"How to get started programming for Maemo" For Nokia 770 and 800
 

Basically I want to make programs for the Nokia 770 and 800 and I know nothing about programming, so is there somewhere I can go and get started with the basic's? Thanks to anyone who answers this!

Re: "How to get started programming for Maemo" For Nokia 770 and 800
 

Just wondering... Why do you want to begin with legacy devices and not for N900/Maemo 5?

Secondly, what programming language(s) do you currently know? Or, are you starting from scratch?

Tim

Re: "How to get started programming for Maemo" For Nokia 770 and 800
 

I'm not buying the N900. IF I ever do, it will be a year or more for them to come down in price. I dont have to have the latest in electronics. So you know where I can start?

Re: "How to get started programming for Maemo" For Nokia 770 and 800
 

You can edit your posts... :) What about the languages that you know?

Re: "How to get started programming for Maemo" For Nokia 770 and 800
 

The easiest answer is this:

If you don't know any programming languages, learn something high-level (e.g., Python). If you want your apps to have a GUI, learn GTK+.

If you use these two technologies, you won't even (mostly) need to setup the Maemo SDK, although many people will suggest that you take the time to do so (well, except for khertan, who will tell you to develop your apps on your tablet with his own PyGTKEditor app).

I'd also suggest learning Qt so that you'll have an easier time of porting to Maemo 5+.

If you already know a programming language (C, Ruby, even PHP), there are several methods of creating apps for Maemo 4.

But, alongside all of this advice, you really need to read (and memorize) this:

http://maemo.org/maemo_release_docum...on/maemo4.1.x/

Almost everything you need to know is available by clicking on the big DEVELOPMENT button on the top of this page.

Tim

Re: "How to get started programming for Maemo" For Nokia 770 and 800
 

Computer language??? None.. Need to get started, want to know where to start to make little program for the tablet..

Re: "How to get started programming for Maemo" For Nokia 770 and 800
 

I dont know any language and I want to make it easy on me.. I did not even pay attention to the Develpoment buttom!! I need to say I have a PC with windows and the tablet I'm getting will be the only lynus OS I will have, so I have to make the programs on the Tablet 770 Nokia. I Can Do that?? I thought you could do this po the tablet 770 Nokia? So, I got the PDF manual, where do I go next after the link you left me?

Re: "How to get started programming for Maemo" For Nokia 770 and 800
 

Re: "How to get started programming for Maemo" For Nokia 770 and 800
 

You may try smallBasic. Looks easier for a complete beginner.

http://maemo.org/downloads/product/OS2006/smallbasic/

Re: "How to get started programming for Maemo" For Nokia 770 and 800
 

Then when he learns smallBasic, what should he do... start from scratch for the next one? :)

Better start with a language that's similar to others. Python seems the most likely candidate. I would prefer Vala any day, but with the direction Maemo is going, better stay on a more beaten track.

Re: "How to get started programming for Maemo" For Nokia 770 and 800
 

This is not a good way to start learning how to program. Programming is not easy and it takes a lot of time and dedication (not to mention an eye for detail).

I'm not a programmer. But, I didn't come to this realization easily. I have been trying to learn Python for years (and have spent a lot of money on books). I still can't do it. I know enough now to be able to look through code and sort of understand what's going on, but... That also comes from years of designing around C, C++, Delphi, html, php, asp, ruby, etc.

If you want to learn how to do some of these things, you need to be in it for the long haul. Don't just think that you'll be able to look at a website (like python.org) and know how to make applications for Maemo.

I don't mean to be pessimistic about your intentions, but this is not something to be taken lightly.

Tim

Re: "How to get started programming for Maemo" For Nokia 770 and 800
 

Instead of learning to be a programmer, the best way to develop a quick app might be to offer a bounty for one. Computer books are expensive, and time intensive. You could offer quite a large bounty and still be money ahead compared to learning to be a programmer, which is something like wanting to be a rock star -- most ambitions in that direction are dashed.

Re: "How to get started programming for Maemo" For Nokia 770 and 800
 

I know it is going to take some time, but making little apps, lets call them would be fun to do and make a new star trek theme design for the nokia. I'm also thinking about going back to school for programing, so this helps to see if I want to do it....... I look at Python and had no idea where to go there and it was a little over whelming....
Any help is appericated. Thanks! :confused:

Re: "How to get started programming for Maemo" For Nokia 770 and 800
 

Making themes is relatively for Maemo devices is relatively easy (but, don't call it programming):

https://garage.maemo.org/frs/?group_id=36

It is time-consuming and you'll need Photoshop (or something equivalent).

Also, know that there is already a Star Trek theme for Maemo 4:

http://maemo.org/downloads/product/O...cars-complete/

Tim

Re: "How to get started programming for Maemo" For Nokia 770 and 800
 

Cha, you certainly have quite a way to go, but after all no one is born a programmer, so there's no reason you can't do it.

I suggest you do yourself three favours :

1) start with Python, as many have suggested. It's good for beginners, but not a toy language in any way : it'll grow with you and not hobble you as you mature. Above all, it'll teach you early on what clean and readable code means. Learn with simple stuff before you tackle GUI apps so you don't hit a wall right on.

2) When you do however, skip the world of pain that is GTK and go straight ahead with Qt. It's available on N8x0 now, it's the future for Maemo, and there are great tools like QtDesigner and eric4 that you can use on almost any desktop.

3) if you follow 1) and 2) you can save time and despair by buying this book :
http://www.qtrac.eu/pyqtbook.html

Good luck !

Re: "How to get started programming for Maemo" For Nokia 770 and 800
 

Where do I start with Python at? Is there a manual to help with the basics??

Re: "How to get started programming for Maemo" For Nokia 770 and 800
 

That's one starting point:
http://www.google.bg/search?q=python+for+beginners

I'm not into Python so I can't really recommend a source.

Re: "How to get started programming for Maemo" For Nokia 770 and 800
 

I suggest reading this before anything else (it's online and free):

http://www.greenteapress.com/thinkpython/thinkCSpy/

Tim

Re: "How to get started programming for Maemo" For Nokia 770 and 800
 

A free book on programming python is Dive into python by Mark Pilgrim: http://www.diveintopython.org/
Another book I think is really good for beginners that want to learn Python is 'Beginning Python: From Novice to Professional, Second Edition' by Magnus Lie Hetland (http://www.apress.com/book/view/9781590599822), but that book isn't free.

This will learn you to program scripts that you can run within the terminal on your PC or on the N800 (or using launcher programs).

If you want to learn graphic user interface (what most people consider "real programs"), I think the best way is to learn PyQt (I think is it easier than PyGTK, mostly because I think the documentation is a bit better).
The book that has already been mentioned some post before: 'Rapid GUI development with Python and Qt' by Mark Summerfield is a very good one in my opinion.
http://www.qtrac.eu/pyqtbook.html
BUT you should have SOME experience in programming python before you start that book (the book has an introduction in general Python, but I recommend you look at a dedicated python book before you start the GUI book).

Other options are that you look into Web-based applications. The Tablets have a very good webbrowser and this may make it easier to create a graphic user interface (using HTML/CSS). I really enjoy creating web applications using Django (that is also Python)
A good book about Django is also freely available:
http://www.djangobook.com/
But it may be a bit difficult to do if you don't have any former experience in programing websites.

In any case, I think you should first program you application for your own PC, and then tweak it for running on the Tablet.
If you don't have any former experience it would help you gain that this way.

The big advantage of Python, PyQt is that it runs on most platforms, WIndows, Ubuntu, Maemo etc.etc.

Re: "How to get started programming for Maemo" For Nokia 770 and 800
 

I'm looking for help setting up eric4.

I've downloaded the necessary and recommended components (Qt, PyQt, QScintilla, Python, Subversion, PySvn) but I am just flat stumped on how to make all this work. I have found 0 documentation helpful for the setup-- just notes indicating "you have to have this". Well, great... but that heads-up doesn't get a Python newbie very far! Downloading is maybe 10% of the process.

So... anyone know of a good starter resource? http://eric-ide.python-projects.org doesn't seem to be it...

Note: I will be starting off creating an internet web service for twitter before I get into heavy-duty stuff.

Re: "How to get started programming for Maemo" For Nokia 770 and 800
 

Tex, what platform are you installing to ? Windows ?

Re: "How to get started programming for Maemo" For Nokia 770 and 800
 

Yeah, sorry.

I have all the components downloaded to the sandbox Windows 2003 server... just no idea how to make them work. Which is extremely frustrating because, to be bluntly honest, I've never run into such a lack of documentation in the Visual Basic world. Everything I've ever needed was easy to find, easy to install, fairly easy to configure-- with the exception being .NET framework betas.

Re: "How to get started programming for Maemo" For Nokia 770 and 800
 

Tex, I think you are overdoing things (I, too, was misled initially by some obscure indications, especially on the PyQt site). For Windows it should be much simpler than that :-)

In my experience, on a windows machine it is enough to run the Python installer, then the PyQt installer (which will pull in Qt, QScintilla and other stuff). I seem to remember I had to manually add to my Windows PATH a pointer to some folder for Qt binaries, but that is documented somewhere.

After that you can just run the Windows Eric4 installer, which is not strictly necessary but sometimes useful, especially for compiling Qtdesigner forms to Python, populating menus etc.

Personally I find Eric4 a bit on the heavy side for the coding part itself; I prefer to use SciTe (wscite) which is a much lighter IDE, actually just a very good editor with the capability to run programs and see the output in a side panel. I just run Eric4 when I need it for the tasks above.

This is all you should need to get started. If you've never used SVN/PySVN before I suggest you defer that until you're comfortable with the basics. Again, for the sort of stuff I do I've never felt the need to go that far.

Finally, if you're serious about this (and I believe it deserves it, my first project blew my mind compared to anything I'd done before), I not only recommend, but consider as mandatory, that you buy/steal/borrow and read Mark Summerfield's "Rapid GUI programming with Python and Qt" (Prentice hall). It is worth every penny, a joy to learn with, will get you up to speed in no time, and will save you man-ages of hair pulling.

PS: when choosing the three installers above, just make sure they're all for the same version of Python. If the final target is Maemo, that would be 2.5 right now.

Re: "How to get started programming for Maemo" For Nokia 770 and 800
 

I can't believe I missed this reply, thanks!

When I have the spare cash I'm buying that book.

Re: "How to get started programming for Maemo" For Nokia 770 and 800
 

Good answer is here:
http://maemo.org/development/documen..._2_2_tutorial/
And from compability page: "Installation packages created for Nokia 770 will work with Nokia N800. Single click installations will however need separate installation files (or .install files).
Most of the applications developed for Nokia 770 using maemo 2.2 will work as such with Nokia N800. In some exceptional cases porting from maemo 2.2 to maemo 3.x will be required, but it is typically simple."