Wallace B. McClure

Video Training - Android Advanced Development Using Mono for Android 4

Wallym — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:15:00 GMT

This course is about how to use Mono for Android with Tablets and the new Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich release. The course introduces Android Tablets and Fragments, new controls that are available through Android 4.0, new application programming interfaces in Android 4.0, and new features available in the Google Android SDK Release 17 that can improve their development experience. This course also contains a module on the Android Design Experience, what developers can use to improve the user experiences, design suggestions from Google’s Android team, and some thoughts on how to improve the design experience via software code.

eLearning event on HTML5 for Mobile with jQuery Mobile - May 17

Wallym — Mon, 14 May 2012 10:00:00 GMT

I'll be doing an eLearning event on HTML5 for Mobile with jQuery Mobile. There will also be a few items sprinkled in on ASP.NET Razor.

Mobile development is a hot item. Customers are buying iPhones, iPads, Android devices, and many other mobile computing devices at an ever increasing record pace. Devices based on iOS and Android are nearly 80 percent of the marketplace. RIM continues to be dominant in the business area across the world. Nokia's growth with Windows Phone will grow on a worldwide basis. At the same time, clearly web development is a tremendous driver of applications, both on the public Internet and on private networks. How can developers target these various mobile platforms with web technologies? Developers can write web applications that take advantage of each mobile platform, but that is a lot of work. Into this space, the jQuery Mobile framework was developed. This eLearning series will provide an overview of mobile web development with jQuery Mobile, a detailed look at what the jQuery Mobile framework provides for us, how we can customize jQuery Mobile, and how we can use jQuery Mobile inside of ASP.NET.

Link: http://elearning.left-brain.com/event/mobile-web-development

Lights, Camera, Action with Mono for Android Article in Visual Studio Magazine

Wallym — Wed, 02 May 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Multimedia is expected in today's mobile applications, and the fun isn't only for smartphone and tablet users. Mono for Android, based on the Mono project's open source implementation of the Microsoft .NET Framework, can help you take advantage of Android Camera APIs in Visual Studio. In this article, we'll look at taking pictures, loading pictures, video playback and recording video.

Link: http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2012/05/01/plug-in-to-mono.aspx

I don't know about you, but I'm amazed at what you can do with the multimedia in today's mobile devices. I grew up playing "Pong" and remember when games had to fit into big boxes with green screens and ASCII art. About 10 years ago, I had to create an interpreter for the graphics processor in the IBM AS/400 systems (iSeries now) to generate graphics in a screen-scraping application. How did we survive those days?

Now, mobile devices allow you to take pictures, record audio and video, and send it all to friends and relatives in minutes. You're seeing this happen all over the world, even in uprisings, as people compete to get their stories out.

Many people are confused by what multimedia actually is (including me), but for our purposes, I'll look at how .NET developers can use the Xamarin Mono for Android plug-in with Visual Studio 2010 to create Android applications that use pictures and video. If you're new to Mono for Android, check out my tutorial, "Introduction to MonoDroid".

While Mono for Android has definitely grown and matured since then, many of the basics are still applicable. However, the Mono garbage collector (GC) is not quite as advanced as the GC in the Microsoft .NET Framework. Sometimes, you'll need to help the GC along by calling GC.Collect at an appropriate part of your application.

There are a large number of Android devices in the marketplace. What works on one may not work properly on another. The code in this article was tested and validated against Mono for Android 4.0.x. Testing was done on two devices: an HTC EVO 4G running Android 2.3 (code-named "Gingerbread"), and a Motorola Xoom tablet running Android 4.0.3 (code-named "Ice Cream Sandwich").

I've found that if an app will work on my HTC EVO 4G and my Motorola Xoom, it typically works across many devices.

Playing, Recording, and Editing Video in the iPhone with MonoTouch Article

Wallym — Tue, 01 May 2012 13:30:00 GMT

This article resumes where we left off in "Working with Images and Animation on the iPhone and iPad with .NET and C#: Part 1," which looked at multimedia app development on the iPhone and iPad, including how to display simple images, take pictures with the device's camera, and perform some simple animation with the images. In this article, part 2, we'll look at how to perform more complicated animation using the NSTimer and UIView classes, how to display and record video, and how to edit the video.

Link: http://www.devproconnections.com/article/mobile-development/animation-app-iphone-ipad-142265

Better Debugging with Mono for Android

Wallym — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Let's be honest: When debugging with Android -- and Mono for Android (MfA) on Windows by extension -- using the emulator requires patience. This isn't a condemnation of Mono for Android; merely recognition of the reality of having to live within the Android ecosystem. I've noticed that most developers who develop on Android tend to be using a Mac. I think this is due to the development experience on the Mac being better overall for Android.

Let's look at how this debugging has improved recently for Windows developers targeting Android with C#. Link to the article: http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2012/04/25/better-debugging-with-mono.aspx

Mono for Android Monthly Column

Wallym — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 22:00:00 GMT

I can now announce with much excitement that fellow author and friend Greg Shackles and I will be authoring a monthly column for Visual Studio Magazine on Mono for Android. The link to the introduction is: http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2012/04/25/why-mono-for-android.aspx

The list for the articles is at: http://visualstudiomagazine.com/Articles/List/Mono-for-Android.asp

Working with Images and Animation on the iPhone and iPad with .NET and C#: Part 1

Wallym — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Multimedia has come a long way during my career in programming. I remember the HP-41C, the first calculator that I used day to day in my geeky teenage years (unfortunately, I've only gotten geekier as I have gotten older). It could only output text and a few beeps. I was in nirvana and thought it just couldn't get any better. Now, everyone in my family has an iPhone and an iPad. With these devices, we can use software and hardware to record and play audio and video, take and display pictures, and modify this content.

In this article (part 1) and the one soon to follow (part 2), I will discuss developing multimedia applications for the iPhone/iPad/iOS with .NET and C# using Xamarin's MonoTouch iOS development platform. Specifically, in the two-part series we'll explore taking pictures, displaying pictures, recording video, and playing video in iOS. In my experience, these are the most common operations performed by iPhone and iPad users. And for good measure, along the way we'll bounce a golf ball around the screen of your iPhone, and we'll do it all in C#.

To read the rest of the article, check it out on the Dev Pro Connections web site.

eLearning event on HTML5 for Mobile with jQuery Mobile

Wallym — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 08:00:00 GMT

Link: http://elearning.left-brain.com/event/mobile-web-development

Mono for Android Book has been Released!!!!!

Wallym — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 16:01:00 GMT

If I understand things correctly, and I make no guarantees that I do, our Mono for Android book has been RELEASED! I'm not quite sure what this means, but my guess is that that it has been printed and is being shipped to various book sellers.

So, if you have pre-ordered a copy, its now up to Amazon to send it to you. Its fully out of my control, Wrox, Wiley, as well as everyone but Amazon.

If you haven't bought a copy already, why? Seriously, go order 8-10 copies for the ones you love. They'll make great romantic gifts for the ones you love. Just think at the look on the other person's face when you give them a copy of our book.

Here's a little about the book:

The wait is over! For the millions of .NET/C# developers who have been eagerly awaiting the book that will guide them through the white-hot field of Android application programming, this is the book. As the first guide to focus on Mono for Android, this must-have resource dives into writing applications against Mono with C# and compiling executables that run on the Android family of devices.

Putting the proven Wrox Professional format into practice, the authors provide you with the knowledge you need to become a successful Android application developer without having to learn another programming language. You'll explore screen controls, UI development, tables and layouts, and MonoDevelop as you become adept at developing Android applications with Mono for Android.

Develop Android apps using tools you already know—C# and .NET

Aimed at providing readers with a thorough, reliable resource that guides them through the field of Android application programming, this must-have book shows how to write applications using Mono with C# that run on the Android family of devices. A team of authors provides you with the knowledge you need to become a successful Android application developer without having to learn another programming language. You'll explore screen controls, UI development, tables and layouts, and MonoDevelop as you become adept at planning, building, and developing Android applications with Mono for Android.

Professional Android Programming with Mono for Android and .NET/C#:

Shows you how to use your existing C# and .NET skills to build Android apps
Details optimal ways to work with data and bind data to controls
Explains how to program with Android device hardware
Dives into working with the file system and application preferences
Discusses how to share code between Mono for Android, MonoTouch, and Windows® Phone 7
Reveals tips for globalizing your apps with internationalization and localization support
Covers development of tablet apps with Android 4

Wrox Professional guides are planned and written by working programmers to meet the real-world needs of programmers, developers, and IT professionals. Focused and relevant, they address the issues technology professionals face every day. They provide examples, practical solutions, and expert education in new technologies, all designed to help programmers do a better job.

Now, go buy a bunch of copies!!!!!

If you are interested in iPhone and Android and would like to get a little more knowledgeable in the area of development, you can purchase the 3 pack of books from Wrox on Mobile Development with Mono. This will cover MonoTouch, Mono for Android, and cross platform methods for using both tools. A great package in and of itself. The name of that package is: Wrox Cross Platform Android and iOS Mobile Development Three-Pack

Mobile: Wrox Cross Platform Mobile Development - iPhone, iPad, Android, and everything with .NET & C#

Wallym — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 16:10:00 GMT

Wrox has produced a bundle of their 3 best selling mobile development books and it is available as of Today (March 16). A bundle of 3 best-selling and respected mobile development e-books from Wrox form a complete library on the key tools and techniques for developing apps across the hottest platforms including Android and iOS. This collection includes the full content of these three books, at a special price:

Professional Android Programming with Mono for Android and .NET/C#, ISBN: 9781118026434, by Wallace B. McClure, Nathan Blevins, John J. Croft, IV, Jonathan Dick, and Chris Hardy
Professional iPhone Programming with MonoTouch and .NET/C#, ISBN: 9780470637821, by Wallace B. McClure, Rory Blyth, Craig Dunn, Chris Hardy, and Martin Bowling
Professional Cross-Platform Mobile Development in C#, ISBN: 9781118157701, by Scott Olson, John Hunter, Ben Horgen, and Kenny Goers

Remember, go buy 8-10 copies of the 3 book set for the ones you love. They will make great and romantic gifts!!

Android Development with Mono for Android 4 - Training via AppDev

Wallym — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 05:01:00 GMT

My Android Development with Mono for Android 4 Video Training Series via AppDev is out and available. That's right, .NET/C# developers can now write native apps for Android devices. I hope that this is helpful to you as you get up to speed with Mono for Android. Here is some info on the training:

This course will show you how to use Mono for Android 4 by starting with how to install Mono for Android 4, introduce the SDK tools and then debugging of applications. The course then will show how to use the Emulators for items like interface design and controls. Next are the different types of Android devices and how to support them. Application Activities and lifecycles are covered and then Menus, Tables and Data. The course will then show the soft keyboards, advanced controls, user notifications and working with the contacts lists. The course will conclude with working with device hardware for directions, multimedia and Geo location.

In this course, you will learn:

How to set up an Android Emulator
About Android application framework support
How to debug using profiling with Traceview
How to setup a virtual device for Android emulation
To design screen layouts for Android tablets
About the basic set of controls
What are the different Android application states
How options menu is used with Action Bar in Android 3.0 and higher
About the different types of virtual keyboards
What is a Toast Nortification
What media types Android supports

Prerequisites: This course assumes that you are comfortable developing applications using Visual Studio 2010 and C#. Mono Android requires Visual Studio 2010 Professional or higher (and will not work with Visual Studio Express editions).

Installation of Mono Droid

What is Mono for Android
Mono for Android Installer
Android SDK
MonoDeveloper for Windows
MAC Android SDK

Android SDK Tools

Android Development
Android Debug Bridge - ADB
Dalvik Debug Monitor Server - DDMS

Android Debugging and Testing

Android Ecosystem
Debugging Operating System
Android Debug Bridge

Android Emulator

Setup an Emulator Session
Features Available
Multiple Emulator Sessions

Android User Interface Design

User Interface
Selection and Focus
Layouts for Different Screen Sizes
DroidDraw

Android Controls

User Interface Basics
XML Layout
Images

Android Devices and their Support

Screen Resolution
Android Manifest
Visual Studio Project Properties

Android Applications - Activities and Lifecycles

Parts of an Application
Activity Life Cycle
Mono for Android Specifics

Mono for Android Menus

Types of Menus
Creating Menus via Text
Creating Menus via Resources

Tables and Data

Data Terms and Interchange Standards
Web Services
Displaying Data

Android Soft Keyboards and User Hints

Input Types
Hints

Advanced Controls

Writing a Custom Control
Drag and Drop
User Input
Toast Notification

Android User Notification

Dialogs
Notifications
Toast

Address Book, Contacts and Content Providers

Content Providers
Address Book
Calendar
General Guidelines for Queries

Integrating with Device Hardware

Sensor API
Vibration
General Pattern
Turn by Turn Directions

Multimedia

Play Video
Play Audio

Android and Locations

Location
Proximity
GeoCode
Maps

Recording of the Mono for Android Webinar - Building a User Interface with Mono for Android

Wallym — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 16:30:00 GMT

My webinar for last week on building a user interface with Mono for Android is now available online. The webinar covered:

We will look at the basics of building a user interface for Android with Mono for Android. The user interface is typically the first thing that a user sees when they work with your application. They will often judge your application based on the user interface. We will examine the basic concepts of UI design with mobile devices, the Android XML based layout language, some of the UI design surfaces for Android, some basic Android controls and finally some suggestions on creating a successful Android User Interface.

PS. The file seems to stream properly in IE, but not elsewhere. Oh well, I don't control the formats, so just use IE to view it.

Webinar on Building a User Interface in Mono for Android

Wallym — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 20:00:00 GMT

I'll be doing a webinar on Tuesday February 28th on Building a User Interface in Mono for Android. A little bit about this:

Start Using HTML5 today!

Wallym — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:15:00 GMT

My article on HTML5 and some things that you can use today has gone online at the Dev Pro Connections web site. Here's a snippet of it:

HTML5 is the direction for web-based applications. All you have to do is listen to the material from any technical conference or keep an eye on web developer online community discussions to know that HTML5 is important. Each day, I read about new and exciting HTML5 features and uses for those features -- witness the many new features in the latest versions of Internet Explorer (IE), Chrome, and Firefox.

Mobile application development is definitely where HTML5 has gotten its start, but HTML5 is not limited to mobile. Here, I will build on the information in "HTML5 for the ASP.NET Developer" along with many other great articles on HTML5 published in DevProConnections and delve into some of the HTML5 features that are available today and that you can use immediately to provide solutions for your customers now. In this article, we'll see what can be done in ASP.NET running in a modern web browser, such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and the recently released IE10. (As an FYI, in December 2011 Chrome 15 was named the most popular web browser version by StatCounter, though Internet Explorer is the most popular browser family.)

I want to thank several people for helping me with this article. Honestly, there are several. I ran across a blog post by Lars Jarlvik last summer that I used as the roadmap for some work and this article as well. I emailed with Lars about starting with his blog post and he was on board with this. Many thanks to Lars. Other folks that should be mentioned are my friends Dave Ward and Spike Xavier. Both have been really helpful. I have learned from them and grown professionally by associating with them. I am forever in their debt.

Review of "Beginning iOS5 Application Development"

Wallym — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 11:00:00 GMT

I was recently given the opportunity to review Wei Meng Lee's most recent edition of his beginning iOS programming series. This book is entitled "Beginning iOS5 Application Development." Admittedly, I know Wei Meng, so that may result in a little bit of bias.

As a developer targeting the iPhone and iOS, I have found Wei-Meng's books and knowledge helpful to me as I write applications, articles,and expand my own personal knowledge of iOS. If you are anything but an expert developer in iOS, this is a good book that will help you develop and grow in iOS. For example, I was looking for some animation examples recently and was able to easily understand Wei-Meng's examples and translate them into MonoTouch easily.

A little bit about this book:

If you want to develop apps for Apple's iPhone and iPad, first you need to know how to use the tools--iPhone's new iOS 5 operating system and SDK, and the new xCode toolset that come with it. This full-color book is the perfect starting point. Beginning developers, you'll get a solid introduction to the new xCode 4 and Objective-C and find everything you need to quickly build your first app. The book thoroughly covers all the new iOS 5 features, including new multitasking, location-based services, notification system, cloud-based features, and much more.

Written by bestselling Wrox author, Wei-Meng Lee, this is an ideal book for beginning developers
Helps eager developers quickly start building apps for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch
Introduces iOS 5, xCode 4, Objective-C, and the basics you need to create your first Apple device app
Covers a host of new iOS 5 capabilities, including new multitasking, new location-based services, and a new notification system
Shows you how to work with iOS 5's cloud-based features for online storage of music, photos, and video