App Inventor for Android
App Inventor is an application by Google Inc. that allows to program software applications for the Android operating system. The App Inventor uses a graphical interface, which is the user interfaces Scratch and StarLogo TNG very similar and allows users to drag and drop to create graphical blocks (graphical programming language) to an application for mobile phones with the Android system. The App Inventor was first made as a closed beta for registered users on July 12, 2010. Since 15 December 2010, the application is publicly available. The application will help you get started in programming applications for mobile phones. With easier access to program your own applications, the binding, especially young people should be increased to mobile phones using the Android operating system. Since 31 December 2011, the Support for App Inventor was terminated as part of the dissolution of the Google Labs Google. After the MIT App Inventor has initially operated as a closed beta for selected users, the application is available to the public again since 4 March 2012. The App Inventor is used as part of the Roberta Initiative to inspire children and girls in particular for the so-called STEM subjects mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and technology and to promote it.
History
When creating the App Inventor Google took advantage of research done in the field of computer science education and within the Google online development environments.
The block editor uses the Open Blocks Java library for creating graphically - based programming languages . Open block is provided by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Scheller Teacher Education Program (STEP) and is derived from the master's thesis of Rica Rose Roque from. Eric Klopfer and Daniel Wendel of the Scheller Program supported the distribution of open - block under the MIT License. The visual programming OpenBlockS is closely associated with StarLogo TNG, a project of the knocker STEP and scratch and the MIT Media Laboratory 's Lifelong Kindergarten Group. These projects are themselves influenced by the constructivist learning approach, which is to promote the creative development of students as teachers during lessons. As such, they are part of an ongoing evolution of the state of knowledge of education computer science that began in the 1960s with the work of Seymour Papert and the MIT Logo Group and was continued by the work of Mitchel Resnick of Lego Mindstorms and StarLogo on.
The compiler translates the graphic blocks for implementation on Android. Is used the development environment and a Kawa Kawa -specific modification of the Scheme language. This was developed by Per Bothner and distributed under the GNU General Public License.
The App Inventor is available only with a Google account.
Construction
The App Inventor is divided into two levels; the Design Editor and the block editor.
Design Editor
With the design editor, the layout of the app is designed. For this purpose a selection of different categories. It can be selected media components for simple input fields as well as preconfigured Social.
Blocks Editor
In the block editor, the programming of the select in the Design Editor components is made. The individual components are thereby related to each other and fed by the parameters and control structures of a logical order. Each component has a selection of different blocks. In addition to the respective functions of the blocks are control structures such as while and for loops, as well as logical and mathematical functions as program blocks to choose from. The Blocks Editor also provides an emulator available, under which the application being developed can be tested even without a real existing Android device.