

Ask HN: How to start coding "our" version of online image editor? - adlep

Here is the site in question:
http://www.signazon.com/car-magnets/business-magnetic-signs/computer-service-store-961.aspx<p>We are trying to code a web service that is similar to it. But, because we are novice programmers, we'd appreciate any feedback/advice on how to start such a project?
Image editors can be done in Flash, Flex, Java, AJAX, and HTML5
Which technology would give us the best results. Please advice. Thanks HN
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HardyLeung
If you are considering Flash app, take a look at Picnik and Pixlr to see
whether you can really beat them (hard).

If you are considering AJAX, don't. There were a multitude of webapps but they
got killed by Flash-based apps (Picnik, Fotoflexer, and Pixlr).

Java (client-side)... not really. Name an advantage over Flash... actually
there is one, which is something you can use on Android. This may call for a
come-back.

HTML5. Check out Sketchpad. It uses Canvas very well, but there are things
that are very hard to do with Canvas (that Picnik/Pixlr has perfected with
Flash). It depends on the type of image editor you want to implement. HTML5
may be sufficient. Look into what functionalities Canvas can offer you and
cross-check that with what you want to accomplish. Contrary to public
perception, HTML5 is not a cure all, certainly not as a platform for image
editing.

I hope this is not a homework/research problem :D

~~~
adlep
Super answer. Thank you so much for helping us out with this. I am getting
ready to start my learning journey and I've asked so that I won't invest my
time into picking up a wrong technology for the job - so again - thanks for
the advice. And don't worry. This is not a homework problem. Rather, it is my
side project called StickyFrames. Lear more in here:
<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2350347> We have the physical prototypes
ready, but we need a well functioning web service to make this product a
success.

