Code on the Go FAQ

[Ben-ADFA]

To help us develop resources you can access at any time, we want to know what questions you think are most important to answer.

• When you first used Code on the Go, did you need assistance with anything specific?

• What questions do you think are crucial to answer for new users?

• What questions do you think new users are most likely to ask?

Even if you choose a specific option below, please consider commenting with other questions you think are important. We want to know what you think!

[makhlwf]

What are the differences between the second and third questions? They appear to be substantially identical in content, albeit phrased differently.

My initial experience with the application was seamless. The user interface is intuitive, and the user experience is logical and reasonable, particularly given the onboarding hints and the detailed information accessible via long-press actions. Furthermore, even if I had encountered difficulties, the current documentation comprehensively addresses nearly every aspect of the application.

Regarding the inquiry into what new users are most likely to ask, the predominant question is, “How do I build an application?” Although this is a broad and fundamental question, further engagement reveals that many users do not realize they must possess prior programming knowledge to develop an application. Upon hearing about the application, individuals visualize it in various ways, largely because the application does not explicitly emphasize the requirement for users to know a programming language. While the application name includes the word “code,” many users still hold misconceptions about its nature. Some believe the primary focus is artificial intelligence, which is incorrect. Others assume it is a drag-and-drop builder, which is also inaccurate. It may be beneficial to emphasize these prerequisites more clearly on the introductory screen during the initial installation. These points constitute my responses to the questions thus far.

[Ben-ADFA]

Thanks for your feedback!

There is a distinction between the second and third questions; the second question pertains to what you think is most crucial for new users to know (this can include questions that a new user may not think to ask, but which could provide information that would help them substantially), while the third question pertains to questions you think any new user will likely ask when starting out, especially if they are new to coding (for example, you may have frequently seen new users ask these questions).

You suggested including "How do I build an application?" in the FAQ. This is a good addition. We have a full tutorial that instructs users on building a complete app from start to finish here:
https://appdevforall.org/codeonthego/help/tutorials.html

Specifically, it carefully tells users how to build a tool that instantly converts measurements between kilograms and pounds. Do you think it would be helpful to include this link in the FAQ? Also, what language do you think is most important to emphasize for beginners?

[makhlwf]

This is really cool .
It's all be cool if this tutorial was emphasized in the documentation more especially in the introduction

I would go with Kotlin, of course. Kotlin is the new recommended way to go, and Google makes it the default programming language for Android applications. Paired with the Jetpack Compose framework, it is easier than Java for beginners, and its interoperability with Java makes it convenient for new users if they ever want to use something from Java code that they might think learning a language other than Java would not allow.

[Ben-ADFA]

Thanks again for your helpful responses! The tutorial provides instructions in Java and XML, but I'm now thinking we should offer the same kind of instruction for a full Kotlin project. Stemming from this conversation, I also think it could be good to include a question such as "What programming languages are supported by default?" in the FAQ. Returning to your earlier point, many new users may be unaware that coding can involve multiple languages. This would be crucial fundamental information.

Your input here is much appreciated!