Wallace B. McClure

Article - Create a MapView in Google Maps for iOS

2013-06-16T10:30:00Z

With the introduction of iOS 6 in September 2012, Apple Inc. removed the map system based on Google Maps and introduced its own map system for iPhone and iPad users. The introduction of Apple Maps, like any new technology, came with its own problems.

In December 2012, Google released its Google Maps SDK for iOS. (Check the Google Maps SDK for iOS page for additional documentation as new features are deployed to the product.) Google Maps for iOS has a long, solid track record, given the use of its data in Android and many years of usage. The introduction of Google Maps for iOS has resulted in a measurable increase in the number of users who have updated their existing iPhones from iOS version 5 to iOS version 6. This article will look at using Google Maps for iOS using Xamarin.iOS.

Article url: http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2013/06/01/how-to-use-google-maps-for-ios.asp

Mapping and Location in iOS and Android at Xamarin Evolve 2013

2013-05-15T14:03:00Z

The following is a link to my talk on Mapping & Location in iOS and Android at Xamarin Evolve 2013. Obviously, the talk is centered on MonoTouch, aka Xamarin.iOS, and Mono for Android, aka Xamarin.Android. In this talk, I cover the native functionality of each platform. In addition, I cover Google Maps for iOS SDK. I hope that you find the talk to be helpful.

http://xamarin.com/evolve/2013#session-d336r1byq5

Testing WebAPI with Fiddler

2013-04-23T10:00:00Z

I was wanting to test some WebAPI Methods via Fiddler so that I could all be working on one machine, debug, and make sure that everything is working. Here is what my fiddler setup looks like:

We're calling into a method with the signature:

        public List<CustAd> Post([FromBody] UserLocation value)
        {
//............
    }

The UserLocation object has the following signature;

    public class UserLocation
    {
        public string AppKey { get; set; }
        public double Latitude { get; set; }
        public double Longitude { get; set; }
    }

Xamarin.iOS Visual Studio Plugin Article

2013-04-22T15:10:00Z

Url: http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2013/04/01/ios-development.aspx

Developers working with Xamarin MonoTouch have been stuck with developing on a Macintosh and working with MonoDevelop. This hasn't been a bad thing. The Apple iOS SDK only runs on the Mac, so this requirement hasn't been a major limiting factor in iOS development.

Unfortunately, .NET and C# developers are used to using Visual Studio. Microsoft has spent a lot of time, effort and money to make Visual Studio the premier software development tool in existence. Xamarin Inc. has heard from those developers who want to integrate Visual Studio with iOS development. On Feb. 20, Xamarin introduced Xamarin.iOS for Visual Studio. This plug-in allows developers using Visual Studio to write iPhone and iPad applications for the iPhone using the Microsoft .NET Framework and C#.

Juice Up Your Android UI

2013-03-22T18:44:00Z

Recently, I wrote an article for our Mono for Android column about improving your user interface of your applications. The url is: http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2013/03/01/enhancing-your-uis.aspx

I hope that you enjoy the article. I spent a lot of time on the article plus, helping out users and creating applications that are helpful to them is a personal/pet project of mine.

One thing that I wanted to mention in the article and could not besides a side mention is the part about reverse geocoding. Reverse geocoding is the process of taking a latitude/longitude and getting back an address. Users are familiar with addresses, not latitude/longitude. Unfortunately, I was not able to show the Android reverse geocoding that is built in. Why? Well, at the time, I was pre-release tester of what would become Mono for Android 4.6 and all the new stuff inside of it. I couldn't come out and say that's why this didn't work and I was not comfortable trying to go ahead with the code anyway. I know that the code worked in previous versions. Unfortunately, deadlines will sometimes hit you over the head when you don't expect it. Bottom line: I apologize to you the reader. I will have an article out on mapping at a later time and I will discuss reverse geocoding there.

Mobile Web Development Featuring jQuery Mobile

2013-03-06T16:02:00Z

Url: http://elearning.left-brain.com/event/mobile-web-development-jquery-mobile?code=EP3234W1

I'll be doing a seminar on jQuery Mobile on April 23. I hope that you can attend. Here is the info:

Start: 4/23/2013 11:00 AM (UTC -05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)
End: 4/23/2013 4:30 PM (UTC -05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)
Rates: $199.99

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.

Sessions (each session runs approximately 75 minutes):

Session 1: Mobile Web Development

What web developers need to know about the idiosyncracies of mobile development
Tools to use for mobile development
- ASP.NET development options: Webforms v MVC v Web Pages
- Web browsers
Javascript language features useful for mobile web development
Integrating with the Phone
Meta tags to improve the user experience

Session 2: jQuery Mobile

You are probably aware of the jQuery javascript library. This seminar will introduce jQuery Mobile, a library that will make the development of web applications for mobile devices easy. We’ll look at the basics of jQuery Mobile, including

Page Setup
Toolbars
Navigation
Integrating basic controls with jQuery Mobile
- Buttons
- List components
- Form/UI components
Basic options for jQuery Mobile
AJAX operations with the ListView

Session 3: jQuery Mobile Advanced with ASP.NET

jQuery Mobile allows developers to create an application with a mobile-specific user interface. There are many options to optimize and change the default behavior of jQuery Mobile, as well as how ASP.NET developers can easily integrate with jQuery Mobile. This session will look at

Creating a Template for ASP.NET developers
Creating a custom theme
Build one ASP.NET Page with jQM Themes to target multiple devices
Offline operation and the application manifest
Plug-ins and optimizations for tablets
jQM Events

Instructors

Wally McClure graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) with a BS & MS in Electrical Engineering. Since that time, he has done consulting and development for companies large and small. Wally has authored books on iPhone Programming with Mono/Monotouch, Android Programming with Mono for Android, application architecture, ADO.NET & SQL Server, and finally AJAX. He is a Microsoft MVP and an ASPInsider, and a partner in Scalable Development, Inc., where we're ramping up to provide training on iPhone, Android, and HTML5.

Customer Service

If you have any questions regarding this event, the registration process or would like to register more than one attendee, please contact us directly.

Email: service@devproconnections.com
Phone: 800-793-5697 or 913-967-1719

Free Xamarin Studio and Free Chapters 1-4 Professional Android Programming with Mono for Android and .NET/C#

2013-03-04T08:00:00Z

On February 20, Xamarin announced a new version of MonoDevelop called Xamarin Studio. We've been big fans of Xamarin and Miguel de Icaza's work all the way back to the inception of the Mono project so we're especially amped to see Xamarin release a Free Starter Xamarin Studio to bring this great mobile development tool to an even bigger programmer audience.

In the spirit of free then, we're happy to share this free starter from Wrox's Professional Android Programming with Mono for Android and .NET/C#. Download this free starter is a PDF with chapters 1-4 of the book to get you started developing Android apps in the Xamarin tools. While the new Xamarin tools have changed a bit, we do still think these chapters will be useful if you're new to using Mono and Xamarin for Android development. Here's the outline of what's covered in these free Mono for Android chapters. We hope if you find this useful, you'll come back and buy the complete book from Wrox here at Wrox.com or at your favorite book retailer.

Chapter 1: Introduction to Android, Mobile Devices, and the Marketplace

Product Comparison
Mobile Development
Android
Cross-Platform Alternatives
Summary

Chapter 2: Introduction to Mono for Android

Before You Begin Developing
Visual Studio Development with Mono for Android
Mono for Android Development with MonoDevelop
Summary

Chapter 3: Understanding Android/Mono for Android Applications

What Is an Android Application?
Binding the Components: The Android Manifest
Summary

Chapter 4: Planning and Building Your Application's User Interface

Guidelines for a Successful Mobile UI
Building an Android UI
Choosing a Control Layout
Designing Your User Interface Controls
Controlling Your Menus
Resolution-Independent UI
Constructing a User Interface: A Phone and Tablet Example
Summary

MonoTouch Training Course now online: iOS 6 PassKit Coding and Events

2013-02-18T10:32:00Z

Url: www.learnnowonline.com/learnmobilenow/topic/300

Course Description: So what is a PassKit, this course will introduce you to the PassKit , the types there are, the file structure, security and other items. Next you‘ll be shown how to create a PassKit manually with such things as provisioning, KeyChain access and other items. Then you will learn about coding for a Pass, including complain applications, classes, list of passes to name a few items that will be covered. Next you will learn about reminders and events. You’ll see the EventStore, Enumerate Calendars, create an event, and create a reminder, running a query plus more.

1+ hours of media runtime

PassKit Intro

PassKit Agenda
What is PassKit
PassKit Ecosystem
What is a Pass
Types of Passes
File Structure
Pass.json File
Barcodes
Relevancy
Localization
Security
Passbook
Getting Passes into Passbook

Manually Create a PassKit

Create a Pass Manually
Provisioning
Created
Certificate Signing Request
KeyChain Access
Certificate Request
Pass Certificate Created
Download
Build the Signpass Utility
Must Update
Run the Signpass Utility
Manifest.json Output
End Result
Resources

Coding

Companion Applications
Passes and MonoDevelop
Classes
Check Passbook Availability
Pass Library Instance
List of Passes
Displaying a Pass
Loading a Pass From a File
Replace an Existing Pass
Editing a Pass
Receiving Change Notifications
Resource
Demo: Passes
Demo: Pass Code

Reminders and EventKit

Agenda
EventStore
Accessibility
Requesting Access
Objects
Enumerate Calendars
Add or Modify an Event
Create an Event
Create a Reminder
Retrieve an Event
Retrieve a Reminder
Deleting an Event
Search for Events
Search for Reminders
Demo: EventKit
Demo: Reminders
Demo: Running a Query
Resources

iOS6 for .NET & C# Developers with MonoTouch - New UI Controls

2013-02-07T03:00:00Z

Url: http://www.learnnowonline.com/learnmobilenow/topic/297

Course Description: The User Interface (UI) has become a very important part of any application. This course will cover application UI in iOS 6. You will see the UI refresh control and how to have the UI refresh in an application. Then you will look at UI collection view and how work with data, cells and other items. Then the course will cover layout and display. You will see section inset, sub classing layouts and how to create linear and circular layouts.

1+ hours of media runtime

User Interface

UI Refresh Control

Pull to Refresh
UI Refresh Control
Begin/End Refreshing
Other Members
What About iOS5?
Demo: iOS6 UI Refresh Control
Demo: iOS5 UI Refresh

UI Collection View

UI Collection View
Data
UI Collection View Cell
Cells
Supplementary Views
Decoration Views
Delegate
Cell Highlighting
Disabling Selection
Cell Menus
Demo: UI Collection View

Layout and Display

Layouts
Section Inset
Subclassing Layouts
UI Collection View Flow Layout
Custom Layouts
Demo: Linear Layout
Demo: Circular Layout
Key Takeaway

Introduction to iOS6 Social Networks with MonoTouch

2013-02-01T02:59:00Z

Check out this introduction to iOS6 Social Networks with MonoTouch: http://youtu.be/t-kGZQtKSp8

I hope you enjoy this video

iOS6 Introduction with MonoTouch Webinar Recording

2013-01-29T14:48:00Z

This is a recording of my iOS6 with MonoTouch Webinar: http://media.appdev.com/EDGE/LL/livelearn01242013.wmv (I think this only loads in IE)

iOS6 is the latest version of the iOS operating system for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. With this new version of iOS comes the iPhone 5. In this Live Learning, we’ll discuss how to support the new iPhone 5’s display, support for social networks in iOS, and the new pull to refresh functionality in iOS6.

MonoTouch: iOS 6 Introduction, Social Media & Maps - Online Training with LearnNowOnline

2013-01-29T10:53:00Z

One of my training courses has just been published by LearnNowOnline. I hope you find it helpful as you take up iOS 6 Development with MonoTouch. Here is some info about it below. Link: http://www.learnnowonline.com/learnmobilenow/topic/296

Course Description: This course takes a look at the iOS6 operating system and creating applications with MonoTouch. The course will start with an introduction to iOS 6 how it has grown, software support, how to support the older iOS systems plus other items. Next the course will dive into social web sites like Twitter and Facebook and incorporating updates into an application. Then the course will look into existing mapsand the new maps API.

Overview of iOS6

Introduction

Agenda
New Features
Development Requirements
iOS6 Growth
Software Support
How to Support Older iOS
Using the Older iOS/Xcode SDK
Display
iPhone Startup Images
Retina Images
Other Images
Screen Dimensions
Demo: Images
Demo: Selecting Images

Introduction Continued

ViewWillUnload, ViewDidUnload
DidReceiveMemoryWarning
ViewWillDisappear
Interface Orientation
UI Navigation Bar
Demo: Memory Warning
Demo: Orientation Changes
Demo: UINavigationBar

Social Improvements

Social Twitter

Demo: iPhone Twitter App
Demo: Twitter App Code
Social Improvements
Social Networks
Twitter Account Setup
Sending Tweets
Completion Handler
Calling Twitter API
Demo: Calling Twitter API

Social Facebook

Facebook
Post to Facebook
Completion Handler
The Facebook Graph
Demo: Facebook Code
Demo: Facebook Graph

Maps

Existing Maps

Apple Maps
Map Initialization
Other Methods and Objects
Annotations
Overlays
Demo: New Apple Maps
Demo: Map-Kit Maps

New Maps API

New Features
MKLaunchOptions
Demo: Apple Maps

iOS6 with .NET, C#, & MonoTouch Seminar

2013-01-22T01:59:00Z

I'll be doing an iOS6 with MonoTouch Seminar on Wednesday at 12 pm EST. A little about the event:

Registration: https://www302.livemeeting.com/lrs/8001676474/Registration.aspx?pageName=fxnc6h27pbdjspp6

jQuery Mobile Advanced - More jQuery Mobile and jQuery Mobile Themes

2013-01-21T11:00:00Z

The second two of my three article series on jQuery Mobile have been posted to the MSDN Magazine Script Junkie Site. I hope that they are helpful to you.

Article 2: More jQuery Mobile

There’s no doubt that mobile Web applications are here to stay. As I said at the start of the previous article in this series, talk to any C-level executive at a major company or any technology startup, and they’ll tell you about mobile apps.

jQuery Mobile (jQM) provides a JavaScript framework that allows developers to easily add a mobile look and feel to their Web applications. In this article I’ll dig into some advanced features of jQuery Mobile that—with some programming—a developer can use to provide an application that looks and feels very similar to a native app running on a device. Here’s what I’ll cover:

Article 3: jQuery Mobile Themes
The first article (Introduction to jQuery Mobile) in this series looked at the subject of themes at a high level and at themes available in jQuery Mobile (jQM). In this, the third of three articles on jQM, I show how to build a custom theme using the Theme Roller, as well as look at some custom themes that allow a mobile Web application to look more like an iPhone, Android or Windows Phone application.

I'm on the Tablet Show to talk MonoTouch and Mono for Android

2013-01-14T15:51:00Z

Carl and Richard talk to Wally McClure about building mobile applications for iPhone and Android using MonoTouch and Mono for Android (respectively). The conversation starts out with Wally's original interest in the Mono tools, being able to leverage his code and skills in C# for mobile development. From there Wally drills into the challenges of tooling across platforms (testing frameworks, etc) as well as dealing with fragmentation of operating systems and SDKs - a bigger issue in Android than iOS, but still an issue.

Link: http://www.thetabletshow.com/default.aspx?showNum=67