04 September 2015
From the Forum — Issue #88
Welcome to the latest 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. Quick and dirty on data access
Getting the most out of Corona is at the forefront of the minds of all of us. Squeezing every last joule of efficiency takes up the vast majority of my waking hours, and I suspect that I’m not alone in this. I’ve seen several discussions going on with regards to testing practices, and how best to access data that a user’s device contains.
It’s a tricky subject that can quickly slip into the realm of “privacy”, but when you’re building a proprietary app that allows a user to knowledgeably share data amongst a pre-determined network, it is less likely that difficult questions will abound. The below thread was started to get some assistance on gaining access to some survey data generated by the app users, and what followed were some legitimate options and workarounds for how to access the data quickly and easily. Check out the original post to learn more!
https://forums.coronalabs.com/topic/58600-extract-database-from-documentsdirectory-to-computer
2. Tracking physics around the room
I admit, I like to use my own physics implementations from time to time. Box2d in Corona is dead simple and useful for a lot of different applications, but sometimes, you just want to fine-tune the interactions for which you are listening.
To this end, I often create “simple” display objects that will handle the heavy-lifting from a physics standpoint, and “pin” that object to the actual graphic asset that is seen on the screen. The Corona developer below has the same idea, and is looking for some tips on what would be the best way to accomplish the described behavior.
The inimitable RoamingGamer decided to weigh in, and he was able to show some useful techniques to keep scoping at a minimum. Head on down to the original post to learn more!
https://forums.coronalabs.com/topic/58963-pinning-objects-to-physics-objects
3. Scaling up and down with physics
Changes between simulator and device can trip up even the most experienced developer. Getting something to look absolutely perfect on your desktop, and then deploying to the device and not seeing the same results is the most epic of melancholies.
A couple of APIs that don’t respect the device/simulator mirror are the display.save() and display.capture() calls. Using these APIs can save a load of time, but can cause some serious problems if you aren’t aware of the Gotchas present with each. Check out the original thread below to learn more about these issues and how you can side-step them.
About Alex
Alex Jackson is an indie developer and the founder of Panc Interactive, 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: @pancinteractive. Check out his new game Segreta on iOS, Android, Windows Phone and Amazon devices.
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