Is App Inventor robust enough for really complex programs?

[DickD]

Is App Inventor really robust enough for very complex apps?  The MIT web site makes it look like it's something for elementary school students.  But I'm an experienced programmer and I am working on a really complicated app that would use a lot of statistical analysis, complex file structures (SQL), animation, sound,  bluetooth, NFC ... everything an android device is capable of.

I recently abandoned Android SDK as just being too incomprehensible even after 3 months of hard work. Is there any other language I should consider?

[yamafu]

Dear DickD

I am glad if you would see, for example, my paper below presented at MIT App Inventor Summit 2014, Cambridge.

Rapid Prototyping Using App Inventor in Information and Computer Sciences Course

I think App Inventor has great power to make very practical applications, real world applications!

Thanks

Fujio Yamamoto

[Taifun]

Is App Inventor really robust enough for very complex apps?

complex apps: yes, very complex apps: probably not, it depends
concerning professional apps, see also https://groups.google.com/d/msg/mitappinventortest/9gUdPZsNZjg/3_aQ5azFpaEJ

The MIT web site makes it look like it's something for elementary school students

yes, the primary target audience for App Inventor are people with little or no programming experience.

 that would use a lot of statistical analysis, 

App Inventor is slow in calculations, but you could outsource that part as extension, see also the App Inventor Extensions document and some examples https://puravidaapps.com/extensions.php

complex file structures (SQL)

do you like to access a MySQL database or a local database (SQlite) or?

App Inventor - MySQL interface

SQlite Extension to access the local SQlite database

, animation

well, probably that's a showstopper for you, it depends
see some examples from Scott here https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/app-inventor-developers-library/animation%7Csort:date

, sound

yes, see the sound and player component and the Enhanced Audio Player Extension

,  bluetooth, NFC ... 

yes, see the bluetooth and nfc component, the Bluetooth Low Energy Extension by MIT and my Classic Bluetooth Extension

everything an android device is capable of.

everything: no

you have to live with the limitations, for example App Inventor apps can't run in the background, for other limitations you might find workarounds

hope that helps

Taifun

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Trying to push the limits of App Inventor! Snippets, Tutorials and Extensions from Pura Vida Apps by Taifun. 

[Ghica]

Statistical Analysis does not sound like something you really want to do in App Inventor.
But in App Inventor you can make the outline for your app, and see how far you get. And your 3-month effort learning the Android SDK may still come in handy when you program missing functionality as an extension. http://ai2.appinventor.mit.edu/reference/other/extensions.html
Cheers, Ghica.

[Abraham Getzler]

See the Google Fusion Tables samples for its SQL capabilities.

ABG