# VB for Android? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 19, 2012, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vb-for-android/616238 "2012-03-19T16:30:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vb-for-android/616238/1 "2012-03-19T16:30:36Z")
I want to write a very simple app for my android that just takes in 3 numbers and performs a calculation. Is there an IDE for VB for android? It looks like I can’t us Visual Studio in any way, but I did hear of something called Basic4android. Any recommendations? ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vb-for-android/616238/2 "2012-03-19T16:37:19Z")
Wow, wouldn’t THAT be nice. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vb-for-android/616238/3 "2012-03-19T17:06:31Z")
There’s an app called Basic + SQL you should check out. It’s not a visual ODE, but you can use it to create standalone apps with their own GUIs ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vb-for-android/616238/4 "2012-03-19T17:11:49Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > There’s an app called Basic + SQL you should check out. It’s not a visual ODE, but you can use it to create standalone apps with their own GUIs Thanks, I will. I’m also goind to check out basic4android. They have a free trial. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vb-for-android/616238/5 "2012-03-19T17:17:08Z")
ETA - Duplicate post ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vb-for-android/616238/6 "2012-03-19T17:17:49Z")
I’ll also plug [NS Basic/App Studio](http://www.nsbasic.com/app/) - which essentially works by translating the form designer and VB-style code into HTML5/Javascript, so the web apps it creates can be run by Android, iOS, and Blackberry version 6 and later, as well as any other browser that supports the HTML5/Webkit standard. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vb-for-android/616238/7 "2012-03-19T18:39:47Z")
> [@chrisk](#): > > I’ll also plug [NS Basic/App Studio](http://www.nsbasic.com/app/) - which essentially works by translating the form designer and VB-style code into HTML5/Javascript, so the web apps it creates can be run by Android, iOS, and Blackberry version 6 and later, as well as any other browser that supports the HTML5/Webkit standard. Can it wrap the HTML5/JS code inside a native Android app or does it have to be served up like a regular web page? ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vb-for-android/616238/8 "2012-03-19T18:50:10Z")
If you know [vb.net](http://vb.net) you might be inclined to pick up c# if you haven’t already dabbled. It would allow you to use the same IDE, though, obviously syntax will differ. There is Mono for android which allows you to develop for android using visual studio and c# with support for a lot of neat .net stuff like LINQ. they also have Mono Touch which allows you to target the iphone/iPad. It’s $300 for the full dev kit though. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vb-for-android/616238/9 "2012-03-19T18:57:20Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > Can it wrap the HTML5/JS code inside a native Android app or does it have to be served up like a regular web page? It connects to [PhoneGap](http://www.nsbasic.com/blog/?p=501) to wrap up native apps - I haven’t experimented with that yet. I just use the iPhone Safari ‘add this page to home screen’ shortcut. ---
**Author:** ![Bemused](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/46a35a/32.png) [@Bemused](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bemused)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vb-for-android/616238/10 "2012-03-19T23:04:55Z")
Android is Linux with a customized java-based GUI on top of it. If you want to get anywhere with Android, forget all that Windows cruft, download the Android development environment (which is free), and have at it. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vb-for-android/616238/11 "2012-03-20T04:12:15Z")
**Towlie:** “Man, I have no idea what’s going on…” ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vb-for-android/616238/12 "2012-03-20T21:15:37Z")
Cool. Built my first app and installed it on my phone. I used Basic4Android. Simple little thing. I enjoy flight simulator. The app helps with the calculations for your commit point for descending into an airport.