iakttakelser (observations)

Creating enterprise apps for iPhone and iPad isn't trivial. In @iFacturas we used 21 months to get out the current version. Now I'm diving into enterprise programming myself, in order to find a better way to do it.  If you know me, you also know I'm loving accounting, specially accounting program design. In many years, there has been two important parts of accounting programs, entering data and reports. Entering data has to do with database and database view programming. Reports with the same database and presenting reports, normally on PDF. I've just finished a roundtrip on database and PDF programming, and have documented the process and the source here in 6 blogposts: I may have found the golden egg in #iOS database programming! It's @sensiblecocoa I've earlier told you about that programming iPhone isn't that hard. That was only partly true however. For database programming in iPhon... Update: Hands-on with @sensibleCocoa #...

I've combined the  iPhone 4 Development Essesials for XCode  Chapters 32 and 33, with    Apple's print tutorial for iOS .   Most of it is wrapped into the following savePdfFile method: - ( IBAction )savePDFFile:( id )sender {     NSString * path = [[ NSBundle mainBundle ] pathForResource : @"sampleData" ofType : @"plist" ];          // get a temprorary filename for this PDF     path = NSTemporaryDirectory ();     self . pdfFilePath = [path stringByAppendingPathComponent :                         [ NSString stringWithFormat : @"%d.pdf" ,                           [[ NSDate date ]                            timeIntervalSince1970 ] ]];          // Prepare the text using a Core Text Framesetter     CFAttributedStringRef currentText = CFAttributedStringCreate ( NULL ,                                                                   ( CFStringRef ) textView . text , NULL );     if (currentText) {         CTFramesetterRef fram...

When preparing for the following, and hopefully last, post, I decided to try to store the project in github.com to let you easily share it. That drove my tutorial to an halt. Without really knowing anything, I did a git init and git commit command, and suddenly all my source-files disappeared! I ceratinly had done something wrong, and had to try to learn Git in order to finish my small tutorial. At least I had to use Time Machine to restore the files, and recreate the project using Apple's built-in Git support. During the work I had a lot of help from the website to the book " Pro Git " by Scott Chaconn. He almost succeded in make me understand it. Way better than the "Git for dummies" wikis, which are made for much more advanced pupils than myself. I had to redo my project, marking it for the use of Git. Then I followed the steps in on github help . So now you can get the the PDF-tutorial files at https://github.com/mortjac/PDF-tutorial . In order to get...

In the last post I described how to "draw" on iOS, which served me well in getting me started on iOS PDF programming. Now I will combine  Apple's print tutorial for iOS  and what I've learned about drawing: As with "drawing", writing PDF isn't that complicated if you sit down and decipher it. And    Apple's print tutorial for iOS  does a good job explaining it. But sadly, the tutorial has a bug in this call. The tutorial wrongly writes: currentRange = [self renderPageWithTextRange:currentRange andFramesetter:framesetter]; instead of the correct: currentRange = [self renderPage:currentPage withTextRange:currentRange andFramesetter:framesetter]; So I got this part running pretty well with the following code: - ( IBAction )savePDFFile:( id )sender

I like to create a PDF file in my iPhone app. I then did spent to much time looking at various PDF framework. I didn't want to reinvent anything, but the frameworks I looked at just made things more complicated. So today I started to do it the Apple way, that's using Quartz 2D framework in iOS SDK. Happily I already have  iPhone 4 Development Essesials for XCode 4  in my Kindle, so I started on Chapters 32 and 33, which gives an introduction and lesson in Quarts 2D programming. I started with drawing lines, rectangles and ended up with ellipses. And the code drawing the image wasn't difficult at all: - ( void )drawRect:( CGRect )rect {     // Setting context     CGContextRef context = UIGraphicsGetCurrentContext ();      // Setting line width      CGContextSetLineWidth (context, 2.0 );      // Setting color      CGContextSetStrokeColorWithColor (context, [ UIColor blueColor ]. CGColor );      // Create a rectangle      CGRect rectangle = CGRectMake ( 60 , 170 , ...

I've got the "Sensible Tableview" installed. I've passed the videos one more time, and now I'm hands-on. Yesterday I tried a small project with some accounting database stuff. But ran into endless problems. So I decided to follow the Core Data video instead, trying to undersand the sensible way . The video however is showing a XCode 3 project, so there are some small differences. And as "the devil is in the details" it is also present here, and I tumbled. But finally I got it right.  XCode4 has a navigation project template with an example database application that runs out of the box. There isn't any editing posibility however. But by adding a bit of @sensibleCocoa magic, you suddenly get it! Update: Somehow I discovered that the project didn't save. From the @sensibleCocoa forum I got immediately an answer that solved the problem. I just had to add the following line to the  applicationDidEnterBackground method in the navTestAppDelegate...

I've earlier told you about that programming iPhone isn't that hard. That was only partly true however. For database programming in iPhone is extremly complex. I've spent weeks trying to build a xcode template letting me have it my way, just to stumble, fall, hurt me, sweat and cry. Instead I got a flu, and had to remember my main objective, which was to make accounting programming in iOS, and to see if a template or framework was the right solution. So curing my flu, I starte feverishly (no pun intenteded;) to look for templates and frameworks or people doing these things that could help me.  I added new tabs for ORM, Objective-C, SQLite on Flipboard and Zite, and after endless flips I finally found something: @giminete in Zaragoza seemed the most interesting. But then on Thursday I discovered the " Sensible Cocoa " tableview framework. They promise to build a database app on 5 minutes!  Oh what a joy. I've been through the videos, a bit into the forums...

From Windows to iPad – is it possible to do the jump? by mortjac April 29, 2011 How can you switch from a tool so ripe and extensive as the Windows platform something so barebone as iPad? Well, in order to do it, I first had to accept some principles:    I will renounce on functionality    I will not try to do everything on iPad    I will try to do things I didn’t do before, for instance music, video, podcast. The last point is very important. I need some positive feedback to keep myself motivated. And motivation is the clue, because it hurts to make the chance. It’s painful not to do it the way I did before, very painful!It became very clear what I couldn’t do on iPad:   SQL Database Manager to manage our GL21 in Microsoft Azure    MS Excel, which I use in budgeting and statistics. The pivot table function that I depend on, I haven’t found in any iPad app yet. Tell me if you know any! So I keep my Windows and Mac laptops. And ...

I will have to let my guard down, finally... A post from .com by has the whole story . Here is a part: Popout Here’s some great news for iPad gamers, from the folks at Firemint, makers of  Real Racing 2 HD for iPad : Support for full screen 1080p output on iPad 2 will be included in the next major update for Real Racing 2 HD. At this resolution, the game looks utterly fantastic and runs at a silky smooth 30 frames per second. The dream of relaxing on your couch, iPad 2 as your steering wheel in hand and playing Real Racing 2 HD on your big screen is almost here!

Agree. No comments. A post from gizmodo.com by has the whole story . Here is a part:   Jesus Diaz  —  There's not much else to say about this chart. According to Gartner,  the world spent $9.6 billion in tablets . According to Apple's official numbers, the iPad got $9.566 billion.

If you ever has played with children you know that inviting their stuffed animals and imaging a small party is big fun. I've just downloaded the game on the iPad and I'm going to invite Aitana and Joan to drink tea with me and their animals ;) A post from Just Another iPad Blog by patrickj has the whole story . Here is a part: Here’s a little more about Toca Tea Party, via its App Store page: FEATURES - Nine types of cakes and cookies to choose from! - New colors for the tableware every time! - Fun sounds when your guests eat! - Clean up after cheeky guests that spill! - Finish by putting everything in the dishes! - Beautiful hand-drawn graphics! - Kid-friendly interface! - NO ADVERTISING - NO IN-APP PURCHASES

Microsoft doesn't make tablets because they only see a place for the smartphone and the TV and will interact with Kinect. The prefer the future "Room" instead of the windowless tablet. I'm not sure I've got it though... A post from VentureBeat by Devindra Hardawar has the whole story . Here is a part: Microsoft chief research and strategy officer Craig Mundie isn’t afraid to go against the grain when it comes to tablets. Speaking at a lunch in Sydney, Australia, Mundie said that he was unsure if tablets like the iPad would stick around, the  Sydney Morning Herald reports . He went on to discuss how he viewed the future of computer interfaces, which included entire rooms replacing the traditional desktop. Mundie seems to have more faith in smartphones than tablets. He said that smartphones will eventually “become your most personal computer” (this is already true for me, and most others who are never more than 6 feet from their phones). He also made a dis...

Først VG og så Aftenposten. Endelig. Her er det mye bra og litt jeg savner. Det fine først: Avisen har en hoved-forside og separate forsider for nyheter, verden, økonomi, kultur, meninger og sport. I tillegg finns en avdeling for bilder kalt galleri, og video. Disse under-forsidene gjør det veldig lett å scanne nyhetene. Mye lettere enn på VG. Bra. Annonsene synes jeg også fungerer bedre enn i VG. De bruker ikke så lang tid til å laste, og er ikke så spesielle. Det som mangler er muligheten til å dele til sosiale nettverk og blog. En detalj bare, tenker kanskje du, men for meg er det ikke aktuelt å engang bla i avisa før jeg kan dele fra den. Faktisk er kvaliteten av delingen viktigere for meg enn hvilken avis jeg leser. Dette på tross at jeg er vokst opp med Aftenposten. Til deres forsvar brukte VG+ laang tid på å implementere deling. Ta dere en tur fra Jernbanetorget til Akersgata, så viser de dere sikkert trikset ;) Gratulerer Aftenposten! PS. Har dere en Facebook og Twit...

It have to be hard to being obsoleted by something you even didn't know existed a year a go... A post from The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) by Steven Sande has the whole story . Here is a part: ... Lark started by stating that "Apple is great if you've got a lot of money and live on an island. It's not so great if you have to exist in a diverse, open, connected enterprise; simple things become quite complex." Ahem. That deserves a spot on our No Comment wall of confusion. Next, Lark stated that enterprises were not going to be jumping on iPad deployments, since "an iPad with a keyboard, a mouse and a case [means] you'll be at $1500 or $1600; that's double of what you're paying." Joshua Schnell at Macgasm pointed out that a 16 GB Wi-Fi iPad 2, Apple Wireless Keyboard, iPad Dock, and iPad 2 Smart Cover price out at US$666 before taxes. Where the extra $900 - $1000 comes into play is a mystery, unless Dell is selling thousand-dollar mice....

The post discuss Flipboard and Newsy, two news apps I've been using for quite a time. Of the two, Flipboard, is the one I use most. I use it mainly to find posts in Twitter and Facebook that I've missed. A post from ReadWriteWeb by Richard MacManus has the whole story . Here is a part: What Makes Flipboard Better Than Other News Apps? One of the first apps to take advantage of the iPad's unique functionality was  Flipboard . A self-styled "social magazine," Flipboard allows users to browse news and other content using a sophisticated but easy-to-use user interface. In fact earlier this month, Flipboard upgraded its UI to an even slicker, faster version. When I think about what makes Flipboard a better user experience than the news apps of traditional media like The New York Times and Washington Post, there are two things that stand out. The first is that it's simply a pleasing experience to flip through stories using Flipboard's hand-swiping page t...

As we will not hear anything from Apple until their financial report in mid April, there is a lot of estimating going on. Here is a list of them. A post from http://tech.fortune.cnn.com by Philip Elmer-DeWitt has the whole story . Here is a part: Dediu's number -- 7.3 million -- is, as usual, on the high end. But his estimates also tend to be pretty close to the mark. Below: The numbers we've gathered so far. Unit sales are in millions. Analyst, affiliation iPad sales Date of est. Hendi Susanto, Gabelli & Co. 8.80 3/25/11 Nicolae Mihalache, Traderhood 7.75 3/27/11 Horace Dediu, Asymco 7.30 3/27/11 Daniel Tello, Deagol's AAPL Model 7.11 3/21/11 Robert Cihra, Caris 7.00 3/25/11 Vijay Rakesh, Sterne Agee 7.00 1/19/11 Matthew Hoffman, Cowen & Co. 6.96 1/19/11 Dennis Hildebrand, Apple's Gold 6.95 3/26/11 Jeff Fosberg, Apple Finance Board 6.90 3/27/11 Patrick Smellie, Apple Finance Board 6.80 3/25/11 William Fearnley, Janney Capital 6.80 1/19/11 Will...

As we will not hear anything from Apple until their financial report in mid April, there is a lot of estimating going on. Here is a list of them. A post from http://tech.fortune.cnn.com by Philip Elmer-DeWitt has the whole story . Here is a part: Dediu's number -- 7.3 million -- is, as usual, on the high end. But his estimates also tend to be pretty close to the mark. Below: The numbers we've gathered so far. Unit sales are in millions. Analyst, affiliation iPad sales Date of est. Hendi Susanto, Gabelli & Co. 8.80 3/25/11 Nicolae Mihalache, Traderhood 7.75 3/27/11 Horace Dediu, Asymco 7.30 3/27/11 Daniel Tello, Deagol's AAPL Model 7.11 3/21/11 Robert Cihra, Caris 7.00 3/25/11 Vijay Rakesh, Sterne Agee 7.00 1/19/11 Matthew Hoffman, Cowen & Co. 6.96 1/19/11 Dennis Hildebrand, Apple's Gold 6.95 3/26/11 Jeff Fosberg, Apple Finance Board 6.90 3/27/11 Patrick Smellie, Apple Finance Board 6.80 3/25/11 William Fearnley, Janney Capital 6.80 1/19/11 Will...

A huge part of the Apple news in the blogoshere is rumors. Rumors about new not released products or services and possible events. I normally not pass this information on. But MG Siegler is so well informed, that I will let his well written write-up on what to expect from Apple this fall pass to you. A post from TechCrunch by MG Siegler has the whole story . Here is a part:   This past weekend,  we broke the news that iOS 5 , the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system, was likely being released in the fall. This would break the tradition of a summer release. And we also noted that instead of a separate event in the early spring, Apple was likely to use their WWDC event in June to talk about the new OS for the first time. Sure enough, today  came word from Apple  that seems to verify both things. Apple will host WWDC in San Francisco on June 6 through June 10, they formally  announced  today. The focus of the event? “ At this year’s con...

Almost every day I open Newsy. I like their reports from different medias. I now looking forward to beam their videos to my TV screen. They've also get a series B funding, and astoundishing little. They have to be very effective as a news broadcaster. $1.5M is just peanuts even for a Norwegian broadcaster. A post from TechCrunch by Rip Empson has the whole story . Here is a part: Newsy , a multisource video news service that analyzes the world’s news coverage, announced today that it has closed a $1.5 million series B round led by a St. Louis-based private equity firm. The second round adds to the $2.75 million in funding Newsy has already raised, bringing total investment to $4.25 million. The funding will be used to grow the company’s editorial, marketing and sales teams. As its name would suggest, Newsy is a news-destination service that monitors, analyzes, curates and presents the world’s news coverage. Through bite-sized 2 to 3 minute video segments, Newsy offers busy...

In 24 hours the stocks of iPad2 in 25 countries where sold. It's definetly another global hit! A post from VentureBeat by Dean Takahashi has the whole story . Here is a part:   Apple  apparently ran out of its iPad 2 supplies by Saturday afternoon in most of the 25 countries where it launched the new tablet computer on Friday. If it’s true, then Apple is well on its way to having another worldwide hit with the iPad 2. The company is in a race to hang on to its No. 1 position in tablets and beat rivals using Android, WebOS, RIM’s QNX and other mobile operating systems.