When you develop new app, what is the hardest part?

[susu]

For me, it's designing layout/graphic! I can deal with code by referencing other's example in this forum but design layout is another story. Most of the time, I make an app with all working functions but I can not finish it just because I can't find a way to create nice layout.

Do you face the same problem? How can you solve it? Please share.

 

[hookshy]

Do you face the same problem? How can you solve it? Please share.

1. Wife that is not willing to help most of the time
2. Ask a b4a member to help you
3. Buy icons or import them from free websites , now you can buy graphics for the hole game but this does not guarantee you any success
4. Secret is to steal ideas of graphics ... but you must know how to modify a vector image to get something from the resource as sometimes theare are not in the same color theme
5. Make games that are 2d and require less graphics and animations or apps that need icons and simple stuff ..you won't probably get to beat disney in graphics

I use inkscape most of the time and I got used to it ...al though as free resource it works like a shit .
alternative I recomend start using Xara Designer Pro ... then I am sure Gimp is a powerfull tool and many b4a use them
I use openclip art .com to import more complex shapes ..then I reuse them ...some I have build myself

I an not at all an artist ...here what I have done best regarding game design ...
I guess that is all that I can do : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hookslight.acc

 

[ilan]

for me is the hardest thing the beginning... after i started a new project its going smooth but to start it is hard because my mistake is to see how much work i need to invest on it instead of see only one step forwoard and not the finished project...

 

[Beja]

The most challenging part is how to decide graphics, color scheme and sound effects that can be accepted by the eyes and ears of your users. In other words, how to put your users in the app.

 

[hookshy]

Sound effects ...I have one ..bonus sound that I use around all my apps
Your can use share and play buttons most of the time with same signature
Splashscreen can be symple , white sreen and a logo in the midle ...so it should be easy
Nobody say that you could use pressed drawable action to see how a button is pressed .

Recently I have tested some of the stupid success stories of google play (Cirle by Cetchapp)...i realised some stupid shit that makes no sense drive uses mad and up to their limit .... Graphics ...lines and 100 cirle design
More every day I speak with gamers ...mostly youth and students and ask what is so interested in some of the games ...I am stunned to see how the shit is driving all mad ....

Conclusion ....
Be careful to graphics , nice an clear design and great idea of the game, sory (make something stupid and you will be the king over 1 bilion gamelovers )... what is true is that if the app has one single button ....make it pleasant ..(I remember the app : ...<Useless button>

 

[Ferbis]

The hardest part for me is to think as a user. How this will interact with my app. Sometimes I think that the GUI I'm creating it will be easy to use but the result is not. This for me is the key of the success
I agree completely with Beja

 

[hookshy]

We are human

1000 hundred mens stare on shit on the midle ....
One comes around and decide to take a look
Then he becomes even courios and ask ...Why do you staring at this shit ?
It fun and every body does it can't you see that ?
Why not ..let's "subscribe"

No need to build complicated designs ..make it pleasant ...if there is a shit make first 100 men like it !

Enjoy !

 

[hookshy]

The hardest part for me is to think as a user

Nice ... this is what we lack most ...
Make what the public expects to receive ...

 

[klaus]

For me, the most important things at the beginning, depending on the kind of program, are :
- Define as exactly as possible what the program is supposed to do.
- What data do I need for it.
- Where does the data come from and how.
- What is the user supposed to do, or better what is he allowed to do.
- Where and how to get the data.
- What data should be displayed and how.
- What can or is the user allowed to do with the results.
- Where and how to save them, if needed.
- Think about the user interfaces, make them as simple as possible with the minmum of operations. This is by far not simple.
- Only then begin with coding.
- Eventually write some small test programs.
- Begin with the skeleton and add the different functions.
- Then think about graphics, animation etc. for the user interface.

Sorry, I am old fashioned !

 

[klaus]

The hardest part for me is to think as a user.

That's one of the most difficult part. Different users don't mostly not expect the same.
I remember, quite some time ago, I wrote a program for a calculation in mechanical engineering.
I defined, what as a programmer I thought, a good and logical interface.
Unfortunately when I made my first real calulations I found that the interface was not that logical from the users' point of view and I changed. Even though but fortunately, in this case, the programmer and the user were the same person and I knew very well the subject.

 

[Ferbis]

Sorry, I am old fashioned !

Klaus you are not old fashioned. What you have done is a fantastic summary of the golden rules of every good programmer.

 

[qsrtech]

We are human

1000 hundred mens stare on shit on the midle ....
One comes around and decide to take a look
Then he becomes even courios and ask ...Why do you staring at this shit ?
It fun and every body does it can't you see that ?
Why not ..let's "subscribe"

No need to build complicated designs ..make it pleasant ...if there is a shit make first 100 men like it !

Enjoy !

People are followers

Testing/debugging seems to me to be the most challenging and time consuming

 

[RandomCoder]

For me, the most important things at the beginning, depending on the kind of program, are :
- Define as exactly as possible what the program is supposed to do.
- What data do I need for it.
- Where does the data come from and how.
- What is the user supposed to do, or better what is he allowed to do.
- Where and how to get the data.
- What data should be displayed and how.
- What can or is the user allowed to do with the results.
- Where and how to save them, if needed.
- Think about the user interfaces, make them as simple as possible with the minmum of operations. This is by far not simple.
- Only then begin with coding.
- Eventually write some small test programs.
- Begin with the skeleton and add the different functions.
- Then think about graphics, animation etc. for the user interface.

Sorry, I am old fashioned !

You've surmised exactly where I go wrong in the first nine steps. I often start programming and then need to modify what I've already done because I didn't plan well enough from the start. I also find myself reiterating through my code because I hate writing repeated lines of code. If I write a few lines once and then a while later have to do it again I like to turn this into a function and reduce my code. But that means that I'm forever going back over my code thinking how can I reduce this more. I'm a little obsessive in this respect

 

[Cableguy]

I tend to restart over and over because I'm not satisfied with my gui. I do it mostly by code so that I can control exactly how it will behave in different resolutions... After I get my gui as I was, its just event managing...

 

[HotShoe]

I approach programming like writing a book. Like writing chapters (functions, procedures, methods, etc). I have the design at least laid out in my head, and most times on paper in an outline. I start with file handling routines and then displaying the data. Once I can see results the boredom of programming goes away (until the tedium of error checking comes along later down the line).

The hardest part for me, is writing the first few procedures. If I am not interested in the project, it is especially hard to start, but that came with being a contractor.

 

[RandomCoder]

.... Once I can see results the boredom of programming goes away (until the tedium of error checking comes along later down the line).

Error checking and fault finding is the part I enjoy the most, but then I'm not working to deadlines etc. I find its like pitting wits against the computer when something unexpected is happening or something doesn't work as you expected it too.

 

[ac9ts]

Deciding on the app itself.

I have a problem coming up with an idea for an app. Once I get that, I'll open up another can of difficulties but most of them can be conquered with researching. It's the initial "What should this app do?" that gets me.

 

[KMatle]

I have so many ideas and I've started a lot of apps. Half way (when I got it to run) my motivation to finish decreases to zero Mostly I want to understand how this and that works and when I understand... well... that's it...

 

[sorex]

the app idea is something I struggle with

or

if I have a good idea the lack of graphical/design skills results in several work_in_progress/proof_of_concept apps or games collecting dust.

 

[RandomCoder]

I have so many ideas and I've started a lot of apps. Half way (when I got it to run) my motivation to finish decreases to zero Mostly I want to understand how this and that works and when I understand... well... that's it...

I understand exactly where you're going from. For me too the challenge is to see if it can be done and how.