How to save data in Android app

This post will be about saving data to text file in Android development. Android uses a class called SharedPreferences. Within your activity create an instance of the class

SharedPreferences sp;
TextView tv;
Button b1;
EditText et1;

Then name a string that will be the name of the file.

final static String filename = "MyData";

Within the onCreate bundle method make your declaration.

sp = getSharedPreferences(filename,0);

tv = (TextView)findViewById(R.id.textView1);

b1 = (Button)findViewById(R.id.button1);

et1 = (EditText)findViewById(R.id.edit1);

tv.setText(sp.getString("key","No data yet");


public void onClick() {

String test = et1.getText().toString();

SharedPreferences.Editor editor = sp.edit();

editor.putString("mykey",test);

sp.commit();


}


Check out my new movie, live music and book app for iPhone

How to create a thread in Android Development

I figured it's been a while since making a post on Android development, so today I will provide an example of a thread. A thread is a way that multiple activities can occur simultaneously in Android while using memory in an efficient way. In an Android app, it is standard to have an intro screen begin before being passed to a home activity or menu. Below is an example.

Thread myTimer = new Thread() {

public void run() {

try {

int timer =0 ;
while(time<5000) {


timer = timer + 100;
sleep(100);

}

startActivity(new Intent("com.activityname.clear"));
} catch(Exception e) {

e.printstacktrace();

}


}



};

myTimer.start();

Don't forget to try out my new app for movies, music and books

Live music app for iPhone

Mike's Movie and Concert Guide is the ideal multi-purpose app to satisfy your entertainment needs. If you enjoy live music, find your favorite local band and where they're playing. Use the photo search to browse photographs and utilize social media to find what's trending near you. Search by event, location or by artist. Get music reviews and news as well. Download concert finder today from the iTunes App Store

Movie app for iPhone

Mike's Movie & Concert Guide is a one-stop download to fulfill many of your entertainment needs. This application is divided into four sections: Movies, Movie Trivia, Concerts and Books. Within the movie section, browse what movies are in theaters, search a movie database, discover new movies, find new releases on DVD and find local theaters with your geolocation. The trivia game tests your knowledge of movies, directors and actors. If you enjoy live music, find your favorite local band and where they're playing. Use the photo search to browse photographs and utilize social media to find what's trending near you. After your long night out, relax the following day with the Books section of the application. Search by title or author to discover new books. Also, once you've found a book that interests you, search the app's Book Review section.

Download entertainment app from iTunes App Store

Pull data from XML file using PHP

In order to pull data from an XML file, the easiest way is to use the built-in function simplexml_load_file. PHP 5 must be installed on your web server, though. The code below should give you the general idea on how to get started.

<?php

$file = simplexml_load_file("myfile.xml");

foreach ($file->topNode as $value) {

echo $value->secondaryNode;

}

?>

This code will go into your xml file loop through each node and print out all of the secondary nodes within your document.

Try my gator hunting game available on iPhone in the iTunes App Store

HTML5 Geolocation tutorial

If you're trying to capture a user's latitude and longitude coordinates in order to plug into an api, below is the easiest way I have found.

function userLocation() {

if (navigator.geolocation) {

navigator.geolocation.getCurrentPosition(showData);

} else {

alert("not supported");

}

function showData(position) {

var x= position.coords.latitude;
var y = position.coords.longitude;

$("#mydiv").html("latitude: " + x + "<br/>longitude" + y);

}

}

Check out my golf game for iPhone

How to set wallpaper in Android app

In order to set the wallpaper from within an Android app, you'll have to create an instance of the WallpaperManager class and set the resource from within a try catch block. See the example below:

public void onClick(View arg0) {

WallpaperManager mywall = WallpaperManager.getInstance(getApplicationContext());

try {

mywall.setResource(R.drawable.nameOfFile);

} catch(Exception e) {


e.printStackTrace();



}



}


Click here to download my WWII photo app for iPhone

WWII Photo app for iPhone

The images of World War II are among the most breathtaking in human history. Frozen in time is the suffering of humanity as well as the highs of victory. WWII Photo Journey explores 1939-1945 like no other app for iPhone has. Simply swipe the screen from left to right and the image will change. Click the save button and the photo will be placed in your phone photo library, where one can share with friends or family. Also, the photos are cropped perfectly to be used for your phone wallpaper.

Click here to download WWII Photo app for iPhone

New Orleans Guide for iPhone

Mike's Unofficial NOLA Guide is an ideal iPhone app for anyone visiting New Orleans or those who'd like to be a tourist in his or her own city. Search through a list of popular New Orleans restaurants for your dining pleasure, choose a hotel that best fits your taste and look at several New Orleans attractions that will make your stay in New Orleans a time to remember. Once in the city, this app's core location finder will show you which destinations are closest.

Download for iPhone | Mike's Nola Guide for Android

Beginner's tutorial for object oriented PHP

Object Oriented PHP is an efficient way to build a website that allows developers to scale the project much easier. At first glance, it appears that there is no reason to set up your php page this way. For simple tasks, it uses more code, but for a large project the opposite is true. Primarily, because you can reuse your class and methods inside. You can also extend the class to take on traits of other classes. In tradition php, one might print out hello world simply by typing ...

echo "hello world";

The way to set it up as an object oriented program would be the following:

<?php

class HelloWorld {

public function test() {

echo "hello world";

}

}

$var1 = new HelloWorld;

$var1->test();

?>

Check out my gator hunting game on iPhone 

Houston Relocation & Visitor Guide

Relocating to a new area is never easy. Although the city of Houston is a great place to work, live and visit, the same stressful situations often occur when planning a move, scheduling a business trip or going on vacation. The Houston Relocation & Visitor Guide is a tool that will ease the pain of planning such trips to one of the nation's largest cities.

Disclaimer: This app isn't associated with the City of Houston or any other organization.

This app can assist with the following:
1. Research an energy/gas company.
2. Find the nearest airport.
3. Set up your water account.
4. Search for the local DMV.
5. Look for local restaurants.
6. Book a reservation at a nearby hotel.
7. Look for a local church in the area.
8. Research Houston attractions.
9. Houston Trivia game

Download Houston Guide by clicking here

How to pass data between activities in android app

Below is a tutorial how to pass data between Android activities.

Within your class declare a TextView, EditText and Button.

TextView tv;
EditText et1;
Button b1;

public void onCreate() {

tv = (TextView)findViewById(R.id.textView1);
et1 = (EditText)findViewById(R.id.edit1);
b1 = (Button)findViewById(R.id.but1);

public void onClick() {

String test = et1.getText();
Intent i = new Intent(this,newClass.Class);
i.putExtra("myKey",test);
startActivity(i);


}

Check out my golf game for iPhone by clicking here

Simple math game for iPhone

Whether you're a student learning basic math or a graduate trying to brush up on mathematic fundamentals, the Mathathon app / game is perfect for you. Test your addition, subtraction, multiplication and division skills like you never have before. Mathathon also will test your knowledge of negative numbers and even decimals. Learn math in a fun and exciting way and download this app / game today.

Click to download this fun simple math game for iPhone

How to create a thread in an Android App

Below is an example how to create a thread, which will pause your activity for five seconds, then do to another activity.

Within your onCreate method, add the following code.

Thread myTimer = new Thread() {

public void run() {

try {

int timer = 0;

while(timer < 5000) {

sleep(100);
timer = timer + 100;

}
startActivity(new Intent("com.activity.test.clearscreen"));
} catch(Exception e) {

e.printStackTrace();

}

}


};

myTimer.start();


Try my World War II Trivia game by clicking here
Also, download WWII Trivia from the Amazon App Store

Civil War Trivia for iPhone

The American Civil War was fought between 1861-1865. Eleven states declared their secession from The United States and one of the bloodiest wars in history followed. The Confederacy surrendered and slavery was outlawed everywhere in the nation.

Although the narrative in history books is crucial in understanding the details of each battle, playing a trivia game is much more fun.

Civil War Extreme Trivia contains 4 different sections to test each players skill level. Game highlights include:

A) Save the name of the most recent player
B) Save your score
C) Change player name
D) Track score in game
E) Great imagery
F) Realistic sound effects
G) Shake the phone for random questions

Trivia has never been this much fun!

Click here to download Civil War Trivia for iPhone

UIAlertView tutorial for iPhone

This short tutorial explains how to create a hello world message within a UIAlertView box in iPhone simulator

Click here to download Civil War Trivia for iPhone

iPhone Background Tutorial

In this tutorial, we will cover how to change the background color of a view by pressing a button

Click here to view my gator hunting game for iPhone

WWII Trivia for Android

Test your knowledge of WWII in the most exciting and innovative manner that you've ever experienced. Learn about the Pacific, the Americas, the war in Europe and even the Holocaust. Discover the causes of the war and the leaders that influenced a series of events that changed history as we know it!

Experience the Greatest Generation like you never have before and download this app ideal for mature kids and older today!

Download from Amazon

UFO invasion game for iPhone

You are the last line of defense before an alien invasion takes over the planet.

Shoot down as many UFO's as possible to gain points and advance to the next level.

Beware of missed shots, as they will count against you in the end. Each hit will result in a phone rattling jar and sound effect.

Save the planet and have a BLAST!

Download from AppStore

World War II Photography on iPhone

The images of World War II are among the most breathtaking in human history. Frozen in time is the suffering of humanity as well as the highs of victory. WWII Photo Journey explores 1939-1945 like no other app for iPhone has. Simply swipe the screen from left to right and the image will change. Click the save button and the photo will be placed in your phone photo library, where one can share with friends or family. Also, the photos are cropped perfectly to be used for your phone wallpaper.

Download for iPhone  Download for iPad

How to send an email with an iPhone app

Below is a quick and easy example how to open the iPhone's default email program with an app. Just add the following code within your method

[[UIApplication sharedApplication]openURL:[NSURL urlWithString:@"mailto:bla@bla.com"]];

Check out my Civil War Trivia game for Android | Civil War Trivia on Google Play

How to parse JSON with PHP

Today's quick tip is an example how to parse JSON and output it as an array. We'll use file_get_contents to get the key value pairs from the JSON object and output the contents in a foreach loop.

Here's the php code :


<?php

$string = file_get_contents("file.json");

$string2 = json_decode($string,true);

foreach ($string2['Friends'] as $value) {

echo "First Name: " . $value['firstName'] . "<br />";
echo "Last Name: " . $value['lastName'] . "<br /><br />";

}

?>

Here is the JSON object:


{
"Friends":[

{"firstName":"John","lastName":"Doe"},
{"firstName":"Steve","lastName":"Jones"},
{"firstName":"Tom","lastName":"Smith"}
]
}


Check out my new gator hunting app for iPhone

Toast tutorial for Android

Here's a quick example of how to create a toast in an Android application.

Toast.makeText(this,"this is text I'm toasting",Toast.Length_SHORT).show();

That's it.

Now, check out my World War II Trivia game available on Amazon and Google Play.

Alien invasion game for iPhone

You are the last line of defense before an alien invasion takes over the planet.

Shoot down as many UFO's as possible to gain points and advance to the next level.

Beware of missed shots, as they will count against you in the end. Each hit will result in a phone rattling jar and sound effect.

Save the planet and have a BLAST!

Download alien invasion game for App Store

Gator hunting app for iPhone

Take your best shot at some of the most feared alligators on the bayou. Preparation is key and a steady shot is crucial, as each gator swims by in open water. Test your shooting skill like you never have before. Click here

Golf game for iPhone

Drive For Show, Putt for ... Well, there is no putting in this golf game. Drive FORE Show focuses on your ability to drive the green in ONE! Beware of changing wind speeds, sand traps and water. If only we could drive this well on a real golf course? Try it today!

Click here to download this fun golf game for iPhone

Houston Relocation guide

Relocating to a new area is never easy. Although the city of Houston is a great place to work, live and visit, the same stressful situations often occur when planning a move, scheduling a business trip or going on vacation. The Houston Relocation & Visitor Guide is a tool that will ease the pain of planning such trips to one of the nation's largest cities.

Disclaimer: This app isn't associated with the City of Houston or any other organization.

This app can assist with the following:
1. Research an energy/gas company.
2. Find the nearest airport.
3. Set up your water account.
4. Search for the local DMV.
5. Look for local restaurants.
6. Book a reservation at a nearby hotel.
7. Look for a local church in the area.
8. Research Houston attractions.
9. Houston Trivia game

Click here to download the Houston Relocation & Visitor Guide for iPhone

Android WebView tutorial

A WebView component is what Android uses to display a web content. In order to create one in your app, you first have to create an id for it in your xml file. 

e.g. <WebView android:id="@+id/webView1"

android:layout_width="fill_parent"

android:layout_height="fill_parent"></WebView>

After create your instance inside the XML file, go to your main activity Java class. Above the @override declare your WebView so it can be used globally.

eg. WebView webview1;

Within the onCreate method add the following code.

webview1 = (WebView)findViewById(R.id.webView1);

webview1.loadUrl("http://whatever.com");

webview1.setwebViewClient(new webViewClient());

webview1.setWebChromeClient(new webChromeClient());

Hit launch and your app should be ready.

If you get a chance, check out my WWII Trivia game for Android

Spelling game for Android

Spelling MVP is a spelling game that combines your passion for football with the fun of a Spelling Bee. But, don't confuse this game with a traditional Spelling Bee. The goal of this game is to get 80 words correct and adding your name to The Spelling Wall of Fame as an MVP. A player is given one minute to enter the correct spelling. This game also uses traditional spelling bee words for those not as interested in football. If you think you're ready for this challenge, download this fun and educational game today.

Download from Google Play

Civil War Trivia for Android

The American Civil War was fought between 1861-1865. Eleven states declared their secession from The United States and one of the bloodiest wars in history followed. The Confederacy surrendered and slavery was outlawed everywhere in the nation.

Although the narrative in history books is crucial in understanding the details of each battle, playing a trivia game is much more fun.

Civil War Extreme Trivia is an exciting way to test your trivia knowledge of battles, artillery, books, movies and the leaders that made this war so captivating.

Download from Google Play

WWII Trivia for Android

Test your knowledge of WWII in the most exciting and innovative manner that you've ever experienced. Learn about the Pacific, the Americas, the war in Europe and even the Holocaust. Discover the causes of the war and the leaders that influenced a series of events that changed history as we know it!

Experience the Greatest Generation like you never have before and download this app ideal for mature kids and older today!

Download in Google Play Store

New Houston Relocation Guide for iPhone

If you're traveling to Houston or moving to the area permanently, my new app for iPhone will help you move around more easily.


This app can assist with the following:
1. Research an energy/gas company.
2. Find the nearest airport.
3. Set up your water account.
4. Search for the local DMV.
5. Look for local restaurants.
6. Book a reservation at a nearby hotel.
7. Look for a local church in the area.
8. Research Houston attractions.
9. Houston Trivia game

Click here to view the Houston Relocation and Visitor Guide in the iTunes App Store