Grant Smith: EDTECH Learning Log: Week 9

This week's app was a fun exercise. I enjoyed thinking abstractly and programming defensively. While working on my undergraduate degree in Information Systems, I worked a lot with databases. Therefore, this lesson was not a huge challenge in that area. However, it was great to see how databases could be utilized in AI2. Although the blocks for using a database are simple, keeping track of it could be a nightmare. There isn't an easy way to visualize or work with the database. Even accessing the database through the MIT portal was still very limited. I guess, after all, AI2 is just a learning platform and really shouldn't be considered for serious apps.

Modifications include:

Local database to remember if user wishes to see introduction screen on startup
Web database to share information with all users of the app (limited DB provided by MIT for testing purposes only)
Share button allows users to tweet, text, email... a message containing pre-written game information
Cancel button erases all data in web DB
Notifications to help users understand app functions

After looking through the Fusion Tables tutorial Dr. Hsu emailed the class, I decided I wanted to remake this app using what I just learned. Also, after a few comments on the class discussion board, it sounded like the way the time was displayed really bugged people, so I decided to fix that as well. To fix the time and date displays actually took a good chunk of code:

I still did not make a user login system, but using the Google Fusion Table, I was able to store multiple events. The events are stored in a database and all are accessible to app users. If I wanted to keep working on it even more, I would add a login system, make it so only the creator can edit the events, make events that have passed delete themselves, and great groups for people to privately share events.