Book Updates
Building Mobile Applications with Java Using GWT and PhoneGap
I'm happy to announce that my new book Building Mobile Applications with Java Using GWT and PhoneGap has been published in both print and ebook editions. While I love having a print edition, the ebook Kindle version, at $9.99 is half the price for the exact same content. Sure, you can't write on it with a marker, but the convenience and price is well worth it.
If you didn't catch it in one of my earlier blogs, Building Mobile Apps w/ Java, GWT, and PhoneGap is a shortish book (~80pgs) that gives you the good stuff and none of the fluff. GWT and PhoneGap are two great open source tools that, combined, let you use Java to make apps for non-Java platforms. This good gives you everything you need to know, starting with building a simple GWT app and compiling it for iOS, Android, and webOS. After we get familiar with the tools I'll walk you through some 3rd party libraries that make your apps feel more native. Then we will finish up with a 2D video game using the accelerometer and a physics library.
My goal was to give you everything you need to get started in as short a time as possible. You are busy people who need to get back to coding, so I don't want to waste your time. I think the finished work is right on target.
You can buy it here as well as download the source to the projects.
HTML Canvas : A Travelogue
I have also updated my self published app-book on HTML Canvas. It gives you a gentle walk through of what Canvas, how to use the APIs from drawing to pixel pushing, and then shows you how to build a simple game with 2D sprites and particle effects. The book also uses an experimental form of interactive code where you can change the values of variables in examples then see how the graphics update in real time.
I call this book an EverBook, meaning updates will always be free. The book itself is an app so if you already bought just check in your app catalog for the update. I've fixed a bunch of bugs, improved performance, and fleshed out a few sections. Also, stay tuned for a few more interactive features I've got up my sleeve.
You can buy the book here. $4.99 for iOS and $0.99 for webOS. (Shoutout to my webOS peeps!)