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I was born a man, but I have lived a legend. This is the story of Reece.
I have made and published an app designed for older generations to record their life experiences with the intent for them to be shared with their family for generations. The intial goal was to create an app that would help people record their story to share it with their friends and family for generations.
To create this project, I needed to build two applications in Xcode. Xcode is Apple's own app developing software and uses Swift as the default coding language. For the applications, there would is a main app that can read and write data, so the user can upload information while also being able to preview it. This apps intention is to allow whomever to record their story. The second application, being a companion app that only reads data, allows users to simply view the information. This app allows those given access to others stories to view them. I am using Google Firebase as a database to store all the information from each user as well as other data such as the questions. Firebase is googles online database and is a free and much more practical alternative to building my own server.
On the left is my great grandma Selma Smith who passed away when I was 3, and on the right are my great great grandparents. Isadore and Rebecca Weiner. Prior to two years ago, I had no idea who they were. In Israel, I was tasked with finding out about my family's history prior to coming to America. I talked with my grandma and she told me of how my family lived in Russia until they were forced to move to America as a result of the pogroms, which were targeted attacks against Jewish communities in Russia. Learning of this, only made me more curious about my family's past. It then inspired me to come up with the idea to create this app that would make it easier for the stories similar to the ones my grandma told me and many more to be passed on from generation to generation. The app will have several multiple short, one sentence questions as well as longer questions that can be answered through a record video where the user is speaking to the viewer. The questions will be, for example, what was your first, favorite music, best vacation, what your parents are/were like, as well as religious beliefs and thoughts on current political issues.
On the left is the storyboard page, which acts as a mockup for what the app is to look like. On the right are screen captures of the written code. The code is all in Swift.
Walkthrough for a Portion of Code
If the question is to be answered via text, it first sets up the elements, such as hiding any buttons regarding video and showing any for the text such as the text field where answers are typed. Next, the app checks the database to see if there is any answer already saved. If it is saved, it displays the answer, otherwise it is left blank.
If it is neither a video nor text response, then the app prepares for a yes or no question. In that case it hides all of the buttons except the yes and no buttons, as well as the back button.
Once the start button is hit, the app communicates with Google Firebase to find out what number question the user is on. Then it recalls the question and displays it on the app. Next it checks if the question is to be answered via video or text.
If the question was not supposed to be answered in text, it skips the previous code and checks to see if it is set up for a video response. If that is the case, then it checks to see if there is a video already saved and if there is, displays a button to allow the user to see it, otherwise it hides the button. It then sets up the screen by displaying the buttons associated with video response, such as the record button, while hiding those not nessecary, like the answer text field.
Currently, the app is published on the Apple app store under the name Grand Life. With Grand Life, you get to create A Story to Share for Generations! Grand Life is an app that lets you record your own life story in your own words and share it with your friends and family for years and years to come! Simply install the app, sign in, and start responding to questions and telling your story! When you log in and press start, you will be prompted with questions were you can record yourself answering the question in your voice. You can then share you email and share code with anyone you would like to and they can view your response on the Grand Life Companion App.
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