iOS Major Help.. Im a coding noob...

[InfoTech11]

Well.. I run a social networking site. And I want to somehow make my forum into a iPhone App... I was wondering if anybody would whip me something up real fast if they are bored. If it helps, my forum is powered by VBulletin, RSS enabled, SSL secured..

I know a lot of people are going to say go look up tutorials and buy books, but I've tried all that. I just want something to work of off that's all. I'm having a hard time understanding XCode..

So if anyone would like to help, god bless you.

 

[iShater]

Doesn't it work in safari?

This is a huge undertaking.

 

[synth3tik]

The ADC should have some template for you to start with. An app like this would be rather intensive to program and I doubt anyone would "whip" one up right quick.

 

[InfoTech11]

No..there isn't. I checked haha. I looked all over the internet. No code or source or anything. And it does work in Safari, but its so small and scrunched. And I wanted it to have some buttons at the bottom showing friends and messages and new posts.

I mean. I know it's hard (just looking at the XCode interface makes me wanna throw up haha) But if anyones bored enough i'd really appreciate it.

 

[Cromulent]

No..there isn't. I checked haha. I looked all over the internet. No code or source or anything. And it does work in Safari, but its so small and scrunched. And I wanted it to have some buttons at the bottom showing friends and messages and new posts.

I mean. I know it's hard (just looking at the XCode interface makes me wanna throw up haha) But if anyones bored enough i'd really appreciate it.

You just need to make a mobile version of your skin for vBulletin. You don't need to use Xcode at all. Just standard XHTML and CSS really.

 

[iShater]

No..there isn't. I checked haha. I looked all over the internet. No code or source or anything. And it does work in Safari, but its so small and scrunched. And I wanted it to have some buttons at the bottom showing friends and messages and new posts.

I mean. I know it's hard (just looking at the XCode interface makes me wanna throw up haha) But if anyones bored enough i'd really appreciate it.

I don't think you realize the scope of a project. It is not just hard, a project to create a networked application like this will take months. Planning, testing, etc.

 

[InfoTech11]

Well how does http://www.apploop.com do it? It seems so easy for them?

 

[iShater]

Well how does http://www.apploop.com do it? It seems so easy for them?

From my quick overview of their site, looks like they have an application that reads a blog/rss feed and formats it to run in their own app. However, when you install that app, they give it a name that matches your site.

Think of it as when you save a webpage for off-line viewing, and then reformat it.

I doubt it would work for your forum.

 

[Niiro13]

Well how does http://www.apploop.com do it? It seems so easy for them?

AppLoop creates an RSS reader application out of the site. It does the same thing as any of the RSS readers in the App Store.

While that's fine for blogs, newspapers, etc.

It won't work for forums, because forums RSS only displays recent posts as opposed to categories, threads, and sections.

So if you just want to display the 50 recent posts in your forum, then yes, any of us can whip it up.

But posting, etc. requires what iShater said

 

[Cromulent]

But posting, etc. requires what iShater said

Not really. A simple reskinning should do the job. Then just make a simple container application that loads your web site as web view. No need to do much on the iPhone side.

 

[iShater]

Not really. A simple reskinning should do the job. Then just make a simple container application that loads your web site as web view. No need to do much on the iPhone side.

You are saying vBulletin supports creating an iPhone-friendly page, that you can display as a webpage inside a custom app. Correct?

So not writing a new forum application

 

[InfoTech11]

Well.. here is my info:

My forum is called https://www.infotechelite.com/forum

The website portion isn't complete yet, but I am still working on the forum.

Me and the other forum members have searched everywhere for skins, and I see none except iPhorum, which we tried and doesn't work.

This "container" application your talking about, what does this mean?

By the way, What I am looking for, is something like the Myspace or Facebook application, but much much MUCH more simpler. I don't know who could code that thing. But the overall look of it, and how it displays on the screen (so you don't have to zoom the page and everything) and how you can view your messages.

 

[Niiro13]

Not really. A simple reskinning should do the job. Then just make a simple container application that loads your web site as web view. No need to do much on the iPhone side.

In that case, why not just do XHTML or CSS and have it load through safari?

I was assuming he was talking about a real application (as in the buttons are actually UIButtons, the textfields are actually UITextFields, etc.) because if it's just what you said, then it should be able to be done through XHTML or CSS.

EDIT:

By the way, What I am looking for, is something like the Myspace or Facebook application, but much much MUCH more simpler. I don't know who could code that thing. But the overall look of it, and how it displays on the screen (so you don't have to zoom the page and everything) and how you can view your messages.

And here's our answer...he wants an actual application...So it still stands where it's a ton of work...months of work.

Info, he meant where you take your website and format it so it fits the iPhone's screen. Then programming an application to display that (which is no different than loading it through safari...). That's a container.

 

[Cromulent]

You are saying vBulletin supports creating an iPhone-friendly page, that you can display as a webpage inside a custom app. Correct?

Yep. No need to touch any of the internals at all. Just need to change the vBulletin templates to ones which look good on the iPhone display. The advantage of that is you just have one template display for normal desktop browsers and then have the iPhone shell application access the special template and display the iPhone friendly version.

Simple, fast and effective.

I was assuming he was talking about a real application (as in the buttons are actually UIButtons, the textfields are actually UITextFields, etc.) because if it's just what you said, then it should be able to be done through XHTML or CSS.

That's what I said in my first post in this thread .

Me and the other forum members have searched everywhere for skins, and I see none except iPhorum, which we tried and doesn't work.

You'll have to make it yourself or pay someone else to do it for you. I think custom vBulletin skins can cost between $200 - 500 or so.

Would be easier to learn and do it yourself though .

 

[InfoTech11]

Isn't there just a way to make an actual application, but make it format the page so it can be viewed 100 times easier on the iPhone? Format the spacing, text and everything so it can be viewed over iPhone? Then maybe have a button allowing you to respond to posts and view messages? Cant this all be done by formatting it? :\

 

[Cromulent]

Isn't there just a way to make an actual application, but make it format the page so it can be viewed 100 times easier on the iPhone? Format the spacing, text and everything so it can be viewed over iPhone? Then maybe have a button allowing you to respond to posts and view messages? Cant this all be done by formatting it? :\

Yes. Make a vBulletin skin and it will do everything you just said via CSS and XHTML.

Then a simple container application to view the site in a web view.

 

[iShater]

Maybe I should learn this stuff in my soon-to-be unemployed free time.

 

[Niiro13]

That's what I said in my first post in this thread .

Your first post states:

You just need to make a mobile version of your skin for vBulletin. You don't need to use Xcode at all. Just standard XHTML and CSS really.

Which of course I definitely agree with. That's the best way to go for forums.

I assumed he meant an actual application like Facebook or MySpace...they didn't just format the page, they actually had to use Xcode and code everything and use HTTP requests.

ex. Facebook vs Mobile Banking (Bank of America). Facebook everything is coded. Mobile Banking is just a container.

 

[Cromulent]

I assumed he meant an actual application like Facebook or MySpace...they didn't just format the page, they actually had to use Xcode and code everything and use HTTP requests.

ex. Facebook vs Mobile Banking (Bank of America). Facebook everything is coded. Mobile Banking is just a container.

Seeing as he is non programmer, even if he did mean this it would be totally impractical. I also doubt he has the money to pay a programmer to do it for him so the only viable alternative to suggest was the skinning one.

 

[iShater]

Seeing as he is non programmer, even if he did mean this it would be totally impractical. I also doubt he has the money to pay a programmer to do it for him so the only viable alternative to suggest was the skinning one.

So the 3 of us just agreed on all points.

Good luck OP!

 

[InfoTech11]

Well I just need something... I want to put our name out there. And appstore seems to be the best place right now.

 

[iShater]

Well I just need something... I want to put our name out there. And appstore seems to be the best place right now.

That is one expensive way to advertise your website. And considering Apple's long approval process, might take too long.

 

[Niiro13]

Seeing as he is non programmer, even if he did mean this it would be totally impractical. I also doubt he has the money to pay a programmer to do it for him so the only viable alternative to suggest was the skinning one.

Which is what I agree with. Definitely not worth it to spend the time on a real application.

I just assumed he was looking for a real application (in which he confirmed, but now he's changed his mind ).

 

[InfoTech11]

Well I do want an application. And i do have the money. I have the paid version of the SDK.

 

[iShater]

Hmmm, I am reading more about vBulletin, and it sounds like that will be the easier part.