Panel - The first web admin panel for App Inventor 2

CedricKim · August 18, 2020, 8:38am

Introducing Panel: the first web admin panel for App Inventor 2.

I made Panel out of security concerns for apps with admin panels that weren’t as secure as their developers thought. Panel is the first extension for any App Inventor 2 distro that provides a web admin panel powered by cutting-edge blockchain-powered (hehe block programming extension powered by blockchain) storage and security technology. And it’s free!

Setup guide

1. Register

Each app has its own account. Panel doesn’t ask you for your email address or any other personally identifying information.

2. Configure

Once you’ve created an app account, add basically anything as a variable in your Dashboard.

3. Install

Once you’re ready, download and install the Panel extension from your dashboard to your App Inventor project. You’ll need to copy your username from the dashboard into the AppUsername field in the component’s configuration.

4. Integrate

Replace static values with GetItem blocks. You’ll use these to grab the variables you defined in your dashboard, so you’ll need the variable names.

Blocks

GetItem

This block takes in a variable name (defined in the web dashboard) and returns the value.

GetAllJSONData

This block returns every variable, bundled into a JSON object.

FAQ

Here are some frequently asked questions and their answers.

What’s the difference from storing everything in a TinyWebDB?

Well, for one thing, you get a web interface with Panel. And for another thing, Panel is more secure. With TinyWebDB, there’s always a possibility that someone reverse-engineers your app and directly uses the TinyWebDB API to change things that they shouldn’t be changing. Panel makes sure only you can edit things.

What do you mean by ‘blockchain security and storage technology’?

I use Blockstack, a blockchain platform that keeps private data secure and all data uneditable to users without permission to edit that specific data, without having any central authorities. Neither Panel or Blockstack can see private data. However, this also means that if you lose your Secret Key, you lose access to your account. A small price to pay for superior security, however.

Am I allowed to use Panel in apps that earn me money?

Yes. Panel does NOT charge anything or take any commission for commercial use.

Get started with Panel

Since Panel requires an account to use (just like most other online services), you’ll need to sign up at a website to get the extension. Don’t worry; I don’t ask for your email address or any other possibly personally identifying info.
Sign up for free and get the extension

Salman_Dev · August 18, 2020, 10:39am

Wow, this Extension is really great,

CedricKim · August 18, 2020, 10:40am

Thanks, @Salman_Dev!

Peter · August 18, 2020, 10:53am

Great job @CedricKim. It looks like a great extension but at the moment it is still in development. So expect to get errors.

Peter · August 18, 2020, 10:59am

I tested your extension and get the same errors as with Kodular.

Here you can see why your icons should be 16 x 16 pixels.

Keep up the good work.

CedricKim · August 20, 2020, 8:05am

Panel's first stable version is now available!

Panel is now generally available as a stable version. You can download it from the dashboard.
Access the dashboard

Peter · August 20, 2020, 8:07am

I tested it and it is working great. Great job.

Peter · August 20, 2020, 8:09am

You have to make your icon 16 x 16 pixels

CedricKim · August 20, 2020, 8:14am

I thought I did?

Peter · August 20, 2020, 8:28am

Yep you did. I just refreshed my browser screen.

TIMAI2 · August 20, 2020, 8:38am

In the "Panel" you don't show the url for grabbing everything:

https://gaia.blockstack.org/hub/<AppId>/panelvalues.json

Peter · August 20, 2020, 8:47am

That is no longer necessary. You get another id that you have to use.

Peter · August 20, 2020, 8:56am

Some samples

TIMAI2 · August 20, 2020, 8:58am

But it is useful if you want to grab the data for somewhere else, e.g. on your computer or into a google sheet

Jonathan_Urbina1 · February 8, 2024, 11:48pm

Hmmm... where is the trick...?

I can't say what I do, but... security, free, blockchain and data.

These are things that always go hand in hand, but in a strict sense of the principle of equivalence (alchemically speaking).

Perhaps we are facing a dApp, which is not strictly and explicitly informed.

Maybe the entire planet has access to the data of Samy; Indian, Male, with 987 Followers, who lives in Virginia, with the address: xxxy 7896, 2-story blue house and Geolocation 37.789500,-78.123451. and/or use our phone to mine any active cryptocurrency.