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Closed 10 years ago.
I would like to program some stuff for a LEGO NXT robot. The "API" included with the robot is quite limited, so I went on to find some alternatives. There seems to be a bunch of languages/add-ons/compilers for this task. The thing is that I don't know which one to choose, or even use. I'm on a mac with OS 10.8.
I am good with C#, Objective-C, and can work my way around C/C++ and Python. Thanks for your help.
If you like C, I suggest you try out Not eXactly C, a modified version of C for programming NXT bricks. If you prefer a version more like C, give RobotC a try. RobotC is commercial software, however.
Getting NXC up and running is as easy as installing the Bricx Command Center IDE. NXC works with the standard LEGO firmware, but it also comes with an enhanced version with bug-fixes and enhancements. RobotC provides its own IDE and firmware which you can try a 30 day trial and then purchase a license key from the RobotC website.
If you really like Python, have a look at nxt-python. It's as easy as installing a compatible driver/interface for nxt-python to communicate with the NXT brick, and then installing the latest release of the nxt-python libraries. How to do so is clearly outlines on the Installation page.
I suggest you setup BricxCC and nxt-python, and give them a try first. If NXC isn't right for you, you can grab a trial version of RobotC that you can try out for 30 days before purchasing the full version.
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Closed 10 years ago.
I have heard a lot about MS Phone HTC and wondering if any developer has used them. If so, what is the first step toward development this device with no experience in phone programming?
Thanks.
You may want to sign up for Microsoft's Generation App program - it's a free, staged set of training and resources leading you through the process of designing, developing, monetizing, and submitting your app. It's essentially a curated set of links, documents, samples, etc. delivered in a daily e-mail.
I know you mentioned HTC, but Nokia also has a great developer program they are rolling out at http://dvlup.com; it's in limited preview at the moment, but you can submit your e-mail and be notified when it's fully open.
Hard to tell, where to begin. First of all start by visiting this page and download+install the WP8 SDK:
https://dev.windowsphone.com/en-us/develop
Note you need Windows 8 x64 Pro and newer CPU to run the SDK and the emulator (Core-i5 or better is recommended).
Then I would recommend reading some book about C# development and/or start testing various samples provided with the SDK here:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff431744(v=vs.92).aspx
and also here:
http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/wpapps/
This is a nice free ebook about C# from Charles Petzold:
http://www.charlespetzold.com/dotnet/
As for the device, I own HTC's 8x and I'm developing apps on it with success. The device choice is up to you, whatever you like better.
As for resources to begin programming. It depends whether you have .NET programming background at all. If you do, all you really need is on Windows Phone Dev Center. With a bit of patience and passion you will succeed :)
It's also worth buying a good book as it guides you through the whole process.
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Closed 10 years ago.
Do you recommend VisualWorks for seaside development? Or VA? Or?
I thought I remember seeing discussion about Cincom's committment to webvelocity and/or seaside? I thought they were moving away from webvelocity ? Does anyone know if they are they still putting effort into seaside?
Though Cincom's VisualWorks and Instantiation's VAST (formerly IBM VisualAge Smalltalk) are great environments, you should check their licensing and pricing.
VAST is putting a lot of effort into having everything working and up to date, on one of the most robust Smalltalks that ever existed. VisualWorks has a long history of commitment and enterprise presence.
However I would recommend the use of Pharo Smalltalk, which is the Smalltalk dialect on which the Seaside platform is developed and then ported to other dialects. And it is one of the Smalltalks that is moving forward faster these days.
You could also consider the use of GLASS, the Gemstone Smalltalk implementation of Seaside, which is backed by the powerful Gemstone/S active object database.
I recommend you start first with Pharo, and then if it is needed you could migrate to GLASS.
Regards,
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Closed 10 years ago.
How does GameMaker compare to XCode/Objective-C for iPhone development?
I have an idea of GameMaker being really easy to use, but rather restricted in its functionality, while XCode/Objective-C is a lot harder to use but of course as flexible as can be (by design).
I am thinking about picking up a book on one of the two (GameMaker or XCode/Objective-C), as I would like to develop iPhone apps, but am finding it hard to figure out the pros and cons.
Any input will be appreciated :) :)
You can develop almost everything with Game Maker, but why you shouldn't is because it has really bad performance. I have read lot of reviews telling about games done with GM that are completely draining the battery. I won't choose this option.
I would rather look for something like Unity3D who's badass, or something cheaper like Corona SDK. The best way is still by using the native tools like xCode for iOS, and Eclipse Java for Android. But that's a choice that depends of the amount of time you want to spend for the development.
Update: The way to go is cocos2d-x.
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Closed 9 years ago.
Does a cloud IDE or another tool exist to develop and compile programs using Objective-C?
Well if you just want to learn Objective-C you can use GNUSTEP:
http://www.gnustep.org/resources/ObjCFun.html
However if you want to develop Mac or iOS apps, buying a Mac is your best option. I recommend buying a Mac Mini as XenElement stated. You can use Monotouch, however you will use C# instead of Objective-C:
http://xamarin.com/monotouch
The GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) has an Objective-C compiler. However, the really interesting part of Objective-C is found in the Frameworks. Apple uses Cocoa which is a updated revision (more or less) of the old NextStep frameworks. There is a GNU clone called GNUStep that works fairly well, but has a steep learning curve. There is also a project on SourceForge called libFoundation which only provides some core objects and frameworks saves GUI frameworks. You should be able to install a gcc/GNUStep or gcc/libFoundation on most linux distributions so you can start playing with Objective-C without having to pay for a mac.
GNUStep: http://www.gnustep.org/
libFoundation: http://sourceforge.net/projects/libfoundation/
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Closed 9 years ago.
I'd like to create a flowchart/map visualization of how my project works, what is the best software available for this purpose? I'm not looking for something to do it automatically, I'd like to manually create the flowchart.
This is for a project done in Objective-C if that helps/matters.
OmniGraffle is pretty good. It even creates class diagrams from an Xcode 3.x project.
Other web applications that do this, that are not already mentioned:
draw.io, is free and uses Google Drive or Dropbox for storage (including Google Drive Realtime). I co-founded this.
Lucidchart is native JavaScript, like draw.io.
Creately and Cacoo are Flash implementations, although Cacoo are moving away from Flash.
Aside from my obvious bias, I would suggest Lucidchart or Gliffy (mentioned above).
If you (a) like gliffy and (b) want a desktop-based app that does the same thing, take a look at yEd. Supports BPMN and traditional flowcharts (as well as myriad other drawing notations). Nice and easy to use, cross-platform. Oh, and free :-)
hth.