Starting out with App Inventor for Android

✍ Scribed by Gaddis, Tony

• Publisher: Pearson&Addison-Wesley
• Year: 2014;2015
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 696
• Edition: First edition
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

InStarting Out with App Inventor for Android,Tony Gaddis and Rebecca Halsey teach the fundamentals of programming while simultaneously showing students how to create fun, useful, and imaginative apps. Because App Inventor allows students to create apps and see them running on a phone, programming becomes a personally meaningful skill. � Gaddis's highly accessible, step-by-step presentation presents all the details needed to understand the "how" and the "why"--but never loses sight of the fact that most novice programmers struggle with this material. His gradual approach ensures that readers understand the logic behind developing high-quality programs. �Teaching and Learning ExperienceThis program presents a better teaching and learning experience--for you and your students. It will help: �Engage Students with Dynamic Mobile Apps:Students not only learn how to create their own apps, they can actually see them run on their phone or the Android emulator.
Enhance Learning with the Gaddis Approach:Gaddis's accessible approach features clear and easy-to-read code listings, concise real-world examples, and exercises in every chapter.
Motivate Learning:When students learn they can easily create their own mobile apps, they become motivated to learn programming--whether that is in the CSO or CS1 course.
Integrate App Inventor in the Classroom:App Inventor can be used in a variety of ways in the classroom, and this text is designed to accommodate all of them.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover......Page 1
Title Page......Page 4
Copyright Page......Page 5
Brief Contents......Page 6
Contents......Page 8
Preface......Page 14
Acknowledgements......Page 20
About the Authors......Page 22
Video Notes......Page 24
1.1 Introduction......Page 26
1.2 What Is a Computer Program?......Page 29
Tutorial 1-1: Starting App Inventor and Creating a New Project......Page 33
1.4 Getting Hands-On with App Inventor......Page 47
Tutorial 1-2: Creating the Screen for the Hello World App......Page 62
Tutorial 1-3: Completing the Hello World App......Page 76
Tutorial 1-4: Creating the Good Morning Translator App......Page 80
Review Questions......Page 89
2.1 Displaying Images......Page 98
Tutorial 2-1: Changing the Screen’s Background Image......Page 101
Tutorial 2-2: Switching the Screen’s Background Image in Code......Page 105
Tutorial 2-3: Using the Image Component......Page 110
Tutorial 2-4: Creating the Flags App......Page 115
2.2 Duplicating Blocks and Using Dropdowns......Page 121
2.3 Sounds......Page 124
Tutorial 2-5: Creating the Guitar App......Page 127
Tutorial 2-6: Making the Phone Vibrate......Page 131
2.4 Color Blocks......Page 134
2.5 Layout Components......Page 137
Tutorial 2-7: Using Layout Components and Color Blocks......Page 141
2.6 Commenting Blocks......Page 144
Tutorial 2-8: Adding Comments......Page 145
Review Questions......Page 146
3.1 The TextBox Component......Page 154
3.2 Performing Calculations......Page 160
Tutorial 3-1: Calculating Fuel Economy......Page 163
Tutorial 3-2: Creating the Restaurant Tip Calculator App......Page 169
3.3 Storing Data with Variables......Page 174
Tutorial 3-3: Creating the Kilometer Converter App......Page 183
Tutorial 3-4: Creating the Change Counter App......Page 194
3.4 Creating Blocks with Typeblocking......Page 199
3.5 The Slider Component......Page 201
3.6 Math Functions......Page 205
Review Questions......Page 207
4.1 Introduction to Decision Blocks......Page 212
4.2 Relational Operators and the if Block......Page 217
Tutorial 4-1: The Test Average App......Page 219
4.3 The if then else Block......Page 227
Tutorial 4-2: Modifying the Test Average App......Page 228
Tutorial 4-3: Creating the Wages App......Page 230
4.4 A First Look At Comparing Strings......Page 237
4.5 Logical Operators......Page 238
Tutorial 4-4: Creating the Range Checker App......Page 241
4.6 Nested Decision Blocks......Page 243
Tutorial 4-5: Creating the Grader App......Page 244
4.7 The if then else if Block......Page 246
4.8 Working with Random Numbers......Page 249
Tutorial 4-6: Simulating Coin Tosses......Page 251
4.9 The Screen’s Initialize Event......Page 254
4.10 The ListPicker Component......Page 255
Tutorial 4-7: Creating the Time Zone App......Page 257
4.11 The CheckBox Component......Page 260
Review Questions......Page 266
5.1 The Notifier Component......Page 272
5.2 The while Loop......Page 280
Tutorial 5-1: The Ending Balance App......Page 283
5.3 The for each Loop......Page 288
Tutorial 5-2: Calculating a Sum of Consecutive Numbers......Page 292
5.4 The Clock Component......Page 295
Tutorial 5-3: Creating a Clock App......Page 298
5.5 The DatePicker Component......Page 304
Review Questions......Page 307
6.1 Modularizing Your Code With Procedures......Page 312
6.2 Procedures......Page 313
Tutorial 6-1: Creating the Lights App......Page 317
6.3 Passing Arguments to Procedures......Page 323
Tutorial 6-2: Creating the AreaCircle App......Page 328
6.4 Returning Values From Procedures......Page 332
Tutorial 6-3: The Cups To Ounces App......Page 335
Review Questions......Page 339
7.1 Creating a List......Page 344
Tutorial 7-1: Creating a List......Page 346
7.2 Iterating Over a List with the for each Loop......Page 351
Tutorial 7-2: Iterating Over a List with the for each Loop......Page 354
Tutorial 7-3: Selecting an Item in a List......Page 357
Tutorial 7-4: Using the length of list Function......Page 362
7.4 Inserting and Appending Items......Page 366
Tutorial 7-5: Add Items to a List......Page 368
7.5 Removing Items......Page 373
7.6 Replacing Items......Page 375
Tutorial 7-6: Replacing and Removing List Items......Page 377
7.7 Searching for an Item......Page 385
Tutorial 7-7: Creating a Number-Guessing Game......Page 386
7.8 Other List Functions......Page 391
Review Questions......Page 392
8.1 App Inventor Storage Components......Page 396
8.3 File Component......Page 397
Tutorial 8-1: Creating a File......Page 400
Tutorial 8-2: Retrieving a File......Page 403
Tutorial 8-3: Appending a File......Page 406
8.5 TinyDB......Page 408
8.6 Tag-Value Pairs......Page 409
Tutorial 8-4: Storing Names and Phone Numbers......Page 410
8.8 Retrieving a Value......Page 411
Tutorial 8-5: Storing and Retrieving Values......Page 412
8.9 Tag-Value Pairs when the Value is a List......Page 414
Tutorial 8-6: Storing a List as a Value in a Tag-Value Pair......Page 415
8.10 TinyDB Across Multiple Screens......Page 422
Tutorial 8-7: TinyDB across Multiple Screens......Page 424
Review Questions......Page 434
9.1 The Canvas Component......Page 440
Tutorial 9-1: Drawing on the Canvas......Page 443
9.2 The Ball and ImageSprite Component......Page 449
Tutorial 9-2: Bouncing Ball......Page 453
Tutorial 9-3: Fishbowl - Using the ImageSprite Component......Page 457
Tutorial 9-4: Crack the Egg......Page 459
Tutorial 9-5: Drag Ball sprite Example......Page 464
Tutorial 9-6: Drag the Ball into the Box......Page 465
9.5 Detecting Collisions......Page 470
Tutorial 9-7: Popping Balloons......Page 472
Review Questions......Page 480
10.1 Concatenating Strings......Page 486
10.2 Comparing Strings......Page 492
Tutorial 10-1: Comparing Strings......Page 495
10.3 T rimming a String......Page 500
10.4 Converting Case......Page 501
Tutorial 10-2: Trim and Convert to Format Tags......Page 502
10.5 Finding a Substring......Page 506
Tutorial 10-3: Validate an Email Address......Page 508
10.7 Extracting a Substring......Page 514
10.8 Splitting a Substring......Page 516
Tutorial 10-4: Validating Email – Valid Name and Top-Level Domain......Page 520
Review Questions......Page 530
11.1 The TextToSpeech Component......Page 534
Tutorial 11-1: Text to Speech......Page 537
11.2 The Texting Component......Page 541
11.3 Receiving Text Messages......Page 544
Tutorial 11-2: Creating the Speak Messages from Family App......Page 545
11.4 Sending Text Messages......Page 548
Tutorial 11-3: Reply to Family......Page 549
Review Questions......Page 551
12.1 The LocationSensor......Page 556
Tutorial 12-1: Display Location......Page 560
12.2 The OrientationSensor......Page 567
Tutorial 12-2: Cat and Mouse......Page 570
12.3 The Accelerometer......Page 575
Tutorial 12-3: Shake to Clear Canvas......Page 577
12.4 Using the ActivityStarter Component to launch Google Maps......Page 579
Tutorial 12-4: Open Google Maps......Page 581
Review Questions......Page 582
13.1 Recording Audio......Page 586
Tutorial 13-1: Record and PlayBack Audio......Page 588
13.2 Taking a Photo with the Phone’s Camera......Page 592
13.3 The Camcorder Component......Page 593
Tutorial 13-2: Using the ImagePicker......Page 594
13.5 Playing Video......Page 597
Tutorial 13-3: Playing Video......Page 598
13.6 Selecting Contacts from the Contact List and Placing Phone Calls......Page 601
Tutorial 13-4: Using the Contact and Phone Number Pickers......Page 602
Tutorial 13-5: Using the PhoneCall component......Page 605
13.7 Scanning a Barcode......Page 609
Tutorial 13-6: Speak a Text Message......Page 610
13.9 Connecting to a Twitter Account......Page 614
Tutorial 13-7: Building a Twitter Application......Page 615
13.10 TinyWebDB......Page 617
Review Questions......Page 618
Appendix A Setting Up App Inventor......Page 622
Appendix B Connecting an Android Device to App Inventor......Page 628
Appendix C Uploading Your Application to App Inventor Gallery and Google Play Store......Page 638
Appendix D Component Reference......Page 644
Appendix E Answers to Checkpoints......Page 674
A......Page 686
C......Page 687
E......Page 689
G......Page 690
L......Page 691
M......Page 692
P......Page 693
S......Page 694
T......Page 695
Z......Page 696