Tom Hollins

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since Mar 06, 2010
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Recent posts by Tom Hollins

Since Steve Jobs has relented on "The Frameworks" question (i.e. You're allowed to use them again) you can write for those frameworks and go from there.
If you're doing 2D (non OpenGLES) development, look at Corona. It will target iOS and Droid. http://www.anscamobile.com/corona/
There is Unity http://unity3d.com/unity/publishing/ios.html
And I am positive there are at least 10 more you can look at.
I agree with rewriting the app for each platform. Once you are comfortable with that, then try one of these engines. That way you'll understand any problems that crop up due to the framework that you have selected.

Good luck,
-T-
13 years ago
Thanks for the information. I will search for Mark's posts.

It sounds as though you are as agnostic about the platforms as I. Since I can program many languages on many platforms, I just select the "best" one for the job and launch. I have my history at Tomhollins.com and in my LinkedIn profile if you were curious.

Thanks for the respectful discussion. It was an excellent perspective.

-T-
13 years ago
It would depend on the application. The new feature(s) could actually enhance an app.

To rewrite it? No probably not. At least not immediately. However, like you would know, most applications are living applications requiring fixes and feature increases in response to customer needs. Games, not so much, but there is a component of "This is phase I of the game, I'll add these features and that's phase II". Then you realize, Oh I'll incorporate this 2.2 feature in Phase II (release 1.2) of the app. I will have just alienated all of the users who have purchased the app (and kept me from starving), because they are unable to upgrade their mobile device as fast as I update my app.

This occurs with iOS, but not as frequently. There is a month or couple of months where I can get ahead of the release. However, I am fairly certain that instead of 25% - 50% of my users being on the same version as I release on (i.e. Droid), I would have about 90% probability that my users will be up to date. That is why I asked my original question. What am I missing here? Obviously I am not in the majority (thinking that Droid is fragmented).

I like OSS. I use and develop on Linux at work for the past 10 years, and yet I'm not enamored with Droid. I am wondering why I am reluctant, except for the articles I have read along with the developers I've talked to.

Thanks for staying with this thread.
-T-
13 years ago
Ulf,

Thanks for the reply and followup.

I agree there will be a lag between Google release of the OS and the implementation within the phones. My intent is not to start Flame Wars 2: The Mobile OS. Thanks for also restraining on that front so we can "just discuss the topic".

I also agree about the locked down Apple platform and carrier. As we see the Verizon roll out and them selling out within 2 hrs of opening their web site (it sold out in the early morning by like 3am). So there is definite pent up demand that has said "I hate ATT as a carrier and won't buy the phone until someone else comes along". So anyway enough about iPhone, there are enough discussion and more than enough coverage of that platform.

So is your point that: 1) Yes there is fragmentation, 2) But that fragmentation shouldn't prevent anyone from developing on the platform.
Is this a good assessment of your view?

Thanks,
-T-
13 years ago
Ulf,

Here is the report I read about the low update rates: http://techcrunch.com/2011/01/17/ios-android-breakdown/

I would be interested in your response to this. I'm not trying to start anything, but as a developer I see this and cringe a bit. Yes we target an OS version and then upgrade as "the majority" of the devices are updated. However, it seems the handset makers have no incentive to do this on the Droid platform. That's only my impression from reading articles like these.

Thanks for the replies from all of you.
-T-
13 years ago
Hello all,

I'm an iOS developer. I've done J2ME apps also. The thing holding me back with Android is the fragmentation of the devices, along with the appallingly low rates of upgraded devices (single digits if I remember).
Now Android is delivering some whoop a** on iPhone and other smartphones in the sheer volume category, but my questions are, since I haven't played with Droid yet,
"Do you see fragmentation of devices decreasing AND do you see the handset makers relenting and offering Droid OS upgrades to their existing base of users?"
I understand back-porting the OS to phones that have already been paid for, holds no immediate profits and maybe OS upgrades could cost $5 - $10 or something, but this holds up new apps that need those OS features on a larger number of phones.

Thanks for your experience on this platform.

-T-
13 years ago
I still have questions. Does the paypal.jsp need to do some processing before calling the off-site page? If not then you should just use javascript to open it in a new window/tab.
If you have to call it after the processing of the paypal.jsp submit then, again I'm in paypal mode so here is how you do it just before returning the result to your action. This is directly from PayPal's jsp example.

The pw.println(str) is just sending the variables to the paypal page. Its not a requirement if there are no get/post variables to send. You've done this in Java so that external site gets hit.

As far as the original question, "I don't know" how to do it in the struts.xml in the actions. I believe that since one is working in a tree model that is single threaded, then one would need to put the fork of the action inside the browser where you have control that can start up a new session in a new window/tab. I don't think it can be done.

If you write an interceptor then the interceptor will fork (as in the above Java code).

Cheers,
-T-
Joroto.com
14 years ago
If I am reading your post correctly, this blog entry explains exactly the "type" of thing you want to do. S/He creates a page counter with a new tag. Its a very complete example.

http://www.wantii.com/wordpress/?p=12

Good luck.
-T-
Joroto.com
14 years ago
I am doing this in order to have the user go to PayPal and then back into my App. Your need is the same as mine:
1) User initiates an action in their browser on a web page you served.
2) That action takes them to someone else's web site.
3) In my case, when PayPal is done with the user, there is a web page that PayPal will request. I have entered that URL when setting up the business side of PayPal.

This is all configured through the file named struts.xml in src/main/resources/ (at least the way I am setup).

This shows an example of chaining one page to another with a break between one page and the next due to "some other site" calling that next page (which is the ppnotify action).
signup.jsp ---> paypal.jsp ---> The Real PayPal Site ---> ppnotify.jsp ---> mainmenu.jsp
That would be the sequence.

What the <paypal> action is saying to struts is "there is no action to take once the page is rendered". This is because there is no result defined.

Hope this helps as well as answers your question.
-T-
Joroto.com
14 years ago