Building a Mobile App

by Guthals, Sarah, Ph.D.

• ISBN13: 9781119376422
• ISBN10: 1119376424
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2017-03-27
• Publisher: For Dummies

Summary

Coding is cool, and these fun projects help you get started today!

Building a Mobile App offers basic lessons in Android development, designed specifically for kids! Three fun projects walk you through basic coding skills using MIT's App Inventor—a free, online programming tool that uses a simple block style language that makes coding easy to learn. No long chapters to read, and no homework—just dive right in! You'll begin with a basic project that shows you how to make an app that works; next, you'll put those skills to work on a photo editing app that takes your skills to the next level. Finally, you'll level up one more time to become a Game Maker—that's right, you'll actually build a mobile game that you can send to your friends! Each project includes step-by-step directions and plenty of graphics to help you stay on track, and easy-to-read instructions help you complete each project frustration-free.

App building can get pretty complicated, but it doesn't have to start out that way. Start small to pick up the basics quickly, and you'll be coding in no time! This book helps you get started quickly and easily, with a focus on fun.

• Build your own Android mobile apps using a free online platform!
• Code everything yourself, including buttons, screens, and interactions!
• Build an app that lets you draw on pictures you take!
• Create a simple, interactive game you can share with your friends!

Adults all over the world turn to For Dummies books for clear instruction with a sense of humor; the Dummies Junior books bring that same "learning is fun" attitude to kids, with projects designed specifically for a kid's interests, needs, and skill level. Building a Mobile App gets kids coding quickly, with fun projects they'll be happy to show off!

Author Biography

Sarah Guthals, Ph.D. has dedicated her life to coding education. She co-founded an ed-tech company, and now continues to build technology for kids to learn, create, and share safely online. She loves to help teachers demonstrate coding in the classroom, and she wishes she could show her cats how to code too!

Table of Contents

Introduction: Get Started with Mobile Apps 2

About App Inventor 2

About This Book 3

About You 3

About the Icons 4

Project 1: Basic Mobile App Tools 6

The Software: App Inventor 6

Get Started with App Inventor 7

Start Your First Android Mobile App 9

Connect Your Android Emulator 10

Code On App Inventor 13

Add a Button That Makes a Sound 14

Rename Your Components 20

Add a Music Player 24

Test Your Music App 35

Project 2: Make an App about You 36

Design Your App 36

Make Your First Paper Prototype 37

Make Paper Phones 37

Fill In Your Paper Phones 39

Make the Skeleton of Your App 40

Create a New App 41

Create the Homepage 42

Create Your Other Screens 54

Code Your App 57

Code Up the Buttons 57

Make Simple Changes 61

Add Code to All Your Buttons 62

Project 3: Make a Photo-Editing App 63

Set Up Your Photo-Editing App 63

Start with a New App 63

Start with an Already-Made About Me App 67

Start with Your About Me App 69

Test Your App 71

Code Your Photo-Editing App 75

Set Your Background Image 75

Edit Your Design to Match Your Feature 78

Draw on Your Photos 81

Code the Ability to Draw on Photos 85

Project 4: Make a Mobile Game App 88

Decide on a Game 88

Set Up Your Game App 89

Create a New Project 89

Set Up Your Screen 89

Make a Simple Game 92

Code Winston to Move 92

Get Winston Unstuck 94

Make Winston Listen 95

Give Winston Some Food 97

Make a Re-Playable Game 101

Give Winston All He Can Eat 102

Code Winston’s Food 103

Test Your New Game 111

Make Your Game Random 112

Add a Start and Reset Button 112

Test Your Start and Reset Buttons 115

Put Your Food in Random Places 116

Keep Building 120