Android App Inventor

[Logseman]

As you may know, Google has released a tool called AppInventor which is supposed to help people completely unable to program in order to build apps for Android with a GUI, aiming for simplicity. I signed up for the project since I am interested in learning how to program in general, and I can have a feel for it with this. Nevertheless, I'm starting to get my first problems, and I haven't even installled the thing

The matter comes because Java Virtual Machine and my computers seem not to be in the best terms. I'm using Ubuntu 10.10, and Chromium as my browser in both of them. While installing the latest java was simple, I'm not being able to fire up the test applets that Java puts in their website with my computers.

[NetGhost03]

Well, I also signed up for the beta test of the app inventor. It wasn't easy to setup everything but the documentation for windows users is pretty good.

And it's really easy to "write" applications on it. Like a puzzle. But I don't like it. It's maybe good for people who know coding but not in java. They can click a bit and build an application. But there are a lot of limitation of functionality and you don't have full control of the application you build.

For serious programming use the Android SDK for java and the traditional way.

[=X=]

I do know how to code, but I thought this app would be cool. For writing quick apps it is very nice. I had an app that I created for my wife in a few min.

My feeling is this app will allow people to make some pretty complex apps but the apps will be huge and hard to manage.

Originally Posted by Logseman

....While installing the latest java was simple, I'm not being able to fire up the test applets that Java puts in their website with my computers.

It looks like your Java plugin is not working.

I've googled the problem for you and here is a How-to that steps you through configuring the Java plugin for Chrome on Ubuntu

http://sites.google.com/site/easylin...-32-BIT-UBUNTU

Here is another one but the thread is very old.
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1255646


=X=

[asjogren]

Is this more usable as a rapid prototyping tool? Would it be good for that purpose?

[=X=]

Originally Posted by asjogren

Is this more usable as a rapid prototyping tool? Would it be good for that purpose?

I'm not sure, but I'm inclined to believe it is not. Visual Basic and NetBeans are a good example of Rapid proto typing tools. Where they give you a good GUI builder and the ability to add code.

You can't do that here, everything here is GUI driven. To me this is a tool that allows non developers to create some semi complex apps. The GUI builder is a bit clunky and so is the logic builder, but if you have the time and patience it can be used to create a decent app.

Now if you ask me would I use this to build an app the answer is heck now. I think I would stick to Eclipse.

=X=