Discussion Forums  >  Grunts, Groans, Complaints

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Jarcher
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03/10/12 07:39 PM (13 years ago)

Why are version above 1.4 so hard to use?

BuzzTouch 1.4 was so easy to use and whatever you did you could see reflected in the onscreen iPhone Simulator but all the newer versions instead of making the process even easier have made it so much harder. It's so hard to visualize how the App will look until it's downloaded, and right now my downloads for version 2 aren't working at all. I can see there are tons more features in the newer versions but ease of use has gone down hill a long way. Seems to me removing ability to create 1.4 Apps will lose a lot of people that can't figure out how 1.5 and 2.0 work.
 
Skyr0s
Code is Art
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03/10/12 07:45 PM (13 years ago)
Hi, I have had the same experience as you in the past. Please note that the versions 1.5 and 2.0 are relatively new, and therefore can be erroneous. However, version 1.5, when used properly, is EXTREMELY powerful and almost more user-friendly, in a sense that you can almost do anything ! Check out David's videos on version 1.5 (maybe drop v.2.0 for the moment) and have fun creating powerful apps. Please note that the performance of the two latter versions do not reflect their true depth. I recommend you hang on to v.1.5 and learn how to use it fully, it might just come in very handy ! Hope I wasn't too confusing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gUEYA8yY_A
 
Zackamo
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03/10/12 07:46 PM (13 years ago)
Lots of people are using 1.5 and 2.0 as we speak. The idea of simulating every change via the web I assume became impossible as features went up, especially bring support to android. Its just not possible to simulate most of the stuff offered via the web. What I would recommend is getting the base going for you app, build it in xcode or eclipse, and launch in respective simulator. From there you can build the app and constantly reopen the app causing it to refresh. There are several tutorials and videos to walk you through the process. If you are still stuck, wait a little while longer. Buzztouch University supposedly is just around the corner. Its whole purpose to educate you on to get your app up and running.
 
GoNorthWest
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03/10/12 07:58 PM (13 years ago)
Hi @Jarcher, I'm a bit confused. Both v1.4 and v1.5, and even v2.0, are the same with respect to making updates and having them show up in the simulator. If you leave the Report to Cloud and Configuration URLs at their default, then any change you make to your app in the control panel will be immediately reflected in the simulator if you hit the refresh button in the upper right hand side of the app. That's actually a fundamental feature of buzztouch in general...that changes made are automatically pushed out (assuming you don't take the app offline). So, assuming nothing has changed out of the ordinary, perhaps there is a problem with your Xcode that we need to figure out? If you can provide us some more details, we might be able to help. Also...watch your debug panel in Xcode after you make a change to your app and hit the refresh button. It should indicate there is new content. Mark
 
Skyr0s
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03/10/12 08:05 PM (13 years ago)
@Mark All you say is very true, all these versions are the same in that respect. However, there have been problems lately with the refresh not showing up, or showing miscellaneous errors that will progressively be fixed as Buzztouch 1.5 and 2.0 become more stable. P.S.: the refresh button is top left of the main menu, not top right :p
 
GoNorthWest
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03/10/12 08:09 PM (13 years ago)
Hi @Skyr0s, Doh! I stand corrected about the refresh button position...thanks for pointing it out. This is my own opinion, but I don't believe that the issues lately with v1.5 and v2.0 have anything to do with the product itself, but rather the recent move to a new database and web server. They had to migrate all that information over, incorporate it and link it to a new website, and figure out cool new ways to package the code. That's all being worked on at the moment, and I think we'll see it stabilize soon. One way around this, I think, would be to hit the Show Configuration Info (doing from memory) for the app from within the control panel, copy and paste to local config file, and refresh. That would cure any buzztouch server weirdness people are seeing. Mark
 
Jarcher
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03/10/12 08:54 PM (13 years ago)
I haven't been able to load the source code from version 2 at all. So can't test in a simulator I always get this error http://i42.tinypic.com/2zfq4ba.jpg
 
GoNorthWest
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03/10/12 09:01 PM (13 years ago)
Yep, they are aware of this issue and are investigating. Hopefully it'll get fixed soon! Mark
 
Jarcher
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03/11/12 08:45 AM (13 years ago)
Just checked today and the download problem I described is still there,so guess they're still working on it. One big help would also have been if there was a way to save your work as you go and keep different version of your App created online (or something you could import / export). Whenever I work on any kind of work on a computer such as a Word Document or a Drawing, or creating a website I always save as I go and save different versions, so if I do anything that screws up the work, I can always go back to a previous version. With BuzzTouch there doesn't seem to be any kind of way to either save your work as you go or to create a Template for a project where you can set everything up nicely and then when you want to create a 2nd project that is similar use that as a Template. I know you can keep downloading the source file as you go (when the download option actually works) but you can't then import this back into the system. It would be nice to have something like a BuzzTouch File which would allow you to save the current state of your work for exporting or importing back into the system. At least this way those of us that have been struggling with versions 1.5 and 2.0 can keep working hard at it and as we progress in our learning have versions of our Apps we can keep returning back to rather then having to start each project from Scratch. Starting from scratch is the difference between the old Typewriters compared to Word Processors. It's much quicker to type out your first page on a Typewriter then it is to learn a Word Processor, BUT when that task needs repeating (and say you need 10 copies or 9 other but with only a name change) then that's where the word processor shows how useful it is. BuzzTouch is like a Typewriter,every new project means starting from scratch.
 
Bigfishtools
I hate code!
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03/11/12 08:49 PM (13 years ago)
I personally believe nothing is finished. 1.4 was good 1.5 was half finished 2.0 is half finished and now a new website will it be half finished? I myself would like to see one page that says what work in each version, that alone would save me hours. Finish one then move to another..................
 
David @ buzztouch
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03/13/12 01:08 AM (13 years ago)
@Jarcher: Save work. Totally agree. If you'll notice, the v2.0 panel has a file upload manager. This can be used for tons of things. Saving your apps config data here, then re-importing it (when that feature is enabled) can be tremendously useful. Regarding the "simplicity" and "web simulator" - your're right. v1.4 provided lots of cool-factor for folks that have never done this before. However, after three years and more than 100,000 apps possibly the single most important thing we've learned is this - SIMPLE is not always BEST. You can't imagine how many JUNK apps (because they were so easy to make) end up in Apple's QUE only to be rejected. Helping a hundred thousands folks create a low quality app is not appealing to us. We are willing to help the folks that don't actually have an interest in digging in and getting their hands dirty find another solution. Really, BT is not for everyone. Of coure we could do better to make it easier, and of course we're always moving in this direction but it's not as simple as making an HTML "simulator" then moving on. Far more complex than that. @Bigfishtools: Note: In computer land, nothing is ever done. iOS is never done, Android is never done, on an on. Of course some folks are better at helping you believe their products are done better than others and it makes sense that the you would FEEL as if something were done before "moving on" as you say. The fact is, if we "finished" everything we started and dreamed about we would be left YEARS behind. Yes, years. Mobile and internet move at such an incredible pace that it's not possible for us work for months and months on a feature with so many other pressing issues happening. I'm not whining, just being transparent. In fact, our transparency, and my remarks over the months are probably better kept to myself (no undone promises that way). However, I'm one that enjoys sharing my thoughts, and my unfinished code if I think somebody can use it. Lots do. I myself write tens of thousands of lines of code a week that you guys never see - really. I dream about making plugins and screens and features all day and we're doing what we can to find the budget to do this. It may come, it may not. We've been giving away code and helping loads of folks get their head around this for nearly 3 years. During the entire 3 years, the same wish from the audience has remained: Bigger, Better, Faster, Error Free. We wish for that too. Moving towards an upgrade model that may or may not increase our revenue should help us move forward faster. But, it may not. In fact, plan on things remaining mostly the same. We explore fun things, share them with you, hope you can make use of them. If you cannot, OK, we get it. Super stoked to see slightly critical remarks because they are EXACTLY what we need to hear and they are very motivating. Dig the fish... d.
 

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