In this quick-start guide, you’ll learn how to build an app in 3 easy steps by working through a sample app that will provide a simple way to learn to build applications using the Andromo platform, a self-hosted iOS, and Android development platform.
You’ll see how easy it is to start building applications using this mobile app builder without having to write a single line of code.
The sample app in this guide will guide you through the process of implementing a simple dropdown menu.
The app will help you to learn how to make these types of apps without ever having to touch code.
You will see how quickly you can build your first application using Andromo without having to worry about how to implement an iOS or Android app in general.
Why you should use Andromo
Andromo is an app development platform that allows developers to build and distribute apps using a single code base. The platform enables developers to create native mobile apps in Objective-C or Swift, and then easily distribute them using Andromo’s app distribution technology.
To learn more about the Andromo platform, check out our beginner’s guide.
Why this quick-start guide?
We know that building an app is not something you’re ready to dive into right away. While you can easily find existing tutorials on Andromo or other platforms that walk you through the basics of building an app using the Andromo platform, we’ve created this quick-start guide to provide a starting point for your first experience developing an app using Andromo.
This quick-start guide is based on an app that we built using Andromo. The code examples in this guide will show you how to implement a simple dropdown menu in iOS and Android.
With this guide, you’ll learn how to build an app in 3 easy steps using Andromo, with the ultimate goal of building the app you’re most likely to use in your everyday life.
Step 1: Choose a device
To begin, you need to pick a device and commit to working on it for at least 3 weeks.
If you haven’t yet set up your account on Andromo, you’ll need to create a free account and upload a password and delivery address.
Then you will be assigned to a workstation. Once you’ve connected to the network, you will be presented with a list of workstations. You can choose one of them to start your app development experience.
Step 2: Decide on an app name and concept
To start off, you need to decide on an app name and concept that will best describe the app you’re working on.
For this first app, we’re going to call it Toolbar, which will be a useful resource for quick access to your favorite applications
Here’s how you can choose a name and concept for your app:
Step 3: Build a user interface
Toolbar
With your application name chosen, it’s time to design the application’s user interface. This part of the guide will show you how to add the basic navigation and menu functionality to your application.
In addition to displaying the links you want to view, the navigation menu will allow you to switch between the list view and the listing detail view. You will learn how to create basic navigation by adding labels and overlays to the window.
You will also learn how to add customizable UI elements to the app.
Add a navigation menu
Step 4: Setup testing
Before you can publish your app to the Andromo store, you need to configure it for automated testing. There are two types of testing available on Andromo: unit testing and functional testing.
Unit testing is a type of test designed to run in isolation and verify that the implementation of an algorithm is correct, using a predefined set of inputs.
You will learn how to set up unit testing with Andromo.
Note: You don’t have to create tests if you don’t want to; you can choose not to write unit tests if the testing approach fits your need better.
Functional testing is a type of test that’s useful when building complex, multi-user systems. It’s primarily used to evaluate complex flows of data within the app and perform tests that determine whether an app delivers what it says it will.