October 20, 2010

 

 Door Prizes   

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What is App Inventor?

An easy to use, interactive, lolcat automation tool.  Amongst other things...

Other Things

• Google's new tool for easily building Android Apps.

• Based on Open Blocks library and Kawa Language Framework

• Build the user interface and program visually

• Cross platform development environment via HTML and Java WebStart application

• Powerful, but easy to use.

• Currently limited Beta

Required Software Development Expertise

 

Components

• Designero Browser-based WYSIWYG visual editor for the user

interface.

• Blocks Editoro Java-based editor for building program logic.

• Connectoro locally installed sdk extras for connection to phone,

emulating, etc.

Designer

• Viewer

• Palette

• Component list

• Media

• Properties

demo...

Blocks Editor

• Built-in blocks - Common data structures, controls, etc.

• "MyBlocks" - Components added in the Designer to my application.

• Buttons to connect to and restart app on phone or emulator

• Workspace - Where the fun happens.  The place where you connect your blocks to add program logic.

demo...

Limitations

• No File I/O

• No custom components... yet

• No access to bluetooth

• No way to check phone's capabilities

• Can't place applications into market (easily).

• Single screen only.

Bonus Slide: TinyWebDb Component!

What a custom webservice for TinyWebDb needs:

Getting a value:HTTP POST to /getvalue :  tag=abcreturns (application/jsonrequest):["VALUE","abc","123"]

Setting a value:HTTP POST to /storeavalue : tag=abc&value=%22def%22returns (application/jsonrequest):["STORED", "abc", "\"def\""] My server-side Javascript implementation:   http://github.com/monteslu/tinywebdbjs

Enough Talk...

More Beer!