If you're interested, you can see the buzztouch U learning paths in your control panel's. YOU CANNOT take lessons or quizzes yet. This is intentional. Feel free to comment in the forum abou the lesson topics, order, level of importance, etc. When lessons and quizzes become available we plan to require new users to complete the buzztouch Essentials learning path before creating new apps or posting in the forum. This should not be more than about a :30 minute commitment but we think it's important enough to enforce. Thoughts on this plan are welcome and appreciated.

Yes! Finally. I shuffled through the topics, and feel excited already! Is there anyway to write tutorials myself, that I would submit to the BuzzTouch U Manager ? @David: I sent an email with some of the errors to the Contact Email, please tell me if it was received. Can't wait to see the tutorials coming up! Good job everybody Anthony

We don't have a way to upload customized lessons to the BTU screen in your control panel but do plan to have a User Contributed learning path. If anyone is interested in creating custom lessons, that we could then add to the User Contributed learning path, you'll be creating a folder with some questions, some images, and a video URL. Each lesson consists of: a) A video. About :10 minutes in 1080p is best. Videos is made available on YouTube. The lessons package does not contain the video itself, only the URL to the video on YouTube. b) A quiz. Quizzes are simple multiple choice. Typically around 10 questions each. The question can be a text only question, like "What is a UIViewController's purpose" or a text question with a supporting image, like an image with "What is the red circle indicating in this image." The "lesson package" is a folder with a text file describing the video URL, the lesson questions, images, etc. It will become easier to imagine this when you see how the lessons are delivered. Watch a video, take a quiz, simple concept.

Cool, David? Will there be a time limit on the quiz questions? // J.

David, perhaps you're aware of my thoughts regarding the emulator since myself and GoNorthWest have discuss this on the Forum before. My basic position is that it usually leads to problems and user frustration unnessarially. My advice is, ''Just Don't use It!''. Unless you don't have an Android Device it's just not worth using. I have what I call the Android Process that totally skips the emulator and almost everyone feedback confirms my position. Same with logcat. Most users get caught up in trying to figure thing out with it and the vast majority of the time the problem is in the basic setup. Trying to use the logcat leads users to over look basics which are vastly more important. I'm not sure I've seen more than a couple of instances where the logcat helped much. Most of the times they were posted the problem was easily inentified and resolved without use of the logcat. A few times the logcat did confirm what was already known or provided info that should have been posted anyway (BT version, iOS vs Android). I've found that asking basic questions such as: Is this your first app? Has a app been previously created on the server before? And similar type questions has more relevant and informative info than the logcat. So, my conclusion is that perhaps those two would be better suited for later (advance) learning and more relevant and immediate topics should be covered. Android Learning Path 1. Understanding Eclipse 2. Android Operating System Basics 3. Running Apps in the Android Emulator (move this to future learning) Substitute #3 Modifications to Manifest 4. Debugging with the LogCat Console (move this to future learning) Substitute #4 Why you don't need or want to re-download the Source Code 5. Number 5 is missing. Substitue #5 Online vs. Offline and your config data and BT_config.text file. 6. Installing Apps on Devices 7. Preparing Apps for Distribution 8. Distributing Android Apps For iOS I would also cover the changes mentioned above as appropriate. Just a thought or two for your consideration. Fred

Top secret. LOL. We don't plan a time limit. Watch a video, take a quiz. Re-take it if you want. Low stress ;-) Finish all the lessons in a given path and pass the included quiz with each lesson, earn a star for that path. When a new lesson is introduced in any particular path, you'll "lose" the star for that path until you re-visit buzztouch U and take the new lesson. This means you'll need to stay "up to date" in order to keep your stars. It also means that it will become more difficult over time to earn the star. Example: iOS Learning path has 8 lessons. You take all 8 and earn the star. Over time we add 5 more lessons, you take each one as we add it and keep your iOS star. However, new users will now need to take 13 lessons to earn the star, you only had to take 8 initially. Not trying to punish new users but for sure we don't want to undermine the meaning of the star to begin with. If you have it, you earned it.

@Fred: Love it, makes perfect sense. The emulator / simulator is sticky around here because we don't want to get too far away from the way it "supposed to be done." In other words, Google and Apple teach and preach their simulators / emulators. We dont' like them either but they are kinda part of it. Cutting the out may be tough to do? Dunno, I rarely use them on Android but use them constantly on iOS. We'll see. LOVE the re-arranged lesson titles.

I think the current curriculum looks good. I would suggest one more section with common topics/items like audio, photos, RSS feeds, etc. There is a definite list of topics that show up in the forums constantly. I think if it was based off hot topics in the forums it could reduce the repeated postings of "how do I blank?" every week. My 2 cents anyway. Actually I think it looks great and I can't wait to delve in myself.

@teqbean: Yeah makes sense. The plugins have a way for the author to point to a video tutorial. Our concern about putting them in with BTU is that there will be so many different types of plugins (you'll see, this is gonna get crazy) that it will become tough to organize lessons around them. Same idea with forum categories - right? Each screen type for sure has tons of the same questions asked but having a listed forum for each screen type seems tough when there are 400 screens? Dunno, time will help us discover this. At minimum we need to start making the videos for the plugins I made. We'll see what happens when others start making.

Sounds great, I'll try to keep a tutorial in mind with the plugin I'm building.

Looks cool! I'm excited! :)

There is not one lesson on the curriculum I don't need! Love the contents of other as I feel making app is 50 % of the job Suggestions for added courses would be Marketing an app Basic knowledge of Java/javascript (+ knowing difference between them) PS are GoNothwest and Fred going to be prefects

@Marko: I would like to answer the question about Java / JavaScript differences. Appart from the name, they have Nothing in common. - JavaScript is a "Prototype-Based Scripting Language": basically, its a scripting language that automates the execution of tasks (A pop-up Error Message for Example). - Java is a programming language, derived from C and C++ language (but easier). - JavaScript is used to enhance user interface and render dynamic websites. JavaScript, like CSS, does not work "alone". It must complement another language / program. - Java is a language intended to create software. It uses compilers. Java is self-sustainable: it can create a final product without requiring other laguages (Ex: MineCraft) - Java has a C / C++ Syntax that ressembles this: class HelloWorldApp { public static void main(String[] args) { System.out.printIn("Hello World"); } } - JavaScript depends usually on HTML, to display Hello World: <html> <body> <script type="text/javascript"> window.alert("Hello World") </script> - Java can be offline - JavaScript is MOSTLY online - Java is static - JavaScript is Dunamic - Java is class-based - JavaScript is Prototype-based I hope this has helped you. Note that I have written this on the go, so there might be errors Anthony

Anthony - to be schooled in a area of absence is a gift, to be taught in a succinct and eloquent manner is to be inspired. Great post and has helped enormously.

This is going to be one fun school! BR/Stefan

2 questions: a) For the Preparing Apps for Distribution, will that include provisioning profiles and code signing because I think that was one of the most confusing things for me at first. b) I know many people have been asking, but is Buzztouch U coming out in the next few weeks?

How about a hand-off/handover lesson. I mean along the lines of what we developers have as options when a client for which we built an app wants to take it over. Guidelines to help figure out what are all the pieces to give them to allow them to continue and own the app from a certain point forward without having to give them direct access to our own login. a) when buzz touch is host b) when self-hosting can be two variations of this and of course any IOS vs Android specifics.

Even i caught the gist of what skyros was saying then haha i think this will be an excellent way of helping people accomplish there goals on BT Ive found a wealth of knowledge jsut trawling the forums In Regards to freds post about the emulator just got to youtube i did and had it done in 10 mins so not hard providing people are willing to help themselves and not just beg for help at the first hurdle Keep up the awesome work guys

I'm just excited to get to go through these lessons and learn! Such a great idea!

@Trendz85, getting people to read instructions first is the Holy Grail of not just Buzztouch, but the World. Many have tried, many more will fail. I'm sure it took me a while to notice the Read Me! file in the Source Code, or to appreciate the 'I undetstand copyright law' button we all have to click to use Buzztouch. So, yes the VD isn't difficult to use, but it's a major source of the help me requests. Fred Besides, how hard can it be, even I learned to use it.

Struggle with where to post this, but kept coming back here, so: MARCH 15, 2012 Why new programming languages succeed --or fail Some languages become industry favorites, while others drift into obscurity. What sets the successes apart? By Neil McAllister | InfoWorld http://m.infoworld.com/d/application-development/why-new-programing-languages-succeed-or-fail-188648 I think it's very informative in a 'Big Picture' kind of way. Fred

Great post Fred Will help me code my app to all those 11 million I had underestimated :)

Does anyone know when the Buzztouch U will actually become live? I've been waiting patiently, as I'm very excited to get some good education in a structured fashion.

I believe David told us it would be in the next week or so. Can't wait

Any new word on Buzztouch U? Wouldn't it be great to get some news on this?