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Ratchet: Prototyping iPhone apps in simple HTML, CSS, and JS

maker.github.com

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Re: Ratchet: Prototyping iPhone apps in simple HTML, CSS, and JS

#31

Post by markdotto »

bobdole3 wrote: post #27
netghost wrote: post #10

I was pleasantly surprised when I realized that as I scrolled the example on the right changed. Really nice site guys.

Your website is cool, but If all you are doing is setting up some basic widgets like (tables and buttons) why don't you just use interface builder. It's way faster and cuts down on the use of these jerryatric noob tools. Who needs to show someone a prototype of a basic table view anyway? Moreover, creating stuff like this in graphics gives you the resulting assets and similarly creating in interface builder gives you…

That's an understandable point of view, save for the waste of time part, but it's not the use case they're targeting (I think). Ratchet I feel is primarily for folks who don't use Interface Builder, who aren't engineers, and who just want to test stuff out really quickly and efficiently (with HTML and CSS). Great for designers like myself who aren't as tech saavy but know the ins and outs of simple code like HTML and CSS.

As is the case with just about every other application, project, framework, and sexual intercourse: there are many ways to do the same thing and not all of them work for everyone.

Re: Ratchet: Prototyping iPhone apps in simple HTML, CSS, and JS

#32

Post by brianr »

Looks great, guys.

Slightly off-topic... the name "Ratchet" seems to be getting pretty crowded. In addition to this, there's also:

- Ratchet the websockets library for PHP: http://socketo.me/

- http://ratchet.io - error tracking (my startup)

- Ratchet the consulting company (acquired earlier this year), which owned ratchet.com

Re: Ratchet: Prototyping iPhone apps in simple HTML, CSS, and JS

#33

Post by bobdole3 »

davidlumley wrote: post #29
bobdole3 wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your website is cool, but If all you are doing is setting up some basic widgets like (tables and buttons) why don't you just use interface builder. It's way faster and cuts down on the use of these jerryatric noob tools. Who needs to show someone a prototype of a basic table view anyway? Moreover, creating stuff like this in graphics gives you the resulting assets and similarly creating in interface builder gives you…

I think you completely misunderstand the audience for Rachet. It's a HTML/JS/CSS prototyping tool, so if you're building a web application for iPhone it makes it so much easier to get a basic prototype together and start hallway testing. Interface builder is _not_ the tool for doing this. Additionally, just because you're not 'creating stuff like this in graphics' doesn't mean that you'll never create a proper interf…

How is this better than pencil and paper. You don't have to see the button depress to know what the button does, right?

Re: Ratchet: Prototyping iPhone apps in simple HTML, CSS, and JS

#35

Post by skyhook_mockups »

bobdole3 wrote: post #33
davidlumley wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you completely misunderstand the audience for Rachet. It's a HTML/JS/CSS prototyping tool, so if you're building a web application for iPhone it makes it so much easier to get a basic prototype together and start hallway testing. Interface builder is _not_ the tool for doing this. Additionally, just because you're not 'creating stuff like this in graphics' doesn't mean that you'll never create a proper interf…

How is this better than pencil and paper. You don't have to see the button depress to know what the button does, right?

It's a lot harder to email paper? there aren't many good paper VCS? Paper is great for quick sketches and has its place. Digital is good for lots of other use cases. Maybe use what suits on a case by case basis?

Re: Ratchet: Prototyping iPhone apps in simple HTML, CSS, and JS

#37

Post by 8ig8 »

netghost wrote: post #10

I was pleasantly surprised when I realized that as I scrolled the example on the right changed. Really nice site guys.

I wish it worked on my 1st gen iPad. I get the first component, but everything after that is semi-transparent.

Sounds great.

Re: Ratchet: Prototyping iPhone apps in simple HTML, CSS, and JS

#39

Post by joshuamerrill »

ayanb wrote: post #34

Interestingly, one of the creators of Ratchet is @fat, who is a co-creator of twitter bootstrap, so he would know a thing or two about adoption of new frameworks.

Considering that, I find it odd that the Ratchet homepage doesn't appear to be using Bootstrap.

Re: Ratchet: Prototyping iPhone apps in simple HTML, CSS, and JS

#40

Post by bobdole3 »

skyhook_mockups wrote: post #35
bobdole3 wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How is this better than pencil and paper. You don't have to see the button depress to know what the button does, right?

It's a lot harder to email paper? there aren't many good paper VCS? Paper is great for quick sketches and has its place. Digital is good for lots of other use cases. Maybe use what suits on a case by case basis?

I'd like to see a designer speak up about using stuff like this more than one time. I find I'd hard to believe that you would sit down, after already playing around with this once, and say "this time I'm going to add a chevron to each cell, put the button on the left side, and go test it in the hallway". If your app is a table with a stock navigation system do you really ever need to build a second version of the same thing?
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