[Feature Request] When is MIT going to include WIFI commands in blocks?

General Discussion
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#1

Apart from using an extension which does not work across all versions of android, there is no way to set up and control access to WIFI.
Bluetooth exists so why not WiFI for tablets and cell phones?

If you want to connect to the internet for IOT, web control an Arduino or Raspberry Pie device which includes a password and SSID, it is not possible using blocks on MIT APP INVENTOR.
Only an external extension com.puravidaapps.TaifunWiFi.aix can be used, and the author admits this is not reliable for all android tablets.
Surely MIT can put someone into creating this inside App Inventor?
We need to be able to connect to a SSID including password, send it IP address, and data using the web1 blocks.
We also need to see the response and check on the status of the connection.
It also needs to be stable across all android versions.

#2

I never said that

you should read the note for the ConnectSSID method carefully App Inventor Extensions: WiFi | Pura Vida Apps

Note: Android will get more and more restricted. The ConnectSSID method does not work anymore starting from Android 10.

According to this Stackoverflow answer: For API30 we can use a new Intent action, for API 28 and below we can still use the old way of adding Networks, but for API29 we have some kind of gray area where I was not able to find a good solution yet..

Meanwhile App Inventor targets API30 and I could take a look into this issue again. If you are interested in sponsoring the update of this method, please contact me by email. Thank you.

Taifun

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#3

My moan is not at you, but at MIT not including it as standard and keeping it up to date.
I did notice your comments, but did not chase down the differences between versions.
It really cripples the application.

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#4

We will have to think about this. Every feature addition really comes down to the potential educational benefit versus the cost of maintaining the feature, and at the moment we have higher priority development tasks. In my personal opinion I think it's a bad idea for apps to be able to modify the user's Wifi configuration. In your case the user and the developer sound like they are one in the same but on average that is not true of App Inventor users.

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#5

ActivityStarter can call up the device WIFI settings (at least on Android 8.1) using

set ActivityStarter.Action to android.settings.WIFI_SETTINGS
call ActivityStarter1.StartActivity

This intent provides basic manual settings. From the resulting page, the user can move to the ADVANCED setting page.

This is simple but it may provide you some relief. Of course you cannot change the settings from code within the app but the user can make manual changes. re

#6

It was included in android right at the start.
You can still put in required fields that need to be filled in by the user, such as SSID and password.
Most users would appreciate being able to automate some of their personal commands in designing an app.
Having to go into settings, then WIFI, then pick the SSID from the list and put in a password is a real chore every time you want to run an app!
It will help those communicating with Arduino to get rid of the USB lead as well.
IOT access to websites and to control the home through a personal website would also be a help and it would help them secure the site themselves, rather than relying on a IOT host!.

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#7

did you find any solution? I need to connect an app to a determined wifi

#8

What I said earlier is still valid and up to date

Taifun

#9

No, I have had no update from MIT.
Bluetooth is included in appinventor, but not WiFi.
Other products such as Arduino include WiFi library's so you can program the WiFi with a minimum of effort.
But for Google you have to learn to program in Android Studio which is not only complicated, but also wrong in some respects as upgrades to it occur in three different places!
If WiFI is so critical to the operation of android computer and other things such as musicplayer, browser etc have capable building blocks, why not WiFi.
I think there are too many commercial considerations involved in providing an answer.
See App Inventor Extensions: WiFi | Pura Vida Apps
Third party products can be used such as puravidapps,. but they do not set up the connection for you, you still have to do it manually before using their blocks.

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