First, most of the things you are asking are going to be done by some server on the internet.  Depending on how big you expect your service to grow, you could for something small use a web hosting company with a PHP/MySQL database and build your own REST based API calls to let clients talk to the server.  If you want to be bigger, you’re going to have to have some infrastructure to handle large scale cloud computing. 

None of this has anything to do with Corona SDK or any other Client engine.  Most everything in your list is going to be managed by this service and what Corona SDK would do is present whatever forms you need to your user to input data and then query the service and when it gets data from the service display it to the person running the app.

Corona is more than capable of handling uploading/downloading files from servers, displaying information from a network web based service, collecting input from the apps users and sending that input to the service in question.

#10

Thanks for your comments, so if I understand you correctly the starting point would be to develop the mySQL database structure and required APIs, then look to build the front end with Corona (For example) once this has all been set up and agreed?

#11

Hi Dano_w,

You can absolutely achieve this with Corona when combined with a cloud based backend service, here I would recommend using Parse, instead of building your own.

Corona will give you the quick development on multiple platforms and Parse you can store and manage your data easily.

I believe there is some code for using Parse in Corona, also there are a few people in the forums that have Parse experience.

Good luck,

-Mohamed

#12

Thanks Mohamed,

So with Parse I’d use https://www.parse.com/products/hosting or https://www.parse.com/products/cloud_code ? or both? nice idea, thanks for your input.

Dan

#13

Hi Dan,

Parse Cloud Code is specifically used if you want to program some logic on the server side, but if as I see it, all you are doing is basically storing, updating and retrieving data, which should be covered by the basic Parse functionality.

I would start by using the basic functionality which has a lot of features already such as user & roles management which you can use straight away. Then see if you need anything specific which you can code in Cloud Code.

Its pretty straight forward so don’t be afraid to dive in.

-Mohamed