Building Your First App: A Beginner’s Guide for College Coders

Introduction

Starting your app development journey as a college student can be intimidating, but the rewards of learning this valuable skill are worth it. Whether you’re planning to create your own startup or just want to understand how apps are built, creating a simple To-Do List app is a fantastic first step.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to build your first mobile app using React Native, a popular framework that allows you to write once and deploy on both Android and iOS devices. By the end, you’ll have a solid understanding of the basics of app development and will be ready to take on more complex projects!

The College Balancing Act: Homework and Coding


As a college student, you’re probably no stranger to the overwhelming pressure of balancing homework assignments, group projects, and extracurricular activities. The truth is, between attending lectures, studying for exams, and managing your social life, finding time to focus on coding can feel like an impossible task. That’s where coding projects, like building your first app, become a double-edged sword. On one hand, they’re incredibly rewarding and can sharpen your problem-solving skills. On the other hand, they can often get pushed to the backburner when you’re buried under a mountain of essays and math assignments.

If you’re finding yourself struggling to juggle coding and coursework, you’re not alone. Many students face the same dilemma. At times, it might feel easier to just hand off some of your work to get back on track. If that sounds like you, the service EduBirdie at https://edubirdie.com/pay-for-homework. can help take some of the load off by assisting with your homework, giving you more time to focus on learning new programming skills and making real progress on your app. The goal, of course, is not to rely on help all the time, but to find balance and avoid burnout while still keeping your coding momentum alive.

Taking time to master coding while maintaining your academic performance might seem like a juggling act, but with the right tools, resources, and time management skills, you can achieve both. By dedicating a few hours a week to your coding projects, like building a To-Do List app, and leaning on external support for other assignments, you’ll gradually improve as a programmer without sacrificing your college success.

Why Build a To-Do List App?


Before we jump into the code, let’s talk about why building a To-Do List app is such a great idea for beginners.

  1. Simple yet functional: It’s a practical app with a clear goal — adding, editing, and deleting tasks.
  2. Teaches the fundamentals: You’ll learn how to handle user input, manipulate data, and display it on the screen.
  3. Scalable: Once you’ve completed the basic version, you can easily add new features like notifications, categories, or cloud syncing.

Now that you know why the To-Do List app is an excellent choice, let’s get started!

Step 1: Setting Up Your Development Environment


The first thing you need to do is set up your development environment. Here’s how to get started with React Native:

  1. Install Node.js: React Native requires Node.js to run. You can download it from nodejs.org. Just follow the instructions for your operating system.

Install Expo CLI: Expo is a framework and platform built on top of React Native. It simplifies the app development process by providing tools to run your app without needing Android or iOS development environments.

To install Expo CLI, open your terminal (or command prompt) and run the following command:

npm install -g expo-cli

2. Create a new project: Once you’ve installed Expo, create a new project by running:

expo init TodoApp

Choose the blank template when prompted, and then navigate into your project directory:

cd TodoApp

3. Start the development server: Now, run the app on your device (either Android or iOS):

expo start

This will open a QR code in your terminal. Scan it with the Expo Go app on your phone to see the app in action.

Step 2: Building the App Interface


Your To-Do List app will need a simple, user-friendly interface. Let’s build the UI first.

1. Setting up basic structure: In your App.js file, you’ll import React and use React Native components like View, Text, and TextInput to build the structure.


                            import React, { useState } from 'react';
                            import { View, Text, TextInput, Button, FlatList, StyleSheet } from 'react-native';
                            
                            export default function App() {
                              const [task, setTask] = useState('');
                              const [tasks, setTasks] = useState([]);
                            
                              const addTask = () => {
                                if (task) {
                                  setTasks([...tasks, task]);
                                  setTask('');
                                }
                              };
                            
                              return (
                                <View style={styles.container}>
                                  <Text style={styles.header}>To-Do List</Text>
                                  <TextInput
                                    style={styles.input}
                                    placeholder="Enter a task"
                                    value={task}
                                    onChangeText={setTask}
                                  />
                                  <Button title="Add Task" onPress={addTask} />
                                  <FlatList
                                    data={tasks}
                                    renderItem={({ item }) => <Text style={styles.task}>{item}</Text>}
                                    keyExtractor={(item, index) => index.toString()}
                                  />
                                </View>
                              );
                            }
                            
                            const styles = StyleSheet.create({
                              container: {
                                flex: 1,
                                justifyContent: 'center',
                                alignItems: 'center',
                                padding: 20,
                              },
                              header: {
                                fontSize: 30,
                                marginBottom: 20,
                              },
                              input: {
                                height: 40,
                                borderColor: 'gray',
                                borderWidth: 1,
                                width: '100%',
                                paddingLeft: 10,
                                marginBottom: 10,
                              },
                              task: {
                                fontSize: 20,
                                marginVertical: 5,
                              },
                            });
                        

In this code:

Step 3: Handling User Input


Handling user input is a key part of any app. In our app, the user can type a task in the input field and press the Add Task button to add it to the list.

Here’s how we do it:

Step 4: Deleting Tasks (Bonus Feature)


Now, let’s make the app a bit more interactive by allowing users to delete tasks.

Add the following code inside the FlatList component to display a delete button next to each task:


                        renderItem={({ item, index }) => (
                            <View style={styles.taskContainer}>
                                <Text style={styles.task}>{item}</Text>
                                <Button title="Delete" onPress={() => deleteTask(index)} />
                            </View>
                        )}
            
                        const deleteTask = (index) => {
                            setTasks(tasks.filter((task, i) => i !== index));
                        };
                    

In the deleteTask function, we filter out the task that the user wants to delete based on its index. This keeps the remaining tasks intact.

Step 5: Testing and Debugging


The most fun part comes after you’ve written the code — testing your app! Here are some tips:

Step 6: Improving the App (Optional)


Once the basics are done, you can enhance the app in many ways, such as:

Conclusion


Building your first app doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By creating a simple To-Do List app using React Native, you’ve learned important concepts that will serve as the foundation for more complex projects. With some creativity and experimentation, the sky’s the limit!

Now that you’ve got your first app up and running, you’re ready to take on new challenges and dive deeper into app development. Whether you continue with React Native or explore other frameworks, remember that the key to becoming a great coder is practice, persistence, and a willingness to keep learning.

Good luck with your app-building journey — you’ve got this!