The block design is a disaster

[Gunnar_Scott_Freiher]

Ich war ja noch nicht fertig mit dem senden, beziehungsweise dem beschreiben der Probleme....

Da gibt's noch mehr, und nein, ich werde jetzt nicht mein eben gerade neu gekauftes und 1 Jahr getestetes Tablet wegschmeißen, und ((da hänge ich mich jetzt mal gaaanz gefährlich aus dem Fenster)bloß weil das Homepage Design ein paar Fehler hat, und man vielleicht mit ein paar Anpassungen noch ein bisschen mehr Platz auf dem Bildschirm schaffen könnte)) ...

Du fragst mich jetzt vielleicht:

Warum habe ich überhaupt angefangen habe mich in das programmieren lernen reinzuarbeiten?... nun weil ich rausgefunden habe was ich für Objekte auf meinem Display brauche, und dass man das auch selber steuern/programmieren kann.

Zum Beispiel habe ich in der App nun endlich Datum und Uhrzeit, und das ganze auch noch mit der richtigen Schriftgröße (dass ich es auch Lesen kann,

und dass die ganzen Apps die im Google Play Store Angeboten werden, nicht wirklich funktionieren, weil sie alle nur auf eins abzielen nämlich den User dazu zu zwingen sich nochmal und nochmal das neueste und teuerste Gerät zu kaufen.....

MIT App Inventor ist noch die einzige Platform, die anscheinend noch normal tickt (ok auch diesen Satz könnte man Jetzt noch negativ interpretieren) aber ich habe es positiv gemeint für euch....

Und ich sehe ja das euch wirklich daran liegt (und das muss einfach auch mal gesagt werden, ) wirklich euch die Probleme anzuhören und Lösungen zu finden...

Denn wir kommunizieren ja nun schon ne Weile, und es melden sich irgendwie immer mehr Kollegen, und das finde ich toll irgendwie habe ich da interessante Themen aufgetan?... Na, ja irgendwie schon oder?

Kleine Zwischenfrage, konntest du dir meine AIA file auch schon Anschauen, oder soll ich sie dir nochmal senden/ Posten?

Und wie schon versprochen, (sobald es mir zeitlich und technisch möglich, sende ich dir noch den Rest der screenschots...

[Gunnar_Scott_Freiher]

So, nun hier die versprochenen screenschots bzw Bild 1 original screenschot und Bild 2 der Verbesserungsvorschlag, oder bugcorrektur.

Zu Bild 2 einfach in der Programmierung der Homepage die Einstellung für das alignment überprüfen , und auf "fill parent " stellen oder auf die maximale Höhe des frames in dem der Block Designer dargestellt wird... Dürfte wahrscheinlich sogar der gleiche Befehl sein...

[ewpatton]

Yes, there appears to be an issue with the CSS on Android causing some layout issues. I tried it on an iPad in Safari and it does a much better job of using the screen real estate. We are looking into what the differentiating issue is here.

[Gunnar_Scott_Freiher]

Wow! Now I'm baffled, speachles, you really helps people, you really do your work, and your cuestions are really not for excuses... You really want to improve the system. Wow, you really try to solve an issue? Wow, normally people try to put me under his feet, control me, or Hurt me, excuse that I m speak so much about this, but it is that here I sense something that is something else, something good, something with order... I m commencing to like your group... Yess this is what I search!.... People to work together, where anyone brings in his part, how I can join you, how I can help you?

[Gunnar_Scott_Freiher]

Hy Anke,

Also, falls jemand fragt, was ich machen will was das Ziel der App sein soll... Nun, sie soll alles das können oder haben was ich brauche, und was bei den anderen Apps nur in jeder App teilweise vorhanden ist oder dort nicht wirklich nutzbar ist aber eigentlich als solches angeboten wird.

Ok, 1. Ich brauche ne Uhr und Datum (habe ich ja schon geschafft zu erstellen)

Und desweiteren will ich einfach lernen mit den verschiedenen Blöcken zu arbeiten, und mir damit dann einfach die nächsten Funktionalitäten herzustellen. Ich habe nur noch gar keinen Schimmer, was für Ideen ich in der Zukunft noch haben werde, noch habe ich eine Übersicht was ich überhaupt brauchen werde oder was mein Ziel ist, deshalb bin ich so versessen darauf, Manche Sachen einfach nur mal anzuschauen zu sehen wie was funktioniert, und die Ideen kommen mir dann während ich auprobiere und sehe, und schon habe ich die nächste Idee.... Wenn ihr mir da ein bisschen bei meinem lernen ein bisschen auf die Beine helft. Glaube ich dass ich noch ne Menge erschaffen kann, und auch Will, ex darf nur nicht zu kompliziert oder zuviel auf einmal für mich werden, ich arbeite immer gerne alles nacheinander ab. Und erschaffe mir dabei gerne Werkzeuge.... Und mit App Inventor könnte mir dabei glaube ich eine sehr große Hilfe werden.... Vielleicht kann ich ja auch für euch nützlich werden? Hätte ich nix dagegen einzuwenden.... Nun mal schauen wie ich jetzt in nächster Zeit mit dem lernen und mit der App vorwärts komme, und nochmals danke fürs lesen....

2. Das Textfeld,.... Und davon möchte ich mindestens 5 ansetzen, zb. Um Adressen darzustellen, zu korrigieren oder neue zu speichern, oder auch für Warenverwaltung, to do Liste, oder eine Einkaufsliste, aber das ganze in einer App so dass ich es bei Bedarf abrufen kann....

Das ganze nachher kombiniert mit tinydb..... Usw...

[Gunnar_Scott_Freiher]

Ja, der nächste Punkt folgt sogleich, alsoooo:

Falls ich es nicht schon irgendwo irgendwann mal angesprochen habe,... Die workspace controlls, die sowieso nicht funktionieren, aber dennoch Platz auf dem Bildschirm wegnehmen, könnte man die nicht zu den anderen projekteeinstellungen verschieben, dass man sie somit nur 1 mal abstellen muss in den Projekteinstellungen?

Da es mir wegen der ganzen Einstellung (die ich bei jedem mal machen muß bevor ich Überhaupt mit den Blöcken arbeiten kann) dann stürzt die Homepage oftmals auch noch ab, und ich konnte mich noch nichtmal zu dem Bereich runterscrollen, an dem ich arbeiten will ..... Und das auch nur möglich wenn ich vorher In irgendeinem Block im dropdownmenue kurz einmal einen Wert verändert habe, (sonst wird das rechtsklickmenue nicht resetet, ( bis dahin lässt es sich nämlich nicht aktivieren, wenn ich z.b. "Clean Up block's" machen möchte,(gesweigedenn die workspace controlls dektivieren))).

Die schnellste Möglichkeit um im Block Designer richtig Platz zu bekommen wäre, wenn man sich im Designer befindet , Layout Designer, und ebenfalls Blockdesigner, wenn man dort die Möglichkeit einbauen würde,dass man den Designer einfach auf Vollbild schalten kann

[Martin_Herraiz]

Thats true that some space could be gained on the blocks screen. And specially below the designer screen.

But for me, the first thing to improve should be to show the mutators and comment boxes always on the same position (never mind if it is on top of the block itself, instead of sometimes moving it to the bottom of the block, depending on the zoom level you have, or the room available, or I don't know what else).

If you have several else-if chained (as shown in the image) and you need to add one more (or you want to add something to the comments), when you press the button (on the top left of the block), many times the box appears so far down on the screen, that you could need to scrroll down the screen for a while (nearly impossible in a small screen device).
I spend too much time chasing "moving comment boxes", because you never know where are they going to appear the next time. I believe that they should remain in the position (relative to the block top left corner) where you manually placed them the last time, instead of the program taking the work to try to calculate "the best" place to show them in the screen, every time yo click on the button to show them again.

Once I left all my comments shown. And the next time I opend my project (and have the patience to wait until "the best position" of all comment boxes was calculated, before zooming out), they where shown like this:

Because the size of the comment box that you set is remembered, I think it shouldn't be so difficult that the last position was remembered too.

Taking the chance to write my letter to Santa, I would suggest one more improvement (good at least for me, who have the vice to keep some comments boxes shown):
When you use the mouse wheel to scroll down the screen, it works fine while the cursor is over the empty screen or over some blocks. But when the cursor hits a comment box, then it's not the blocks editor screen what scrolls, but the bigger screen; Showing the empty space below signaled by Gunnar.

Same if you press Control and turn the mouse wheel to zoom in or out. The behaviour is different if the cursor is over empy screen or blocks, than if the cursor is over a comment box. In one case is the block editor screen what scrolls. In the other is the full screen what scrolls.
Thanks for your help.

[Gunnar_Scott_Freiher]

Yes, I was having the same problems like you, and then in some cases, when you was achieved your "scrolling down adventure" then the MIT App Inventor page reloads, and you forget where you where, and you can intiate your "scrolling down adventure" for a second time.... This Moment think you will explode.... I hope the developers find a way to solve this issues, (and: thanks thanks thanks developers that you give us the possibility to write our issues here... And thanks for reading and solving)

[Gunnar_Scott_Freiher]

No, for the moment my answer is not answered, the issues persist actually.

[Ghica]

If I look at your screenshots, my heart cringes. Without having seen what you want to do, I am still very sure that with some rework, the amount of blocks will be cut at least in half. I just never have your problem, because if I loose track of where the blocks are, I rearrange them AND redesign, using procedures, anyblocks etc.
Merry Christmas.

[Gunnar_Scott_Freiher]

This was just my next cuestion to ask, but I was not sure if I can ask someone to help me with this... Because my big problem is, I have only this Tablet, this little display, and I am a beginner in MIT App Inventor, and no money to rent a bigger apartment, or to buy a bigger table , so i can only work with this tablet, and there you see, if you have so little place on display, and are a beginner, you see what desaster come out, thanks that you looking for me..... Thanks thanks thanks..... And if you can help me to make this program a little shorter, and to put a little bit of order,.... (If you want) then do what you please, I will be really happy about this.... If you excuse me, I send you the aia file right now.

leftedge_copy_1 (8).aia (24.2 KB)

And please please excuse my bad programming skills.....

[Gunnar_Scott_Freiher]

Hello ewpatton, here I have the evidence, that it is posible to make the displaying right, I tried the App Inventor Java Bridge, there in the block designer all works smoothly, and I was able to import the AIA file to the original MIT App Inventor, and it works, I can open the files in both, the MIT App Inventor 2 (the original) and the new with the java bridge, and i can work with the same blocks in both systems....

And I can import it in both directions, to the inventor with Bridge, and from.

In the inventor with java bridge I have the normal proportions, of the Blockdesigner from the up to the bottom, the full Frame, and it is working faster, and the workspace controls works there normally also....

Wait, I will send you the screenshot:

Here the app Inventor with java bridge:
Full screen usage...

And here the original MIT App Inventor:

Older but with a mountain of issues:

And only 50% screen usage possibility

Please ask your colleague, if he can help you to make the adaptions to your screen, that he works like his screen...

Thanks

And I don't need to buy an other tablet, (what was the suggestion from one of your colleagues)

And here is an other Screenshot from my Tablet:

This one is in portrait mode... Only that you see what a Graus it s , it is really only 50% from the screen usable, ... and the rest of the screen ? I think it was eaten by the neighbours dog....

So please please inform your developers about this problem...

P

[Ghica]

There is no excuse for bad coding skills. You are starting at the wrong end of app development.
Why not make a description of half a page of what your app is going to do? Maybe ask for an opinion in this forum whether your app is doable and what would be the best way to do it?
Next, make a prototype. Try out some things. Learn App Inventor by doing some tutorials.
In this way you will learn to make great apps yourself.

[Gunnar_Scott_Freiher]

And this is what I do, I try out things, and I know what I will do, but the tutorials have not the answers that I need and In some cases are incomplete... But, in any way, I can not learn, when the homepage of MIT App Inventor has some issues, and there we come: today, to move one Block in App Inventor, I musst reload 3 times the browser, close the Browser completely, and then restart.... And then i must work... In a this 50% frame what is the block design part, only to find out that there is indeed the possibility to have the 100 % of screen available, and faster, (I speak from the MIT App Inventor with java bridge, where i can see the source code from my AIA file.... But it is a new project, and it have not the any components part fully evolved.... But I like this work... An I hope you or your colleagues will implement this system son as the standard....

For this I ask for answers, if don't know something.... And today for example I was working on learning, but the tools sometimes are with errors and this sometimes infasilitate me to learnig well...

The tutorials sometimes are not enough for me, and sometimes further I m more confused as before.....

[Gunnar_Scott_Freiher]

And no, my problem is not solved....

[Patryk_F]

Java bridge is an old project from a few years ago, based on an old version of the AppInventor. The java bridge does not have all the components that were added later in the AppInventor. Recently, the AppInventor user interface has been changed to enable the implementation of new, modern design and block editor layouts. Not all bugs of the new system have been caught and reported, developers have limited time and fix critical bugs first.

These are my screenshots from my little phone, from the Chrome browser. As you can see, the system works better when the phone is in a vertical, portrait position.

[Gunnar_Scott_Freiher]

Hello Patrick,

First-time so much thanks for reading my post, and to take the time to answer it.

Ok now: yes, indeed it is better to work in horizontal mode. (Or landscape) I only use the portrait or vertical, when I must work in the submenues....

App Inventor - java Bridge:

Misunderstandably I was thinking that this one is a new project , and that is something like a alpha version, (or how you name this testproject things) and that no one was coming to the idea to implement this parameters for the displaying from the mai - java bidge to the mai - actual version...

And I was thinking why when the Mai java is faster and works with lesser errors why not make the Mai java bridge version as your future version?

But, ...now that you explain it to me that in the new version there are more functions implemented, then it makes sense to me, that the new version is a bit slower then the old mai java bidge , and that logically with new functions come new bugs.... that is totally understandable for me, in this case excuse my dumb suggestion / s.

Ok then I m right when I say that there are bugs.... But no problem, if working with MIT App Inventor, and reporting issues helps you to find solutions, then, with a great pleasure I will provide you with information or reports about problems or bugs. Or suggestions for a function or simplifyfication of a function...

When we by the way and with this tools can find a solution to create my dream-app.... Then hands on work!!!!

But the displaying in the mai java is really better... I like it,
And the java source code displaying, and editing function to, I hope you will reimplement this.... Then we have a heavenly working tool...

Because just this is what I need, this will help me better to understand programming....

By the way, can you reactivate this Mai java thing, to have it for beginners like me? Is this possible?

Or for developers that needs a faster MIT App Inventor with lesser Functions , to prepare a basic app, with only basic funktions , but with the posibility to import it to the actual and bigger MIT App Inventor... But with the actual project to APK engine....

By the way, here is my newest creation:

It has a little problem in the background where I need help to, if you wish, you can create a new topic, if this here is not the right topic, and put it there...
leftedge_copy_1 (8).aia (24.8 KB)

[Usane]

Actuallly the block desinger is usable enough, but the designer screen is not. It was better before some of the latest updates, because if you changed to tablet or monitor wiew mode then the design blocks fitted inside the screen. Now they are not. Very annoying.

[Gunnar_Scott_Freiher]

And now I have the problem when I click export AIA file.... it exports me the file in zip format.

[Kevinkun]

No problem for me.

This renaming to zip is done by your browser/OS.
In fact, aia file is a zip file, just rename it from aaa.zip to aaa.aia.