"App Inventor for Android: Build Your Own Apps - No Experience Required!" by Jason Tyler

With this complete guide, you'll soon be creating apps that incorporate all of the Android smartphone's fun features, such as the accelerometer, GPS, messaging, and more.

Even with limited programming experience, you can easily learn to create apps for the Android platform with this complete guide to App Inventor for Android. App Inventor for Android is a visual language that relies on simple programming blocks that users can drag and drop to create apps. This handy book gives you a series of fully worked-out apps, complete with their programming blocks, which you can customize for your own use or use as a starting point for creating the next killer app. And it's all without writing a single line of code. Don't miss the book's special section on Apps Inventor Design Patterns, which explains computer terms in simple terms and is an invaluable basic reference.

• Teaches programmers and non-programmers alike how to use App Inventor for Android to create Android apps
• Provides a series of fully worked-out apps that you can customize, download, and use on your Android phone or use as a starting point for building the next great app
• Includes a valuable reference section on App Inventor Design Patterns and general computer science concepts
• Shows you how to create apps that take advantage of the Android smartphone?s handy features, such as GPS, messaging, contacts, and more

Table of Contents
Introduction
Part I
Chapter 1: Building Your First App While Exploring the Interface
Starting a New Project
Getting Familiar with Design View
Adding Components to Your New Project
Keeping your project neat
Introducing the Blocks Editor
Previewing Built-in Blocks
Placing Your Button Component Blocks
Placing Your Sound Component Blocks
Managing Your Projects
Peeking inside the ZIP file
Chapter 2: Programming and Design Fundamentals
Clarifying Your Design Idea
Getting Primitive with Your Design
Starting Easy, Getting More Complex
Mastering the Fundamentals of Programming Terminology
Part II
Chapter 3: SounDroid: Creating anAndroid Sound Machine
Creating SounDroid 2.0
Getting Started on SounDroid 2.0
Expanding the SounDroid Project: SounDroid 3.0
Getting Started on SounDroid 3.0
Chapter 4: OrderDroid: A Maintainable Mobile Commerce App
Creating the OrderDroid Application
Getting Started on OrderDroid 1.0
Adding New Components to OrderDroid 1.0
Creating OrderDroid 2.0
Getting Started on OrderDroid 2.0
Chapter 5: AndroidDown: A Location-Aware Panic Button
Creating the AndroidDown Application
Getting Started on AndroidDown 1.0
Making the most of typeblocking
Creating AndroidDown 2.0
Getting Started on AndroidDown 2.0
Chapter 6: AlphaDroid: An Alphabet Tracing Game
Creating AlphaDroid 1.0
Getting Started on AlphaDroid 1.0
Creating AlphaDroid 2.0
Beginning AlphaDroid 2.0
Chapter 7: PunchDroid: An Android Punch Bug Game
Creating the PunchDroid Application
Getting Started on the PunchDroid Application
Installing the PunchDroid Application
Chapter 8: Collection Assistant: A Barcode and Database Application
Creating Collection Assistant 1.0
Getting Started on Collection Assistant 1.0
Creating Collection Assistant 2.0
Getting Started on Collection Assistant 2.0
Challenging Yourself
Chapter 9: BlueChat: A Bluetooth Chat Client
Creating the BlueChat Application
Getting Started on BlueChat
Challenging Yourself
Chapter 10: TwiTorial: A Twitter Application
Creating the TwiTorial Application
Getting Started on TwiTorial
Part III
Blocks and Component Reference
Built-In Blocks
My Blocks
Appendix A: Setting Up Your Phone and Computer
Setting Up Your Phone
Testing Java Web Start
Installing the App Inventor Extras
Working with ADB (Android Debug Bridge)
Adapting to Special Circumstances
Working with the Android Emulator
Exploring the Android SDK and Other Emulator Options
Troubleshooting Your Phone's Connection
Appendix B: Creating Your Own TinyWebDB
Setting Up Your Google App Engine
Customizing and Installing the TinyWebDB Service
Index