Game apps for smartphones and tablets

Research project PHBern  
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User information

How does our learning environment function?

1. Online editor and compiler The online editor and online compiler allow you to compile your programs on our webserver. If you use the online editor, you don't need to install any Java SE Development Kit (JDK), Android SDK or java development environment on your local computer, but you can begin programming right away. You can still save the results of your work locally on your computer. If you work with our online editor for the first time, read the short instructions under the index point online-editor.

2. Download on smartphone

The apps are compiled on our webserver and converted into dalvic code. With a click on execute, the readily packed and signed app with the necessary tool is downloaded automatically on the local calculator and is transferred, installed and executed via USB cable on the smartphone or the emulator ( instructions).

3. Smartphone emulator

An emulator can be used in order to test the programs. It can be installed by mouse click from our webserver. The installation can be done by users without administrator rights and does not require any registy and path entries. (instructions).

4. Model example

An important part of ar learning environment are complete, executable model example which can be used as model for your own game ideas. With the link edit example in the online editor the corresponding program code is inserted automatically into the editor window and is available for an adaptation or further development.

 5. Images (sprites)

All actor- and background images which are used in our model examples are saved on the webserver and can also be used in applications which you program yourself. If you indicate the name of the image as "name", the image is integrated automatically into your game program. You can see those under the index point image library.

If you like to use your own images, they have to be saved on the SD card of the smartphone or emulator. When you indicate the qualified file name (e.g. sprites/fish.gif), thse images are loaded when the SD card is executed. (instructions).

6. Apps with a local IDE The arrangement of a local development environment is quite complicated and can only be carried out by users with administration rights. You can find detailed installation instructions with Netbeans, Eclipse and BlueJ under www.aplu.ch.
The local installation of the AndroidSDK with the full version of the smartphone emulator is described under install AndroidSDK .

7. Develop apps on smartphone/tablets A german developer group offers a free Android development environment AIDE that functions on smartphones and tables. We will soon provide tools with which the examples of our learning program can be directly edited and executed on smartphones or tablets.