Xojo Documentation Xojo Documentation

Welcome to Xojo! If you are brand-new to Xojo, or even to programming entirely, there are a variety of ways you can quickly get started.

Xojo is free to use for developing, testing and debugging. To get started:

1. Download Xojo for your OS
2. Launch Xojo
3. (Optional) Sign In using your Xojo Account (that's the email and password you set up at Xojo.com). When you are signed in, any licenses you purchase will automatically download.

If you have any questions while using these resources, send an email to hello@xojo.com.

Xojo running in Dark Mode

Guides

If you prefer reading, you should work through the QuickStart guides which will give you a quick overview of the Xojo user interface and how to create a simple, working app. You should be able to work through each of the QuickStarts in 30 minutes or less. Even if you are familiar with other development tools, you are encouraged to take the time to go through at least one QuickStart to help you get familiar with how Xojo works.

• QuickStart for Desktop apps
• QuickStart for Web apps
• QuickStart for iOS apps

After completing these, you can move on to the Tutorial, which shows you how to create a slightly more sophisticated app with more code, Each Tutorial should take you less than an hour to complete.

• Tutorial for Desktop apps
• Tutorial for Web apps
• Tutorial for iOS apps

The QuickStarts and Tutorials are also available in multiple languages.

You should then move on to the Introduction to Programming with Xojo book. Full of examples, completing the book will give you a working knowledge of the fundamentals of programming. While you will be using Xojo, the concepts introduced in the book are applicable to any language you may choose to learn.

Have you used Visual Basic? Then be sure to read the Migrating from UserGuide:Migrating from Visual Basic topic.

If you are interested in the Raspberry Pi, the Programming Raspberry Pi with Xojo book is a great place to start.

You can finish your Xojo voyage of discovery by reading the User Guide:

• Fundamentals
  • Covers the Xojo IDE, its editors, programming language and object-oriented programming concepts
• User Interface
  • Covers the user interface controls used by iOS, desktop and web projects.
• Framework
  • Covers the "Classic" framework, including topics such as files, text, graphics, database, networking and more. In addition, there are topics on debugging and profiling and topics on migrating to the new Xojo framework.
• Technical Information
  • Covers app deployment, platform-specific features for Mac, Windows and Raspberry Pi, source control, migrating from other tools (such as FileMaker, Visual Basic and FoxPro) and much more.

Videos

If you are more of a hands-on, visual learner, you can watch our many introductory videos on the Xojo YouTube channel. Some highlights include:

• Creating a Desktop App Tutorial
• Creating a Web App Tutorial
• QuickStart for iOS
• Introduction to Programming 101
• Introduction to Programming 201
• Object-Oriented Programming Concepts
• Advanced Object-Oriented Programming Concepts

What if I have questions?

The best place to ask your questions is the Xojo Forum. At Xojo we truly believe that our community is our greatest resource so this forum is not like other forums you may have used. The Xojo Forum is full of very active and helpful users, plus our own staff who answer questions all the time. A quick search usually reveals a lot of common questions have already been answered, so be sure to take a look around before you post your questions as it might save you some time!

Log in to the forum using your Xojo Account and post your question in the appropriate "Channel" (aka topic).

How can I learn more?

Use the Search of the Xojo Dev Center to find more about your topics of interest. You may also want to search the Xojo Wiki, for information about the Classic framework that is used by Desktop and Web apps.

Register for our regular Xojo webinars to stay on top of your learning. And be sure to take a look at the over 60 webinar recordings that are available in the Videos section. Have a suggestion for a webinar topic? Be sure to submit it to us.

Want specialized training? We can do that. Send us an email with your training requirements and we'll get back to you with a quote.

The Xojo Blog is a great place to get great tips and information about Xojo.

You can also subscribe to xDev Magazine, which publishes six issues a year, each with about 80 pages of Xojo content. xDev has been publishing since 2002 and a large collection of back issues are also available.

For a more thorough understanding of programming concepts, you may want to take the Stanford Programming Methodology course on iTunes U. This is a free, university-level, 21-hour course on many programming concepts, including: object-oriented design, decomposition, encapsulation, abstration and testing.

I want to build my app. Now what?

You'll need to purchase a license in order to build your apps to share with others. Licenses start at just $99, which you can purchase in the Xojo Store. A Xojo license gives you access to new Xojo releases for a 12 month period. After your Xojo license expires you may continue to build with those releases distributed during that 12 month period, indefinitely. You are never required to renew your Xojo license, although you can do so anytime before or after its expiration. If you have a license but are having trouble building, contact Customer Support.