Do you want to create
your own apps without coding? Do you want to learn how to
use artificial intelligence features in your apps? Do you want
to have fun and be creative with App Inventor MIT?
By the end of this article, you will be able to create your own apps with App Inventor MIT and impress your friends and family. Let’s get started!
Setting Up App Inventor MIT
App Inventor MIT is
a free online tool that lets you create apps for Android
devices using a graphical interface. You don’t need to write any code, just
drag and drop components and blocks to make your app work.
To get started with App
Inventor MIT, you must meet two requirements:
- A web browser that is compatible
with HTML5, such as Chrome, Firefox, or Safari.
- A Gmail account that you can use
to sign in.
To access App Inventor
MIT, go to [appinventor.mit.edu] and click on Create Apps! button.
You will be redirected to a Google sign-in page where you can enter your Gmail
account and password.
Once you are logged in,
you will see the Projects page where you can start a new
project or open an existing one. To start a new project, click on the Startnew project button and give your project a name.
You will then see
the Designer window where you can design the user interface of
your app. On the left side, you will see a list of components that you can add
to your app, such as buttons, images, text boxes, etc. On the right side, you
will see a preview of your app on a phone screen.
To connect App Inventor
MIT to your mobile device or an emulator for live testing, you need to install
the AI2 Companion app on your device or use the Emulator software
on your computer. You can find the instructions on how to do this on the
official setup page.
Once you have installed
the AI2 Companion or the Emulator, you can scan the QR code or enter the code
shown on the top right corner of the Designer window. This will connect your
device or emulator to App Inventor MIT and show your app on it.
You can now test your app live as you make changes to it on the Designer window. You can also switch to the Blocks Editor window where you can program the app logic using blocks.
App Inventor MIT Designing the User Interface
The user interface of
your app is how it looks and feels to the user. It consists of components that
display information or allow interaction, such as buttons, images, text boxes,
etc.
To design the user
interface of your app, you need to use the Designer window in App Inventor MIT.
Here are some steps to follow:
- To add a component to your app,
drag it from the left side panel and drop it on the phone screen on the
right side.
- To customize the properties of a
component, such as size, color, text, etc., select it and change its
values on the right-side panel.
- To arrange the components on the
screen, use layouts and alignment tools on the top toolbar. You can also
drag and drop components to move them around.
- To delete a component, select it
and press the delete key or right-click and choose delete.
Here are some examples
of common user interface elements that you can create with App Inventor MIT:
- A button that performs a click
action.
- An image that shows a picture
from a file or a URL.
- A text box that allows user input.
- A label that displays text.
- A slider that adjusts a value.
A list picker that shows a list of options.
App Inventor MIT Programming the App Logic
The app logic of your
app is how it behaves and responds to user actions. It consists of blocks that
control the flow of the app, such as variables, logic, loops, etc.
To program the app logic
of your app, you need to use the Blocks Editor window in App Inventor MIT. Here
are some steps to follow:
- To add a block to your app, drag
it from the left side panel and drop it on the white area on the right
side.
- To connect blocks together, snap
them into each other like puzzle pieces. Make sure the shapes and colors
match.
- To use parameters, variables, or
values in your blocks, drag them from the left side panel and drop them
into the sockets of the blocks.
- To delete a block, drag it to the
trash can on the bottom right corner or right-click and choose delete.
Here are some examples
of common app logic elements that you can create with App Inventor MIT:
- A variable that stores a value.
- A logic block that compares two
values.
- A loop block that repeats an
action.
- An event block that triggers when
something happens.
- A procedure block that defines a
custom function.
A call block that invokes a custom function.
Adding AI Features
One of the coolest
things about App Inventor MIT is that it allows you to add artificialintelligence features to your app, such as image classification, voice
recognition, text-to-speech, etc.
To add AI features to
your app, you need to use the AI components in App Inventor MIT. These are
special components that use machine learning models to perform tasks that
require human intelligence.
You can find these
components in the Media, Sensors, and Extension categories
on the left side panel. Some of these components are:
- Camera: Takes a picture and
returns it as an image.
- SpeechRecognizer: Converts speech
to text and returns it as a string.
- TextToSpeech: Converts text to
speech and speaks it out loud.
- ImageClassifier: Classifies an
image into one of 1000 categories and returns it as a string.
- FaceDetector: Detects faces in an
image and returns their coordinates and features.
To learn more about these components and how to use them, you can visit the AIwith MIT App Inventor website, where you can find tutorials, examples, and resources.
Sharing and Installing Apps
Once you have created
your app with App Inventor MIT, you might want to share it with others or
install it on other devices. There are two ways to do this:
- Share your app code with others
using QR codes or links. This will allow them to open your app in App
Inventor MIT and edit or run it. You can find these options on the Build menu
on the top toolbar.
- Build and install your app on
mobile devices using APK files or Google Play Store. This will allow them
to install your app as a standalone application on their devices. You can
find these options on the Build menu on the top toolbar.
You can find more details on how to do this on the official sharing and installing page.
Conclusion
You have reached the end
of this article. Congratulations! You have learned how to start App Inventor
MIT and create your own apps with user interface, app logic, and AI features.
You have also learned how to share and install your apps on other devices.