Backend database setup (6h): I spent most of the week learning how to use SQL more robustly (this is the querying language for SQLite). I think I’ve gotten pretty good with it! SQLite comes pre-installed on macOS so I messed around with creating tables, storing data, querying data, and general analytics (like aggregation, JOIN / WHERE / HAVING clauses), as well as style guidelines. This allowed me to solidify the app database backend on Android Studio and input those queries into it. I did run into a challenge with Alex of potentially migrating to a different framework outside of native Android Studio, but I’ll build on this more later.
Design Review Slides / Presentation (5h): I worked as part of the team to build finishing touches on the design review slides, as well as rehearsing for a few hours and improvising changes along the way to make sure my presentation went as smoothly as possible!
Mandatory Design Review Feedback Meeting (2h): I went on Monday to the Design Review meeting and presented + gave feedback to other groups that presented. I found it very valuable that the audience seemed to agree that the use of bluetooth / solely-Android reliant database+compute without cloud services was a good idea in this project! It really affirmed the research I did last week. I missed the Wednesday meeting and didn’t do much work on Thursday sadly, but I was feeling ill, and I contacted the course staff about this.
Progress
Alex and I discussed the potential of migrating our app framework to Flutter, rather than purely Android Studio, because of its more cross-platform agnostic features. However, for the purpose of backend, it doesn’t put me too behind, as the concern for me is less about writing code and more about the general data storage and retrieval ideas (which I have solid). I would have to take some time aside to learn Dart, however, if we do this change, but this should not take me long. I still feel like we’re in a good place here.
Next week task & goals
Alex and I will be touching base frequently throughout next week to finalize the framework we will choose for the frontend and backend components, as well as how they will integrate together. I want to start unit testing the HC-05 bluetooth module, but this will require it to be delivered first. This will allow me to see what it’s like receiving real-time data (even if it is junk for now) so Alex can start testing the AnyChartAPI. We have a lot to do this week!
