Android Tutorial [B4X] Documentation Booklets

The B4X documentation booklets are available in PDF format, Download Link.
All files are included in the zip file in the link above, pdf booklets and all the source code.

You can also download all the source code for al booklets, SourceCode.

These booklets cover the four B4X platforms.
Some don't cover B4R because the subject is not relevant for B4R like Visual Designer.

Example projects with source code are included.

All booklets can be accessed online with the links below.
The generic link is: https://www.b4x.com/guides/BookletName/?page=xx
In this example we reach the B4xCustomViews booklet page 59: https://www.b4x.com/guides/B4xCustomViews/?page=59
The booklet names must begin with B4x (the x is in lower case) and without blank characters.
The summary of the list can be found here: Documentation
To get the source code of the example projects you can either download the entire zip file with the pdf booklets or only the source codes with the SourceCode link on top or at the end in the list below.

General booklets:
B4X Getting started
This booklet explains how to start with each B4x product (B4A, B4i, B4J and B4R).
B4X Language
This booklet explains the language for B4A, B4i, B4J and B4R.
B4X IDE
This booklet explains the Integrated Developpment Environment for B4A, B4i, B4J and B4R.
B4X Visual Designer
This booklet explains the Visual Designer for B4a, B4i and B4J.
B4X Help tools
This booklet explains some help tools for B4X. In the previous editions, its content was a chapter in the four booklets above.

Specific booklets:
B4XPages Cross-platform projects
This booklet explains how to make cross-platform projects.
B4X Custom Views + CustomViews_SourceCode, specific code for this booklet.
This booklet explains the CustomView subject for B4A, B4i and B4J.
B4X Graphics
This booklet explains Graphics for B4A, B4i, B4J, XUI And BitmapCreator.
B4X XUI
This booklet explains the XUI library which makes it easier to share code between B4A, B4J and B4i projects.
B4X SQLiteDatabase
This booklet explains the use of the SQLite library
B4X JavaObject-NativeObject
This booklet explains the use of JavaObjects (B4A and B4J) and NativeObjects (B4i)

B4R ExampleProjects
This booklet explains some B4R example projects.

SourceCode
Zip file containing all the source codes.

The current editions are 2.5
All booklets have the same edition number, to avoid confusion.
They cover:
B4A version 12.80
B4i version 8.50
B4J version 10.00
B4R version 4.00

Future booklets:
None in the to do list.

Some of these booklets exist in Spanish:

Español, Spanish.
Translated by Manuel Martinez.

 

[klaus]

Even off-topic, I understand what you are saying about the xChart library, the same for the xGraph library.
If there is an interest, I could provide more detailed explanations.
But how deep to go into it for how many users ?

Anyway, when I try to make charts in Excel it is also not that evident, at least for me. Well, yes, this is not an excuse!

 

[christianjeannot]

The B4X Booklets have been updated to version 2.1, covering the latest B4X versions.

Thank you very much Klaus

 

[christianjeannot]

@klaus

There is a unlucky typo in B4XGettingStartedV2_1.pdf, Page 114 chapter 5.12.1.2

Note: File.Exists does not work with Dile.DirAssets !!!

It should be File.DirAssets.

As I have an actual issue in a test app exactly with this typo it hit me in my beginner face
When I search for File.DirAssets in my PDF reader I can not find this information.

 

[klaus]

Thank you for reporting this typo, it is amended for next edition.
The typo was in the Basic language booklet.

 

[Jose Fiorese]

Hello guys, I'm compiling a book about B4X for Portuguese and Spanish language. My chinese is not good, but I can try to translate it into Chinese too (@K_Kai).
When i´ve more news, let you knows.
I wnat to send to Erel and Klaus first to be approved.

 

[klaus]

For me no problem, you can use all the content of the booklets and the source code.
You may also have a look at THIS answer.
The Word files of the booklets can be found here: https://github.com/AnywhereSoftware/B4X_Documentation
I just checked them, they are edition 1.9, the latest edition is 2.1.
Maybe Erel could update the them.

User @Genival Carvalho intended to translate the booklets to Portuguese (Brazil) language, I do not know if he did it.

 

[Erel]

I've uploaded the latest versions.

 

[Sabotto]

I report this small bug in the file "B4XVisualDesignerV2_1.pdf" inside the B4A Booklets (guide) On page 16, the link to go to the "Designer Scripts" page leads to page 67 (Anchors) instead of page 80 (Designer Scripts). It is not important, but maybe in the next update it can be corrected. It is only an indication

 

[klaus]

Thank you for reporting this.
Amended for the next edition.

 

[Sabotto]

Thank you for reporting this.
Amended for the next edition.

Also on p. 36 the text "Guide \ SourceCode \ TestLayoutsAnchors directory" must be replaced with "GettingStarted \ SourceCode \ TestLayoutsAnchors directory"

 

[klaus]

Thank you again.
Also amended for the next edition.

 

[klaus]

The B4X Booklets have been updated to version 2.2, covering the latest B4X versions.

 

[RodM]

The B4X Booklets have been updated to version 2.2, covering the latest B4X versions.

Could you, please, also update to version 2.2 the Word documents in https://github.com/AnywhereSoftware/B4X_Documentation ?

 

[Erel]

Done.

 

[johnmie]

Dear Klaus,
I owe at least 70% of my B4X wisdom to your booklets and help, 28% to Erel and the forum and < 2% to intuition. Thank you all for your support and bearing with my sometimes stupid or boring questions.

As advocate of the well-behaved document (you can google this term) I must say that your booklets are great in that they have meaningful titles and very practical bookmarks for easy navigation. Unfortunately they contain no other metadata (keywords) which would allow them to be automatically indexed on the fly in my digi-libris personal knowledge base (PC, Mac and B4A). Thus I have to index the whole collection again every time in Acrobat.

Best regards, john m.

 

[klaus]

I need to look at this more deeply.

 

[klaus]

I had a look at some sites.
Sorry, but I do not really understand what kind of information should be added nor where and how.
From what I have seen, it seems that they should be added in the pdf files.
The booklets are written with Word and the pdf files are generated from within Word.
I suppost that this would mean that every time a pdf file is generated the information must be added afterwords.
I am not sure that many B4X users are interested in.

 

[johnmie]

In Word click on File -> Info and under Properties click on show all. There is a field for the Subject and Keywords can be listed under Tags. These metadata are automatically save to the PDF, no need to add afterwards.

BTW B4X users are all computer savvy. The digi-libris project was developed for less knowledgeable people using mobile phones in areas with poor Internet connection and who regularly download and incrementally refresh learning material of different types from multiple sources.
Of interest to B4X users could be some of the techniques I've developed to extract metadata, not only from PDF but also from pictures and videos, to manually add metadata for search purposes, to build complete libraries for distribution on CD (outdated by now) and even to show scrolling translations of videos. But this was 3 years ago. Google no longer lists the app for "security" reasons.

 

[klaus]

OK, but what kind of information would you like to be added there ?

 

[agraham]

But this was 3 years ago. Google no longer lists the app for "security" reasons.

I noticed, so it all seems a bit pointless without the app being available.