Looking for web app development resources.
November 18, 2013 9:41 AM Subscribe
Help me find good web app planning and development resources.
I'm close to beginning development on my first contracted web app. It will be exclusive to the iPad and I'll be using html5, canvas, css and javascript. It's an app for teaching letter sounds to kids and will mainly feature matching pictures to letters via touch and drag and drop. The client has provided a fairly complete outline of the app, but we both understand that we might need to alter some functionality as needed.
I admit I'm not a programmer - I'm a designer who's good with modifying existing code to serve my needs. I'll be using online code examples and tutorials to help myself during development, but I'd like to buy at least one hard copy book to use for reference. I'm also eager to plan the whole project properly - I have a habit of diving into things without structuring first.
I'm looking for the best hard copy and online resources that'll make the entire process go as smoothly as possible. I realize I have a ton of learning ahead of me.
I'm close to beginning development on my first contracted web app. It will be exclusive to the iPad and I'll be using html5, canvas, css and javascript. It's an app for teaching letter sounds to kids and will mainly feature matching pictures to letters via touch and drag and drop. The client has provided a fairly complete outline of the app, but we both understand that we might need to alter some functionality as needed.
I admit I'm not a programmer - I'm a designer who's good with modifying existing code to serve my needs. I'll be using online code examples and tutorials to help myself during development, but I'd like to buy at least one hard copy book to use for reference. I'm also eager to plan the whole project properly - I have a habit of diving into things without structuring first.
I'm looking for the best hard copy and online resources that'll make the entire process go as smoothly as possible. I realize I have a ton of learning ahead of me.
I think you need to figure out what tools you want to use first - and I'm not sure there's a book that will help you out with that. I might recommend this course over at Tuts +, Tools of the Modern Web Developer, which might help steer you in the correct direction. You need to be a member in order to view the full course. There are tons of other courses on that site that will probably be useful once you figure out what tools you want to use and need to dig in further. The author of the aforementioned course has her own video podcast at Build Podcast, that covers most of the same tools.
If you think you're going to use a javascript framework like Ember or Backbone, then maybe you can grab a book on one of those.
posted by backwards guitar at 10:04 AM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]
If you think you're going to use a javascript framework like Ember or Backbone, then maybe you can grab a book on one of those.
posted by backwards guitar at 10:04 AM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]
Check out Easel for a JS library that will help with doing the canvas manipulation.
http://www.createjs.com/#!/EaselJS
I was going to do a similar project with drag and drop and that seemed to be one of the better options for this purpose.
posted by gregjunior at 10:07 AM on November 18, 2013
http://www.createjs.com/#!/EaselJS
I was going to do a similar project with drag and drop and that seemed to be one of the better options for this purpose.
posted by gregjunior at 10:07 AM on November 18, 2013
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posted by entropone at 9:59 AM on November 18, 2013