From the Forum — Issue #8

21 February 2014

From the Forum — Issue #8

Welcome to the eighth installment of From the Forum. In this series, guest blogger Alex Jackson highlights outstanding threads from the Corona Forum. The goal is to bring attention to the most captivating, interesting, and thought-provoking discussions taking place in our very own backyard.

Please visit the forum to join these conversations or start your own!

1. These are Dangerous Waters… Watch for Pirates!

I look forward to the day when development is my main gig. Sitting in traffic and daydreaming about a world full of my fantastic games and innovative business apps sitting on the first panel of everyone’s smartphone keeps my motivation high.

The one thing, though, that never fails in threatening my resolve is piracy. I’m of the generation that made Napster famous, so I know what a minefield it can be for the indie developer trying to get ahead in our world of “instant distribution” where it’s so easy to obtain software illicitly.

Apple is doing a good job of protecting its “walled garden.” Google has its own method of app licensing to keep illegally-downloaded apps from operating on Android, but unlike Apple, the onus at this point is on the developer to implement this licensing. Fortunately, Corona developer DevElephant has created a handy guide about creating an app under the Google umbrella that takes advantage of their licensing scheme.

Rumble over to the original thread, say “thank you,” or add your own thoughts about the best way to implement Google licensing. Remember, there’s always more than one way to catch a pirate!

http://forums.coronalabs.com/topic/41900-using-google-licensing-to-protect-your-corona-sdk-app-in-3-steps/

2. A Group, is a Container, is a Snapshot, by any Other Name…

Graphics 2.0 has made a lot of things easier, including working with filters, location points, and increased color profiles. However, an ongoing challenge is the new implementation of anchor points and how they relate to screen locations.

One conversation that’s taking place in the forums is how best to identify the location and origin points of objects that we add to scenes, whether it be for a game, e-book, or business app. Because we have various ways to accomplish the same end goal, it can get confusing quickly. Thankfully, some of our most experienced Corona developers have engaged in a thoughtful discussion on the topic and we can all benefit from their knowledge. So, head over to the original post and use the information within to make your apps more intelligent.

http://forums.coronalabs.com/topic/41597-basic-ui-layout-group-container-or-snapshot/

3. Don’t Drag and Drop in Frustration!

There are quite a few subtleties to the “drag and drop” functionality that many new developers want to use in their apps. Add in the Lua learning curve and you may find yourself in a precarious situation. Fortunately, a lot of the smoke is cleared in a forum thread started by user Darnelle, so skip on over and learn how to use the “drag and drop” functionality to its maximum effect!

http://forums.coronalabs.com/topic/33234-i-want-to-drag-and-drop-objects-i-placed-on-screen/

About Alex

Alex Jackson is an indie developer and the founder of Panc Software, specializing in retro-style gaming. He has created several mobile applications, enjoys long walks on the beach, pixel art, and reading the Corona forums. Contact him by email or follow him on Twitter: @pancsoftware. Check out his new game Crosstown Smash on iOS, Android, and Amazon devices!