Related
It seems to be getting a mess in the dev. section lately.
Put your idea on this thread and we'll look into it.
1. create sticky for official (samsung) firmware as easy downloads
2. create sticky for some basic guides
3. create sticky with pointers to roms for the in-house cooks (rotohammer etc.)
this is a start.
MOD EDIT: BEFORE POSTING ANY THREAD IN THE DEVELOPMENT SECTION, PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING:
If you have developed a ROM, or are working with others to do so, the development forum is somewhere to discuss and share ideas, post useful feedback and logs or crash dumps, and to discuss a common goal developers are trying to achieve.
It is NOT the place to post your question because it gets higher traffic, or because more experienced users frequent it. Doing this just annoys those who are working on the device, and drives them away. Developers don't want to wade through 20 threads of "Help me urgently" to find their threads for porting and fixing camera issues etc. Similarly, if a thread is designated as discussion for developers say, porting a camera fix, please do not post in there asking "When will it be ready?", "Can I flash this yet?" etc. This is both completely disrespectful to those working on the project (you evidently haven't read the important posts in the thread), and also is making it harder for developers to find comments from other developers or testers when required.
Similarly, don't make loads of "Thanks for your work here" posts in an active development thread. It's just as annoying to developers as asking when something will be ready. If a ROM is complete, then go ahead and thank the developer if you wish, but don't go into threads for devs only, and interrupt it to post "thanks". It's basically spamming, and is treated as such.
If you are posting in development, you should have read every sticky and notice there, and should be actively developing or helping in the development of something. Developing isn't installing a ROM, or using a tweak, it's creating a ROM or other hack or tweak. If you haven't read for several days before starting out on XDA, you are likely about to ask something already solved. I registered on XDA when I first wanted to post, and that was to join in a discussion on something. Sure, join up and ask a question, but read the information available in General and Q&A first, as your question will have been asked before. Search is your friend here, become familiar with it.
Regarding when to post in development if you are not actually developing something, there is one occasion where it's acceptable. If you find a leak of a new ROM, which isn't already posted, and you verify it's legitimacy via either running it, or based on the source you obtained it from, then this is assisting in development, and should be posted in development. If you want to ask when a leak will be available use search first, then if not already in discussion, open a thread in general or Q&A.
If you have a problem flashing a ROM, this is NOT related to development. It's up to you to determine if it is specific to a particular ROM, and post useful information in that developer's existing thread for the ROM. If it happens on more than one ROM, and isn't a known issue (remember you should read several times more words than you post), then find out what you are doing wrong. Check guides written by others, try to repeat the problem and see if it happens every time. Something needs to be reproducible to be fixed effectively.
Once you have identified what you need help with go to the device Q&A forum (general if device lacks one), and make a clear, informative thread that explains the issue, and what you have tried doing to fix it. Did you re-download the ROM? Did you ask a friend to flash it for you, to reduce chance of user error? What steps (exactly) did you follow? What errors did you see (exact wording)? Did you double check all the steps? Did you do a wipe or hard reset?
If you make a clear, concise, yet detailed post, you will find help forthcoming, and should get the problem sorted very quickly. If someone suggests you try something, report back on what happened, did it work etc. Then, next time someone has this issue and searches, they will find this and have a verified and tested solution.
So remember... before you start a thread in development, ask yourself what you are developing. If you can't answer, then stop, step away from the post button, and think about where you are posting. Would it be better in General or Q&A, or is some more time with your best friend, search, required?
I'd have a set of stickies including:
Flashing Guide http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=895827
Unlocking Guide http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=843323
Rooting Guide http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=859712
A *HUGE OBNOXIOUS BLINKING* Readme http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=888071
I'm by no means a Dev myself, but I'd love to see y'know... development posts when I lurk here.
Ok, now that i'm un-retired, i'll ask some major cleanup on the dev section.
Starting today/tomorrow between flashing my dev Tab
Several people posted dumped stock firmwares, maybe this should be consolidated into one "Get back to stock" sticky?
T-Mobile stock firmware! http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=855851
[FIRMWARE] - AT&T stock firmware http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=847609
AT&T Production Stock Firmware (I987UCJK1) http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=857608
Also, rotobackup instructions http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=850359&highlight=rotobackup
Links to Open Source archives http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=844981
Good instructions on building cifs module http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=9470152&postcount=53
Also can be used to build tun.ko module for VPN.
I would recommend having tags for the different models of tablets. ( [VZW] [TMO] [AT&T] [SPNT] [EURO] etc...)
Just my .02
We really need to have them separated... This is getting bad. Take a vote and and promise everyone would be on board!!
Galaxy Tab Android Development (CDMA)
Galaxy Tab Android Development (GSM)
Galaxy Tab Android Development (...)
Please!!! lol
I agree that the Tab development needs to be split amongst compatibility.
GSM/EUR
CDMA
etc.
That will make the issues with possible flashing mistakes lower and also enable people to find the best build for them.
A third vote for at least something like a top level and sub forums for GSM and CDMA. There might be things that apply to both, but it seems like real development would be at least specific to one or the other, if not down to the carrier level (and I'm not suggesting per carrier forums).
A sticky for my directory(bible). This will be updated frequently. And will be useful for all noobs and pros alike.
Sent from my GT-P1000 using Tapatalk
What happened to this idea? The development forum is CRAP. I've spent the last three hours seaching for a stock ROM. Can we please, please get some mod action in here?
Sprint only section please! +100 to the splitting up compatible models.
williams37 said:
Sprint only section please! +100 to the splitting up compatible models.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1000000 more for spliting up!
I agree and count my vote, this forum should be easier to find and read the info im searching for it took me days to find a rom and another day to find out how to mod my device using google we should also hav more dev's more porting
wingtytn said:
I agree and count my vote, this forum should be easier to find and read the info im searching for it took me days to find a rom and another day to find out how to mod my device using google we should also hav more dev's more porting
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What we really need is a bigger community. The larger the user base, the larger the dev base. Especially in the states, it seems like no one is developing for our Tabs specifically. And from what I've found, ours are, just like the Galaxy S, different from the international version.
So do we even have a Mod ? Can they do this for us ? Its been like weeks since we asked to split it up.....
+1beeeeeeelion to split and have a CMDA and GSM and Intl section added....and then under those when people list just say [Sprint] or [VZW] in the title of the thread....
aal1 said:
So do we even have a Mod ? Can they do this for us ? Its been like weeks since we asked to split it up.....
+1beeeeeeelion to split and have a CMDA and GSM and Intl section added....and then under those when people list just say [Sprint] or [VZW] in the title of the thread....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your official mod is taking a break, just busy with life lately. I'll be taking over until he comes back.
I've forwarded this thread on to the admins, being that after being here for 2 days I can already see how bad it is. Hopefully we can get the sections split up and I can start moving posts around.
Can we please also have teh same tagging as HD2 section has, ie the date at beginning of title..
example...
[19.MAR.2011][ROM] Rom Title Rom Version [KERNEL]
is it possible to get this "stickie" out of the developers section?
it would be more helpfull to get serious content into there. also the actual official thread is sticky and dead.
a sticky should be something important or something must read. this thread is not a "must read"
sorry, constructive critics
I agree we need some reorg. PLEASE look at my sig, and follow the HD2 url,
Seems the HD2 overall section has recently had a makeover. It is much easier to navigate, and the people whe are not devs can op in on the thread.
The devs, on the other hand, have their own section, that requires you be a dev in order to get into it and exchange ideas. This keeps the riff raff from convelouting the threads.
So, can you please look it over. What ever work is needed to be done, I will offer my assistance to reorg the threads and topics.
Thanks
StarLog said:
I agree we need some reorg. PLEASE look at my sig, and follow the HD2 url,
Seems the HD2 overall section has recently had a makeover. It is much easier to navigate, and the people whe are not devs can op in on the thread.
The devs, on the other hand, have their own section, that requires you be a dev in order to get into it and exchange ideas. This keeps the riff raff from convelouting the threads.
So, can you please look it over. What ever work is needed to be done, I will offer my assistance to reorg the threads and topics.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just looked at HD2 section, and theres nothing new there.
They have a section for NAND dev, and for SD Dev, thats it.
There are some plans in the works for the site in general that may do what you're referring to, but nothing is done yet for any of the fora.
If they give you guys the new sections, It will take me a day or so to move everything around. And I dont know tis section as well as I'd like so it may take a little longer as I'd have to go through every thread, but it would get done.
/IF/ that happens, it should clean up the sections a lot and make it easier to find everything. If not, I'm open to suggestions.
Hello folks.
Firstly, if you want to ask a question about anything it must be posted in the QUESTION & ANSWER SECTION.
Please be aware that recently Development and hacking has been divided into a few new sub-forums to cover what usually would all go into the one Development and Hacking Forum.
This gives us the change to make Development and Hacking more clearer in general. (and clean out some threads that never belonged here in the first place)
But at the moment some new threads are still being posted to the Development and hacking Forum.
So maybe it is a good moment to clarify the new divisions in short.
1. Windows software development
What the Development and Hacking thread used to be intended for in the olden ages. For Questions about coding Apps in progress Development and Cooking tools. All within the Windows Mobile OS platform and off course tools for this platform to be used on a PC platform.
2. Windows themes
Skins, backdrops, Skins, Backdrops etc etc you get the idea. For Windows mobile or Apps running on Windows Mobile.
3. Windows applications and games
Finished Applications and games for Windows Mobile. Threads in the Windows software development section can be moved to this thread once you consider them out of Beta and such.
The most important thing to begin with is, to not post new threads to the development and hacking forum, unless it fits here. But post these to the new appropriate subforums.
Thinking of posting a new thread???
Use the search button on the top bar between "New Posts" and "Quick Links"
If any mod, including myself, continue to find new threads about topics that have threads already existing.
The thread will be locked with no notice and/or up to a temp BAN!!.
Mods, including myself, are not here to keep the forum organized after the fact, we need your help to keep it organized, clean and grouped.
To the dedicated members that care to keep this forum, subforums included, clean and organized and grouped.
Please start reporting threads to the mods to take action. Using this button.
Thank You and happy easy searching.
If you already have a thread in the development and hacking forum you can request to move it to a more appropriate subforum.
Please feel free to contact me madnish30(WM SD FORUM MOD) if you want a thread to be moved or closed.Of course even if you do not own the thread you can still send me a recommendation on where a thread would belong better.
ATTENTION
If you have a REQUEST OR IDEA for any NEW OR EXISTING APPLICATIONS/SOFTWARE/THEMES/GAMES/HACKS ETC it must be posted in the QUESTION & ANSWER SECTION.
ALL POSTS MADE IN THE DEVELOPMENT & HACKING SECTION REGARDING THIS MATTER, WILL BE CONSIDERED A VIOLATION OF DEVELOPMENT & HACKING SECTION RULES AND DEALT WITH APPROPRIATELY
Also, if you have an idea for an existing application/software/theme or would like to request changes to the above, you should post your comments and ideas in the specific thread where the original application or theme is found, or post your threadn in the Question & Answer Section.
The Development & Hacking Section is open for users to post there contributions (application/themes/software) to the XDA Community, and is open only for this reason. Any post which does not do this, makes searching for a specific application or theme impossible.
If you have any questions, or need any help with figuring out where your thread should be opened , Please feel free to contact me madnish30(WM SD FORUM MOD).
I thank your for you time, and help.
Cheers.
madnish30
A Few Wiki Pages That Might Be Helpful, Please See before posting a New Thread:
Please see this Wiki page about Software, Tools, and Development.
And this one about Various Guides.
Here is a FAQ Wiki Page.
- If Any of you feel that some other page is worthy of being stickied and/or being added to this post, please feel free to PM me and i shall do the appropriate.
I'll get straight to the point....
Despite stickys and forum announcements most of us are still finding ourselves becoming terribly, terribly vexed at the amount of [Q]'s cluttering the dev section...
Therefore, from now on, if you do not follow the rules outlined below, you will be infracted. Break them again and you may find yourself unable to post anything at all on any forum!!
[Q]Surely thats a bit harsh aint it??
[A]Not really....
We've tried to be nice about it but that clearly doesnt work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you cannot read and abide by the simple rules in this sticky then I dont know how you're going to manage to hack your device without running into trouble.
The Dev section is NOT for asking questions.....
The Dev section is NOT for general topics..........
All threads posted MUST be prefixed with a description of the thread, [ROM] / [Kernel] etc etc.....*
*(Not planning on being particuarly strict on this. You guys (the devs), know how to title a thread.... just a pointer for new devs.)
Basically, unless your thread is to actually release something or discuss something of a very technical and n00b unfriendly nature, it doesnt belong here!
Pretty simple really.....
If you see something that shouldnt be here then PM me....
I will try to check in as reguarly as I can but I have a few sections to keep an eye on and believe it or not, a life outside XDA
Yes thats right, there is life outside XDA
Post What Where:
General - general technical discussion items, news, anything else that does not fit into the other fora categories.
Accessories - any items to do with components and/or accessories relating to your device.
Rom Development - only meant for very advanced technical discussion directly related to ROM development activity and the delivery of actual ROMs and ROM components ONLY. Nothing else goes in here.
Themes & Apps - anything to do directly with the development of themes and/or applications. Nothing else goes in here.
MOD EDIT: BEFORE POSTING ANY THREAD IN THE DEVELOPMENT SECTION, PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING:
If you have developed a ROM, or are working with others to do so, the development forum is somewhere to discuss and share ideas, post useful feedback and logs or crash dumps, and to discuss a common goal developers are trying to achieve.
It is NOT the place to post your question because it gets higher traffic, or because more experienced users frequent it. Doing this just annoys those who are working on the device, and drives them away. Developers don't want to wade through 20 threads of "Help me urgently" to find their threads for porting and fixing camera issues etc. Similarly, if a thread is designated as discussion for developers say, porting a camera fix, please do not post in there asking "When will it be ready?", "Can I flash this yet?" etc. This is both completely disrespectful to those working on the project (you evidently haven't read the important posts in the thread), and also is making it harder for developers to find comments from other developers or testers when required.
Similarly, don't make loads of "Thanks for your work here" posts in an active development thread. It's just as annoying to developers as asking when something will be ready. If a ROM is complete, then go ahead and thank the developer if you wish, but don't go into threads for devs only, and interrupt it to post "thanks". It's basically spamming, and is treated as such.
If you are posting in development, you should have read every sticky and notice there, and should be actively developing or helping in the development of something. Developing isn't installing a ROM, or using a tweak, it's creating a ROM or other hack or tweak. If you haven't read for several days before starting out on XDA, you are likely about to ask something already solved. I registered on XDA when I first wanted to post, and that was to join in a discussion on something. Sure, join up and ask a question, but read the information available in General and Q&A first, as your question will have been asked before. Search is your friend here, become familiar with it.
Regarding when to post in development if you are not actually developing something, there is one occasion where it's acceptable. If you find a leak of a new ROM, which isn't already posted, and you verify it's legitimacy via either running it, or based on the source you obtained it from, then this is assisting in development, and should be posted in development. If you want to ask when a leak will be available use search first, then if not already in discussion, open a thread in general or Q&A.
If you have a problem flashing a ROM, this is NOT related to development. It's up to you to determine if it is specific to a particular ROM, and post useful information in that developer's existing thread for the ROM. If it happens on more than one ROM, and isn't a known issue (remember you should read several times more words than you post), then find out what you are doing wrong. Check guides written by others, try to repeat the problem and see if it happens every time. Something needs to be reproducible to be fixed effectively.
Once you have identified what you need help with go to the device Q&A forum (general if device lacks one), and make a clear, informative thread that explains the issue, and what you have tried doing to fix it. Did you re-download the ROM? Did you ask a friend to flash it for you, to reduce chance of user error? What steps (exactly) did you follow? What errors did you see (exact wording)? Did you double check all the steps? Did you do a wipe or hard reset?
If you make a clear, concise, yet detailed post, you will find help forthcoming, and should get the problem sorted very quickly. If someone suggests you try something, report back on what happened, did it work etc. Then, next time someone has this issue and searches, they will find this and have a verified and tested solution.
So remember... before you start a thread in development, ask yourself what you are developing. If you can't answer, then stop, step away from the post button, and think about where you are posting. Would it be better in General or Q&A, or is some more time with your best friend, search, required?
Hopefully this brings some change to the forum, this site is a great place to learn and develop for everyone no matter what stage of the game your in. There are quite a few people here that really put forth the effort to help others no matter how fundamental the question is and it would be a shame to see XDA take a turn like other forums have in the past.
To: conantroutman
You are my Freakin Hero, Thank You!!! LOL
The annoying thing is, people are STILL not following the rules -_-
GazaIan said:
The annoying thing is, people are STILL not following the rules -_-
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They probably never will but at least now they are being punished so that they either learn from their mistakes or leave...
Sent From My Fingers To Your Face.....
I understand where you are coming from but...yes a bit harsh, so many people come he now and then etc, Just my thoughts. I will post what I deem necessary in what I think the proper thread is. Obviously not going to ask how to flash rom, (which is in developers section) Maybe you should move those topics out to faq or general, it only draws more attention to the dev. section
---------- Post added at 09:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:35 PM ----------
conantroutman said:
They probably never will but at least now they are being punished so that they either learn from their mistakes or leave...
Sent From My Fingers To Your Face.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This will only drive people away, ban me and I surely will look for another forum and recomend it to my friends, thats the mentallity, because what you have on these forums is also on 3 others, please dont tick off ppl. I personally dont think this is the right approach. Educate people first. I have been admin for several forums, very hostile ones at that, please take some advice.
I'll get straight to the point....
Despite stickys and forum announcements most of us are still finding ourselves becoming terribly, terribly vexed at the amount of [Q]'s cluttering the dev section...
Therefore, from now on, if you do not follow the rules outlined below, you will be infracted. Break them again and you may find yourself unable to post anything at all on any forum!!
[Q]Surely thats a bit harsh aint it??
[A]Not really....
We've tried to be nice about it but that clearly doesnt work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you cannot read and abide by the simple rules in this sticky then I dont know how you're going to manage to hack your device without running into trouble.
The Dev section is NOT for asking questions.....
The Dev section is NOT for general topics..........
All threads posted MUST be prefixed with a description of the thread, [ROM] / [Kernel] etc etc.....*
*(Not planning on being particuarly strict on this. You guys (the devs), know how to title a thread.... just a pointer for new devs.)
Basically, unless your thread is to actually release something or discuss something of a very technical and n00b unfriendly nature, it doesnt belong here!
Pretty simple really.....
If you see something that shouldnt be here then PM me....
I will try to check in as reguarly as I can but I have a few sections to keep an eye on and believe it or not, a life outside XDA
Yes thats right, there is life outside XDA
Post What Where:
General - general technical discussion items, news, anything else that does not fit into the other fora categories.
Accessories - any items to do with components and/or accessories relating to your device.
Rom Development - only meant for very advanced technical discussion directly related to ROM development activity and the delivery of actual ROMs and ROM components ONLY. Nothing else goes in here.
Themes & Apps - anything to do directly with the development of themes and/or applications. Nothing else goes in here.
MOD EDIT: BEFORE POSTING ANY THREAD IN THE DEVELOPMENT SECTION, PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING:
If you have developed a ROM, or are working with others to do so, the development forum is somewhere to discuss and share ideas, post useful feedback and logs or crash dumps, and to discuss a common goal developers are trying to achieve.
It is NOT the place to post your question because it gets higher traffic, or because more experienced users frequent it. Doing this just annoys those who are working on the device, and drives them away. Developers don't want to wade through 20 threads of "Help me urgently" to find their threads for porting and fixing camera issues etc. Similarly, if a thread is designated as discussion for developers say, porting a camera fix, please do not post in there asking "When will it be ready?", "Can I flash this yet?" etc. This is both completely disrespectful to those working on the project (you evidently haven't read the important posts in the thread), and also is making it harder for developers to find comments from other developers or testers when required.
Similarly, don't make loads of "Thanks for your work here" posts in an active development thread. It's just as annoying to developers as asking when something will be ready. If a ROM is complete, then go ahead and thank the developer if you wish, but don't go into threads for devs only, and interrupt it to post "thanks". It's basically spamming, and is treated as such.
If you are posting in development, you should have read every sticky and notice there, and should be actively developing or helping in the development of something. Developing isn't installing a ROM, or using a tweak, it's creating a ROM or other hack or tweak. If you haven't read for several days before starting out on XDA, you are likely about to ask something already solved. I registered on XDA when I first wanted to post, and that was to join in a discussion on something. Sure, join up and ask a question, but read the information available in General and Q&A first, as your question will have been asked before. Search is your friend here, become familiar with it.
Regarding when to post in development if you are not actually developing something, there is one occasion where it's acceptable. If you find a leak of a new ROM, which isn't already posted, and you verify it's legitimacy via either running it, or based on the source you obtained it from, then this is assisting in development, and should be posted in development. If you want to ask when a leak will be available use search first, then if not already in discussion, open a thread in general or Q&A.
If you have a problem flashing a ROM, this is NOT related to development. It's up to you to determine if it is specific to a particular ROM, and post useful information in that developer's existing thread for the ROM. If it happens on more than one ROM, and isn't a known issue (remember you should read several times more words than you post), then find out what you are doing wrong. Check guides written by others, try to repeat the problem and see if it happens every time. Something needs to be reproducible to be fixed effectively.
Once you have identified what you need help with go to the device Q&A forum (general if device lacks one), and make a clear, informative thread that explains the issue, and what you have tried doing to fix it. Did you re-download the ROM? Did you ask a friend to flash it for you, to reduce chance of user error? What steps (exactly) did you follow? What errors did you see (exact wording)? Did you double check all the steps? Did you do a wipe or hard reset?
If you make a clear, concise, yet detailed post, you will find help forthcoming, and should get the problem sorted very quickly. If someone suggests you try something, report back on what happened, did it work etc. Then, next time someone has this issue and searches, they will find this and have a verified and tested solution.
So remember... before you start a thread in development, ask yourself what you are developing. If you can't answer, then stop, step away from the post button, and think about where you are posting. Would it be better in General or Q&A, or is some more time with your best friend, search, required?
Can this be posted on all dev boards please? It is sorely missed...
Dr.Romca said:
Can this be posted on all dev boards please? It is sorely missed...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Truely ! I read them , cuz i am making other improved and detailed versions of other people's tutorials , more like the Arabic for the Jxmatteo 1.2 , and the storage thing , and other stuff ... so i don''t want to mess up with the rules since i am enjoying helping people ...
hm
The spirit of XDA
Read this from the beginning till the end
Henry_01 said:
Read this from the beginning till the end
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good read
Sent from my Wildfire S A510e using xda premium
Thinking of posting a new thread???
Use the search button on the top bar between "New Posts" and "Quick Links"
Threads posted in the wrong fora will be moved initially; however, for repeat offenders, the moderating team will look to take action to rectify the situation in a manner it believes is appropriate
WITHOUT FURTHER NOTICE.
It is the responsibility of all users to keep the fora organised and clean. We need you to do your bit to keep things orderly.
To the dedicated members that care to keep this forum, subforums included, clean and organized and grouped.
Please start reporting threads to the mods to take action. Please use the REPORT button to do so.
Thank You and happy easy searching.
Forum Searching | Posting | The Basics: (Make sure you've read them before starting a new thread)
Forum Rules - http://forum.xda-developers.com/announcement.php?f=642
Forum Search - http://forum.xda-developers.com/search.php
Google Forum Search - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=304582
Advanced Searching - http://wiki.xda-developers.com/index...lopers Forum
XDA "Mantra" - http://forum.xda-developers.com/show...9&postcount=45
Post What Where:
General - general technical discussion items, news, anything else that does not fit into the other fora categories.
Q&A (Questions and Answers) - all questions, irrespective of type, get posted in here whether they be theme related, accessory related, technical, etc.
Accessories - any items to do with components and/or accessories relating to your device.
Rom Development - only meant for very advanced technical discussion directly related to ROM development activity and the delivery of actual ROMs and ROM components ONLY. Nothing else goes in here.
Themes & Apps - anything to do directly with the development of themes and/or applications. Nothing else goes in here.
BEFORE POSTING ANY THREAD IN THE DEVELOPMENT SECTION, PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING:
If you have developed a ROM, or are working with others to do so, the development forum is somewhere to discuss and share ideas, post useful feedback and logs or crash dumps, and to discuss a common goal developers are trying to achieve.
It is NOT the place to post your question because it gets higher traffic, or because more experienced users frequent it. Doing this just annoys those who are working on the device, and drives them away. Developers don't want to wade through 20 threads of "Help me urgently" to find their threads for porting and fixing camera issues etc. Similarly, if a thread is designated as discussion for developers say, porting a camera fix, please do not post in there asking "When will it be ready?", "Can I flash this yet?" etc. This is both completely disrespectful to those working on the project (you evidently haven't read the important posts in the thread), and also is making it harder for developers to find comments from other developers or testers when required.
Similarly, don't make loads of "Thanks for your work here" posts in an active development thread. It's just as annoying to developers as asking when something will be ready. If a ROM is complete, then go ahead and thank the developer if you wish, but don't go into threads for devs only, and interrupt it to post "thanks". It's basically spamming, and is treated as such.
If you are posting in development, you should have read every sticky and notice there, and should be actively developing or helping in the development of something. Developing isn't installing a ROM, or using a tweak, it's creating a ROM or other hack or tweak. If you haven't read for several days before starting out on XDA, you are likely about to ask something already solved. I registered on XDA when I first wanted to post, and that was to join in a discussion on something. Sure, join up and ask a question, but read the information available in General and Q&A first, as your question will have been asked before. Search is your friend here, become familiar with it.
Regarding when to post in development if you are not actually developing something, there is one occasion where it's acceptable. If you find a leak of a new ROM, which isn't already posted, and you verify it's legitimacy via either running it, or based on the source you obtained it from, then this is assisting in development, and should be posted in development. If you want to ask when a leak will be available use search first, then if not already in discussion, open a thread in general or Q&A.
If you have a problem flashing a ROM, this is NOT related to development. It's up to you to determine if it is specific to a particular ROM, and post useful information in that developer's existing thread for the ROM. If it happens on more than one ROM, and isn't a known issue (remember you should read several times more words than you post), then find out what you are doing wrong. Check guides written by others, try to repeat the problem and see if it happens every time. Something needs to be reproducible to be fixed effectively.
Once you have identified what you need help with go to the device Q&A forum (general if device lacks one), and make a clear, informative thread that explains the issue, and what you have tried doing to fix it. Did you re-download the ROM? Did you ask a friend to flash it for you, to reduce chance of user error? What steps (exactly) did you follow? What errors did you see (exact wording)? Did you double check all the steps? Did you do a wipe or hard reset?
If you make a clear, concise, yet detailed post, you will find help forthcoming, and should get the problem sorted very quickly. If someone suggests you try something, report back on what happened, did it work etc. Then, next time someone has this issue and searches, they will find this and have a verified and tested solution.
So remember... before you start a thread in development, ask yourself what you are developing. If you can't answer, then stop, step away from the post button, and think about where you are posting. Would it be better in General or Q&A, or is some more time with your best friend, search, required?