Android Tutorial B4A Beginners Guide

Erel · Jun 6, 2011

Thank you very much Klaus. This guide is a very important resource for Basic4android developers, especially for new developers who need to understand the fundamental concepts.

The guide is also available on SlideShare.com: http://www.slideshare.net/Erel2/beginners-guide

Omar · Jun 6, 2011

Thank you very much Klaus.

I am certain this will be an excellent reference material for newcomers like me.

splatt · Jun 6, 2011

Klaus,

Just skimmed through the Beginner's Guide. :sign0188:

This looks like a major step forward for new users. When I get time I will look through it in more detail.

XverhelstX · Jun 6, 2011

Very nice, Klaus.
Congratulations

Tomas

JMB · Jun 6, 2011

Excellent work, Klaus!

I'm just wondering where this puts the Wiki, because it seems that there's a lot of duplicate work going on at the moment between the Beginner's Guide and the Wiki.

Should the Beginner's Guide perhaps become the main target of effort? Not sure...

Any thoughts?

JMB

ZJP · Jun 7, 2011

:sign0188: :icon_clap:

JP

Brad · Jun 7, 2011

Major kudos Klaus! :sign0098:

fraxinus · Jun 7, 2011

Thank you Klaus for an excellent guide for us beginners. Is there a beginners guide for database usage in B4A. as I am still at a loss how to get to grips with it. It might say (Dbutils is simple), but not for us beginners.
Rob

klaus · Jun 7, 2011

Hi, thank's for your nice word.

JMB said:
I'm just wondering where this puts the Wiki, because it seems that there's a lot of duplicate work going on at the moment between the Beginner's Guide and the Wiki.

Should the Beginner's Guide perhaps become the main target of effort? Not sure...

Any thoughts?

JMB

In my mind the Beginner's Guide is dedicated for real beginners to make their first steps, and off line. The real basics, simple examples, with more detailed explanations. The Wiki is a good solution for more advanced users.

fraxinus said:
Is there a beginners guide for database usage in B4A. as I am still at a loss how to get to grips with it. It might say (Dbutils is simple), but not for us beginners.

Not yet, but it's in the pipe line. But no concrete schedule yet.

Best regards.

aklisiewicz · Jun 7, 2011

Nice document swohin maintaining database manipulation will be more than welcomed. I'm tlakin about something that's finisher (not the code fragments which are nice but not related to each other). You need to keep in mind that new users (even if the do know some other language) ) have no idea how the datadase manipulation takes place. Personaly when get to the point to insert a Quary into the strin, I should be fine, but what to do before and after is still a mystery to me.

What I would like to see in eventual doc for datacase handling is a full featured application with some examples on how to deal with most common database tasks:
addin, updating record through the form, deleting record. the I would like to see similar tasks but working on multiple records, then some example on how to mark records for update, deletion etc. finally I would like to see some example of Parent/Child type relationship - screen header and list of records (Invoice/Order) would be perfect example.

BTW:
I briefly looked at the PDF and I have to say I was very pleased. Klaus - you did excelent job, which makes me think I will really stick up to B4A. I want to say my personal - THANK YOU

Art

aklisiewicz · Jun 7, 2011

Klaus - what I like to most about your documents is that you not only providing examples but explaining the concepts, and that is very important. I probably would not spent so much time on IDE itself as 90% of it is really easy to figure out, but I'm starving for more documents like yours. I hope you already have a lifetime job with Erel to prepare quality manuals ;-)

I have red previous PDF guide (not sure who made it) but yours is a whole class better. Congratulations!

PS>
just got to Chapter 11 - Modules. Is is work in progress or that's it?

Cheers - Arthur

klaus · Jun 7, 2011

aklisiewicz said:
What I would like to see in eventual doc for datacase handling is a full featured application with some examples on how to deal with most common database tasks:
addin, updating record through the form, deleting record..

Did you have a look here ScrollView example with multiselection and SQL, most of your requests are in there.

... the I would like to see similar tasks but working on multiple records, then some example on how to mark records for update, deletion etc.

The Beginner's Guide is dedicated to 'beginners', I'm afraid that these requests are already for advanced users. And probably the main problem is not B4A but the SQL knowledge.

... finally I would like to see some example of Parent/Child type relationship]

What is this ? As you see, this seems obvious to you, but not to everybody, at least not to me.

I briefly looked at the PDF...

Why only briefly and deaply

?

For most of your questions, I would suggest you to begin a concrete project and then come up with concrete questions so we know more precicely what you want to do, and then we can give you better advices.

Best regards.

aklisiewicz · Jun 7, 2011

Well 'briefly' because I skipped sections that I'm already familiar with. SQL is SQL, and I'm talking here about the concept and the process. Let me exmaplin (what I think is missing in the manuals).

If I mastered SQL I can feel really comfortable inside any type of SQL query, but not outside of it. My problem with understanding is that I'm not rally sure how the data travels between the screen (ie. TexField) and physical column in a database.
I the software I have used in the psat there was a screen variable to gold the input temporarily, then the input data was send to the database (and this was always handeled by database driver). This way I did not have to worry about checking any type of conditions (concurency checking, record locks, connection lost, etc.). Everything was handled by the driver. At the same time temporary screen variable was very easy to manipulate (hide, make ReddOnly etc.).
When I wanted to display a list full of records I had several choices (i.e)
- build a recordset or view
- fill the queue with the data pulled of the database (again the driver was doing the selection based on my criteria - query)
- then finally I could send the queue contents to the screen
Physically all above was handled for me by the template which automated creating this process by 90%, but If I wanted 100% control I could do this manually the way I described. As you see in this description was no code but rather a concept. I could abviously go more into details if I would write a manual, but this is just to give you and other the idea what part (in my opinion) is missing in the documentation.

Of course another problem is that documents and resources are fragmented and I'm glad that initiative like yours is helping to gather everything in one place. It would help a lot.

---------------------------
As for Parent/Child terminology, I'm finding it funny! You see - it is like for me the terms ACTIVITY, VIEWS etc. are new and confusing, so for you (and some others)
Parent/Child. I'm coming from environment where every developer knows exactly what this term means,..so....
Parent/Child refers to relationships, where Parent (top)record is related to its child record, then then ChildRecords is related to GrandChild etc...
In SQL it refers to Joining tables...

Example: CUSTOMER - ParentRecord customer has orders, so ORDER_HEADER is ChildRecord(to CUSTOMER), then the order has its items so ORDER_ITEM table is a GrandChild to CUTOMER and Child to ORDER-HEADER and so on. This is epecially important when dealing with RI.

Art

aklisiewicz · Jun 7, 2011

no I havent seen this example, so this is what I was talking about when saying the resources are fragmented and not easy to find. Looks like this is what I was looking for. Thank you (soon you become my hero;-)

PS>
just run your App and I can't seem to figure out what the Modif button supposed to do ?
It would be also great to add some recordEdit form to change existing record.

Art

klaus · Jun 8, 2011

As this subject is off topic of this thread, you find the answer here:
ScrollView example with multiselection and SQL.

Best regards.

PapaLeoZ · Jun 8, 2011

Big Thank You

Thank You Klaus... Just want you to know that your efforts are appreciated!

aklisiewicz · Jun 8, 2011

Klaus, your example is very nice, but this is not what I was looking for. I wanted an example which shows simple record manitpulation in sense of: Adding/Changing/Deleting through the FORM. yours does not use any forms to edit data. There is lots of things relatexd to forms...
I would like to see how to pass paramtere to the form, how ti PrimeFields, how to do multiple forms, etc... and most of all (like I mentioned in my other post) Parent/Child type screens...

Thanks - Art

cnicolapc · Jun 8, 2011

Hi Klaus,
Congratulations to the hard work and very useful!
Nicola

klaus · Jun 8, 2011

aklisiewicz said:
I wanted an example which shows simple record manitpulation in sense of: Adding/Changing/Deleting through the FORM. yours does not use any forms to edit data. There is lots of things relatexd to forms

This proves that you didn't really look at this program !
In the program you CAN Add, Delete, Modify, Move any entry ! This is all done on the same form. Using other panels to do this is straigt forward.
The example program is not intended as a stand alone finished program it's intended to show what can be done. It's up to you to adapt it to your requirements.
It seems from your posts and very general questions, that you are looking to find different code snippets, pick them up and assembling them in a kind of patchwork, without taking the time to understand what these codes are doing. That's for me the WRONG way, as already said, begin with a project, tell us what really you want to do, how you imagine doing it. I still don't know !!!

Best regards.

Android Tutorial B4A Beginners Guide

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