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I've registered for a mobile app course, and am considering dropping it because we are using the Google App Inventor to create apps.

I've taken a look at a few videos, and it seems all too basic, geared towards non-programmers. I've had some experience with the Android SDK and feel like learning the App Inventor is degrading, a just-for-fun way of making only simple apps. Is this the case? Are you more limited in App Inventor than programming in Eclipse w/Java? The graphical way of 'programming' makes it seem that way. Can anyone with experience comment on it?

thank you.

Rob
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  • I'm curious who is offering a class on App Inventor, now that Google is shutting down its service and MIT hasn't opened its public server yet. The only school I know of offering such a course is USF. Is the course there or somewhere else? – Ellen Spertus Dec 31 '11 at 16:18
  • I attend Villanova U. and the course is geared towards development in groups of 3 among CS,CpE, and Business students. I guess it was only picked so that everyone can contribute equally to development. – Rob Dec 31 '11 at 17:53
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    If the course also includes user interface design, market research, etc., it might still be useful. FWIW, when I taught an App Inventor-based course, I had the CS majors write App Engine backends in Python for the App Inventor frontends to interface to. I'd suggest talking with the prof. They should be approachable at Villanova. :-) – Ellen Spertus Jan 01 '12 at 01:31

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Although graphical programming never gives as much control as coding does, that doesn't necessarily make it a bad thing. It really depends on how much control you need, and what you need to do with it. If you're doing a simple local app with a nice UI, it'll probably be easier to use the App Inventor. Even in the SDK, you will work with graphical tools to design UI. Sure you can do straight XML, but its always nice to have a WYSIWYG to design these things.

Having said that, personally, I would try to learn the SDK just because it gives you a fuller range of tools. It'll also teach you more of the nitty gritty of developing Android apps. Plus, if you want to be a real Android app developer in the future, it'll give you more of a headstart and knowledge base.

Huy T
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  • Damn! I had started to think the same that you have written. You beat me to it. ;-) Nonetheless, you have said it brilliantly. +1 – Siddharth Lele Dec 31 '11 at 04:35
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With knowledge I have on appinventor I feel same. Another thing to note is google discarding app inventor starting January 2012. If you have some knowledge I would suggest using Android sdk and eclipse.

kosa
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This is true. I would definitely suggest jumping right into the framework with the SDK instead of using App Inventor. It is very simplistic and template based with not much flexibility of implementation. Going straight to Android is better IMO, you get more flexibility over the look/feel as well the programmatic elements of your applications as well.

Jade Byfield
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App Inventor was designed for people who do not know conventional programming languages. It sounds as though you do. If you want to learn App Inventor, you can easily do so on your own. It would be a waste of your time to take a class on it.

To answer the other part of your question, yes, what you can do in App Inventor is far more limited than what you can do with the full Android Java SDK.

Since App Inventor is about to be released open source, you can combine the two, should you wish to, by using the Java SDK to extend App Inventor.

The new MIT Center for Mobile Learning has information on running your own App Inventor server or using theirs. As other respondents have indicated, Google is about to pull the plug on their App Inventor service.

Ellen Spertus
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Graphical programming can be handy for some simple jobs like creating a few activities to roam around in; that would be perfectly acceptable. However all the trouble you would have to go through to dynamically create items or create a game would surpass the difficulties of learning your way around Java and the Android SDK. Which one you choose completely depends on the type of project you want to make. App Inventor could either hinder you or speed up your development drastically. Another thing to keep in mind is that Google is ending support on Google Labs and App Inventor, which could discourage some people.

Peter O.
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Lijap
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