Prerequisites
Throughout the pages of this manual, the author makes a few assumptions about the reader.
You are a programmer
First, since smart mobile studio is a development studio we assume you are already a programmer and that you either have worked with or is currently using either Embarcadero Delphi or freepascal.
You have a basic understanding of object pascal
The second assumption is that we expect you to have mastered common programming concepts. Concepts like classes, inheritance, interfaces and virtual and abstract methods. But you do-not need to be an expert.
You know some javascript and html
Last but not least we assume that you have a basic understanding of HTML and javascript. Again you dont have to be an expert in any way, but understanding how a html document works, and what the document object model (DOM) is will benefit you greatly.
Online resources
Should you be found wanting in any of these skills then don’t panic. You can in fact learn most, if not all, these skills online for free. Websites like w3schools have in-depth tutorials and fact sheets you can use to learn html, css and javascript. So if you need to brush up a bit – head over to w3schools (http://www.w3schools.com/) and get up to speed with the latest developments.
W3Schools also have a very good introduction to javascript. It is not crucial that you learn javascript but it will make it much, much easier for you. If you really want to grab the bull by it’s horns I can strongly recommend the book Javascript, the definitive guide by David Flanagan. This is a 1080 page beast that explains every facet of the mysterious language in magnificent detail.
If you are completely new to object pascal but have a background in javascript, C++, C# or java – then I strongly urge you to buy a dedicated book on the subject. However there is a website which teach delphi online called delphi basics. It contains more or less everything you need to make the transition.
Now that you know our assumptions, lets get started!