CSCE 101: Introduction to Computer Concepts

Lab 1: Magic 8 Ball

Academic Honesty

  • The work you turn in is to be your work, not copied from someone else, from the web, or generated by a program.
  • Never allow anyone access to your files.
  • Never give anyone your password.
  • Never share your USB memory or email your files to anyone else.
  • Never give anyone a printed copy of your file or an electronic copy.
  • Never allow anyone to copy your work.

Setup App Inventor

  • To work in App Inventor you need a Google Account. If you already have one then you may use that. Otherwise, you need to make one. Visit set one up.
  • If you are working on your own computer, there is an installation guide to help you set up App Inventor on your personal computer. The installation guide is available here:
  • App Inventor is a web application, meaning your work on one computer is saved with your account online so it will be available to you wherever you login with your account.

Purpose

You will be completing an App Inventor tutorial. This will help you become accustomed to the App Inventor environment, and prepare you for future assignments. Please take the time to understand what you are doing, rather than breezing through your work. Gathering a good understanding of the App Inventor world will help prepare you for your future assignments.

Part 1 – Magic 8-Ball (50%)

  • Name your project Magic8BallXY, where XY are your initials.
  • Complete Part 1 and 2 of the following Magic 8-Ball tutorial:
  • Stop the tutorial after Part 2 because you do not have a way to shake the emulator
  • Be sure to Run your application to make sure that it is running as desired. Instructions for running your application are located below.

Part 2 - Modifying the 8-Ball (50%)

  • You will now modify the magic 8-ball to be an excuse generator for missing homework, e.g. “I ate it”, “It snowed”…
  • Change the 8-ball image to a picture that makes sense for an excuse generator.

Running your Application

  • Run aiStarter, if aiStarter is successfully running, you will see it’s icon at the bottom of the screen
  • Click, Connect -> Emulator in App Inventor
  • The initial connection to the Emulator, which is what AiStarter loads, is slow but allows you to test your code
  • If it says you need to install an update, then install it.
  • If it crashes, try to figure out why – some bad code will cause crashes. If you cannot figure out why, ask your lab instructor

Submitting your files

  • Make sure you have tested your app, and that it works perfectly
  • Open “My Projects” in the upper right of the App Inventor webpage
  • Put a check next to the project you want to download (you can only download one at a time). Download the modified version of your app, if you have multiple copies.
  • Select Projects ->"Export selected project (.aia) to my computer"
  • The file will download so go, in Chrome, to the download location by clicking the arrow next to the file name at the bottom of the screen and selecting "Show in folder".
  • Move the ______.aia file to your X:\101Labs directory for grading.
  • Make sure that your file is named Magic8BallXY.aia, where XY are your initials, as this is the file we will be looking for when grading.

Grade Breakdown

Points / Expectation
50% / Part 1: Basic Magic 8-Ball
50% / Part 2: Creating the Excuse Generator