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Getting started

Set up your machine and build your first app. Plan on about fifteen minutes, most of it installing tools you may already have.

What you need

ToolWhy
Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit)AppWand is a Windows desktop app for now.
Flutter SDK (stable)Builds and runs the app. Add Flutter's bin folder to your PATH.
Node.js 20 or newerRuns the API. npm comes with it.
MySQL 8 or PostgreSQL 13+Holds your app's data. A local server is easiest to start with.
A GitHub accountYou sign in to AppWand with GitHub.

To run on Android, also install Android Studio and set up a device or emulator. To run in Chrome, have Chrome installed. Check your setup with:

flutter doctor
node --version

Your first app

  1. Sign inOpen AppWand and choose Sign in with GitHub. Your browser opens to confirm, then you're back on Home.
  2. Describe the appOn Home, choose Describe a new app and write a few sentences about what it does and who uses it. For example: "A booking app for a yoga studio. Members book classes, teachers see their schedule, admins manage classes and teachers." Leave Sample data on to get rows to try the app with.
  3. Connect a databaseGive it an empty database on your MySQL or PostgreSQL server. Create one first if needed, for example CREATE DATABASE yoga;.
  4. Review the tablesAppWand opens on Data and proposes the tables as SQL. Ask for changes in the prompt bar ("add a waitlist for full classes") or edit the SQL yourself, then apply it.
  5. Let it buildAfter the tables are applied, AppWand sets up the API and the Flutter app, plans the pages, and writes them all. This takes a few minutes. Watch the pages turn green in the Explorer.
  6. Run itPress Run, pick Windows or Chrome, and sign in to your new app with one of the sample accounts (password password).
  7. Make it yoursSelect a page and ask for a change in the assistant panel, then review the diff and accept. Try App theme on the Plan view to change the colour and the style.

Your project lives in Documents\AppWand\Projects. Open its api and app folders in any editor. AppWand picks up your changes.

From your own database

Already have tables? On Home, choose Start from my database, connect, and pick the database. AppWand reads its tables and opens on Data. Press Build the app.

AppWand needs to know which table people sign in with. It guesses from the column names. If it can't, it asks you to pick the table and the email and password columns, or offers to add an accounts table for you.

Next steps

Edit with AI Ask for changes, review diffs and get suggestions for each page. Deploy the API Put your API online with HTTPS, and keep its data on every update. Design the app Styles, layouts, notifications and light or dark mode. The generated code Where each part of your app lives, and how to run it yourself.