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I'm just starting out with my Marmalade career with 6.1.

I'm aware they discontinued their UI builder in favor of 3rd party solutions. However, "Marmalade Ui Builder" in google brings up nothing in the first 3 pages (past 3 pages is always too far).

Are there such 3rd party tools? Or are people actually using notepad and writing ui's by hand?

I've seen an XML UI Builder that simply parses XML in to the .ui style. However, I don't see how that's any easier than typing everything out manually.

It also is ambiguous as to whether IwUI is actually the proper way to go about it anymore.

Some insight would be wonderful.

Rev Tyler
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1 Answers1

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IwUI is old system replaced with IwNUI. N states for Native. IwNUI uses native controls for each platform.

I have not used Iw*UI for games it is more simpler to write interface in GL myself. Basic Screens/Buttons manager is coded in few hours.

It is simpler to write such thing your self then learn that is has something you can't change.

If you develop business apps then Marmalade added PhoneGap support. I believe PhoneGap to be a better way for business cross-platform apps. Especially because most mobile platforms share WebKit engine. What is more important Marmalade Team them selves do not believe in Iw*UI and that is why they are forcing PhoneGap on Marmalade.

In other words do not use Iw*UI if do not know why you actually need it.

There is 3rd party 2D game engine IwGame. I do not use it but it has its own Interface Builder that defines interface in XML.

Max
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  • That was very illuminating. Thanks. So, I need to be working with phone gap for business apps then? – Rev Tyler Sep 23 '12 at 18:20
  • I made my phonegap app without Marmalade. Marmalade is just added PhoneGap support in 6.0. They use very old version of PhoneGap 1.4. In recent 6.1 they added support for native languages. C++ - JS bridge. 6.1.1 is very new. I use 6.0.6 my current project. There was thread on Marmalade forum. Someone asked if Marmalade is good for business and I think Marmalade team has not responded at all. – Max Sep 23 '12 at 18:41
  • They wish to make cross-platform UI that is easy to programs and looks great but it is very hard and they jump from IwUI -> IwNUI -> PhoneGap. (also they call phonegap in 6.0 WebMarmalade and in 6.1 Hybrid. Hybrid is because they implemented C-JS bridge for PhoneGap) With Marmalade you do not have direct access to platforms. Only throw EDK extensions. Not many ppl use PhoneGap on Marmalade. – Max Sep 23 '12 at 18:41