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Time to Install New Setup Tools!

Submitted by jeff on

Version 2.2 of the Mac and Windows Setup tools is yet another version! Why so many versions? And what we are doing about it?!

The MIT AI2 Companion is a copy of every “component” of App Inventor. When you are using the companion, your blocks program is sent over to the companion which then interprets the blocks in order to run your program.

When we update the App Inventor components, we need to distribute a new Companion which contains the updated components. Otherwise your program, when run on the Companion, may not work as expected. When you use a device (phone or tablet) and install the MIT AI2 Companion from the Google Play Store, you should select the “automatic update” option. This will cause the Play Store to send you a new version when we make one available.

The Android Emulator, which we distribute with the Setup Tools has a copy of the MIT AI2 Companion embedded in it. Because it wasn’t loaded from the Play Store, it doesn’t get updated. So when we distribute a new Companion, we need to distribute a new version of the Setup Tools. However we know that the Setup Tools package is large and can take some time to download and install. Particularly if you need to install it on several computers.

Fortunately we believe that version 2.2 will be the last update for a while (fingers crossed). With version 2.2 we are introducing a self updating version of the Companion. If we update the components and build a new Companion, the next time you use the Emulator we will update the embedded Companion. You will receive a notification and will need to approve the installation in the Emulator. The Companion itself is a very small download, so should take a lot less time to install.

If you directly download the Companion on your device from our website instead of the Play Store, then you will also receive the self updating Companion. When a new version is available, you will be prompted and a new version will be downloaded.

If you downloaded the Companion from the Play Store, you will need to update your Companion from the Store. We cannot auto-update a Companion that was downloaded from the Google Play Store. So be sure to select the “automatic update” option so the Store will automatically update your copy.