CPSC 110-08: Computing with Mobile Phones

Reading: App Inventor, Create Your Own Apps, Chapter 2
Due: Friday 9/16 (before class)

Textbook

You can purchase a copy of the text book Wolber, Abelson, Spertus, and Looney, App Inventor: Create Your Own Android Apps. It costs around $25. We will be having reading assignments from this text throughout the semester.

There is a pre-publication version of this book available for free download. However, it is not as complete as the published version.

Reading Assignment

Principles addressed: Creativity: The students are build an app. Abstraction: The idea of an argument is introduced.
Read Chapter 2, Paint Pot Tutorial. This chapter describes how to use App Inventor's 2-D Drawing commands. It introduces the concept of an argument, a variable that stores data as part of a procedure or event handler. As we will discuss in class, the use of arguments is one form data abstraction, an important computing concept.

    Reading Questions. Keep these questions in mind as you read the assigned chapter. For each question, write a short answer. Post your answers on a separate page, named "App Inventor Chapter 2" or something similar, on your Portfolio.

  1. What is an argument? Give a specific example and describe what role it plays in the app.

  2. What is a global variable. Give an example and describe what role it plays in the app.

  3. Give an example to illustrate the difference between an argument's or variable's name and its value?

  4. Where does App Inventor put the value blocks for arguments and variables?

In Class on Friday

We will implement the Paint Pot app on our phones.