1. SCERSIG: Creating Android Apps with App Inventor 26 October 2011 Ric Paul, Health Services Library, Southampton

2. Options for Creating Apps Apple ◦ iOS SDK Windows ◦ Visual Studio Android ◦ App Inventor ◦ Developer’s Toolkit

3. App Inventor: Getting Started Install software Internet connection But… don’t need an Android phone

4. Dunechaser Robban Andersson App Inventor Any other mobile programming language

5. www.appinventorbeta.com/about Google login + internet required

6. App Inventor Simple, low-tech approach to programming Free to use – but software installation required Tutorials available on the site Tutorial videos on YouTube

7. Design your interface on this screen Open the Blocks Editor to edit code

8. Interface Design Drag and drop components onto the screen image Edit component names and initial status Choose from a range of components – buttons, text objects, social media tools, etc.

9. Connect from here to a phone or emulator to test

10. Blocks Editor Drag containers for each component onto the surface Plug actions, events & properties into the container No formal programming is required

11. Finalising Apps Finished app can be installed on a phone directly or via a QR code Distribute the app via the QR code – or upload to Android Market A tool like Marketizer can help ◦ www.taiic.com/marketizer www.taiic.com/marketizer Apps can be updated later – users will be alerted that an update is available

12. Downsides App Inventor apps are large files – there’s nothing you can do to reduce them This is an Android-only product – there’s no equivalent for iOS or Windows Mobile App Inventor is no longer supported directly by Google