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

Chapter 8: Collection Assistant: A Barcode and Database Application

In This Chapter

• Using the Barcode Scanner component

• Creating multidimensional arrays

• Developing and using traditional database functions

The Collection Assistant application replicates the functionality of some of the popular barcode scanner applications available on the market. Its basic function is to scan a barcode and store the location and name of the scanned object in a local database. You can use scanner applications for many different things. The Collection Assistant could be used to catalog and keep track of a media collection such as a DVD or CD collection, for example. It could also be used as part of an organizational system where boxes or storage containers are labeled with printed barcodes.

In building the Collection Assistant, you learn how to utilize the functionality of the Barcode Scanner component. The Barcode Scanner is a fairly simple component with just a few component blocks that provide a lot of functionality. The Barcode Scanner uses the device camera to scan barcodes. The Barcode Scanner component can scan not only traditional barcodes, but can scan the increasingly popular matrix (sometimes called QR or Quick Response) codes as well. QR codes have the capability of storing far more information than traditional barcodes and open up a lot of interesting applications for using the Barcode Scanner component.

Creating Collection Assistant 1.0

The Collection Assistant takes your usage ...