Self-developed application
Surely, most network users are wondering how to create a VKontakte application. But this task is not entirely simple. This will require certain skills and knowledge base. A willingness to learn and a desire for self-development are also required. Therefore, if you are sure that you want to get into this business, be prepared for the fact that at this stage you will have to go through a considerable number of obstacles.
In order to develop an application on your own, at the first stage you need to familiarize yourself with the documentation that the VKontakte administration compiled and made available to the developers for review. You can read it in detail by clicking on the following link: https://vk.com/developers.php.
This document contains information that all applications created will use the API. This abbreviation in English means application programming interface. In other words, it is a team directory that can be used by all sorts of social networking applications.
Concept
Forget about all the technical issues, implementation difficulties and all the pitfalls that you will encounter during the development of your first game.
And I say this for a reason. There are a huge number of good programmers who can implement any ideas. Advertisers and designers will make sure to create a look and feel that will interest your future players and make them at least try what you have to offer.
These are all nuances. But the concept, or if you like, the idea is what is most important in developing a game.
You have to make the gameplay really interesting and fun. Without this, success cannot be achieved. Try to imagine yourself in the player's place. Would you be interested in spending time playing this game yourself?
Types of Applications
Before you start developing any application on the site, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with their varieties. By the way, this information is also recorded in the document.
- Flash applications are files with the provided extension .swf. They are developed using Adobe Flash. This is followed by file compilation, after which the received information is loaded onto the server of the desired site or any other server resource.
- Iframe applications can be created using technologies provided by modern web browsers. Subsequently, a window will appear on the VKontakte page allowing registered persons to use the application. The program will transmit and receive data using JavaScript.
Application sources
Now the social network has the opportunity to use ready-made application sources, most of which can be downloaded absolutely free on file hosting.
But if you want to get a blank of a specific application, you should adhere to the following recommendations:
Install it on the page and run it;
Then right-click on the page and select “Source Code” from the menu. As a result, you will see the page code.
Next, you need to enter “http:\/\/” in the search bar and look for a link in the search results that ends in “.zip”. Copy it, paste it into the address bar, removing the slanted stripes and press Enter. The download of the Archive will begin.
When the archive is downloaded, you need to save it, replacing the extension with .swf and open it in any flash player.
This way you can get an offline version of the source. But to have application codes at your disposal, decompilers are needed. They allow you to work with this file.
Undoubtedly, if the above method is difficult for you, you should still download it. But also remember that some application files may require download fees.
Paid application development
Particular attention should be paid to application development by qualified specialists for a fixed fee. This method is suitable for those users who do not have extra time for training, and ordering the development of a VKontakte application is not difficult for them.
The price range for such work is not too high, so if you have free funds, don’t hesitate to contact highly qualified specialists to get a truly effective project.
But if you decide to develop the application on your own, it is worth reading the following guide to the end.
Application development sequence:
- Compose a brief description in which you need to write down all your wishes regarding the future application project;
- Designer design. This stage includes background drawing, creation of buttons and all kinds of inscriptions;
- Programming. It is necessary to write functions and classes on the basis of which actions will be implemented;
- Elimination of errors;
- Placement of VKontakte code.
Interview with a junior Android developer on VKontakte: career, experience, Java
Getting into the VKontakte Team is the dream of many young developers. One day, Mikhail Gulyaev from Kronstadt suddenly made his wish come true. He could not even imagine that at the age of 19 he would be able to develop his potential within the walls of the Singer House. In an interview with Durov Code, Gulyaev will share his story, talk about how he became part of the VKontakte Team, and also give advice to those who want to connect their lives with programming.
- Tell about yourself. Where are you from, where did you study or are you studying?
— I was born in Kronstadt - this is a small city, which is located 30-40 minutes drive from St. Petersburg. There I graduated from school No. 422 with honors, after which I successfully passed the Unified State Exam and entered ITMO University to major in System and Application Software. After the first year I went on academic leave and now work on VKontakte.
— What were you doing before you started collaborating with VKontakte? What are your favorite hobbies?
— From childhood until I was 16 years old, I dreamed of connecting my life with football - and I certainly couldn’t think that at 19 I would already be a developer at VK. I had pretty good results in professional sports, but, unfortunately or fortunately, I had to end my sports career due to injury. So in my free time, which is not very much, I like to play football, go to the pool, engage in self-education, or just spend time with loved ones.
— How did you get the idea to become a VKontakte developer?
— In February, I came across a video on YouTube where some guy reviewed the VK office. I fell in love with this place at first sight and decided for myself - after graduating from university, I will get work experience in my specialty and get a job as an Android developer at VK, at the age of 25.
I couldn’t even imagine that I would be working at Singer not in 7 years, but in 4 months!
— What did you start doing in order to get into the VKontakte Team?
— My journey in programming began in 9th grade: we started studying Pascal and Delphi in computer science classes at school. All the problems were easy to solve for me: I could instantly solve a variant on a test for my deskmates or help with a complex homework problem in a few minutes. At the same time, I studied a book on C++, tried to write some applications in Pros, but I didn’t really like working in this language.
Then, in my first year, I began to actively study Java and tried to understand how to apply the acquired knowledge in practice. I learned that Java is actively used in Android development. Plus, I had an Android phone—all the cards pointed to becoming an Android developer. So I began to purposefully study what I do today. A little more than a year has passed since then.
If anyone wants to start diving into Java, I can recommend studying both volumes of “Java. Library of a Professional" by K. Horstmann.
It is better to read in the original, as the Russian version has a lot of errors. This leads to the following advice: learn English. There is no programming without it, and you will find it very useful in life.
— Tell me how you got into the Team. Did you encounter any difficulties during the process?
— The summer internship program helped me get into the VKontakte Team. In April, I saw an advertisement for recruitment for the corresponding program from VK. I already had a fairly high level of knowledge in Java, I knew the basics of Android development quite well, so I decided to try applying for an internship.
I solved the first problem quickly, and I sent the correct solution to the second one 5 seconds before the end.
In the first round, it was necessary to solve 2 problems using algorithms. They were given only an hour to decide. I had experience participating in the Olympiads, so there were no big difficulties.
A few days later I received a message saying that I liked my solution of the first stage, after which I was given a test task - to make a music player in the Kotlin programming language. All I knew about it was that it was named after the island on which I live. My joy knew no bounds, and the next day I started learning a new language, and also decided to repeat the theoretical material on Android. During lectures at the university, in the morning, and then in the evening at home, I wrote a player, trying to bring it to perfection, because I understood that the stakes were too high. I sent the test solution for verification and spent several days in agonizing anticipation.
And so, about a week later, HR wrote to me and invited me for an interview at Singer.
There was a week before the interview, all week I was repeating the basics of Java and the theory of Android. So during the interview I was practically not worried, as I was confident in my readiness. As a result, all the efforts were not in vain: a few days after the interview, I was offered an offer.
— Tell us about what you do on VKontakte.
— I got into the Android mobile infrastructure team. We work with the network and API, multimedia and graphics, basic UI and optimization of the application as a whole. During the internship, I was given quite serious tasks: I worked on the redesign of the application, performed some grocery tasks - my work was no different from the work of an ordinary developer.
— How much time do you devote to work?
— Now the complexity and number of tasks is growing every day, and along with this the responsibility for the code that I write. Therefore, you have to constantly surpass yourself, thanks to this you feel unrealistic progress.
— Do many of the same young guys work with you? Did your colleagues quickly accept you into the team?
— There are quite a lot of young guys from 18 to 22 years old in the company. And those who have more are all cheerful and open people. So there were no particular problems in joining the team. I have not encountered any age discrimination. Maybe there were a couple of jokes from colleagues, but there was no malicious intent in them - just jokes.
— Are you a supporter of studying at the institute or are you self-taught, like a huge number of cool developers?
— As I already said, in 2021 I entered ITMO University. I completed my first year, during which I realized that university takes a lot of time, and I get all the useful knowledge thanks to the Internet and books. Therefore, in the fall I went on academic leave - I doubt that I will return to the university after the break. I have many plans for the near future, but the university will only interfere with their implementation, and I don’t see the need for a diploma either. But I won’t guess. Perhaps in the future I will want to get a higher education, so we’ll wait and see.
— What excites you most about your work now?
— What I like most about my job is that programming is definitely a creative specialty. You always want to come up with some super-elegant and beautiful solution, and in any case, your approach will be unique. It’s especially cool when such a solution works effectively and is liked by colleagues.
It's nice to know that the results of my work are being used by relatives, friends, and millions of people across the country.
“In turn, the company provides super conditions so that we can be fully focused on work. We have a flexible schedule, an incredibly comfortable office in the center of St. Petersburg, which has everything: from table tennis to a kitchen where you can have a good snack, as well as a relaxation room where you can relax a little during a hard day at work.
— What do you recommend to all those young guys who want to program or are just looking at this direction?
— For anyone who wants to start learning programming, I can advise you to first figure out whether you need it. If you are going into the IT field not because you like this field, but for some other reasons, you should think about it. But if you sincerely want to become a developer, then you are very lucky: we live in a time when you can find any information in a matter of seconds. There are a lot of books, articles and guides on the Internet that will help you in your endeavors, so go for it, everything is in your hands!
Free programs
As mentioned above, application programs can be downloaded online for free. But for this you need to download and install Adobe Flash in advance. This is the main program that makes it possible to begin the implementation of the planned project. It is also convenient and multifunctional, but, unfortunately, it is not easy for a beginner to work with it.
Undoubtedly, over time, skills will appear, and it will become much easier to use.
You can also use other programs. For example, 3D engines, which help speed up and simplify the development process.
What you need to know
Separately, I would like to say about some programming languages
and
technologies
you will need to know. How to make applications in VK without knowing them? This is unrealistic. Here is the list:
- Adobe Flash
- Action Script
- 3D engines
- JavaScript
Learning all this will take some time. Your success will depend solely on how many hours a day you are willing to devote to studying. A person who thinks day and night about how to make a VKontakte application will, of course, figure it out in the shortest possible time.
