你有没有希望你可以创建自己的应用程序？但是您认为学习编程只是太费力或超出您的能力范围吗？Glide Apps的人为您准备了一些东西！
什么是 Glide 应用程序？
Glide Apps 是一个名为 glidea (glidea)p ps.com的网站，可让您在短短 5 分钟内从Google 表格(Google Sheet)创建自己的应用程序。这就是他们声称的。确实，这可能需要 5 分钟以上的时间，但肯定不会像学习如何编写应用程序那样长。也许10分钟。
构建应用程序需要什么？
使用Glide Apps构建应用程序所需的只是一个帐户，一个Google Drive 帐户(Google Drive account)，以便您可以使用Google Sheets，以及一点时间。Glide Apps有一个免费帐户选项(account option)。它将满足大多数人的需求，甚至允许您与他人共享您的应用程序。
要学习本教程，您需要创建一个
Glide Apps 帐户(Glide Apps account)，然后注册一个。如果您没有 Google Drive 帐户，请立即创建一个。
如果您有使用Google 表格(Google Sheets)的经验，那么如果您希望您的应用程序更复杂，这将对您有所帮助。学习Google 表格(Google Sheets)比学习编程要容易得多，因此对于大多数人来说，这仍然是一个不错的选择。
如果您不熟悉Google 表格(Google Sheets)，您可能更熟悉Microsoft Excel。Sheets 和 Excel 之间存在一些差异(differences between Sheets and Excel)。如果您熟悉Excel，您会很快学会使用Google 表格(Google Sheets)。
如何使用Glide 应用程序构建(Glide Apps)应用(App)程序？
让我们构建一个应用程序来跟踪我们向谁借书。通过这样做，您将了解如何使用Glide Apps制作应用程序的所有基础知识。(Glide Apps)然后，您可以将其提升到一个新的水平并为自己制作一个应用程序。
我们的图书借阅应用程序(book lending app)将跟踪我们的图书和我们的朋友，并匹配哪位朋友借了哪本书，以及何时借了书。
首页将列出我们的书籍。当我们点击一本书时，它会将我们带到该书的详细信息页面(detail page)。
图书详细信息页面(book detail page)将向我们显示图书的所有详细信息、哪位朋友拥有它以及何时借阅。朋友的名字旁边是按钮，允许我们给朋友打电话或发短信，提醒他们归还我们的书。
朋友页面将允许我们添加或删除朋友以及他们的电子邮件和电话号码(phone number)。让我们开始。
创建 Google 表格
在我们的Google Drive中，我们将创建一个Google Sheet 并将其命名(Google Sheet and name)为
Book Tracker。
重命名第一张工作表Books。工作表的名称成为应用程序中页面的名称，因此请使用有意义的简单名称。
我们需要Books 表(Books sheet)中的 8 列：Title、Author、Format、Price、Photo、Loaned_
To=Friends:Name和Date Loaned。
为什么有一列名为 Loaned To=Friends:Name？这就像Glide Apps可以读取的方程式。它告诉Glide的是，此列有您借书给的朋友的名字。然后它告诉
Glide将此处的姓名与Friends 表中该朋友的姓名、(Friends sheet)电话号码(phone number)和电子邮件相关联。稍后再谈。
现在我们需要创建一个Friends 表(Friends sheet)。继续做吧。朋友表(Friends sheet)需要3 列。将它们命名为Name、E-mail和Phone。
将数据添加到您的 Google 表格
让我们在Book Tracker 电子表格(Book Tracker spreadsheet)中添加一些信息。在我们的示例中，我们只使用 4 本书开始。这足以(s enough)帮助我们制作和测试我们的应用程序。我们可以在以后添加任意数量的书籍。
照片栏(Photo column)需要一点解释。您可以在Internet上找到您想要的图书的图片。右键单击(Right-click)图像并选择
复制图像地址(Copy Image Address)。将其粘贴到照片列(Photo column)中。稍后您会看到我们的应用程序将显示图像。如果您想使用自己的图片，则需要将它们托管在网上某个地方。
让我们暂时将Loaned_To
和Date(Date Loaned) Loaned字段留空。
切换到Friends 表(Friends sheet)并填写Name、E-mail和Phone
列。当然，该示例使用了一些虚构的名称。
返回图书(Books)
页面。现在您可以填写Loaned_To
和Date(Date Loaned) Loaned字段。您在“借给(Loaned)”字段中输入的名称必须与“朋友”表(Friends sheet)中的名称相同。这就是Glide用来将两者联系在一起的方法。如果它们不相同，
Glide会假定它们不是需要链接的。
现在我们准备开始在Glide Apps中创建我们的应用程序。
在 Glide 应用程序中创建应用程序
切换到Glide Apps(Glide Apps website)网站https://www.glideapps.com/。单击创建应用程序(Create an app )按钮。这将带我们到应用程序创建站点(creation site)。
单击
屏幕左侧的“新建应用程序”按钮开始该过程。(New App)
将打开一个与我们的Google Drive 帐户(Google Drive account)相关联的窗口。在这里，我们将选择要从中制作应用程序的Google 表格。(Google Sheet)双击Book Tracker。Glide Apps 将开始为我们制作应用程序。大约需要一分钟，可能更短。
应用程序出现后，我们可以看到该应用程序几乎完成了。它会像这样工作，但让我们让它变得更好一点。
设置应用标志和信息(App Logo and Information)
单击页面左上角的Book Tracker 名称和图标。(name and icon)
这将在右侧打开一个工具栏，我们可以在其中自定义应用程序的图标和名称。单击(Click)图标下的更改(Change)
，然后搜索合适的图标。您可以选择几乎所有的表情符号。让我们选择一本书。
现在我们可以更改图标的背景颜色(background color)。我们选择了蓝色/紫色，但我们可以选择任何颜色。
我们现在为您的应用程序提供了具有专业外观的徽标。太简单！
在这里，我们还可以更改应用程序的主题。我们的选择是Light，这是我们看到的默认值，以及Dark，它是光的倒数。
这里还有一个部分允许我们为我们的应用程序提供自己的网址(web address)。对于此示例，我们选择为其提供https://booktracker.glideapp.io的URL。只有一个人可以为他们的应用程序使用该URL，因此您需要使用稍微不同的东西。https://booktracker.glideapp.io
就在其下方是一个区域，您可以在其中编写应用程序的简要说明。
在此之下，我们可以将应用程序的隐私设置为以下任何选项：公开(Public)、带有电子邮件的公开、密码(Public)和(Password)电子邮件白名单。这使我们能够确定谁可以访问我们的应用程序。出于演示目的，我们将其设置为Public。
注意(Take note)那个微笑的聊天图标。这是我们的直接帮助。我们可以用它来搜索Glide Apps的Wiki。如果我们没有找到我们需要的答案，我们可以向Glide Apps的好心人发送消息。他们
反应灵敏，乐于助人(responsive and helpful)。
书籍页面
我们拥有超过 4 本书，因此我们希望能够直接从应用程序添加更多书籍。为此，请单击左侧工具栏中的屏幕(Screens)。在右侧工具栏中，我们将看到Add item的按钮。
单击(Click)它，加号 (+) 将出现在我们应用程序的右上角。单击(Click)加号会打开一个表单，我们可以使用该表单输入更多书籍。
让我们看一本书的页面。单击(Click)其中一本书，它将带我们进入该书的详细信息页面。我们在图书页面(Books page)上的Google 表格(Google Sheet)中拥有的所有内容都在这里很好地展示了。
我们可以看到书下面列出了一个朋友的名字，右边有一个箭头。点击它会将我们带到该朋友的详细信息页面。
从这里，我们可以给朋友发电子邮件、发短信或打电话，看看他们对这本书的喜爱程度，或者要求回来。
朋友页面
让我们看看朋友(Friends)
页面。它看起来像书籍(Books)页面，但当然是我们的朋友。
我们有超过三个朋友，所以让我们让应用程序允许我们添加更多朋友，就像我们让它允许我们添加更多书籍一样。在右侧工具栏中，单击添加项目
(Add item
)按钮。我们会在好友页面(Friends page)的右上角看到一个 + 号。单击它会打开一个表单，允许我们添加更多朋友。
应用导航
最后，让我们整理一下导航。单击(Click)左侧工具栏中的导航(Navigation )。
在右侧工具栏中，我们看到列出的应用程序页面。让我们将每个页面的图标更改为更有意义。单击(Click)Books圆圈(circle icon)图标下的更改(Change )。我们可以在这里搜索合适的图标。让我们选择Book Open图标。
做同样的改变朋友页面(Friends page)的图标。我们选择Facebook 图标(Facebook icon)是因为它很容易与朋友关联。
苹果还是安卓？
到目前为止，我们已经在iPhone 视图(iPhone view)中完成了所有这些工作。如果我们想查看应用在Android 设备上的外观，请单击(Android device)应用预览区域(app preview area)右上角附近的 Apple 图标。它会立即向您展示它在大多数Android 设备(Android device)上的外观。
共享应用程序
而已！您的应用程序已完成。剩下要做的就是与人们分享它，而Glide也很容易做到这一点。只需单击(Just click)左侧工具栏中的(left toolbar)共享应用程序(Share App)，即可查看我们可以与他人共享的所有方式。我们可以通过电子邮件将其分享到Twitter、Facebook或获取我们可以放在网站上的链接。(Facebook)
你的应用会是什么？
Glide Apps提供了一些简单和更复杂的示例应用程序(example apps)，您可以从中学习或从中获得灵感。你可以为你的游戏公会(gaming guild)制作一个应用程序，或者一个当地餐馆的目录，或者任何你喜欢的东西。
如果它可以用电子表格的形式(spreadsheet form)表示，你可以使用Glide Apps为它制作一个应用程序。我们希望您尝试Glide Apps并让我们知道您创建了什么。
Anyone Can Build an App with Glide Apps
Hаvе you еver wished you could create yoυr own app? But you
thought learning prоgramming was just too much effort or beyond your
capabilities? The people at Glide Apps have something for you!
What is Glide Apps?
Glide Apps is a website, glideapps.com, that enables you to create your own app, from a Google Sheet, in as little as 5 minutes. That’s what they claim. Truly, it’s probably going to take more than 5 minutes, but it certainly won’t take as long as learning how to program an app. Maybe 10 minutes.
What Do I Need to Build an App?
All you need to build an app with Glide Apps is an account
with them, a Google Drive account so you can use Google Sheets, and a little
time. Glide Apps has a free account option. It will serve most people’s needs
and even allow you to share your app with others.
To follow along with the tutorial, you’ll need to create a
Glide Apps account so sign up for one. If you don’t have a Google Drive
account, please go create one now.
If you have some experience with Google Sheets, that will
help you if you want your app to be more complex. Learning Google Sheets is
much easier than learning to program, so this is still a great option for most
people.
If you’re not familiar with Google Sheets, you might be more familiar with Microsoft Excel. There are some differences between Sheets and Excel. If you’re comfortable in Excel, you’ll pick up Google Sheets quickly.
How Can I Build an App with Glide Apps?
Let’s build an app to track who we loan our books to. You’ll
learn all the basics of how to make an app with Glide Apps by doing this. Then
you can take it to the next level and make an app for yourself.
Our book lending app is going to track our books and our
friends, and match up which friend borrowed which book, and when.
The front page will list our books. When we click on a book,
it will take us to the book’s detail page.
The book detail page will show us all the details of our
books, which friend has it, and when they borrowed it. Next to the friend’s
name will be buttons that allow us to call or text our friend to remind them to
return our book.
The friends page will allow us to add, or maybe remove,
friends along with their e-mail and phone number. Let’s begin.
Create a Google Sheet
In our Google Drive, we’ll create a Google Sheet and name it
Book Tracker.
Re-name the first sheet Books.
The name of the sheet becomes the name of the page within the app, so use
simple names that make sense.
We’ll need 8 columns in the Books sheet: Title, Author, Format, Price, Photo, Loaned_
To=Friends:Name, and Date Loaned.
Why is that one column named Loaned To=Friends:Name? That is
like an equation that Glide Apps can read. What it tells Glide is that this
column has the name of the friend that you loaned the book to. Then it tells
Glide to associate the names here with the name, phone number, and e-mail of
that friend in the Friends sheet. More on that later.
Now we need to create a Friends sheet. Go ahead and do that.
The Friends sheet needs 3 columns. Name them Name, E-mail, and Phone.
Add Data to your Google Sheet
Let’s add some information in our Book Tracker spreadsheet. In
our example, we’re using just 4 books to start with. That’s enough to help us
make and test our app. We can add as many books as we want later.
The Photo column needs a little explanation. You can find an
image of the book you want on the Internet. Right-click on the image and select
Copy Image Address. Paste that in
the Photo column. You’ll see later that our app will show the image. If you
want to use your own pictures, you’ll need to have them hosted somewhere
online.
Let’s leave the Loaned_To
and Date Loaned fields empty for
now.
Switch to the Friends sheet and fill out the Name, E-mail, and Phone
columns. The example uses some made up names, of course.
Go back to the Books
page. Now you can fill in the Loaned_To
and Date Loaned fields. The name you
put in the Loaned To field must be identical to what’s in the Friends sheet.
That is what Glide will use to link the two together. If they aren’t identical,
Glide assumes that they aren’t the ones that need to be linked.
Now we’re ready to start creating our app in Glide Apps.
Creating the App in Glide Apps
Switch to the Glide Apps website at https://www.glideapps.com/. Click on the Create an app button. That will take us to the app creation site.
Click on the New App
button on the left side of the screen to start the process.
A window will open that is tied to our Google Drive account.
Here, we’ll select the Google Sheet from which we want to make our app.
Double-click on Book Tracker. Glide
Apps will start making the app for us. It will take about a minute, probably
less.
Once the app appears, we can see that the app is almost
complete. It will work like this, but let’s make it a little better.
Setting the App Logo and Information
Click on the Book
Tracker name and icon in the top-left corner of the page.
That will open a toolbar on the right where we can customize
the app’s icon and name. Click on Change
under the icon, and search for a suitable icon. You can select almost any emoji
that there is. Let’s select a book.
Now we can change the background color of the icon. We went
with a blue/purple, but we could choose any of the colors.
We’ve now got a professional looking logo for your app. So
easy!
Here, we can also change the theme of the app. Our choices
are Light, which is the default that
we see, and Dark, which is an
inverse of the light.
There’s also a section here that allows us to give our app its own web address. For this example, we’ve chosen to give it the URL of https://booktracker.glideapp.io. Only one person can use that URL for their app, so you’ll need to use something slightly different.
Just below that is an area where you can write a brief
description of your app.
Right under that, we can set the privacy of the app to any
of the following choices: Public, Public with e-mail, Password, and E-mail
Whitelist. This allows us to determine who can have access to our app. For
demonstration purposes, we’re setting it to Public.
Take note of that smiling chat icon. That is our direct line
to help. We can use it to search Glide Apps’ Wiki. If we don’t find the answer
we need, we can send a message to the good folks at Glide Apps. They’re
responsive and helpful.
The Books Page
We own more than 4 books, so we’ll want the ability to add more books directly from the app. To do that click on Screens in the left toolbar. In the right toolbar, we’ll see a button for Add item.
Click on that and a plus sign (+) will appear in the top-right corner of our app. Clicking on the plus sign opens a form that we can use to enter more books.
Let’s look at an individual book’s page. Click on one of the
books and it will take us to the details page for that book. Everything that we
had in our Google Sheet on the Books page is presented nicely here.
We can see that a friend’s name is listed under the book,
with an arrowhead to the right of it. Tapping on this brings us to the details
page for that friend.
From here, we can e-mail, text, or call the friend to see
how they’re enjoying the book, or to ask for it back.
The Friends Page
Let’s look at the Friends
page. It looks like the Books page,
but with our friends of course.
We’ve got more than three friends, so let’s make the app
allow us to add more friends, just like we made it allow us to add more books. In
the right toolbar, click on the Add item
button. We’ll see a + sign in the top-right corner of the Friends page.
Clicking on that opens a form that allows us to add more friends.
App Navigation
Finally, let’s tidy up the navigation. Click on Navigation in the left toolbar.
In the right toolbar, we see the app pages listed. Let’s
change the icon for each page to be a bit more meaningful. Click on Change under circle icon for Books. We
can search for a suitable icon here. Let’s choose the Book Open icon.
Do the same to change the icon for the Friends page. We
chose the Facebook icon because it’s easily associated with friends.
Apple or Android?
So far, we’ve done all this in the iPhone view. If we’d like
to see what the app would look like for an Android device, click on the Apple
icon near the top-right of the app preview area. It will instantly show you
what it will look like on most Android devices.
Sharing the App
That’s it! Your app is done. All that is left to do is to
share it with people and Glide makes it easy to do that too. Just click on Share App in the left toolbar for all
the ways we can share it with people. We
can share it to Twitter, Facebook, via e-mail, or get a link that we can put on
a website.
What Will Your App Be?
Glide Apps provides some simple and more complex example apps that you can take apart to learn from or get inspiration from. You could make an app for your gaming guild, or a directory of local restaurants, or whatever strikes your fancy.
If it can be represented in spreadsheet form, you can use Glide Apps to make an app for it. We hope you give Glide Apps a try and let us know what you created.
