Learn How the App Builder Simplifies Creating and Working with AngularJS Controllers

We created the Appery.io platform to make mobile app development simpler and faster. At the beginning of this year we added support for Ionic and AngularJS. Both frameworks enable users to build native-like apps with HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. If you’ve built with AngularJS before, you know that the AngularJS controller is one of the key components in the framework. There is usually one controller behind each page. The controller provides the logic for the page and connects the view (page) with the model.

If you were coding by hand, here is how a very simple controller might look:

angular.module('myApp')
   .controller('MyController', function($scope) {
      // controller logic goes here...
});

When you are building your app in Appery.io, the App Builder will automatically create a controller for every page. This way you don’t have to worry about the “plumbing” of the app and can concentrate on the app logic. Plus, it saves time (developers love to save time). Let me show you how this works.

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Mobile Dev. Tip: Quickly Map Data Between Services and UI Using Visual Mapping and Binding Editor in AngularJS Apps

apperyio_binding

There are two powerful and convenient ways to use data flow management in Appery.io: Mapping and Binding.

Mapping

When a REST service is invoked, it usually requires input data. In most mobile apps, the data comes from the page (user-entered) or from storage (previously saved). When the service is invoked, it returns the data you want for further actions with it. This is when Mapping comes really handy — you can map input and output data via a simple and intuitive drag&drop system. You can also modify the incoming and outgoing data on-the-fly by adding custom JavaScript to a needed element.

Binding

AngularJS apps support automatic data synchronization between the model and view components. When the model changes, the view reflects the change, and vice versa. It’s called data-binding. Appery.io provides Binding — the visual tool for managing the connections between UI components and scope. By going to the BINDING tab you can see an overview, and add or remove connections via the simple drag&drop system.

Make sure to check out all of our mobile development tips.

Do you want to build apps fast? Start developing with our free plan.

Here is the Fastest Way to Invoke a REST API From the Server Using JavaScript

Appery.io’s Server Code feature makes it super easy to create a custom API on the server. With Server Code you can add any app logic using JavaScript including invoking another API. This literally takes a few minutes. Let me show you how do to it using the Uber API.

Screen Shot 2015-10-14 at 2.50.55 PM

Invoking the Uber API

When working with the Uber API, one of the first goals will usually be to find out what products are available in your area using latitude/longitude information.

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Upcoming Pricing Update – Consider Subscribing at Today’s Price!

On November 8th 2015 we will be revamping the online pricing for the Appery.io platform.  Although pricing will be generally higher reflecting the significant enhancements we’ve introduced, we plan to grandfather* existing paid subscriptions. If you are considering subscribing or upgrading your plan, you may want to do so before November 8th to be grandfathered in at today’s prices. (Please see the note about grandfathered plans at the end of this post.)

New 14-Day Free Trial to Replace Starter Plan to Enable Customers to Better Evaluate Our Platform.

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How to Create and Test a REST API in an Ionic/AngularJS Mobile App in 3 Minutes

This 3-minute video shows how to create and test a REST API. The Uber API is used in the example. The video covers

  • Setting up the Uber REST API. The API displays available Uber products based on location (latitude/longitude)
  • Setting up request parameters
  • Testing the service
  • Generating the service response

Quickly learn from our videos on the Appery.io YoutTube channel.

Provide Input, Win Prizes: Time for the 10th Developer Economics Survey

How to Play a Custom Sound in Your Mobile App

Audio_with_JS

To make your app more interactive and stand out from the competition, one nice option is to play a nice sound file in the background when an event occurs.

You can easily add a custom sound to an app you are building in Appery.io and play it using the standard HTML5 Audio component. As you can always customize any app with custom JavaScript, you can start and stop playing the sound via JavaScript. I’m going to show you how to do this in your Appery.io app.
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Mobile Dev. Tip: Geolocation Plug-in for AngularJS Apps

geolocation-plugin

Geolocation functionality is one of the most popular features in mobile development. In Appery.io, a geolocation plug-in is available out-of-the box and can be configured in minutes to use in your mobile app. Recently, we’ve updated the geolocation plug-in for AngularJS apps (both Ionic and Bootstrap) and now it is even more intuitive and faster to use. In the geolocation plug-in docs you can find out how to add the plug-in to your Appery.io app, so you can retrieve the current position and start\stop watching position.

Make sure to check out all our mobile development tips.

Do you want to build apps fast? Start developing with our free plan.

New Non-Profit Case Study: The Conservation Council of New Brunswick

CCNB Screenshot
Located in New Brunswick, the Conservation Council of New Brunswick (CCNB) is a registered Canadian charity. They focus on environmental education and community engagement and provide research and offer solutions to protect the health of Canada’s environment.

As a non-profit charity, the CCNB is overseen by a Board of Directors and operates day-to-day with a staff consisting of an Executive Director and a small core of full time employees. Read the rest of this entry »

Easily Send E-mail from Your Mobile App with the Mailgun API Plug-in

Mailgun is e-mail for developers. Mailgun has an elegant REST API to send and receive e-mails from your mobile app. I know that many Appery.io developers send e-mails from their apps for registration, confirmation, and everything else. To make it simple to use the Mailgun API in an Appery.io, we have introduced a Mailgun plug-in in Appery.io.

Mailgun plugin (Ionic)

Mailgun plugin (Ionic)

The plug-in has a sample app with one page that shows how to send an email using the API. You can use the sample app as a starting point or add the plug-in to any existing app.  Let me show you how to configure and use the plug-in.

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