Google App Inventor

[ardhuru]

Here I am, back as promised. Finally got the app done in App Inventor, and am pretty pleased with the results.

It does what I want well; send an ascii character over BT for each button pressed. Its supposed to be used as a numeric keypad for access control.

I would still be looking up Basic4Android (or other alternates) for a couple reasons, though.

1) Apps created with App Inventor cannot be installed to the SD card. (Not without a tweak, anyway)
2) The apk file size is not very compact; I've read it can be as much as 6 to 10 times larger than the same app developed in say, B4A.
3) Of course the degree of uncertainty regarding its new home at MIT; it goes off the Google site on the 31st.

Dave, your zip file would be the ideal starting point for me to get into B4A, thanks. Although it does look a bit daunting..

Regards,

Anand

[mackrackit]

Dave, your zip file would be the ideal starting point for me to get into B4A, thanks. Although it does look a bit daunting..

It is not as bad as it looks. Most of the stuff in the zip was created by B4A.

[ardhuru]

Oh okay, I will take the plunge then.

Also found their pdf manual to be a great way to start.

Regards,

Anand

[prstein]

Dave,

Thank you, thank you, thank you telling us about B4A! Trying to create Android apps using Eclipse and Java was driving me up a tree. I've purchase it and am absolutely delighted with it so far.

You remain the best!

Best Regards,
Paul

[ardhuru]

Dave, thanks for the discound coupon code.

Took the plunge, and just finished installing B4A. As you said, its not as complex as the first impressions suggest.

Now, for the uphill trek...

Regards,

Anand

[ardhuru]

Dave (M), and Dave (H), thank you guys, for pointing me in the right direction.

After struggling with B4A for some time, I managed to accomplish precisely what I had in mind, and more.

I now have an apk that acts like a numeric keypad for access control.

As what often happens when one learns a new environment, I went overboard with some bells and whistles which were not planned on. (Automatic enabling/disabling of the bluetooth in my Android on app launch, text-to-speech annotations and so on)

I'm sure an expert will still find it very rough at the edges, but it serves my purpose well.



If anybody would like to play around with this (remember, you'll need a bluetooth module to talk to), please pm me.

Again, thanks.

Anand

[mackrackit]

COOL!
I am glad it is working out.