Codify / Codea for iPad – Programming in your iPad!
App Type: Uncategorized
Our rating: 
By: Two Lives Left
Version #: 1.1
Date Released: 2011-10-26
Developer: https://twolivesleft.com/Codify
Price: 7.99
User Rating:
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At last! For the geeks, for the wannabe programmers, for children. For all those users wanting a simple programming language paired with an awesome device, here we have Codify.
What is Codify for iPad? Codify is an iPad app, featuring an awesome IDE (integrated development environment), i.e. it has a text editor for source code on steroids. Paired with a programming language very close to Lua (which means moon in Portuguese, by the way), you can write programs in your iPad that you can again run in your iPad. What kind of programs, might you ask?
Well, Codify comes with around 10 program samples, showing you the use of several capabilities of the language. Catching gestures, multitouch, accelerometer, playing sounds. You can even place sprites to make your games better looking. This is the ideal app to teach a boy or a girl to program, because they can get immediate feedback on what they are doing, and can write very visual code, helped through a very visual environment.
There are some catches, though. Apple is very strict in what you can put in the App Store: you can’t write an app where you can get new content from outside the App Store. This rule is very strong, and means… you can’t transfer files, because you could make something awesome, sell it in your website and then transfer to your iPad, without passing through the Store. Then, the catch is, if you want to get code in or code out, you have to use multitasking and copy-paste.
Not a big deal for what it offers. Lua is a very easygoing language, which kind of reminded me of Python. I wrote a simple Mandelbrot set tracer in around 45 minutes, you can see an screenshot below. The program is (yet) not thought for this kind of code, and even if it works, it makes the screen flicker. Maybe it is my fault…But the experience was awesome, and it promises to get only better with time.
Quick Take
Value:Extremely high
Would I Buy Again:Absolutely
Learning Curve:Very high
Who Is It For:Wannabe programmers, programmers, kids who want to learn to code
What I Like:The IDE, the idea, the language
What I Don't Like:The lack of flexibility in what I can write
Final Statement:Must buy. This opens the door to huge developments in the iPad app world
code We think Codify is the most beautiful code editor you'll use, and it's easy. Codify is designed to let you touch your code. Want to change a number? Just tap and drag it. How about a color, or an image? Tapping will bring up visual editors that let you choose exactly what you want.
Codify is built on the Lua programming language. A simple, elegant language that doesn't rely too much on symbols — a perfect match for iPad.
Here's how you use it: type your code. Press play to watch it run. Interact with it. Get creative.
For a video demonstration, see twolivesleft.com/Codify
Screenshots
Article By ruben
Ruben Berenguel is finishing his PhD in Mathematics while writing in mostlymaths.net about being a 'geek of all trades'. He also happens to be the senior editor in the What's on iPhone network: any complaints go to him!
ruben has written 174 awesome app reviews.
