Making web app with LiveCode?

[ErwinVJ]

Hi,
I'm working on a project concept that would have users define their garden layout using an app running on iOS/Android or on their PC/Mac. I want to have native apps for the platforms because using a web app in a browser on a tablet is 'crap' ... too cumbersome, too slow and only works when online.

However, I feel that there will be a need for a web app as well, just another platform they can log on to and use the functionality I will provide.

Can I build a web app using LiveCode?

Chees,
Erwin

[Mark]

Hi Erwin,

You can build a web app with LiveCode server but you have to start from scratch. It isn't like taking a stack and putting it on a server. You'll have to re-write everything in a way similar to PHP.

There used to be a plug-in to display stacks in browsers, but this is no longer supported by those browsers and by RunRev.

Kind regards,

Mark

[FourthWorld]

Most Android browsers use WebKit as does iOS' Safari, and WebKit is a pretty great engine, so if you're seeing slow web apps that probably has more to do with the developer of that site than any inherent limitation of the browser.

As Mark noted, RevServer can do wonders on the server side, but in the browser the only native language available is JavaScript, which makes it easy to decide what language to write in since we have no choice in the matter.

Most of us cut our teeth on HTML/CSS/JavaScript here:
http://www.w3schools.com/

The O"Reilly book "Head First JavaScript" can also be very helpful for getting started:
http://www.headfirstlabs.com/books/hfjs/

JS is a weird language with as many gotchas as LiveCode, but kinda fun once you get the hang of it. And like LiveCode, the more time you spend with it the more you realize that there's almost nothing you can't do with it.

[mwieder]

I also want to put in a plug for "JavaScript: the Good Parts"

http://shop.oreilly.com/product/9780596517748.do