Product Goal + what happened this week

The first thing I did this past week was look through the Android Developer documentation. I immediately ran into trouble. I realized that the documentation was based on a partially outdated version of Android Studio, and by only the second page in their "Create Your First App" guide I was already lost because their instructions were not the same as the Android Studio version I had. I was not even able to understand the very first, most basic part.

Therefore, I began looking for alternatives to Android Studio, ideally ones that would be simpler and maybe fit more easily into my time frame.

One of the first ones I came across was Adobe PhoneGap. This option seemed promising because it looked simple, and it used HTML, CSS, and Javascript, which are languages I am familiar with. I was excited because if it worked, I might not have to learn as much new material as I would have for a brand new coding language. However, the moment I installed the app, I ran into a roadblock.

The app wouldn't start.

I have already reinstalled it twice.

Additionally, the companion app that you are supposed to install on your phone to test the app you make would not install in my phone. The stated requirements seemed like they were compatible, but the Google Play Store said they were not and would not let me install it.

That was a major letdown.

So after that, I looked for alternatives to PhoneGap, and a found a few.

MIT App Developer

This seemed like a very simple option. Maybe too simple. The user interface seemed really poorly refined. It used code blocks rather than written code, which might be simpler, but looking through the showcase, the apps on display there seemed far below the level of app I was trying to make.

Kodular

Kodular ended up being the most promising option. The interface was very clean, there were a lot of components, the potential level of app I could make seemed very high, and it was completely free. It also uses code blocks, and I began testing this option out for a bit. I saw a lot of components I was going to need, which was a good sign. However, I realized that I was not going to be able to just figure it out. So I began their "First App" guide...and immediately finished it. All it taught me was how to put down a button and change some text. That was it.

I still didn't know how to do anything. They had documentation on each specific element, but without tutorial teaching me how to put it all together, all of the useful tools and possibles I saw were useless. There were no online third-party courses or tutorials either. Another major disappointment.

So where did that leave me? With Android Studio again. This time, I decided I was not going to use the Documentation from before. I found a comprehensive App Development course on LinkedIn Learning, which, luckily, I can access for free because my dad has an account provided by his employer. So now, my plan is to go through this course (not all of it, only the relevant parts) over the next 7 weeks and hopefully begin learning how to use Android Studio.