Any Tips on websites and apps creation ?

Discussion in 'Tech Discussion' started by Ilisle, Jan 18, 2018.

  1. Ilisle

    Ilisle Lord of the Northern Guards

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    Hello everyone.
    I've been thinking of making an application but don't know how to start.
    Some sort of application like discord.
    So if you have any tips you can tell me/which program to use/how to get started/what to watch out for/etc...

    I would be very thankful for your help.
     
  2. 222222

    222222 12121212121212121212121212121212121212121212121212

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    You can start by copying someone's source code from github and compiling an app. (Just so you know how it works.)

    1st step is to always learn from previous masters of the trade.

    2nd step is to continue on..
     
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  3. palaraya

    palaraya Well-Known Member

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    Make it simple, full feature and free.
     
  4. Jeebus

    Jeebus Well-Known Member

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    An app like Discord would be a difficult first project. That would require using audio codecs and creating both a client and server application. A client-to-client text messaging app would be a much more reasonable first project.

    In any case, before you make anything, you'd need to learn how to code. There are a number of resources for this. Code.org and freecodecamp.org are decent starting points.
     
  5. Ilisle

    Ilisle Lord of the Northern Guards

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    Thanks, I will try that.
     
  6. Ilisle

    Ilisle Lord of the Northern Guards

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    You are right.
    I will start learning how to code. But do you have any thoughts of what language i should start with to end up with coding an application ?
     
  7. Needhydra

    Needhydra Everything is on Fire

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  8. Agecaf

    Agecaf Grand Archmathemagician

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    Depends on how much you already know. If you don't know how to code, it might be a good place to start. As for doing apps, it's clearly not the only way to do it, but recently there's Electron for building them, based on JavaScript. Check https://electronjs.org/ , and https://electronjs.org/apps for examples of apps made with it. It's based on web technologies, so you'd need to know html+css+javascript, to set up a basic app. If your app does complicated things (anything "multiplayer") you'd need more guides for that.
     
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  9. Jeebus

    Jeebus Well-Known Member

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    It depends on what you're coding and for whom. My recommendation for a first language is Python. It's popular right now, and it's made to be easy to learn and use. It might not be what you actually make your Discord app with, but it's a good starting language.
     
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  10. Ilisle

    Ilisle Lord of the Northern Guards

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    Thanks for the link,
    What do you think I learn for making an application which is similiar to Instagram or facebook? (on a smaller scale)
     
  11. TamaSaga

    TamaSaga Well-Known Member

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    When it comes to these things, you want to start small. Make a simple goal, like a simple chat application between you and someone else.

    Then think about how you would want to expand it later when it comes to picking the technology that you plan to use.

    Once you have a simple goal, and you've picked your technology, the next step is to actually DO IT.

    After you finally get that working, your next step is to start adding features. Maybe the ability to communicate with other people. Maybe the ability to add emoticons to the text. Build it up in parts and eventually you'll create a monster...

    This is then the part where you probably start over. You've learned a lot creating the first iteration, but with your next iteration you'll want something much more elegant and yet easier to maintain. So you'll take advantage of lessons learned to do it.
     
  12. Jeebus

    Jeebus Well-Known Member

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    For a first program, smaller is better. Don't get in over your head. Instagram and Facebook messenger are both way more complicated than they seem. My recommendation is to start with something that doesn't require a server in the mix. Even better if it doesn't need to use the internet at all. Learning to code is difficult enough without needing to consider netcode, the OSI stack, and all the headaches that come with debugging networking errors.
     
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  13. Agecaf

    Agecaf Grand Archmathemagician

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    By that do you mean a web app, a desktop app, or a mobile app? For mobile I have absolutely no experience. For desktop, there's various ways; electron basically makes a desktop app from a web one. To make a web app, you'll need good knowledge of html, css, javascript, and maybe more depending on how complicated it is. I'd recommend you to start with the links given by @Needhydra. Another good guide for JS is https://javascript.info/ .

    Most web apps can be decomposed into "front-end" and "back-end". The Front-end is what people see; You use html as its bones, Css as its skin (make it look pretty!) and Javascript as its muscles (make it do things!). Some web-apps can get away with being only front-end, even though they can still be rather complex. As soon as you have users, inter-user communication, user generated content, etc., you'll start to need some back-end; servers, databases, etc. I have almost no experience with back-end, which you might end up needing for your project, but it is anyway a good place to start by making sure you know the fundamentals of Javascript. It is pretty much necessary for front-end, and you can use it for your back-end too (via node.js if I recall correctly), though other languages can be used for the back-end too (e.g. Python).
     
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  14. Arcturus

    Arcturus Cat, Hidden Sith Lord

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    This. Now there are some rather simple ways to program internet applications and webpages without doing anything complex and they might be good to learn depending upon what your goal is.
     
  15. hatoyin97

    hatoyin97 «Frigid Heart Petrification Manual»

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    Hey no fair...
    I wanna know how to make website similar to NU....
     
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  16. Lee17

    Lee17 Member

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    Use oracle bro and watch videos on youtube hahaha it really helps
     
  17. Drust

    Drust Well-Known Member

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    Discord put out an article on what technologies they used and how they created the app and let me tell you... It's waaay more complex than it seems on the surface. As others have suggested I recommend leaving out the internet for now and starting small. After you pick a language find a good tutorial and start out with a simple program like the Hello World Program.
     
  18. Floral

    Floral Member

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    there are many youtube tutorial videos + read wix website
    Good luck!
     
  19. tom.chris

    tom.chris Not Good in English

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    I also want to create app. i know php , html, css (newbie lvl) . I got own FoolSlide :aww:

    I also made sample android app stuff in android studio but how to parse JSON no idea so it is in cold bag.
     
  20. Ai chan

    Ai chan Queen of Yuri, Devourer of Traps, Thrusted Witch

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    NU uses Wordpress 4.9.2. NUF uses XenForo. So if you know programming enough and can make your own website for wordpress, you can make NU.

    Ai-chan just noticed that this was never answered.