14 DAY TRIAL // LiveCode, the software development platform by Runtime Revolution, has been updated with a new deployment pack for iOS development. The tool offers support for the Web, desktop, server and additional mobile platforms starting at $99.
LiveCode enables real-time development with instantly-made adaptations and modifications, according to its makers, who highlight flagship features like compile-free coding, an English-like programming language, and cross-platform development.
Notably, the language in LiveCode lets users write code that makes sense using expressive, memorable syntax, while flexible delivery options allow developers to reuse the same code across multiple devices and platforms, including the iPhone and iPad.
“Software development is often seen as difficult, overly complicated or too expensive, yet the reality can be very different with the right technology solution,” said Kevin Miller, CEO of RunRev.
“Since introducing the LiveCode platform nine years ago, RunRev has demonstrated that individual ingenuity and aspirations need not be held back because of unfamiliarity with a piece of software,” added Miller.
The CEO concluded by saying that “LiveCode is the next step in bringing affordable, robust software development to a wider audience.”
If anyone is wondering why Runtime Revolution took this long to announce iOS support in LiveCode, it all has to do with Apple’s relaxed policies surrounding iOS development.
RunRev introduced the pre-release version of LiveCode Deployment Pack for iOS “following in the heels of the revised Apple developer guidelines,” the company said.
The pricing is identical to the what Apple charges for its own, iPhone / iOS Developer Program - $99 pricing for one seat.
With this pricing scheme, RunRev notes, “iPhone and iPad development is accessible to everyone, including educators and individuals creating not-for-profit applications.”
Included in the pre-release iOS Deployment Pack is functionality for shake motion detection, multi-touch, accelerometer, photo picker, and support for orientation, core location and sending email, the company noted.
A person who’s already employed LiveCode to create apps for primary school students in Malawi, Africa, is quoted in the report as saying that the program has been quite successful, in part because of the benefits posed by LiveCode.
“If we can use tools like LiveCode to develop and iterate quickly, and use handheld devices to deliver, I think we are on the verge of a revolution in terms of delivering education,” said Andrew Ashe, managing director of EuroTalk.
“We know from decades of experience developing interactive content that the most important thing is having an iterative development process,” Ashe said.
He added that “LiveCode is such a joy to use because you can develop interfaces and functionality very quickly and see if they work right away. We need great tools that can interface between an author writing primary education, or a journalist, or whomever.”
According to the developer, “The more accessible the tool, the more it unlocks all of this other expertise, allowing it to feed into this revolution that we know is happening.”