News

Andover Sports Statistics and Scores Now Available for iPhone and Android

Statistics and schedules for Phillips Academy’s athletic teams are now just a click away, after Kevin Song ’11 and Jonathan Leung ‘11 released iPhone and Android applications this term. Since Spring of 2010, Song and Leung have worked on developing the sports application as part of their Independent Project in computer programming. “We felt that [a sports App] would help the [Phillips Academy] community the most. Everyone wants to know when the next game is,” said Song. The sports application lists the schedule of every Phillips Academy varsity athletic team, along with their team records. The iPhone version also allows users to add athletic events to their personal calendar. Song and Leung also hoped to add a GPS function, to direct students to away games, but because the project took longer than expected they did not add the feature. The App has gotten approximately 170 downloads from iPhone and Android users. Song and Leung think that both versions have been well received by the student body. “I’ve gotten great feedback. I’ve seen a lot of people who I don’t even know open [the app] up, and take a look at it,” said Song. Leung, who worked on the Android app, explained that currently the Android app has a few glitches because it is slow at loading the teams’ information. Leung explained that the difficulty with that “Android” primarily refers to an operating system, not a type of phone. “With Android, there’s a lot of different devices, so compatibility can be an issue,” said Leung. Because Android phones vary in screen sizes and shapes, differences in the sizing can lead to inconsistencies between application on the Androids. “My app is kind of broken right now,” said Leung. “It still works, but I didn’t really have the time to continue on it after Fall Term. It could be a lot better.” To create the application, Song and Leung first had to learn how to write different types of code, a series of commands that prompt the computer to execute tasks. Song began studying the Objective-C coding language for the iPhone over the summer to prepare for the project. Leung worked on applying his prior knowledge of the Java programming to mobile phones. To develop the program, Leung and Song used an Integrated Development Environment or IDE. An IDE is a platform, or system in which software can be developed, that allows programmers to input and create codes. The IDE also included a simulator, which allowed Leung and Song to test the application without keeping a phone connected to the computer. “[The process] has gotten a lot easier now. That’s why we decided to do it. Now, hypothetically, anyone could go, learn a programming language, and write their own app, if they wanted,” said Song. Song and Leung have considered making applications to assist the Admissions Office and ticketing for the Theater and Dance Department in the future. Song and Leung worked with their advisor, Maria Litvin, Instructor in Math and Computer Science throughout the past year. The two met with Litvin every week to share their progress on the application. “By showing [the App] to me each week, it helped them pace themselves, just like any other course,” said Litvin. “They didn’t get to do all of what they wanted to, but I think that it’s still very useful.”