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Progressive Web App (PWA) Support

AppStudio 7.4 brings support for Progressive Web Apps (PWA). The idea behind PWAs is to give users a more native app like experience when using Web Apps.

One of the important features of PWAs is the ability to run when there is no internet connection. To do this, the app needs to save all its components locally when it initially loads from the website. The app can then load those instead of going to the web each time you run the app.

Before version 7.4, AppStudio did this using Application Caching. Each app had a manifest containing the list of files to be cached. It worked fairly well, but was not perfect. PWA was designed to fix the problems with Application Caching. The Chrome and Safari teams have announced that Application Caching will be deprecated in future releases of their browsers.

With iOS 12, Apple now supports PWAs (Chrome has for a while), so it was time to update AppStudio to use the new standard.

The good thing is that the change is mostly transparent to AppStudio developers and their users. AppStudio takes care of all the code that is needed to implement a PWA automatically. There are two changes you’ll need to be aware of:
1. You’ll need to provide icons called 72.png, 192.png and 512.png. Put them in the ‘icons folder of your app.
2. The old ‘manifest’ property has been renamed ‘extrafiles’. Put the names of any extra files or folders your app needs here. They will then be deployed with your app. Files named in your old manifest property are automatically carried over.

There are more details about PWAs in our wiki: https://wiki.appstudio.dev/Progressive_Web_Apps.

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AppStudio 7.4 released!

We’re pleased to announce that 7.4.0 has been released.

The biggest new feature is that AppStudio now produces Progressive Web Apps (PWAs). This is a new standard for saving web apps so they can run offline and as standalone apps. Here’s an article with more details.

Here’s what is new and fixed in the new release:

  1. PWA: Progressive Web App caching replaces Application Cache
  2. PWA: New manifest.json property
  3. BS4: Add link to Bootstrap 4 Theme Customizer: Bootstrap.Build
  4. BS4: Card display options now shown for text fields
  5. BS4: Card Footer can now be styled
  6. BS4: Datatable: recover gracefully if no value for lengthMenu
  7. BS4: Hamburger has a title when you hover over icon
  8. BS4: Select was emitting an extra character
  9. Deploy: Babel option removed.
  10. Deploy: Google Lighthouse now supported.
  11. Deploy: MakeEXE stuff removed – replaced by Electron
  12. Deploy: old Application Cache removed
  13. jQM: Error in List control fixed.
  14. Project: MakeExe properties removed (obsolete)
  15. Project: Properties removed: newVersionWarning, iconAndroid, exeicon, manifestFile, ManifestName

The easiest way to get the update is on the Help menu – “Check for Updates…”

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AppStudio 7.3.3 Released!

We’re pleased to announce that 7.3.3 has been released.

This release has new features and bug fixes.

Google has a newish tool called Lighthouse. You can run it in the Chrome Developer Tools, in the Audits tab. It checks your app for a number of good practices. This build has a number of features to improve your score.

Here’s what is new and fixed in the new release:

  1. Controls: Allow multiple GoogleMaps in one project
  2. Deploy: png files were sometimes being translated to .js.
  3. Electron: Fix already declared variable.
  4. Installer: Installer enhanced for new MacOS requirements
  5. Project Properties: manifest has been renamed extraFiles. It still works the same way.
  6. PWA: infrastructure roughed in – not usable yet
  7. Runtime: Add HTML lang attribute (For Lighthouse)
  8. Runtime: Add meta description and theme-color (for Lighthouse)
  9. Runtime: Fix error in SQLite error handling
  10. Runtime: Improvements for Google Lighthouse audit
  11. Samples: Add BASIC library to some samples which need it.
  12. Samples: New PhoneGapZebraPrint sample, showing Bluetooth printing.
  13. Samples: PhotoGallery updated

The easiest way to get the update is on the Help menu – “Check for Updates…”

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AppStudio 7.3.2 released!

We’re pleased to announce that 7.3.2 has been released.

This release has new features and housekeeping. A few bugs have been squashed, links updated and the offline Wiki has been improved.

Web Assembly modules are now supported. Just drag and drop them into the Project Explorer and they will be deployed with your app.

Here’s what is new and fixed in the new release:

  1. IDE: Web Assembly modules now supported.
  2. BS4: datalist property added to Input control.
  3. BS4: inputmode property added to Input and Textarea controls.
  4. BS4: Dropdown and Hamburger: items can now be disabled, active or a heading.
  5. BS4: Input now allows quote characters in placeholder property.
  6. Deploy: .wasm files dragged into the Project Explorer will be properly deployed.
  7. Documentation: Wiki updated.
  8. IDE: Allow unicode characters in css files added to the project.
  9. IDE: Link to icon/splashscreen utility updated – old provider ceased operations.
  10. Libraries: The BASIC functions library can be added to JavaScript apps.
  11. avaScript: The format() function is usable without needing BASIC.
  12. Register: Correct server path

The easiest way to get the update is on the Help menu – “Check for Updates…”

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New Bootstrap 4 Input features

With the release iOS 12.2, we are able to add a couple of new features to the Bootstrap 4 Input control. (These features are in Chrome 69+ as well). You’ll need AppStudio 7.3.1.2.

These new features will help users enter information more quickly and accurately.

DataList

DataList lets you control the hints the keyboard brings up as the user type into an Input control.

Suppose our datalist is the following: Bob, Carol, Ted, Alice and Caroline. Here how it will look on iOS:


Continue reading “New Bootstrap 4 Input features”

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2019 Programming Contest

Our sixth NSB/AppStudio Programming Contest is underway! We’re looking forward to cool entries which take advantage of the capabilities of devices, desktops and AppStudio.

We have three categories:

  • Business – apps for business, government or non profit organizations
  • Fun – Games, hobbies, entertainment or whimsical creations.
  • Education – Apps written by students or teachers (or for them to use)

All registered AppStudio users are welcome to participate. Prizes are $100 USD in each category.
You may enter more than one program. Judging will be by our experts. All judging is arbitrary and final. We will be looking for quality, performance, ease of use, sophistication and overall coolness. Apps can be whatever you like: Enterprise, business, commercial, education, games or even something whimsical.

All programs must be written using NSB/AppStudio. Entries may be commercial, shareware or freeware, and for iPhone, iPad, Android, the desktop or multiple platforms. Please indicate with your entry whether we can share your program or screenshots with the public.

NSB/AppStudio is an easy to use tool for creating iOS, Android and Desktop apps. Use the Design Screen to layout your app, then add code in JavaScript or BASIC. AppStudio runs on Mac and Windows computers. Apps can be distributed directly or through app stores.

Send your questions and entries to support@appstudio.dev.

The deadline for entries has been is Monday, May 6, 2019 at 12:00 midnite EST.

Have fun!

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AppStudio 7.3.1 released!

We’re pleased to announce that 7.3.1 has been released.

This release is mostly housekeeping. A few bugs have been squashed, links updated and the offline Wiki has been improved.

Projects which are JavaScript only will be a bit smaller – we’ve moved the BASIC-specific functions to a separate module which isn’t loaded if it isn’t needed.

Here’s what is new and fixed in the new release:

  1. BS4: Alert: Allow multiline value
  2. BS4: Label.text can be used – same as Label.value.
  3. BS4: Select control: value of 0 now works properly.
  4. BS4: Warning if mixed BS3 or jQM controls when control added.
  5. Deploy: Pure JavaScript apps no longer include BASIC functions (smaller deploy)
  6. Deploy: hfunc.js split into appstudioFunctions.js and basicFunctions.js
  7. IDE: Change company branding
  8. IDE: Change links to appstudio.dev
  9. IDE: Save As with manifest file set to “nocache” fixed.
  10. IDE: Update slogan
  11. Installer: Better method of loading tkinter.
  12. jQM: jqmList now includes fastclick.js in the project.
  13. Register: Improve “need to update” message.
  14. Samples: ElectronWeather updated.
  15. Samples: Improve button appearance in Datatables sample.
  16. Toolbox: Some autocomplete hints fixed.
  17. Wiki: Offline wiki updated with latest docs
  18. Wiki: Offline search fixed.

The easiest way to get the update is on the Help menu – “Check for Updates…”

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Our website is now www.appstudio.dev!

The use of “nsbasic” in our web site’s name has become more and more inaccurate. Most of our new users aren’t here because they program in BASIC. They’re here to get an easy to use development tool which uses modern technologies and JavaScript.

When new domains ending in “.dev” were announced, we jumped on it. The website is now http://www.appstudio.dev, reflecting what the product is today.

Nothing else has changed. It’s the same team, the same product and support.

We still support BASIC. It continues to be an important language, both for people just starting out with programming and for people who learned to program years ago. It’s always been a comfortable language that lets you get things done. We continue to respect it.

The name changes are all aliased – there’s no need to change your bookmarks. The old links will continue to work as the always have.

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AppStudio 7.3.0 released!

We’re pleased to announce that 7.3.0 has been released.

The major new feature is integration with Nodejs and Electron. With these, you can now build standalone apps for Windows, MacOS and Linux.

Node integration also opens up the npm directory of modules which can be included in your app – over 750,000 of them at last count!


Watch the blog – there is more information coming.

Here’s what is new and fixed in the new release:

  1. AppStudio can now build native apps for Windows, MacOS and Linux.
  2. Node and npm can now be used. Over 750,000 modules available.
  3. Electron support added.
  4. BS: Input icon can now be clicked on.
  5. BS3: Updated to Bootstrap 3.4.1
  6. BS4: Switch.text can be used to get and set text of switch.
  7. BS4: Updated to Bootstrap 4.3.1
  8. Docs: Using Node and Electron to build Desktop Apps
  9. Project Explorer: Allow files in project root to be dragged into Project Explorer.
  10. Run: Make Windows Executable (EXE) has been removed.
  11. Run: Package for Distribution using Electron has been added.
  12. Runtime: FastClick has been turned off.
  13. Samples: BS3 Hamburger: Label was hiding Hamburger.
  14. Samples: execPython removed.
  15. Samples: New ElectronWeather sample.
  16. Windows: installer rebuilt using pyInstaller 3.4

The easiest way to get the update is on the Help menu – “Check for Updates…”