App Inventor for Android: Build Your Own Apps — No Experience Required!

Chapter 1: Building Your First App While Exploring the Interface

In This Chapter

• Becoming familiar with App Inventor’s interface

• Learning App Inventor–specific terminology

App Inventor is an incredible new system from Google that allows Android applications to be designed and programmed with a Web page and Java interface. With very little programming knowledge, you can use App Inventor to create simple applications for yourself and your friends. With continuing experience with App Inventor, you can create very complex and powerful applications with App Inventor.

If you have ever had a flash of brilliance and thought, “There should be an app for that!,” take heart. App Inventor makes it possible for you to create that app. If you don’t yet have that incredible and exciting idea for an application, building the projects in the following chapters is very likely to spark an idea for your own Android application. I recommend keeping a notebook nearby to jot down application ideas as you do each of the projects. Many applications that are built with App Inventor are person- or group-specific. Your church, civic group, or circle of friends could well benefit from a common app that may exist but is not tailored for your group. Keep in mind that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel, but you can invent a nicer custom wheel with custom engraving and nice spinners.

If you have not signed up for an App Inventor account, you need to sign up at "http://appinventor.googlelabs.com/. You need ...