Posts by DecSoft

Hello John,

Basically I want to create Custom Functions inside the view that can only be used by that view and no other view. I also want to create variables inside the view that are only accessible by that view and no other view. Is this possible and if so how ?

Technically is possible to have functions only for an view, but, that is not how AB works, that is, the app's functions that you can prepare from the IDE, are functions availables for all the views. But probably is enough to use it or not... may depending on the "current view" ([App.CurrentView]), I don't know... may depend on the app that we are talking about.

I had a look at the "External Javascript tutorial of the App Builder's help." but couldn't see how I can use it to change the value of a UI component (for example, the text of a label).

You are right, that is, the tutorial is for other possible external Javascript usage. Again, commonly we no need to use Javascript code to set an app's var or an control's text, however, yes, is possible to do using the "window.App.RootScope", for example:

This action:

Is the equivalent to this other code:

Hello John,

Why not? :-)

Hello John,

Many questions in the same thread. I will try to reply to all of them.

Hi All, I am new to using AppBuilder and as such I have a few questions. Please excuse me if they seem simple or trivial.

Any question is trivial! :-)

Implementing MVC in App Builder. 1. I use MVC in my Java Applications. How can I take the approach I use for MVC in Java (as demonstrated by this example http://www.austintek.com/mvc/) and implement it in AppBuilder ?

The App Builder apps follows the MVC pattern, since it's implemented by certain Javascript core component (Angular JS) used by App Builder. In fact, you can think in your app's variables and other source of data (like HTTP Clients, etc.) as the model. The view part is the app's view, which automatically reflect possible changes in the model and viceversa.

Every view have also an controller, which is composed by the view's events, view's controls events, etc. With this the controller you can control the model, and, the app's view reflect automatically the possible changes on the model by the controller.

The above basically means that you no need to do anything special, since the App Builder produces apps are based in an MVC pattern.

Using Custom JavaScript 1. I know I can use custom JavaScript by using the StartJS and EndJS Markers. However, how do I access the properties of UI Components using Javascript?

Maybe you want to take a look at the External Javascript tutorial of the App Builder's help.

2. If I create an external Javascript File where should I store the file to ensure ease of deployment when the app is finished ?

Probably the best is that every app have at least one root folder, for example, "MyApp". Inside this folder you can place more folders like "Javascript", then you can place inside your JS files and include it by the app's files manager. Doing that App Builder play with the Javascript files as "local files", that is, you can, for example, move your "MyApp" to another computer, and everything continue working.

Views and the App 1. Can I treat views as Classes (as I would in Java) ?

The app's views have certainly an variable in the app's scope and that variable is an Javascript object variable, with some possible useful properties. But you must explain a little more what you means by "treat views as classes" John.

2. Can I add Variables that are Global to the view ? 3. Can I add Variables that are Global for the whole App ?

All App Builder's apps variables are globals, in the sense that you can, for example, change the text of a button that is not in the current app's view. You can change the text... but the button's text is not shown... until the view who contain it is shown.

4. Can I create Custom Functions for a View?

Using pure Javascript, certainly you can do it, for example, in the app's view's Show event. You can place some functions inside the app's view's variable or in other place in the view's controller. However, commonly what you do is to create app's functions, using both App Builder actions and / or Javascript code, and then use that functions from one view or another.

Please, John, go ahead if you have any further questions.

Hola Jordi,

Ya existe en AB una acción "ToggleFullScreen". ¿La has probado? Lo que puede ocurrir es que este tipo de acciones requieren de la intervención del usuario, es decir, los navegadores no permiten que lo hagamos nosotros programáticamente, sino es a través de un "click" del usuario, por ejemplo.

Hola Jordi,

Me temo que el plugin de Apache Cordova seguiría siendo necesario. No es posible, hasta donde llego, hacerlo de otra forma. Lo que quiero decir es que un plugin Javascript para AB sería más sencillo de usar: llamarías a la acción y listo, pero, el plugin Javascript, internamente, va a instalar el plugin de Apache Cordova, que, es quien hace el trabajo al final.

Hola Jordi,

Veo que al final diste con ello. Gracias por compartirlo. Acaso estaría bien un plugin Javascript para AB con una acción tal que "LoadBackgroundSound". Si tengo algo de tiempo (estoy ahora mismo intentando solucionar un problema, precisamente, en AB) acaso me ponga con ello. Gracias de nuevo Jordi. :-)

Hello John,

Right now we can's expand the controls pallette of App Builder by using some kind of plugins. We have the Javascript plugins, which can add actions to the actions pallette, or just perform some task, and, maybe also create certain control in an specific Container control, for example.

You can also create controls in runtime by yourself, of course. But probably these all did not answer positively your question, since is not exactly what you wanted. You can find more information about Javascript plugins in the help file, and, some samples (but useful) plugins are included with the App Builder installation, as well a plugin template.

Maybe you can explain a bit more what exactly you wanted, or may you have some specific questions about the currently available Javascript plugins for App Builder or how they works. Please, let me know if you have any further questions John!

Hello Napoleone,

App Builder generates several icons and splash screens for all the Apache Cordova platforms. You can locate it in the "res" folder inside the app "_Compiled" directory. Certainly, right now I can't say if we need to manually add an icon when upload the IPA into the Apple Store, since, the App Builder generated resources are intented to be used by XCode, not specifically for the Apple Store, in the case of the iOS platform.

Maybe you need to manually choose one the icons generated by App Builder, or may you want to use another icon specifically designed for the Apple Store.

Hello Napoleone,

Certainly, we can't open a new window (nor an URL) in the same WebView in which our app is runnnig. Better said, we can do it (because in fact the WebView -or a browser- deal with URLs, then we can proceed with an "_self" argument with "OpenWindow" action like you try, but, if the user come back using the history back action, then the app can enter in an unexpected behaviour.

Not always, but, is possible that our app initialize certain variables in the main view, for example, and then we do what you are try from other app view. Then, when the user come back to this last view, the firstly defined variables in the main view are not availables. This can be good for some app cases, and not for other cases.

What you must to do (and probably wanted) is to use the "OpenWindow" action with the "_blank" or "_system" arguments. That open the new window / URL in another tab or external WebView, and then, if the browser come back, our latest app view is show again without any problem at all, like if we open an app view using the "ShowDialog" action, we back to the "background view" without any problem.

Another possible way, if you want to open an URL inside an app view, can be to use an IFrame control. So please, Napoleone, let me know if you have any further questions.

Hello to all,

after update lastest version fontawsome come back again!

Thanks, David

Glad to know tin! :)

Hello to all,

Just to inform that DecSoft's App Builder uses now the very latest release (version 5) of the FontAwesome icons. Please, tin, try the icon picker dialog again, since we play now with three different fonts specifically designed to be used in the desktop: I hope that you can see the icons now: here everything works as expected.

Hello to all,

The Apache Cordova team has launch a new tool in order to test our apps with support for the Apache Cordova plugins. For more information, read the below Apache Cordova's bog entry:

http://cordova.apache.org/howto/2018/02/02/cordova-simulate.html

Using App Builder we can test and debug our apps using the integrated browser or an external one (AB provide the way to launch our apps in any installed browser). We can also test our apps by attach an device to our computer.

This last is the preferred way, because, certainly, we can test the used Apache Cordova plugins: they are not supported in the browser, then, we can certainly test our apps, but, taking in consideration that the Apache Cordova plugins are not availables.

With the new Apache Cordova simulator tool we can test our apps in the Google Chrome browser with support for the Apache Cordova plugins. What the simulator does is to open a couple of Chrome windows: one for our app, and another for the plugins settings.

Since this new Apache Cordova tool can be useful for us, DecSoft's App Builder prepares now another BAT and SHELL files for every platform, which prepare our app for the appropriate platform and finally launch the Apache Cordova simulator.

Install the Apache Cordova simulator is quite easy, just type this in an console window:

Once the tool has been installed, you can run the new simulator BAT or SHELL file in order to directly prepare your app for the right platform and then launch it inside the new Apache Cordova simulator tool.

That's all! I hope this can be useful!

Hello to all,

You know that DecSoft's App Builder create HTML5 apps, Progressive WebApps and WebExtensions for the modern mobile and desktop browsers, and, additionally, can also create hybrid apps for various mobile and desktop platforms like Android, iOS, etc.

If we want to deploy our app as an HTML5 app or an Progressive WebApp, that is, by place the app in some internet server, we can just launch the app's URL in order to reach it, for example, by using an URL like the below one:

Now, what happen if we want to pass some params to our app? The first way that we can think is to use an URL like the below one:

However, the above is not the best way, because, for example, the "param1=value1" are then propagated around any successive app view. Not to mention that we must extract the "param1" value from the URL by using some Javascript code.

To solve this, the current DecSoft's App Builder release introduce a new Params variable in all app views except the master one.

In order to pass one or more params to our app using the URL we can use an URL like the below one:

Note how we use the "/" character next to the view name, instead of the "?" character.

The above URL causes than the new "[View1.Params]" variable are filled and we can access to the "param1" value in this way from the View1 Show event:

Of course we can pass more than one param in the app view URL:

And then access to that params using the view Params variable: [View1.Params.param1], [View1.Params.param2] and [View1.Params.param3] in this case.

We can use the above kind of URLs not only with the main app view, but, with any view. In fact the Params variable has been introduced to be used with the main app view, in other words, to pass some optional arguments to our main app view.

However, the Params variable is available to any other view too. And, in fact, we can now use the "ShowView" and "ReplaceView" actions to pass params too. Remember that we can use the "ShowView" action to load an other app view:

Now, we can use the "ShowView" action in this way:

The above works as expected, that is, we can access to the [OtherView.Params.param1] and the [OtherView.Params.param2] variables from the OtherView Show event.

And that's all!

The current release of DecSoft's App Builder also includes a new "ViewParams" app sample (number 170!) that shows the usage of the new app views Params variable, and how we can use it with the "ShowView" action too.

Upgrade your AB copy, play with the new Params variable and the new "ViewParams" app sample and post here if you have further questions or comments around this!

Hello to all,

Here is an new entry in the DecSoft blog that can be of your interest: iOS apps with DecSoft's App Builder

Hello to all,

Hi David,

Thanks for the good news.

I hope can be useful! :)