Coming Soon to Google's App Inventor for Android

Yesterday, I mentioned that languages like Java may be better for programming apps and it turns out that Java is the language to use. I was exploring Google's App Inventor for Android, looking for a way to upload code I had written by hand, when I stumbled upon the FAQ page. That was one of the questions. Google claims to be working on a way to upload Java code to the Block Editor so that more complex apps can be developed. So if you are looking to use Google's App Inventor for Android, then you should learn/use Java to write your programs. However, you must also note that there are several limitations in using Google's service. One is that the app can only be so big before it cannot be uploaded to the Android Market. Google is currently working on the problem, but it is still a restraint at this point. Also, while you may soon be able to upload Java code to the site, you will not be able to download anything off the site for use with other software. You can share the programs you create through Google's App Inventor for Android, but only one person can work on a specific account at a time. This limits the ability of multiple people to create an app together, but it still can be done. Personally, I am really looking forward to being able to upload code to the site because then I can write the basic functions of my app in code, then handle all the visuals on Google's App Inventor for Android.

The Difficult and Complex Beauty of Code

I have said this before, and I will say it again. If you really want to be a successful app builder you need to learn code. Common misconceptions non-programmers have about code are that it is all zeros and ones and that it is too difficult to ever be conquered by the average person. To clear up the first one, I will explain that while the programming language machines understand is only zeros and ones, most code is not written using zeros and ones. There are several programming languages (Java, C++, etc.) that programmers use. Theses languages are then converted into machine language by specific software. I use C++ Language when writing programs. It is one of the oldest languages, but it's simple and powerful. C++ is more basic than languages like Java, so it may be easier to use Java to make apps. Be sure to do your own research before you decide to focus on one language. But since C++ is a basic code that other programming languages are built off I figured it would be beneficial to understand C++ before learning more complex languages. The software I use to program is excellent. It's is Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Express. It helps you find mistakes in the code, builds the programs whenever you need, and it's free!
Code is beautiful, in that what you write is what you get. However, the difficulty arises in that humans make mistakes. An error in a piece of code could be as simple as leaving out one semicolon in the entire program or having a colon instead of a semicolon. These errors are often minute and difficult to find. That is why it is very important to take your time while writing programs and check over everything carefully. The Microsoft software I use highlights recently edited code and puts red squiggly lines under things that the software already knows will create an error in your program. This is a HUGE time saver! However, some errors still occur and can be difficult to locate. Personally, I find errors easily using the Microsoft software, but some programmers I have talked to suggest printing out the code and scanning it by hand if it is a particularly long string. For aspiring app builders, programming classes and books are easy to find. There are plenty of online classes that you can take or you can go to a community college. The basics of programming doesn't need to be learned in a high class institute. I took an online course and found it better than most classes I have taken in a classroom. Take a class where there is a teacher to call/email with questions. With the start of a basic programming class, you will be closer to understanding the beauty of code.

The Debugging Process

After you have run your app on the emulator, you will undoubtedly discover bugs in the program. Thus the debugging stage begins. Debugging is the process of going through the program and fixing all the tiny errors in the "code" so that the programming will perform as expected. It is basically the same process using Google's App Inventor for Android, except you aren't dealing directly with the app's code. Debugging a program can take an enormous amount of time, even for experienced programmers. The issue is that each time you "fix" a bug other bugs can be created/revealed. This makes a process that could take a few hours to complete turn into a several day long battle.
Using the App Inventor for Android, the debugging process takes longer than it might using codes like C++ because the only way to discover errors is through testing it on the emulator or an Android device. It is also not always as easy to recognize which part of the program has errors. Usually, you can only identify one error at a time and even when the bug is identified then you have to figure out how to fix it using the Block Builder tools. App Inventor for Android is a lot easier to understand and use of the user has at least some knowledge of basic programming languages like C++. For example, knowledge of Boolean is essential to debugging most apps. But the most important part of debugging a program is not giving up.