What everyone should know

Getting Started
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Does anyone have a link to info on some of the following things everyone should know how to do, in order to have a minimum possibility of selling an app that does not look like it was made in Java.

How to add custom controls and canvases to the toolbar ?
How to get the bottom bar ?
Best place to store databases and setup files, both for windows and mac ?

There are other things here that I am not even sure to ask for.
So basically, what is minimum needed to make a decent windows and mac app ? What is it that people should keep in mind ?

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  • Custom controls and canvases are what are going to make your app look like it was made in Java. If you’d like it to look native, stick to the native controls.
  • Of course there’s always exceptions, and the bottom bar is one of them - to make one you’ll have to create a custom control.
  • The best place to store setup files for Windows is with an installer that places them, conversely on Mac you’ll want to package them within the bundle inside the Resources folder (use a Copy Files step) and copy them to your app support folder on the first launch.

The minimum you need to make a decent app is a good idea. If you go in trying to create an app simply to make money you won’t get far; your app should solve a problem better than anyone else can.

There are cool tidbits floating around, modules that handle preferences for you (personal choice, not going to recommend mine since I keep having to update the code), RetinaKit will make your images/app retina ready, and I’ve made a nice module that helps you get to locations created by Xojo with copy files steps and other useful locations: http://timi.me/xojo.html

I’m a nitpicky Mac user, so if you ever have any questions about if something is “Mac” enough feel free to drop me a message.

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Trausti, I think another tip with making custom controls is (and probably what Tim means) don’t try and mimic native controls. If you want to make custom controls, make them a bit different, make them stand out but make them act like you would expect them to act on their native os. For example, I have seen a lot of custom attempts at the OSX search field and they look fairly good but you can tell they are not the native search field. In that case I would say, design your own search field or use the OS X declares and use the native one.

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This is not exactly where I was going. I was more going towards some how-to, not if it is a good decision or not.
More like a tutorial, to make a basic app for that operating system, you need to do this and that.

Best location for database files are in Library/app name/ or you should never do that, and why, should you instead use document directory ? Why ?

Like the app iRehearse Plus 1.2, which I have hard time believing was made in Xojo, he does really cool stuff with the Toolbar, how do you get started with this kind of stuff. It looks awesome.

It is my opinion that you should have all the tools to make the Xojo ide right out of the box. A 1.000 customers trying to pickup good ideas from the Ide should not all have to roll their own search box, popover and property list. This makes all xojo apps stick out with inconsistencies. I have been hammering about these things since almost RB 5.5. Xojo should give more widgets, at least get closer to what you get for free in Xcode. I do know you can do all this in declares, thats not a solution.

I don’t know declares, and there isn’t much if any information out there about it. The new tutorial books from Xojo are great, but at a very beginner level. The videos from Paul Lefebvre are fantastic. I really enjoyed the one with retro gaming. But they are not enough.

But once you get past one off apps, utilities, one or two window apps and you get ready to make the app you have in your head, in your dreams, which gets your fingers itching. Where can you go for more information ? Sure you can get that class and this class, but it doesn’t really explain anything. I am probably the only Xojo user in Norway, there is no knowledge share her, no user groups.

So, in short. How do you get past using Xojo as an amateur and go into at least making intermediate and get closer to a pro app. A cookbook of sorts. There isn’t much out there, and usually if you end up finding anything, it is a level up and you miss the whole point. There is absolutely no lack of information on how do make cool things in C# or Xcode out there. But if you want to get anywhere with Xojo, there is almost nothing. Whenever I go from Xcode (my work) and test Xojo, I always get a quick nice feeling, wow, Xojo has really improved, this is cool, that is great. Get going, do my data structures, models, controllers, drawings, canvases. Then I start working with something, mostly GUI related, something taken for granted, status bars, search into toolbars and I end up frustrated, this is easy in Xcode. And besides, if I knew declares better, and used them all over, my app isn’t really multi platform after that, is it ? So Xojo makes easy what is difficult in Xcode and Xcode is much better at the simple stuff than Xojo. Then there is the platform thing. I would really like to make my apps available on Windows, that why I keep coming back to Xojo and then leaving in frustration.

Hope I have explained myself a little better now.

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https://www.xplatdev.com/weblinks

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Specialfolder.ApplicationData within a folder you create, usually by the name of the application identifier.

Most of the knowledge you seek is contained in this forum, but there is no simple complete tutorial. Use the search feature for each aspect, ask away, and you shall find answers to each of your questions.

As how to go from amateur to professional, practice makes perfect :slight_smile:

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@Oliver Osswald These links are fantastic

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Who runs xplatdev??

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Dirk Cleenwerck, I bet :wink: