Our favorite Xojo Blog post in June was actually 3 posts: JSON Feed Web App, JSON Feed iOS App, and JSON Feed Desktop App. Paul got to talk server updates with John Gruber (he’s still talking about around the watercoolor).

Sorry if no one replied to your email back on June 9th, we were reading the reviews on this Banana Slicer.

Javier brought to our attention that NASA had needed engineers that knew assembly languages and FORTRAN. Sorry y’all, the post has been filled.

I was excited to learn that this year’s Astronaut class of 12 includes 5 women!

We just can’t get away from JSON! Paul found this brief history of JSON.

This punny bit about the origin of the name CodeWarrior that we learned when researching its history for our post Daring to Defy Software Extinction about the longevity of dev tools.

Speaking of puns, did you know there was a Programming Puns subreddit? Now you do!

Catch this recap of the June Virtual Xojo User Group meeting – that’s VXUG for those of you in the know

Jason found out that GE is building the world’s largest ‘Additive’ Machine which will 3D print metal parts for jets from metal powder.

That’s all for June, we hope you enjoyed wasting a little time with us. See you next month!

Download MP3.

Show Notes

• BKeeney Software
• Microsoft SQL Server
• Microsoft SQL Server on Linux
• Navicat
• Data Definition Language
• Tree swing Requirements
• ActiveRecord

Do you have a free book so I can learn to code? Yes, Intro to Programming with Xojo is free!

Can I ask my beginner questions? Yes, the Xojo forum is a gateway to the friendly and helpful Xojo community.

The Xojo language is Object-Oriented. Object-Oriented programming is an excellent way to learn the fundamentals of computer programming. Xojo is also cross-platform, which means you can build apps for all kinds of platforms using a single code base. Xojo is a Rapid Application Development tool, which means it’s developed to make building apps simple and quick.

We offer a lot of resources to help anyone interested in learning to code with Xojo. But we do have some specific resources that will interest and assist students learning the fundamentals of coding and Xojo:

Books

Introduction to Programming With Xojo– This is a solid resource for learning the fundamentals of programming. While you will use Xojo, the concepts introduced are applicable to any language you want to learn later. In our experience, this book can be helpful to students as young 12 or 13 years old! We also have a Teacher’s Guide for educators planning on using Xojo in the classroom.

iOS Booklet– This booklet shows you how to use Xojo to develop for our latest supported platform, iOS!

Books, Magazines, Training & Tutorials from the Xojo community.

From the Xojo Blog Archives

First and foremost, who should learn to code!? Everyone!
Now that you have made your apps with Xojo, read how to Package, Sell & Market your apps.
Xoppy Bird – Building a Flappy Bird clone in Xojo
Hour of Code Projects for teachers & students: Spelling Test, Math Facts, iOS Doodle, Cat Pictures, Asteroid Run
The Flat Earth for Young Software Entrepreneurs– Today a 12 year old with a good idea and some determination can create an app and sell it with little up-front cost.
Earn the Boy Scout Programming Merit Badge with Xojo.

On-Demand Webinars & Videos

Retro Gaming – A fun webinar for beginners! Learn as we create a simple clone of the Atari 2600 game Combat.
This Playlist of videos is geared towards Getting Started with Xojo. Recorded webinars and video tutorials can be watched anytime.

Tutorials & Quizzes

Want to see it done? Tutorials take you step-by-step through the code for a Desktop, Web or iOS program. Or get into the details with how to create your own customer controls, build a messenger app, access the serial port, build an iOS app and more.

For a greater challenge see our Timer Tutorial & Quizzes, SQLite Basics Tutorial & Quizzes and the more in-depth SQLiteDatabase & iOSQLiteDatabase Tutorial & Quizzes. Keep checking in, we add new Tutorials all the time!

Other Resources

Here are step-by-step instructions on how to get started with Xojo. And of course the Xojo Blog is always full of tips, announcements, and news about Xojo and cross-platform development. The Xojo Forum is a good stop when you want to crowdsource your answers or ask a Xojo expert. There are also open-source Xojo projects to review and utilize.

What do you need to start learning to code with Xojo? Email me, I’m here to help you find the resource you need.

We’d love if you showed up ready to have some fun and learn something new at your local Code Day event with your new Xojo license! Starting Monday, May 19th and running through Sunday May 25th we’re offering students and teachers 30% off new Xojo licenses! Simply send me an email at custserv@xojo.com using your academic email address or include a picture of your current student ID and I’ll send you a coupon code for 30% off any new Xojo license! And don’t forget about Xojo’s free Introduction to Programming textbook and our new Teacher’s Guide!

Code Day is a special event, and this is the first time it will be celebrated across the United States. Please share this post and help spread the word about #CodeDay and codeday.org, let’s grow the Xojo community and encourage more coding across the world! Like they say at code.org, “Build something awesome in 24 hours!”

I first learned to code when I was a pre-teen (on an Atari 400). Back then, most computers were hooked up to TV sets and you saved the programs you wrote on cassette tapes (if you could save them at all). Computers were difficult to use back then and few people owned one, but that’s not the case any more. Be sure to check out this forum conversation for others perspectives on coding in the “olden days”.

But these days computers are everywhere. Your phone is a computer, your game console is a computer, your thermostat is a computer, your car is a computer, your TV Is a computer and soon I hear your watch will be a computer.

If computers are so prevalent, doesn’t it make sense to know more about them? This is a driving reason why you (and everyone) should learn to code. Other reasons I can think of include:

• It’s fun
• Improve your critical thinking
• Provides some concrete behavior for abstract concepts
• Profit
• Impress your friends
• Make your job easier
• It’s a valuable skill
• Switch careers

Obviously, we love it when people learn to code using Xojo. One of the benefits of learning to code using Xojo is that it is a fully integrated development environment. That means everything you need to get started is in one place so you don’t to worry about complicated setup or learning multiple technologies to get things done. And because we want to make it as easy as possible, we’ve created a free book for you: Introduction to Programming Using Xojo. Plus we have nearly 100 webinars & videos, see this Playlist of videos to help you get started. If you’re short on time, you can also check out the short Introduction to Xojo video which shows you how to create a web app in less than 15 minutes.

In the spirit of learning to code, this week is Computer Science Education Week (December 9th through December 15th). You can use Xojo to take part in the “Hour of Code” that they are sponsoring this year.

So grab yourself some Xojo and take the first step towards learning to code! And don’t forget to tell us all about your progress on Twitter (@xojo).