jeff's blog

New Release (nb175) Planned for Thursday, February 7th.

jeff — Mon, 04 Feb 2019 22:56:10 +0000

We plan to release a new version of MIT App Inventor on Thursday. This version, nb175, will include a new Companion (version 2.51). The current companion (version 2.50) will continue to work, but you will require the new version to use the new functionality described below.

New functionality

We implemented conditional permissions for Texting and PhoneCall components so apps built with MIT App Inventor will be compliant with new Google Play Store policies. By default, apps using the Texting and PhoneCall components will now launch the device's default texting and dialer apps. Most app inventors will be able to continue using the existing blocks for their apps.

If you want to build apps that respond to SMS or phone calls, or directly initiate a text or call, you may do so. To send a message or start a call, use the SendMessageDirect and MakePhoneCallDirect blocks, respectively. Receiving texts and calls continues to behave as it did. However, apps built with these behaviors will trigger additional review when being submitted to Google Play.

We implemented default handling for the Map.GotFeatures and Map.LoadError events. For GotFeatures, the default behavior will be to create features and populate the Map with them. For LoadError, the Screen's ErrorOccurred event will be run if defined, otherwise a toast will be shown.

Documentation improvements

Fixed issues with some Help menu items being disabled Added documentation to combine date and time information from DatePicker and TimePicker. Made miscellaneous improvements to the documentation based on feedback.

FustionTables Deprecated

We have deprecated the FusiontablesControl component due to Google’s planned shutdown of Fusiontables in December 2019.

Connectivity

Fixed an issue with new connection method not working in Safari 11+ We added a progress bar to report connection status.

Bug fixes

Fixed an issue where changing the visibility of a Marker would not update the Map containing the Marker until the user interacted with the map
Fixed an issue with the SDK 26 update that caused Error 1101 when scanning QR codes for built apps on older devices
Fixed an issue where polygons would not be parsed correctly from a GeoJSON file on the device
Fixed an issue where loading a list of elements into ListView would not handle large numerical values in the list
Fixed an issue where the MIT AI2 Companion would crash on some older devices

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New Component Release on December 27th

jeff — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 16:44:48 +0000

We are planning a Component Release of MIT App Inventor around December 27th. Component Releases require the installation of a new MIT AI2 Companion App in order to receive full functionality.

The changes in this release are outlined below. Starting with this release, MIT App Inventor will require Android version 2.1 or higher. We believe that there are only a very small number of devices in use today that have software older than this. Version 2.1 was released in 2009 and has been unsupported by Google for several years.

Introducing the new Map component to MIT App Inventor. This component, built on OpenStreetMaps, works on any Android device. It includes a significant amount of new functionality including customizability of seven new map-related components, web-based editing of map content, and native support for distance calculations (e.g., Haversine). More details are available at Evan’s Blog Post.
Introducing the new CloudDB component. This experimental component provides a lot of the functionality of the FirebaseDB component but without requiring a proprietary back-end database. Like Firebase, MIT will supply a default storage back-end for a reasonable usage. However MIT App Inventor programmers can choose to operate their own back-end storage server using the open source Redis system
Adds support for App Themes, including Material UI support, which let you specify the look and feel of user interface elements such as buttons
Adds a color wheel to the designer color property editor, permitting selection of colors from the full RGB color space and control over opacity
Adds an “is-text?” block to test whether a value is a string
Implements a workaround for an Android issue that would cause the Accelerometer to switch X and Y directions on some landscape mode devices
Various updates to facilitate the easier creation of extensions
Various bug fixes and performance improvements

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New Release of MIT App Inventor Expected on Thursday

jeff — Mon, 22 May 2017 19:36:15 +0000

On Thursday evening (Eastern United States Time) we will be deploying a new release of MIT App Inventor (version nb156).

This is a “non-component” release, which means that there is no new version of the MIT AI2 Companion to download or update. The major change is a significant upgrade of our “Blocks Editor.”

You are welcome to test the new blocks editor on our test system. To learn more about testing Read this Blog post.

Updates

Added the ability to zoom the workspace in/out. Zooming gestures include:
- Click the +/- buttons in the lower left corner above the trashcan.
- Ctrl+Mouse wheel on a mouse.
- Multi-touch trackpad users with Chrome, zooming can also be done with the pinch/expand gesture.
Added the ability to pan the workspace. Panning gestures include:
- Mouse wheel up/down will pan the view vertical.
- Wheels with 2-dimensional scrolling can also pan left/right.
- Multi-touch trackpad users can pan in two dimensions using two-finger scrolling.
Added Reset to center button will set the zoom back to 1:1 and move to the center of the blocks workspace.
Added workspace grid. Right-clicking (Ctrl+Click on Mac) on the workspace brings up a context menu with "Enable Workspace Grid" option. This option is a user setting and will persist across workspaces and across App Inventor sessions.
Added workspace snapping. If the grid is enabled, another menu option "Enable Snap to Grid" will be available. Enabling this option will make the top-left corner of blocks snap to the nearest grid point. This option is a user setting and will persist across workspaces and across App Inventor sessions.

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Welcome to our new Blocks Editor

jeff — Thu, 18 May 2017 12:25:57 +0000

Thank you for your interest in helping us test an upcoming major release of MIT App Inventor.

In this release we will be making a major update to the Blocks Editor. A list of changes/features is included below.

If you would like to help us test, go to http://rc.appinventor.mit.edu/. This is a test version of MIT App Inventor that include the new blocks editor. Feel free to either create new project on this site or export your projects from http://ai2.appinventor.mit.edu/ and import them to rc.appinventor.mit.edu.

HOWEVER be aware of two important issues. rc.appinventor.mit.edu is a TEST system. After the test period is over we will wipe out all projects stored on it. ALSO: Projects you create or import cannot be exported and imported to ai2.appinventor.mit.edu at the current time. Once this new blocks editor is on ai2.appinventor.mit.edu you will be able to import your projects. We will also not delete projects from rc.appinventor.mit.edu until they can be imported.

The software storing your projects on rc.appinventor.mit.edu is the same as on ai2.appinventor.mit.edu. However bugs in the new blocks editor may damage projects beyond recovery (we know of no such bugs at the moment, but this is a TEST system).

And now the list of updates!

Updates

Added the ability to zoom the workspace in/out. Zooming gestures include:
1. Click the +/- buttons in the lower left corner above the trashcan.
2. Ctrl+Mouse wheel on a mouse.
3. Multi-touch trackpad users with Chrome, zooming can also be done with the pinch/expand gesture.
Added the ability to pan the workspace. Panning gestures include:
1. Mouse wheel up/down will pan the view vertical.
2. Wheels with 2-dimensional scrolling can also pan left/right.
3. Multi-touch trackpad users can pan in two dimensions using two-finger scrolling.
Added Reset to center button will set the zoom back to 1:1 and move to the center of the blocks workspace.
Added workspace grid. Right-clicking (Ctrl+Click on Mac) on the workspace brings up a context menu with "Enable Workspace Grid" option. This option is a user setting and will persist across workspaces and across App Inventor sessions.
Added workspace snapping. If the grid is enabled, another menu option "Enable Snap to Grid" will be available. Enabling this option will make the top-left corner of blocks snap to the nearest grid point. This option is a user setting and will persist across workspaces and across App Inventor sessions.

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New Release (nb154) coming next Friday

jeff — Sun, 22 Jan 2017 22:11:21 +0000

This coming Friday, January 27th, we will be releasing version nb154
of MIT App Inventor.

This is a component release, which means that it updates the
component software used on devices by MIT App Inventor developed
applications. Most of the changes are bugfixes or updates needed to
make MIT App Inventor compatible with the latest version of Android.

There is one new feature, the “ShowListsAsJson” has been added to
Screen1. This property, when set, will result in list structures being
displayed in JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) instead of Lisp
structures. This property is only visible on Screen1, but effects all
screens.

By default this new property is not set. However at a future date new
projects will be created with it set to true (existing projects will
not be affected).

Because this is a component release, there will be a new MIT AI2
Companion released at the same time. The current Companion (version
2.39) will continue to work, but you will need the newer version
(currently planned as 2.40) in order to use the “ShowListsAsJson.”

The release is scheduled for January 27th at 10PM US Eastern Standard
Time. That is 2017-01-28T03:00:00Z (aka 3AM on Saturday, January 28th,
UTC).

-Jeff

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New Release Coming (nb147)

jeff — Thu, 11 Feb 2016 20:08:52 +0000

We will be deploying a new release of MIT App Inventor on Thursday
afternoon on February 18th (2016-02-19 02:00:00 UTC). The details are
in the Release Notes (DRAFT).

This release adds new Components and Features to MIT App Inventor
and we will be deploying a new Companion App along with the
release. However the current Companion (version 2.35) will continue to
work, but new features will require an upgrade.

If you have downloaded the Companion from the Google Play Store and
set it to auto-update, the update should be seamless.

However if you “side loaded” the Companion, or are using the
emulator, then you will need to update the Companion manually. We will
not be triggering an “Auto Update.” So people running classes on
Friday the 19th will not get a surprise when they attempt to use the
emulator in class. We have added a new menu choice under the “Help”
menu (you won’t see it until the release) which will permit you to
upgrade your companion “on the fly” on a schedule of your
choosing. Again, if you downloaded the Companion from the Google Play
Store, and auto-update is set, you will get the upgrade without having
to take any action.

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One Computer At a Time

jeff — Sun, 16 Mar 2014 14:52:49 +0000

MIT App Inventor is designed to be used by an individual using only one computer at a time. If you open a project on one computer and then open the same project on a second computer (or even in a second browser window) you can cause your project to become corrupted.

This is because the two sessions do not know about each other. So the last session to save the blocks “wins.” For example if you open a project on a computer in your office and then go home and open the same project from your home computer and make some changes. When you return to your office, your office computer will not have the changes you made at home. If you modify any blocks on your office computer, the version in your office computer will be saved. Your changes from your home computer will be lost.

On Sunday March 16th we will be installing a new version of MIT App Inventor. This version will introduce a new feature. When you login to App Inventor, any previous session will become “read only.” A red warning bar will appear on them warning you that changes on that computer will not be saved. Simple rule, most recent login is OK, others will not be able to save changes.

Unfortunately we cannot introduce this change seamlessly. When we perform the actual upgrade, anyone using MIT App Inventor will receive a red-bar error indicating that we have done an update. You will then just need to reload your browser’s window in order to continue.

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Time to Update the Companion

jeff — Tue, 11 Feb 2014 00:52:22 +0000

Back at the beginning of January I wrote to explain how we are going to reduce the number of times you have to update your MIT App Inventor software installation by distributing a Companion App with the ability to update itself.

On February 11 we’ll implement this auto-update mechanism in MIT App Inventor 2, so that your Companion App will be brought up to the newest version. To take advantage of this new feature, you might have to manually update Companion one final time.

After you have completed this one-time update to install the newest version of the companion, future updates will happen automatically.

What you need to do

If you are running the latest version already (2.15ai2zx1) then no action is required.

If you are running version older than 2.10ai2 (and 2.10ai2zx1) you will be prompted that your Companion is out of date and you will have to manually update it by installing the new version using the instructions on the WiFi Setup Page. You probably already have been receiving warnings if you are running a Companion that old.

If you are running a version between 2.10ai2 and 2.12.ai2, and you did not download it from the Google Play store, then you will see a dialog on your browser when you attempt to connect to the Companion from App Inventor. This dialog will explain that the auto-update is about to happen. Click “OK” and the update will commence. Once you do this, on your device (or in the emulator) you will see the Android Package Manager start (it may take a few seconds). It will tell you that there is an update for the Companion and ask for your permission to install it. Depending on the version of Android you have, you may be asked a second time for confirmation. In both cases, grant the permission and the Companion will update itself. When it is done, you will be returned to your device’s home screen. You will then need to restart the companion, at which point you should see the new version.

If you are running in the Emulator, you should be able to select “Connect Emulator” again from the App Inventor Connect menu and you should get connected without issue. If you have difficulty, select “Reset Connections” from the “Connect” menu and try again.

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Time to Install New Setup Tools!

jeff — Tue, 07 Jan 2014 19:14:19 +0000

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.

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Import Information about Java and App Inventor

jeff — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 15:54:08 +0000

If you are running Java 6 on a Macintosh, you should run Apple's latest software update 12 released February 1st. If you have been running Java 7 you may get a notice when opening the Blocks Editor that asks you to update Java. You must run this update to use App Inventor. This issue is due to a vulnerability in Java that affects all users -- not just App Inventor users and not even just Mac users. We will continue to monitor the situation and let you know what else, if anything, you'll need to do.