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

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

#41

Post by benihana »

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?

You can't copy/paste pencil marks.

Users can't interact with paper mock ups.

You have to re-draw the menu on every page you mock up or tell the people you're showing the mock up to imagine it. Both of these suck.

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

#44

Post by pootch »

michaelmior wrote: post #15
DenisM wrote: post #13

Looks good. To help put things in perspective - how is this different from Sencha?

Judging by the title, Rachet isn't designed to build a complete app, but just a prototype for faster iteration before starting on a final native iOS app.

right because we need more than a napkin to prototype? Im not writing prototype code. Thats so 1982.

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

#46

Post by chaselee »

jyap wrote: post #30

I was playing around with jQuery Mobile the other night to create a simple iPhone compatible web form. I found the WYSIWYG builder Codiqa on their web site was really handy. It was literally 5 mins of building, download, and then tweak the HTML file and I was done. Perhaps that is the next step for Ratchet? A drag and drop WYSIWYG editor.

While that would be cool, I'm not sure what Rachet really does for me above JQM. JQM could be better on performance, sure, but all in all, I don't see any other compelling reason to use Rachet. Is there something I'm missing?

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

#47

Post by skyhook_mockups »

bobdole3 wrote: post #40
skyhook_mockups wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 sam…

Every project/team is different. Sometimes a designer wants to communicate with another designer, sometimes with a developer and sometimes with a client. Each of these stakeholders will react differently to:

'...this screen looks like.. well you know a stock tableview'

And sometimes these people aren't in the same room/building/country

Simply dismissing the tool because you cant think of a use-case is a bit short sighted.

PS: also when designing for the iphone, elements have a surprisingly different feel when shown on a device.

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

#48

Post by jgv »

brianr wrote: post #32

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

you forgot about juicy j

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

#49

Post by [deleted] »

brianr wrote: post #32

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

[deleted]

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

#50

Post by xradionut »

brianr wrote: post #32

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

Or the programming language Racket...
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