Creating Android app with App Inventor

With App Inventor from MIT which uses the theory of constructionist learning, we can create Android app from Graphical User Interface. Other easy ways include to use Google Currents to create somewhat magazine like App. Actually we wrote about creating Android Apps with Google App Inventor around 3 years back. The mainstream method of creating Android Apps is written in Lucid Guide to Create Android App. Google App Inventor has been closed by Google and became App Inventor by MIT.

 

Creating Android app with App Inventor

 

App Inventor has the following components :

1. Designing Interface : Where the App’s components are specified. This includes visible components, such as buttons and images, which are placed on a simulated screen, and non-visible components, such as sensors and web connections.
2. Blocks editor : Unique for App Inventor in which the program’s logic is created via a Graphical Interface.
3. Compiler written in the Kawa language framework and Kawa’s dialect of the Scheme programming language
4. An SaaS like app for real-time debugging on a connected Android device

 

One can open the Blocks Editor to find two tabs with blocks. The first tab contains all the built-In blocks, such as for picking a color or adding a method. The second tab contains the blocks for App components which will be built. Basically there is nothing to describe for App Inventor as there is no real coding is involved. We will only demystify two terminologies :

 

What is Constructionist Learning in App Inventor?

 

Constructionism holds that learning can happen most effectively when people are also active in making tangible objects in the real world and Constructionist Learning is connected with experiential learning. Experiential learning is a philosophy that describes the process that occurs between a teacher and student that infuses direct experience with the learning environment and content.

 

What is Kawa language framework in App Inventor?

 

Kawa is a language framework written in Java and can be used to implement other languages. Kawa means Coffee in Polish. Kawa has own website :

One can compile a Kawa program to a Servlet and run it in a servlet engine. These last two sub headers and paragraphs are only informative and not needed to know to create Android app using App Inventor.