Check out the Video and Q&A from Our Recent Joint Webinar with Salesforce.com

In case you missed our recent joint webinar with Salesforce.com, take a look at the recording on our YouTube channel.  We had the pleasure to be joined by Dave Carroll, Director of Developer Evangelism at Salesforce.com who described the mobile strategy for Salesforce.com and how Appery.io fits into their strategy.   Since we did not have time to answer all the questions that came up, we are posting them here for your review.   Please feel free to comment if you have additional questions.

Q: Is there a step-by-step tutorial for the Salesforce integration?

A: Yes.  There is a tutorial on the Salesforce.com blog. In addition, there is a full set of Appery.io tutorials here and here. We also have a full set of self training videos.

Q: Which Browsers are supported for development?

A: Appery.io supports the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari as well as Internet Explorer 10

Q: Which mobile platforms does Appery.io support?

A: Appery.io supports iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Windows 8 and Mobile Web

Q: Can you recommend books, websites or other resources to get up to speed quickly? Jquery, Java, Javascript, which would be the best approach for a beginner?

A: We like Code Academy.  There are probably many good resources available on the internet.

Q: I am a beginner. What would be the first steps I take towards becoming a Salesforce apps developer?

A: Have a visit to http://developer.force.com and sign up for a free Developer Edition. Then take a look at http://wiki.developerforce.com/page/Force.com_workbook to grab a workbook that walks you from beginning to advanced.

Q: Can you explain about using the Appery.io Proxy?

A: The Appery.io Proxy is used when using services that don’t support cross domain service calls.  For more information, check out our documentation here.

Q: Is there a way to use the Force.com platform without using Oauth? This would be for a consumer based product that needs to access some data from custom objects but it is not necessarily a Platform user with login credentials

A: There is no way to use the Force.com platform without OAuth. We do support public facing apps and web sites through the use of our Communities product. Communities is an outgrowth of our Customer Portal and Partner Portal features. Using this you have external folks login with a much more affordable license and still gain the convenient features of the database. Another alternative is to use Site.com which provides the ability to put up a website for the public that uses data from the database.

Q: Does Appery.io use PhoneGap for the native build?

A: Yes.   Appery.io incorporates Apache Cordoba (aka PhoneGap) to support the native device APIs and binary builds.

Q: Can the Salesforce plug-in automatically read the objects that exist in that instance of salesforce.com (including custom objects), or does the list of objects have to be hard-coded into the plug-in ahead of time?

A: This is possible because Salesforce provides a Metadata API that enables the discovery of objects.  Using this approach it is possible to define services to automatically access Salesforce objects during runtime.

Q: How can we change the UI elements of the app ?

A: There are multiple ways.  Every component has properties so you can change in the properties panel.  There is also a “more properties option” to add custom properties.  Finally, you can use jQuery selector to change or add properties.

Q: I have tried to instal salesforce sample app, but the free account does not have enough room for all needed pages. Is there way to evaluate it without purchase?

A: Yes, please use the promo code given out during the webinar.

Q: Looks good, how about the look and feel? Can we provide custom branding as needed?

A: Yes. Appery.io has a set of prebuilt themes to change the look and feel of the apps you build.   In addition, developers can create their own custom themes using ThemeRoller for jQuery Mobile.   Finally, developers can modify the CSS  directly or create their own CSS files.

Q: How could you implement the barcode scanner service into this Salesforce example?

A: Salesforce.com has a number of samples.  You can take the code that implement the barcode sample, and import it right into Appery.io

Q: Can I use the Kendo UI Framework?

A: At this time we support jQuery Mobile and WinRT User Interface Frameworks.  However you can import any JavaScript library that does not conflict with jQuery Mobile or WinRT.

Are you at the TechCrunch Disrupt Hackathon? Here is how to build your app fast (so you can get some sleep)

Does you hack include a mobile app?  Appery.io is the fastest way to create a complete app across iOS, Android, Windows Phone or Mobile Web.   There is nothing to install.  You develop in the browser and you can easily collaborate with your team members because the projects can be shared in the cloud.  Also, because Appery.io has built in support for many of the APIs that are sponsoring the hackathon, it is super easy to integrate to those services and win more prices!  Appery.io is the best way to complete your hack in time and still catch some sleep!

In fact, when we launched the Appery at TechCrunch Disrupt New York earlier this year, Appery.io was the most widely used product in the hackathon.  Over 30 teams chose Appery.io to build their projects, including many of the winners!  For more on this see:

Appery.io Steals the Show at the TechCrunch Disrupt Hackathon!

The list of prebuilt API plugins includes:

  • Crunchbase
  • PeerIndex
  • Pearson
  • Twilio
  • Yammer
  • Weather Underground
  • ESPN
  • Many other APIs (see list here), including many Mashery APIs

Even if the API you want to use is not pre-built, it is super easy to integrate with it on the fly.  Check out this and this (two minute videos) to learn how.

To get started:

  1. Register for a free Appery.io account.   With this link, you will have access to our “Standard” plan, normally a paid service.  If you already have a free Appery.io, you can upgrade it with this promo code:  disruptsf13 (go to Account, Change Plan, select Standard, and enter the code)
  2. Check out our docs.  Be sure to check out our product tour playlist you YouTube (there are plenty of other videos on our YouTube channel)
  3. Check out our tutorials for specific API plugins (including many that are sponsoring the hackathon!)
  4. If you need help, contact support@appery.io or check out our forum

Best of luck at the Hackathon!  We can’t wait to see what you build, please send us an email link to your finished project!

Webinar: Rapid Mobile Application Development Using the Appery.io Mobile Pack and Salesforce.com

Dave Carroll (Director of Developer Evangelism, Salesforce.com) and Max Katz (Head of Appery.io Developer Relations) explain how the Appery.io Mobile Pack enables you to rapidly create mobile apps integrated with the Salesforce Platform and show how you can build your own apps like this.

What:
Rapid Mobile App Development Using the Appery.io Mobile Pack and Salesforce.com

When:
Tuesday, September 10, 11:00AM Pacific Time

Register
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6003395412672898816

1-Day Training in Palo Alto: Learn about AT&T APIs and Build Your First Mobile App with HTML5, jQuery Mobile, PhoneGap

Screen Shot 2013-08-05 at 9.57.48 AM

Coming on the heels of a very successful DevLab by AT&T in Seattle, we will be heading to Palo Alto on August 15th for a repeat performance. Are you looking to integrate speech into your apps? Would SMS, In App Messaging From Mobile Number (IMMN), or MMS give you a competitive advantage? Then DevLab is the event for you!

In addition to learning about these APIs, we will use Appery.io cloud-based rapid development platform to build an HTML5/jQuery Mobile/PhoneGap mobile app connected to AT&T APIs.

You will work through highly customized lab exercises, see a detailed breakdown of end-to-end app examples, and then build an application incorporating the AT&T APIs and using the Appery.io app builder. These lessons will help you understand the power of the APIs and tools, and greatly simplify the addition of these enhancements to your own apps.

We bring our best subject matter experts to DevLab and limit the number of attendees to ensure you have a highly interactive and personalized full day of training. Whether you are seriously considering adding these technologies to your apps or are well on your way to doing so, DevLab is the place you want to be.

So, if you are in the Bay Area on August 15th and are interested in attending DevLab, please let us know by emailing us at developer.program@att.com. This event has limited availability, so contact us about it today!

Getting Started with Appery.io [Webinar recording]

Webinar: Building Apps with Appery.io and Mashery-Managed APIs

Neil Mansilla (Mashery) and Max Katz (Appery.io) will describe the Mashery API management platform and the Appery.io mobile app development and support platform and will explain how they fit together. Max will then demo building two apps in Appery.io using Appery.io plug-ins for Mashery-managed APIs.

When: Tuesday, May 21, 2013 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM (Timezone: America/Phoenix)

Register now: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/920503433

Webinars: Monthly Intro to Appery.io Webinars

We will now host an introductory webinar for Appery.io every first Wednesday of the month. There will still be additional in-depth webinars, but we wanted to make sure there would always be a beginner’s webinar “around the corner” at all times. Here’s the next one:

Wednesday, April 3, 2013 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM PST
Register

Webinar: Appery.io Platform Built-in Back-end Services

UPDATE: The date for the webinar has been changed to:

Wednesday, February 20, 2013 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM PST

Appery.io isn’t just a mobile app builder. As a mobile app platform, it also provides a growing list of back-end services (like a database service) for seamless integration into the apps. Join Max Katz, Appery.io developer evangelist, for this hands-on demo and overview of the currently available back-end services and the road map for the future. There will be plenty of time set aside at the end for Q&A.

Thursday, February 7, 2013 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM PST
Register

Webinar: Building Windows 8 Apps with Appery.io Platform

Join Max Katz, Appery.io developer evangelist, for this quick review of how to build a Windows 8 app using the Appery.io app builder. Then, in an expanded Q&A session, Max will hold “office hours” to answer any questions you might have about Appery.io.

When: Thursday, January 17, 2013 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM PST
Register: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/214517057

Webinar: Building Windows 8 Apps with Appery.io

The latest Appery.io mobile app platform allows you to build Windows 8 apps for tablets and desktops with native Windows 8 support. This support includes special Windows 8 capabilities such as Snap View, Search Charm, Share Charm, and Live Tile! Join our webinar to learn how build Windows 8 apps with Appery.io.

When: Thursday, December 13, 11am Pacific Time
Register: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/611432329.