MIT APP INVENTOR

Apps development is emerging as a lucrative career option and if you always wanted to develop an app, the MIT App Inventor may help you get started. Formerly the Google App Inventor, this online tool is now maintained by Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Center for Mobile Learning.

The best part is that you need not know programming languages, as it makes use of ‘blocks’ that have to be placed to perform the action that you want the app to do. This makes it perfect for enthusiasts who want to create an app without worrying about coding, as it uses a very visual approach. It also has an innovative approach: you can learn by building the games mentioned and the level of difficulty increases gradually. Each game addresses a function that you can add to the app. For instance, if you want to build an app that will have multiple screens, you can use the Colored Dots tutorial, which is a painting program that uses multiple screens. Before starting, it’s advisable to familiarise yourself with the tool’s various components. Some of these components can be modified, while others remain static and cannot be changed. This information can be accessed from the Reference section under the Learn tab. Additionally, you can also access a PDF of the book ‘App Inventor: Create Your Own Android Apps’ by David Wolber, Hal Abelson, Ellen Spertus and Liz Looney. Most of the chapters in the book are accompanied by video screencasts.