App Development Notes

Mobile applications are becoming increasingly important to our consumption of media, news, social interaction, and learning. In this course, students will learn how to create mobile apps using React Native, a popular platform-agnostic framework developed by Facebook and used by successful tech companies including Airbnb, Facebook, Instagram, Tesla, and more. Students will design and build applications to run on their own smartphones and will use the latest tools and technologies available for mobile app development.

The entirely web-based curriculum is made up of a series of learning modules that cover the fundamentals of building mobile applications with React Native. Each module is comprised of short video tutorials, quizzes, example programs, programming exercises, challenge problems, unit tests, and end of unit projects.

This class will be delivered in Canvas.

There are 5 Units in this quarter class and can be followed by part 2 to continue learning.

1. Introduction to Mobile Apps 
   In this module, students will be introduced to the mobile apps course and the React Native framework and it's program structure and syntax. Students will also preview some of the tools and technologies they will use to build and run their apps. 
2. Components and the Stylesheet 
   In this module, students are introduced to components, the backbone of building apps with React Native. They learn about the stylesheet object and how to add custom style attributes to their apps.
3. Buttons and Text Boxes
   In this module, students use the TouchableHighlight to create "buttons" that add a layer of functionality. Students also learn about the TextInput component and how to allow users to enter text into their apps.
4. Advanced Layouts and Images 
   In this module, students learn how to add images to their apps to further customize the building experience. They gain a deeper understanding of mobile apps layouts using Flex values and the Dimensions API.
5. App Build: Recreate a Popular App
   In this module, students apply their knowledge of components, images, buttons, text boxes, and layouts to recreate a screen of a popular app. They will go through this process in steps, taking time to plan their layout and think about the functionality of the app. They may return to the app later to add on additional functions as new concepts are learned.