MIT App Inventor Tasks : Available for Testing

[Justus Raju]

Hi Everyone 

We have been working on App Inventor Tasks which brings background processes (or Android Service) to App Inventor. This allows for App Inventor Apps to run even after the App Screens are closed. This can open a whole new category of apps which can be made with App Inventor.

The Test Server so that you can test it out is : http://services.appinventor.mit.edu/

Here is a documentation that will brief you on how to use Tasks in App Inventor : MIT App Inventor Tasks Documentation

Please not that you will need a specific Companion to test out tasks. The Companion apk for which is linked here. You can also get it from the Tasks Test Server, when it prompts for a Companion upgrade.

You can only preview a Task in the Companion. Tasks will not persist after the Companion closes. This is done for stability reasons. You don't want your test tasks to be running even after your Testing is over. So we stop them after the Companion is closed. To test a Task on it full potential you want to build the apk of your App and see how it can truly run even after your App Screens are closed.

To get started quickly we have made a Demo App for you guys to test it out. It is a music player that runs on an App Inventor Task.

We are still in beta!!

This is a test server so you would find bugs.

Please note that over 45 App Inventor components could be possibly supported by Tasks. I haven't tested them all. If you do find a bug, please report it. We will fix it and you will find that the reports are resolved in our next update.

We would love your feedback so that Tasks can be shaped to the best interests of the App Inventor community.

Happy Inventing!

Thank you

Justus

[Hossein Amerkashi]

This world be a great feature. Will definitely check into it and report back.

THANKS
Hossein.

[Oggi è un altro post]

Hi,

"This service will soon shutdown

This "services" service is obsolete. Google has taken Android in a direction that makes the approach to services taken here unworkable.

"

Any other solutions for background task app? -_-

[Chris Ward]

Hi

You would need to define your App with a different programming language. Try Android Studio with Java or Kotlin languages, or B4A

https://developer.android.com/studio

https://www.b4x.com/b4a.html

[Oggi è un altro post]

Thanks, but I used app inventor specifically to not write code :)

However this b4a seems interesting because it was simpler than java, I didn't know of its existence.
but from a quick search there aren't many tutorials (in my language at least), is it a fairly used language?

[Chris Ward]

Indeed.

The Wiki:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic4android