Virtus Computing

To make the test application we are just going to do the hello world app. This just prints the words hello world on the form to prove that it works. When you clickt he text hello world it will change, just to show how events are handled.

To start when you open Basic4Android it gives you a set of code already. We will be using this code to click Save and select where you want to save the project and all its files. I recommend making a new folder just for the project. Then name the project what you want. here is it called Testing for Tutorial then click save.

After we have save the project the file is created with a .b4a on the end (as seen in the picture above). Once we have saved we can now open up the designer, Click Designer on the menu bar. Two new windows will open up like the below. One of them (The bigger one) Is the control properties window. The other is the Designer.

You can now click Add New and then Label. It inserts the label onto the form and called it Label1 You can drag this around and re size it if you want to (When the item is clicked on the properties window you can change the test font and size. You can input the text there, but we are going to do it programmatic for now. Right click on the label and hover over Generate then Dim Label1 As Label, Then do that again but select Click this time.

Once that has been done we can save the layout, Click File then Save and give the layout a name of main and click Ok. The window should look like the one below.

Once we have done that we can close the designer and begin on the code. There is not allot of code for this program. The first bit it to load the label one we start the program. And then to print text into the label.

Sub Activity_Create(FirstTime AsBoolean)
Activity.LoadLayout("main")
'The line above is to load in the layout we made, remember the name "main"
Label1.Text = "Hello World"
'The line above print the text "Hello World" onto label1
End Sub

The code above should replace the code already in the Activity_Create. The code below is to change the text when the user clicks on the label.

Sub Label1_Click
Label1.Text = "I've been clicked"
'The line above print the text "I've been clicked" onto label1
End Sub

The code above should replace whats in Label1_Click. When the activity is started it calls the first bit of code which sets up the windows and loads in the forms. It then prints the first bit of text to the label. When the label is clicked it calls the second bit of code which changes the text. Make sure to save at this point!

Testing on a android device

If you are using a physical android device then connect it to the same WiFi to the computer(this is the way i do it) Download the Program to your phone (The Basic4Android Bridge linked in the top) Then run it, it needs to configuration and should have some buttons on there. Click the button that says Start – Wireless, it should then start the service. It will say “waiting for connections” when it is ready. Then go to your computer and in basic for android go to Tools then B4A Bridge then Connect – Wireless.

It will prompt you for an IP, This is displayed on your phone and should be something like 192.168.1.68. Type it in and click connect.

If it has worked your phone will say connected.

If it has worked then you can now click the Blue Arrow on basic for android and it will compile the application. When it is done your device will prompt you to install the app automatically. But the APK file is in /objects/Testing for Tutorial.apk so you can send it to your device another way.

Installing the app on the phone. You need to click Install at the first screen, It will then install the application

After it has installed you can Open or Done, You want to open it and make sure it has worked. If you click the label the text will change.

Make sure to press Stop on B4A Bridge to save your battery when you are done.

Written by Zachary.