Best way to Start using App Designer?

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Jumping in with both feet, I have tried to create an app to run some simple code that manipulates vectors in the complex plane. I have reviewed the existing help and tutorials on the subject but it isn't entirely clear how to start the process. My intuition led me to think that you'd launch App Designer from the code you were working on, and then create the GUI to interface with the code. From what I have seen so far, it is the other way around....you create the GUI first on a blank slate, THEN you have to insert the "functional" code that you want the GUI to control. Any comments on my observations? Feel free to give advice!
  4 Comments
M G
M G on 27 Apr 2018
And, since there is no code when starting a new App, one has to shuffle back and forth between the code you want to create the App for, and App Designer....cutting and pasting as you go?
Ameer Hamza
Ameer Hamza on 30 Apr 2018
You can first add all the components you want to the app canvas, and then code the way you want the components to interact with each other.

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Accepted Answer

Ameer Hamza
Ameer Hamza on 26 Apr 2018
"From what I have seen so far, it is the other way around"
Your observation is correct. In-App designer, you will first create graphics interface and then write callbacks and functions to respond to different events related to GUI. App designer is designed with the goal to minimize the need for code to create GUI itself, you can just drag and drop GUI elements, app inventor will create that code in the background for you. In this way, the user can focus on the actual features of GUI. It also helps in keeping code organized and minimize chances of errors.
"My intuition led me to think that you'd launch App Designer from the code you were working on, and then create the GUI to interface with the code."
This is not done in App designer since MATLAB already have tools to create GUI and link to your existing code. See GUIDE and Programmatically creating GUI.
To get started with App designer, you we need to have an understanding of these fractures of MATLAB
These resources will help you get started for advanced App designer usage.
  2 Comments
M G
M G on 30 Apr 2018
Thanks for your help with my inquiry. Your pointers were very useful. My comment on App Designer is that, yes, it does make it "easy" to create an App but in fact it does not entirely automate the process of migrating from a running Code, to a GUI App. It does, of course, provide an automated linkage between the GUI objects and the app code, and that is huge. The user then has to create the linkage between the GUI objects and the functional code, and that does have a steep learning curve if you've never done anything of the sort before! MG
Ameer Hamza
Ameer Hamza on 30 Apr 2018
Yes, I agree. You have to establish the linkage yourself, and that's what makes it more flexible and powerful. It gives you very detailed control over all the UI components and how they interface with each other.

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