From the Forum — Issue #136

12 August 2016

From the Forum — Issue #136

Welcome to the latest installment of From the Forum. In this series, guest blogger Alex Jackson highlights outstanding threads from the Corona Forum. The goal is to bring attention to the most captivating, interesting, and thought-provoking discussions taking place in our very own backyard.

Please visit the forum to join these conversations or start your own!

A super resource gives back

Chances are, if you’ve read through more than four Corona forum threads, you’ve come upon some serious knowledge dropped by the unequaled Roaming Gamer. Whether he’s pointing folks to one of his math2d plugin calls or leading the charge on revamping older libraries, his help can be indispensable.

It’s also highly likely that you’ve seen his SSK library linked to in quite a few forum threads. It’s done the work of multitudes by helping out new Corona developers learn the ropes, while providing a foundation of useful snippets so that more experienced programmers don’t need to re-invent the wheel.

The previous incarnation of SSK has been shuttered in favor of streamlining the useful bits and excising the more redundant areas. The important part of this move is that the original SSK has been moved to a new home. Older links and trackbacks probably will not work as they were once intended, but the links in the original forum thread lead the way to the older code. Update your bookmarks now!

iOS contact access without breaking a sweat

The arcane inner workings of iOS devices can be a difficult thing to wrap your mind around. What is and isn’t “sandboxed,” what we need to remember from a permissions standpoint and what, if any, security concerns might arise from an errant network API call should be at the forefront of everyone’s mind during iOS development.

Not only does the thread below talk about how to access the iOS contact info using the normal everyday Corona flavor, but it helpfully runs down some sample code on what to do with the return data when you get it. Check out the original thread to grab some quick tips!

Get a jumpstart on Coronium issues

As much as we would like to think so, no system is perfect. Reporting and squashing bugs and feature issues in our apps and games is a daily occurrence. It should come as no surprise then that other APIs that we rely on need the same kind of checkups.

That’s why this thread is so interesting. The normally harmonious life between mongoDB and Coronium LS can still get bumps and scrapes from time to time. The complications that come with modifying documents on the fly can be difficult to diagnose, but fortunately the worldwide Coronium faithful are up to the task! Check out the info contained therein and see if you can pick up a few tricks yourself.

About Alex

Alex Jackson is an indie developer and the founder of Panc Interactive, specializing in retro-style gaming. He has created several mobile applications, enjoys long walks on the beach, pixel art, and reading the Corona forums. Contact him by email or follow him on Twitter: @pancinteractive. Check out his new game Segreta on iOS, Android, Windows Phone, and Amazon devices.