Roku Developer Program

[bollywood]

i downloaded the SDK, but its still very confusing trying to understand how to create a channel.

is this code in C++ or ???

[stratcat96]

it is a proprietary code called Brightscript. Syntactically similar to JavaScript and VBscript, but shares similarities to other languages as well. A good place to start is working with the example .zip files

[bollywood]

i know some javascript and some vbscript.

you said this is proprietary, so is there any sort of reference book or anything? i was reading through the examples but keep getting lost as there are so many code files.

can i just create one simple file with all the code in it(like a single executable file) or it doesn't work that way?

[renojim]

Read the BrightScript reference in the SDK for information about the language and the Component reference for specific elements that apply to the streaming player.

Yes, you can just have one source file, but you need a manifest and your zip needs to have a 'source' subdirectory with your source file(s).

-JT

[tensen]

"bollywood" wrote:
i know some javascript and some vbscript.

you said this is proprietary, so is there any sort of reference book or anything? i was reading through the examples but keep getting lost as there are so many code files.

can i just create one simple file with all the code in it(like a single executable file) or it doesn't work that way?

The seperate code files are there mostly to break up the sections of code to make it easier to figure out where related routines are located. So technically you could make it all a single file if you wanted. But you still need a source directory and a makefile that is outside the directory. (And as many of us learn when we screw up our first channel... graphics, especially ones that fit the right dimensions.)

The ComponentReference.pdf file mentioned above is better than many of the reference guides I've gotten when proprietary scripting languages before.

[bollywood]

i just noticed that a new version beta of sdk is released. does this mean that i should download that one instead of the current one v29 that i am trying to learn?

[RokuKevin]

That is your choice. Currently end users are running v2.9, so if you want to publish a channel that users can install now use v2.9.

v3.0 has many new features and is not a long way off (though I don't have an official date to share), so you might be able to start developing now and if it take you a few months to develop any way v3.0 will probably be on user's Roku boxes by the time you are ready to release.

If you do choose to develop with v3.0, you'll need to PM me your serial number so I can put you in the beta group.

--Kevin

[bollywood]

well, i am learning the brighscript right now and trying to create a channel.

how far off in the future is the new release? no fixed date but give me more of a general idea, 2 months, 4 months, 6 months?

as you know, the brightscript is new to me and i am still learning the current version, but if the new SDK will come out of beta soon, i will start working on the new SDK instead of putting lots of time and effort on the current one.

[tensen]

"bollywood" wrote:

as you know, the brightscript is new to me and i am still learning the current version, but if the new SDK will come out of beta soon, i will start working on the new SDK instead of putting lots of time and effort on the current one.

It isn't like you have to learn a whole new language. There is a good chance you aren't even using the new features. God ahead and download the new one. A safe bet is to look at the examples in each version of the SDK. If the example didn't exist in the previous SDK then it likely uses calls that need the new version.

[bollywood]

i think i am going to use one of the sample channel codes provided in the SDK for my first channel, which ones of these is simpler and easier?

customvideoplayer
or
simplevideoplayer