Developing Business Apps with Corona

[russcampbell]

I’ve been keeping my eye on Corona for developing business apps. I don’t see much that indicates they are taking this seriously. It seems it’s still about gaming. In the past, I’ve seen posts about Corona for business that indicated data binding to multiple database fields was difficult. Now what I see is marketing trying to tell us how it’s great for business apps, but not a lot of real-world examples.

Can anyone offer some insight here?

Russell [import]uid: 105105 topic_id: 31310 reply_id: 331310[/import]

[Omnigeek_Media]

Let me take a stab from the position of a developer…

You can do biz apps, but all GUI elements like listViews and buttons are designed using graphics to be usable with OpenGL, the graphics engine but they can be buggy at times and don’t have the full range of controls. Native objects, like text fields, while implemented are implemented at a minimal level and don’t integrate with the Graphic side of Corona apps.

That said, you **CAN** do business apps and there are quite a few examples out there. Two of my 5 apps are based around using GUI elements like listViews, pickerViews, tabBar controllers and such. You can talk to any Web API and if it’s a REST service spitting out JSON data, it’s pretty darn easy to do.

Now Corona SDK ships with the ability to connect to a local SQL Lite database. There isn’t any other DB support with it beyond using RESTful or SOAP web services (or roll your own!)

Then there is Corona Enterprise. This (way more expensive) version supports 3rd party compiled libraries and SDK’s. In theory you can compile in any DB library you want. I’m too poor to afford Enterprise given that I’m a one man Indie shop and I don’t need Enterprise, so I can’t really verify what all it can do for you. [import]uid: 19626 topic_id: 31310 reply_id: 125121[/import]

[russm305]

This has to do with creating business app in Corona
http://masteringcoronasdk.com [import]uid: 75779 topic_id: 31310 reply_id: 125139[/import]

[J_A_Whye]

The thing that can bite you in the butt with biz apps is the same thing that can bite you in the butt for games – if you’re dead-set on doing X and Corona SDK doesn’t yet support X, you’ve run into a brick wall.

However, there’s usually more than one way to get something done, so if you’re willing to modify your design if needed, you can usually get where you want to go. And like robmiracle mentioned, if you have the bucks you can spring for the Enterprise edition and make it sit up and bark if you want.

Here’s a business app I just finished (using the normal edition of Corona SDK) – it gives you access to the most recent business licenses issued by the State of Alaska:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/alaska-leads/id550673659?mt=8

It saves data to a local SQLite database but also syncs to a mySQL database (via PHP script) on my server.

I also spent a few hours Saturday night working on a “spec” app that’s probably going to end up being the framework I use for multiple business apps.

The MasteringCoronaSDK.com link someone posted earlier (thanks!) is my site and (sales pitch warning!) is a pretty good bang-for-the-buck to get you going with biz apps using Corona SDK.

Jay [import]uid: 9440 topic_id: 31310 reply_id: 125176[/import]

[vovasoft]

You can make some simple app. On app store and market are already a lot of good app. You should develop something new or at least similar but it is difficult. I have 2 business apps that is unfinished because Corona doesn’t have a lot of basic things and we are still waiting. You didn’t specify what type of business app you are going to develop. [import]uid: 138389 topic_id: 31310 reply_id: 125178[/import]

[Omnigeek_Media]

Let me take a stab from the position of a developer…

You can do biz apps, but all GUI elements like listViews and buttons are designed using graphics to be usable with OpenGL, the graphics engine but they can be buggy at times and don’t have the full range of controls. Native objects, like text fields, while implemented are implemented at a minimal level and don’t integrate with the Graphic side of Corona apps.

That said, you **CAN** do business apps and there are quite a few examples out there. Two of my 5 apps are based around using GUI elements like listViews, pickerViews, tabBar controllers and such. You can talk to any Web API and if it’s a REST service spitting out JSON data, it’s pretty darn easy to do.

Now Corona SDK ships with the ability to connect to a local SQL Lite database. There isn’t any other DB support with it beyond using RESTful or SOAP web services (or roll your own!)

Then there is Corona Enterprise. This (way more expensive) version supports 3rd party compiled libraries and SDK’s. In theory you can compile in any DB library you want. I’m too poor to afford Enterprise given that I’m a one man Indie shop and I don’t need Enterprise, so I can’t really verify what all it can do for you. [import]uid: 19626 topic_id: 31310 reply_id: 125121[/import]

[russm305]

This has to do with creating business app in Corona
http://masteringcoronasdk.com [import]uid: 75779 topic_id: 31310 reply_id: 125139[/import]

[J_A_Whye]

The thing that can bite you in the butt with biz apps is the same thing that can bite you in the butt for games – if you’re dead-set on doing X and Corona SDK doesn’t yet support X, you’ve run into a brick wall.

However, there’s usually more than one way to get something done, so if you’re willing to modify your design if needed, you can usually get where you want to go. And like robmiracle mentioned, if you have the bucks you can spring for the Enterprise edition and make it sit up and bark if you want.

Here’s a business app I just finished (using the normal edition of Corona SDK) – it gives you access to the most recent business licenses issued by the State of Alaska:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/alaska-leads/id550673659?mt=8

It saves data to a local SQLite database but also syncs to a mySQL database (via PHP script) on my server.

I also spent a few hours Saturday night working on a “spec” app that’s probably going to end up being the framework I use for multiple business apps.

The MasteringCoronaSDK.com link someone posted earlier (thanks!) is my site and (sales pitch warning!) is a pretty good bang-for-the-buck to get you going with biz apps using Corona SDK.

Jay [import]uid: 9440 topic_id: 31310 reply_id: 125176[/import]

[vovasoft]

You can make some simple app. On app store and market are already a lot of good app. You should develop something new or at least similar but it is difficult. I have 2 business apps that is unfinished because Corona doesn’t have a lot of basic things and we are still waiting. You didn’t specify what type of business app you are going to develop. [import]uid: 138389 topic_id: 31310 reply_id: 125178[/import]

[mrctito]

Hi people !

Does anybody know any Corona SDK Libraries for design complex UI databindings, like Knockout ?

http://knockoutjs.com/

I think supporting complex UI management (data binding, automatic refresh) is a most important step to make Corona SDK ready to business App market.

Thank you !

[mrctito]

Hi people !

Does anybody know any Corona SDK Libraries for design complex UI databindings, like Knockout ?

http://knockoutjs.com/

I think supporting complex UI management (data binding, automatic refresh) is a most important step to make Corona SDK ready to business App market.

Thank you !