Detailed blocs functionalities - where do I find them please?

[flotul]

Hi All,

I'm googeling aroud for hours now and can't find the info I'm looking for.

I'd like to build an app (phonebook like) and found lots of examples and tutorials but what I'm missing, in example, is the description of what a LIST or a DICTIONARY bloc can actually do. What are their differences?

In the App Inventor's help, one will find all parameters to works with these blocs but there is no information about what their are ment for.

Any info where this to me basic information is to be found please?

[SteveJG]

How to Use Lists by Sajal

• Built-in Blocks Documentation

• Component Documentation

• Lists blocks

• Dictionaries blocks

more Dictionaries advice http://ai2.appinventor.mit.edu/reference/other/json-web-apis.html

[ABG]

Lists collect similar things, indexed by number. Their indices collapse when you remove items.
Lists can be sorted, and can be imported and exported from/to Comma Separated Values (CSV) text for permanent storage in files.

A dictionary is a single thing (object) with named attributes accessed by a (usually text) tag.
Dictionaries be imported and exported from/to JSON text for permanent storage in files.

[flotul]

Thanks for the links

So I'm still confused on which one to choose to make my phonebook-loke app?

Should I go with a LIST or with a DICTIONARY? What is the right/best way to go please?

I was programming in DBASE3 (Ashton-Tate) 30 years ago and still have the terms "Records", "Fields" and "Indexes" in mind, terms I almost don't see anywhere now. Did it change completely?

[ABG]

For a phonebook I would use TinyDB, with tag/value = contactName/(dictionary of contact details: key=address,homephone,mobile,addressline1,etc.).

TinyDb presents its tagLists alphabetically, which is suitable for a phone book.
Dictionaries are forgiving of missing entries (addressline2,...)

FAQ Section: TinyDB

TinyDB AI2 Help page - MIT TinyDB Namespace Recovery - KIO4 etc. TinyDB after uninstall of an APP Book Collection in TinyDB(Hossein) How to save Max Scores on TinyDB - ABG Save Base64 of Image Files in TinyDB using extension - Juan Antonio Simulate Multiple TinyDBs with an extension - Juan Antonio Student names and Emails - TIMAI2 The Tiniest TinyDb Tutorial (Richard) TinyDB Limits TinyDB preloader extension - Juan Antonio History of TinyDB NameSpaces - Patton

Spoiler Alert: The Gallery is full of phone book apps.

[Taifun]

@flotul

So I'm still confused on which one to choose to make my phonebook-loke app?

Should I go with a LIST or with a DICTIONARY? What is the right/best way to go please?

are you familiar with SQL databases?
you could use the built in SQlite database, which is also used by Android itself...
to access it however you will need an extension, for example my sqlite extension App Inventor Extensions: SQlite | Pura Vida Apps, there are also other extensions...

the advantage of using a sql database is, you can easily search for a phone number to get the name or you can search for a name to get the phone number...

Taifun

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Trying to push the limits! Snippets, Tutorials and Extensions from Pura Vida Apps by Taifun.

[flotul]

Thank you All.

I'll have a look at the "Gallery"