Corona (software development kit)
Encyclopedia
Corona SDK is a software development kit
created by Walter Luh, co-founder of Ansca Mobile
. It allows software programmers to build mobile applications
for the iPhone, iPad, and Android devices.
Corona lets developers use integrated Lua, layered on top of Objective-C
, to build graphically rich applications that are also lightweight in size and quick in development time. The SDK does not charge per-app royalty or impose any branding requirement, and has a subscription-based purchase model that allows new features to be rolled out immediately to users.
in 2007. At Adobe, they were both mobile engineers who worked on Flash Lite
; Icaza was the senior mobile engineering manager who led the Flash Lite team while Luh was the lead architect. In June 2009, they released the first Corona SDK beta free for early adopters.
In December 2009, Ansca launched Corona SDK 1.0 for the iPhone
. Plans for additional platforms were also announced at this time. The following February, the Corona SDK 1.1 was released with additional features.
In April 2010, the Corona SDK 2.0 beta was released. Corona 2.0's definitive new feature was cross-platform support for the iPhone, iPad
, and Android devices; additional 2.0 features are expected to be rolled out gradually per Corona's subscription-based purchase model. Later that month, Ansca announced a beta for Corona Game Edition, which will include a physics engine and other advanced features aimed specifically at game development
. This engine was used by a young eighth grader, who developed a physics puzzle game called Bubble Ball
, which reached the top spot on the list of free games on Apple iTunes within the first two weeks after its release on December 22, 2010.
In January 2011, Corona SDK was released for Windows XP
and newer, giving developers the opportunity to build Android apps on PC
.
Later, in April, Corona's platforms were expanded to include Barnes & Noble
's NOOK Color
as Ansca Mobile forged a partnership with Barnes & Noble to bring select Corona-made apps to the newly revamped tablet
. Since then, apps created by Corona developers have been among the NOOK Color's most downloaded, breaking into its top 20 and top 10 charts on a regular basis.
In August 2011, Ansca Mobile unveiled LaunchPad, a combination of partnerships and cloud-based
analytics aimed at helping Corona SDK developers better publicize and fine-tune marketing efforts for their apps. LaunchPad's partnerships include mobile advertising
network InMobi
, social gaming
platform PapayaMobile, and several app review sites -- all of whom will further spotlight Corona-made apps through their respective channels. Ansca said the move is aimed at helping their developers' apps be more successful once they've been shipped to the Apple App Store and/or various Android app stores (Google
's official Android Market
, Amazon Appstore
, etc.).
Software development kit
A software development kit is typically a set of software development tools that allows for the creation of applications for a certain software package, software framework, hardware platform, computer system, video game console, operating system, or similar platform.It may be something as simple...
created by Walter Luh, co-founder of Ansca Mobile
Ansca Mobile
Ansca Mobile is a mobile software company that develops the Corona SDK for mobile app creation. The company is based out of Palo Alto, California.Co-founders Carlos Icaza and Walter Luh started Ansca Mobile after departing from Adobe in 2007...
. It allows software programmers to build mobile applications
Mobile application development
Mobile application development is the process by which application software is developed for small low-power handheld devices such as personal digital assistants, enterprise digital assistants or mobile phones...
for the iPhone, iPad, and Android devices.
Corona lets developers use integrated Lua, layered on top of Objective-C
Objective-C
Objective-C is a reflective, object-oriented programming language that adds Smalltalk-style messaging to the C programming language.Today, it is used primarily on Apple's Mac OS X and iOS: two environments derived from the OpenStep standard, though not compliant with it...
, to build graphically rich applications that are also lightweight in size and quick in development time. The SDK does not charge per-app royalty or impose any branding requirement, and has a subscription-based purchase model that allows new features to be rolled out immediately to users.
History
Co-founders Carlos Icaza and Walter Luh started Ansca Mobile after departing from AdobeAdobe Systems
Adobe Systems Incorporated is an American computer software company founded in 1982 and headquartered in San Jose, California, United States...
in 2007. At Adobe, they were both mobile engineers who worked on Flash Lite
Flash Lite
Adobe Flash Lite is a lightweight version of Adobe Flash Player, a software application published by Adobe Systems. This version is intended for mobile phones and other portable electronic devices like Chumby and iRiver, and allows users of these devices to view multimedia content and applications...
; Icaza was the senior mobile engineering manager who led the Flash Lite team while Luh was the lead architect. In June 2009, they released the first Corona SDK beta free for early adopters.
In December 2009, Ansca launched Corona SDK 1.0 for the iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
. Plans for additional platforms were also announced at this time. The following February, the Corona SDK 1.1 was released with additional features.
In April 2010, the Corona SDK 2.0 beta was released. Corona 2.0's definitive new feature was cross-platform support for the iPhone, iPad
IPad
The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
, and Android devices; additional 2.0 features are expected to be rolled out gradually per Corona's subscription-based purchase model. Later that month, Ansca announced a beta for Corona Game Edition, which will include a physics engine and other advanced features aimed specifically at game development
Game development
Game development is the software development process by which a video game is developed. Development is undertaken by a game developer, which may range from a single person to a large business. Mainstream games are normally funded by a publisher and take several years to develop. Indie games can...
. This engine was used by a young eighth grader, who developed a physics puzzle game called Bubble Ball
Bubble ball
Bubble Ball is a physics puzzle game developed by a 14-year-old boy, Robert Nay. It was released on December 22, 2010 and in its first two weeks was downloaded 1 million times from Apple iTunes...
, which reached the top spot on the list of free games on Apple iTunes within the first two weeks after its release on December 22, 2010.
In January 2011, Corona SDK was released for Windows XP
Windows XP
Windows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops and media centers. First released to computer manufacturers on August 24, 2001, it is the second most popular version of Windows, based on installed user base...
and newer, giving developers the opportunity to build Android apps on PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
.
Later, in April, Corona's platforms were expanded to include Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble, Inc. is the largest book retailer in the United States, operating mainly through its Barnes & Noble Booksellers chain of bookstores headquartered at 122 Fifth Avenue in the Flatiron District in Manhattan in New York City. Barnes & Noble also operated the chain of small B. Dalton...
's NOOK Color
Nook Color
The Nook Color is a color version of the Nook e-reader device by Barnes & Noble. It is a 7-inch tablet with full-color multitouch touchscreen input. The device is designed for full-color viewing of books, newspapers, magazines, and children's picture books...
as Ansca Mobile forged a partnership with Barnes & Noble to bring select Corona-made apps to the newly revamped tablet
Tablet computer
A tablet computer, or simply tablet, is a complete mobile computer, larger than a mobile phone or personal digital assistant, integrated into a flat touch screen and primarily operated by touching the screen...
. Since then, apps created by Corona developers have been among the NOOK Color's most downloaded, breaking into its top 20 and top 10 charts on a regular basis.
In August 2011, Ansca Mobile unveiled LaunchPad, a combination of partnerships and cloud-based
Cloud computing
Cloud computing is the delivery of computing as a service rather than a product, whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices as a utility over a network ....
analytics aimed at helping Corona SDK developers better publicize and fine-tune marketing efforts for their apps. LaunchPad's partnerships include mobile advertising
Mobile advertising
Mobile advertising is a form of advertising via mobile phones or other mobile devices. It is a subset of mobile marketing.- Overview :...
network InMobi
InMobi
InMobi is the largest independent mobile advertising network in the world. The company was founded in India in 2007 and has business set up in the Asia Pacific region, Africa, US, Europe, and Japan...
, social gaming
Social gaming
Social gaming commonly refers to playing games as a way of social interaction, as opposed to playing games in solitude, like some card games and the single-player mode of many video games...
platform PapayaMobile, and several app review sites -- all of whom will further spotlight Corona-made apps through their respective channels. Ansca said the move is aimed at helping their developers' apps be more successful once they've been shipped to the Apple App Store and/or various Android app stores (Google
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
's official Android Market
Android Market
Android Market is an online software store developed by Google for Android OS devices. Its gateway is an application program called "Market", preinstalled on most Android devices, allows users to browse and download mobile apps published by third-party developers...
, Amazon Appstore
Amazon Appstore
The Amazon Appstore is a mobile application store for the Google Android operating system and was opened on March 22, 2011. It was launched with around 3,800 applications both free or paid. Developers are paid either 70% of the sale price or 20% of the developer's list price, whichever one is...
, etc.).
Features
- Proprietary OpenGL-ES rendering engine allows for full hardware acceleration of graphics, including sprites that animate at full GPU speed.
- Transition library enables tweeningTweeningInbetweening or tweening is the process of generating intermediate frames between two images to give the appearance that the first image evolves smoothly into the second image. Inbetweens are the drawings between the key frames which help to create the illusion of motion...
of Corona-powered spritesSprite (computer graphics)In computer graphics, a sprite is a two-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into a larger scene...
' position, rotation, alpha, or any other property. - Supports native iPhone and Android UIUser interfaceThe user interface, in the industrial design field of human–machine interaction, is the space where interaction between humans and machines occurs. The goal of interaction between a human and a machine at the user interface is effective operation and control of the machine, and feedback from the...
. Developers can access the iPhone's native text features including all fonts, multi-line fields, and keyboard input. - Apps built with Corona start at under 400KB in size.
- Subscription-based purchase model allows users to have new updates as soon as they are rolled out.
- Full feature integration with device camera, accelerometer, magnetometer, video player, compass, and/or GPS.