Imagine you’re cleaning your room. If you throw your books, toys, and clothes everywhere, your room looks messy. But if you put books on a shelf, toys in a box, and clothes in the cupboard, everything looks neat!
The same happens when you make an app in MIT App Inventor. If you put buttons, text boxes, and pictures anywhere, the app will look messy. But don’t worry! Arrangements help you keep everything in order.
Let’s learn about different arrangements and when to use them!
1. Horizontal Arrangement: Side-by-Side
What It Does:
A Horizontal Arrangement places things next to each other, from left to right.
When to Use It:
Putting a label and a text box side by side (like “Name:” next to a text box).
Making a row of buttons (like Home, Back, and Next).
Showing emoji reactions in a row.
Example:
In a sign-up form, a Horizontal Arrangement helps place a “First name” text box and a “Last name” text box next to each other.
2. Vertical Arrangement: One Below the Other
What It Does:
A Vertical Arrangement places things on top of each other, like a stack.
When to Use It:
Making a login screen with a username box, password box, and login button one below the other.
Creating a quiz app where the question is at the top and answer choices are below.
Stacking buttons for easy selection.
Example:
In a quiz app, a Vertical Arrangement helps place the question at the top and answer buttons below it.
3. Table Arrangement: The Grid
What It Does:
A Table Arrangement places things in rows and columns, like a table.
When to Use It:
Making a calculator app, where numbers are arranged in a 3×3 grid.
Creating a timetable app where subjects are placed in rows and columns.
Designing a leaderboard to show names and scores in different columns.
Example:
For a Tic-Tac-Toe game, a Table Arrangement is perfect because it creates a 3×3 game board.
4. Scroll Arrangements: Move Up and Down or Side to Side
What They Do:
MIT App Inventor has two types of Scroll Arrangements:
Vertical Scroll Arrangement lets you scroll up and down.
Horizontal Scroll Arrangement lets you scroll side to side.
When to Use Them:
Vertical Scroll Arrangement:
Making a news app where users scroll down to read more.
Creating a shopping app with lots of products.
Designing a recipe app to scroll through ingredients and steps.
Horizontal Scroll Arrangement:
Making an image gallery where users swipe left and right.
Creating a carousel of items, like in a music or video app.
Designing a side-scrolling game where the player moves left and right.
Example:
In a recipe app, a Vertical Scroll Arrangement helps users scroll through ingredients and steps.
In a photo viewer app, a Horizontal Scroll Arrangement lets users swipe through pictures.
Which One Should You Use?
Here’s a quick cheat sheet to help you decide:
| Arrangement | Use It When… |
|---|---|
| Horizontal | Placing things side by side |
| Vertical | Stacking things one below the other |
| Table | Making a grid layout |
| Vertical Scroll | Scrolling up and down for long content |
| Horizontal Scroll | Scrolling side to side for galleries or games |
Now that you know about Horizontal, Vertical, Table, and Scroll Arrangements, your apps will look clean and organized! No more messy screens—just perfectly placed buttons, labels, and pictures.
Next time you build an app in MIT App Inventor, think about the best arrangement to use. Keep your app tidy and have fun coding!