Making own java games.

Syth · 05-12-2003 7:12pm #1

I currently a Ready to go customer, with a Nokia 3310. Due to the large amount of texts I send, I've been thinking of getting a bill phone, what really attracts me is the idea of java games. So I'm thinking of getting a new handset aswell. Also I have an interest in game programming and we've learned java in college. I've looked into this a little.

What I'm not sure of is how do you get the games you write to your fone? How can the average user get their games onto their fones? Is there a way to do this in Ireland? Does anyone have any experience with this?

Thanks

x in the city · 05-12-2003 7:21pm

aye, i know what your on about, im doing java as well.....rather trying to do it.

you would need a development kit for mobile devices and i dont know much more. there must be a way to transfer these to mobile fones......im sure you will find out one way or another...

think of the money thats in this.....we should team up.......remake the classic games of the 80s and retire in the bahamas..........mmmmmm

oneweb · 05-12-2003 7:24pm

A good start would be the j2me (Java Mobile Edition) on sun.com. There's a specific IDE afaik.
http://java.sun.com/j2me/

DeadBankClerk · 06-12-2003 1:40pm

Originally posted by x in the city
aye, i know what your on about, im doing java as well.....rather trying to do it.

you would need a development kit for mobile devices and i dont know much more. there must be a way to transfer these to mobile fones......im sure you will find out one way or another...

think of the money thats in this.....we should team up.......remake the classic games of the 80s and retire in the bahamas..........mmmmmm

i thought you hated java and can't program?

x in the city · 08-12-2003 1:36pm

oh you again eh!!

my lecturer was fuming about the thread on the boards site y'know.......hehehe............(joke)

i do hate java, im just trying to give it my best shot.

everyone on my course hates it......just look at the 'java hell @ gmit /castlebar post

are you a jack of all trades guy?????/// (or master of none?)

OfflerCrocGod · 08-12-2003 5:30pm

That's not Java fault it's your crap Lecturer.

Hobbes · 09-12-2003 9:38am

http://developers.sun.com/

Is a good starting point as well. Also do a search for my thread on Sharp GX10i. It is a different phone but will give you tips on where to look for more information.

The Second · 10-12-2003 1:39am

as a vodafone employee and a java programmer I seriously advise you not to go bill.

you can experiment as much as you like RTG.... you go bill and dislike you are stuck with them for 12 months...

if that is the only reason you are going bill... drop that like a bad habit.

Hobbes · 10-12-2003 9:43am

Yea RTG is the way to go.

Vodafone employee? Hows about finding out how I can upload my programs to a Sharp GX10i using the datacable? Cheers.

yossarin · 10-12-2003 10:33am

Syth - what typ of phone are you thinking of getting ?

Generally you write an app, and encapsulate it in a Java .jad file (+/- app description). this can be emailed, downloaded, or copied over a data cable to your phone (depends on the spec of the phone - make sure to check before buying!).

Depending on the type of phone you're after, have a look at

Nokia
http://www.forum.nokia.com/main/0,6566,010,00.html
Motorola
http://www.motocoder.com/
etc... (can't remember the others at the mo...)

If you're buying a new phone, i'd advise looking at at a symbian OS based one - they have C++, VB and Java support.
Also - phones specs are slightly different in each country and with each telco. it might be work a bit of research into what each telco will support.

generally, you can just research good phone, and download a development kit + emulators for it from the manafacturers website.
sun have built an IDE called Sun ONE (libaries + a few generic emulators). haven't used it though.

Mobile development is an area that i'm moving into + I'm hoping to share any interesting apps that i develop. get back to me if you get anywhere fun with it !

Syth · 10-12-2003 4:33pm

I have a ready to go phone, and I was thinking of getting a bill phone to get cheaper texts because 95% of my credit goes on texts, but there doesn't seem to be much saving if you switch to a bill phone.

I didn't know that you could send them via a cable. I emailed both Vodafone and O2 about sending a programme to a phone. I've only heard from Vodafone and they said there there is no servide that allows you to send programmes to a phone. Weird...

I'm not really sure what kind of handset to get, I've mainly been looking at them all.

yossarin · 10-12-2003 6:00pm

no service that allows you to send programmes to a phone

...maybe they were thinking about GSM (2 G) phones, I dunno. also , perhaps they are completely clueless

Read the relevent specs, but i believe that most GRPS (2.5 G) phones upwards allow application downloading and even allowing them store data on the phone (high scores, etc.). I went to a nokia developers conference this time last year and they were endorsing this type of functionality as being standard on all of their 2.5 / 3 G phones.

Syth · 10-12-2003 6:04pm

.maybe they were thinking about GSM (2 G) phones

Well i just asked them about sending games to a phone.

Now i'm confused.

Enygma · 10-12-2003 6:20pm

You just make a JAD file and download it through WAP.
Easy peasy.

I'd say they're probably clueless

yossarin · 10-12-2003 10:34pm

heh - dont worry about it - most telco standards are full of unnecessary double dutch

basicly, mobile phones have four "generations" (or "G"), based on their communication protocol. roughtly speaking, the newer the phone generation, the more memory / capability / etc. the phone has.

1G: the old analog brick phones

2G: GSM - digital signal, virtual circut based connection. The current standard in Ireland. crappy bandwidth

2.5 G: GPRS (Global Packet radio standard(?)), packet based, internet / wap / email capable. can run small apps, etc. better good bandwidth.

3 G: Wideband spread spectrum, packet based. decent-ish capabilities on devices and good bandwidth (up to 2 Mbits potentially on W-UMTS).

4 G: only still in theory i think: a mix of WiFi and 3 G used depending on context. snazzy devices that are really PDAs - As time moves on, phones are more and more being crossbred with PDAs to make this new hybrid - basicly a small but powerful pc with wireless connectivity.

I think that we can safely say that Vodafone either didn't understand you or just don't know anything.

Anyway, as Enygma said. just download a dev. kit for your model phone, write an app and download it via the web/wap if theres no data cable option.

coding for phones is just the same as standard java - just with a few quirks and a limited library (think awt 1.0 rather than swing

)

Hobbes · 11-12-2003 10:05am

Originally posted by yossarin
Anyway, as Enygma said. just download a dev. kit for your model phone, write an app and download it via the web/wap if theres no data cable option.

coding for phones is just the same as standard java - just with a few quirks and a limited library (think awt 1.0 rather than swing )

Also in some instances after you have finished coding I book I got on it some time ago recommends that you code badly to increase speed. Example.

for (i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
 myVar[i] = 10;
}

would be...

myVar[0]=10;
myVar[1]=10;
myVar[2]=10;
myVar[3]=10;
myVar[4]=10;

Other tips as well.

As for datacable. With my phone at least I know you can use the cable but they appear to have the phone locked.

yossarin · 11-12-2003 5:48pm

yeah - i forgot about that.

As memory is such an issue, object creation / etc. is somthing you have to be careful about. get a coding guide from the nokia dev. site - theres a ton of reading you can do on it...

Syth · 11-12-2003 9:48pm

Thanks for all the info guys, it's a real help.

I think that we can safely say that Vodafone either didn't understand you or just don't know anything.

That's slightly disconserting. I asked in a few of the O2 and vodafone shops and none of them had a clue. I wasn't expecting any of them to know, but it would have been nice. You'd think that if you emailed their technical support, that they'd know.

appear to have the phone locked.

How do you mean locked? Locked as in you can't put on any of your own programmes?

gerryk · 12-12-2003 12:08pm

Originally posted by Syth
That's slightly disconserting. I asked in a few of the O2 and vodafone shops and none of them had a clue. I wasn't expecting any of them to know, but it would have been nice. You'd think that if you emailed their technical support, that they'd know.

Don't be surprised... these people have no technical knowledge. They basically read from a support 'flowchart' asking relevant questions and following the arrows until they get to a solution 'box'. The problem is, if you ask a question that has no recognisable keywords for them to start their walk down the flowchart, they won't be able to answer.

Hobbes · 12-12-2003 1:36pm

Originally posted by Syth
How do you mean locked? Locked as in you can't put on any of your own programmes?

Locked in that you cannot access all the functions/areas of the phone via the datacable.

I checked with the company who made the software and for other phones you could access the java, address books, etc. For the Sharp GX10i you can only access pictures folder on the phone.

You can upload your own games to the phone but requires putting the game on the net and paying vodafone for the privilage.

Making own java games.

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