App Inventor

385 Pages·2012·9.75 MB·English

App Inventor
Create Your Own Android Apps

App Inventor
Create Your Own Android Apps
David Wolber, Hal Abelson,
Ellen Spertus & Liz Looney
Beijing · Cambridge · Farnham · Köln · Sebastopol · Tokyo
App Inventor
by David Wolber, Hal Abelson, Ellen Spertus & Liz Looney
Copyright © 2011 David Wolber, Hal Abelson, Ellen Spertus & Liz Looney. All rights reserved.
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April 2011: First Edition.
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978-1-4493-9748-7
[TI]
For Tomás, who reinvents me every day.

Contents
Foreword......................................................... xiii
Preface.......................................................... xv
1. Hello Purr......................................................... 1
What You’ll Learn 1
The App Inventor Environment 2
Designing the Components 3
Adding Behaviors to the Components 8
Packaging the App for Downloading 14
Sharing the App 15
Variations 15
Summary 16
Part I. 12 Customizable Apps
2. PaintPot......................................................... 19
What You’ll Learn 20
Getting Started 20
Designing the Components 20
Adding Behaviors to the Components 24
The Complete App: PaintPot 35
Variations 35
Summary 36
3. MoleMash........................................................ 37
What You’ll Build 37
What You’ll Learn 38
Getting Started 38
Adding Behaviors to the Components 41
viii  Contents
The Complete App: MoleMash 49
Variations 49
Summary 50
4. No Texting While Driving........................................... 51
What You’ll Learn 52
Getting Started 53
The Complete App: No Texting While Driving 66
Variations 66
Summary 68
5. Ladybug Chase.................................................... 69
What You’ll Build 69
What You’ll Learn 69
Designing the Components 70
Getting Started 71
Animating the Ladybug 71
Displaying the Energy Level 74
Adding an Aphid 78
Adding a Restart Button 82
Adding the Frog 83
Adding Sound Effects 86
Variations 86
Summary 87
6. Paris Map Tour.................................................... 89
What You’ll Learn 89
Designing the Components 90
Setting the Properties of ActivityStarter 90
Adding Behaviors to the Components 91
Setting Up a Virtual Tour 94
Variations 98
Summary 98
7. Android, Where’s My Car?........................................... 99
What You’ll Learn 99
Getting Started 100
Designing the Components 100