Android Boot Camp for Developers Using Java Comprehensive
Android Boot Camp for Developers Using Java, Comprehensive: A Guide to Creating Your First Android Apps Chapter 1: Voilà! Meet the Android Boot Camp for Developers Using Java, 2 nd Ed. 1
Objectives In this chapter, you learn to: • Understand the market for Android applications • Identify the role of the Android device in the mobile market • Describe the features of the Android phone • Identify which languages are used in Android development • Describe the role of Google Play in the mobile marketplace Android Boot Camp for Developers Using Java, 2 nd Ed. 2
Objectives (continued) • Create an Android project using Eclipse • Explain the role of the Package Explorer • Specify the use of layout and widget controls in the user interface • Execute an Android application on an emulator • Open a saved Android project in Eclipse Android Boot Camp for Developers Using Java, 2 nd Ed. 3
Meet the Android • Apps – Mobile applications created for smartphones • Open-Source operating system – No one company or individual defines the features or direction of the development • Open Handset Alliance – 80 firms that develop standards for mobile devices Android Boot Camp for Developers Using Java, 2 nd Ed. 4
Meet the Android (continued) • Android Phone Device – Most popular are Galaxy, Butterfly, Optimus, Droid Razr, Lumia, Prism, Moto, Freeform, Xperia and Gravity, etc. – OS also powers tablets, netbooks, e-readers, MP 4 players and Internet TVs • Emulator – Duplicates how the app looks and feels on a particular device Android Boot Camp for Developers Using Java, 2 nd Ed. 5
Meet the Android (continued) • Features of the Android – 3 D graphics- The interface can support 3 D graphics for a 3 D interactive game experience or 3 D image rendering – Facial recognition – Automatically identifies or verifies a person’s face – Front- and rear-facing cameras – Allows creation of video calling apps – Multiple language support – Android supports multiple human languages Android Boot Camp for Developers Using Java, 2 nd Ed. 6
Meet the Android (continued) • Features of the Android (continued) – Onscreen keyboard – Spell-check, predictive text, voice-input mode. – Power management – Android identifies programs running in the background using memory and processor resources – Voice-based recognition for calling, texting, and navigating with the phone – Wi-Fi Internet tethering – Allows a phone to be used as a wireless or wired hot spot Android Boot Camp for Developers Using Java, 2 nd Ed. 7
Meet the Android (continued) • Writing Android Apps – Java is the language of choice for Android Apps – Object-oriented programming languages allow for good software engineering practices • Eclipse – The most popular tool (IDE) for writing Java programs – Includes the Android Software Development Kit (SDK) – XML is used to assist in the layout of the Android emulator Android Boot Camp for Developers Using Java, 2 nd Ed. 8
Meet the Android (continued) • Android Emulator – Design, develop, prototype, and test Android apps without using a physical device – Mimics almost every feature of a real Android handset, except placing phone calls – Current version is 4. 4 Kit Kat – all versions named after dessert items (in alphabetical order) – Previous versions include Cupcake, Donut, Éclair, Froyo (frozen yogurt), Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich, and Jelly Bean Android Boot Camp for Developers Using Java, 2 nd Ed. 9
Meet the Android (continued) • Getting Oriented with Market Deployment – Platform consists of the Android OS, application development tools, and a marketplace Apps are compiled into package files with an. apk extension – Google Play (http: //play. google. com) sells and deploys all apps – Programs must meet minimum standards – Apps are free or paid (70/30 split between developer and wireless carrier) – Also sold through Amazon (amazon. com/appstore) and i. Tunes (both charge a $99 registration fee) Android Boot Camp for Developers Using Java, 2 nd Ed. 10
First Venture into the Android World • Opening Eclipse to Create a New Project – Install Eclipse IDE, Android SDK – Create the Android Virtual Device (ADV) – You’ll need a Project name, application name, package name, activity name, API level • Creating the Hello World Project – Open Eclipse and choose the Android Project icon – Name the project and specify a save location Android Boot Camp for Developers Using Java, 2 nd Ed. 11
First Venture into the Android World • Creating the Hello World Project (continued) – Enter a package name, such as: (net. androidbootcamp. helloandroidworld) – Enter the Activity name (main) – Enter the Minimum SDK (14) – Click the Finish button Android Boot Camp for Developers Using Java, 2 nd Ed. 12 (cont’d)
First Venture into the Android World • Building the User Interface – Must be intuitive – Interface must not distract from functionality – Java code or XML layout files are needed • XML method is preferred • Can design interface without writing large amounts of code Android Boot Camp for Developers Using Java, 2 nd Ed. 13 (cont’d)
First Venture into the Android World • Taking a Tour of the Package Explorer – Src folder – contains Java source code – Gen folder – contains automatically generated Java files – Android library – contains all class libraries – Assets folder – contains asset files – Res folder – contains images, music, and video – Android Manifest. xml – contains information about the application that Android needs to run Android Boot Camp for Developers Using Java, 2 nd Ed. 14 (cont’d)
First Venture into the Android World Android Boot Camp for Developers Using Java, 2 nd Ed. 15 (cont’d)
First Venture into the Android World • Designing the User Interface Layout – a container that holds as many widgets as needed – Widget– a single element on the screen (Button, Text Box, etc. ) • Also called an object Android Boot Camp for Developers Using Java, 2 nd Ed. 16 (cont’d)
First Venture into the Android World Android Boot Camp for Developers Using Java, 2 nd Ed. 17 (cont’d)
First Venture into the Android World • Adding a Form Widget to the User Interface Layout Android Boot Camp for Developers Using Java, 2 nd Ed. 18 (cont’d)
First Venture into the Android World Android Boot Camp for Developers Using Java, 2 nd Ed. 19 (cont’d)
First Venture into the Android World • Testing the Application in the Emulator Android Boot Camp for Developers Using Java, 2 nd Ed. 20 (cont’d)
First Venture into the Android World • Opening a Saved App in Eclipse Android Boot Camp for Developers Using Java, 2 nd Ed. 21 (cont’d)
Summary • Android OS is released under Apache license allowing anyone to get the full open-source for free • Android OS powers all types of mobile devices • To write apps, you can use Eclipse, an IDE used for building applications • The Android emulator lets you design, develop prototype, and test Android applications • The Android platform consists of the Android OS, the Android application development platform, and the Android marketplace Android Boot Camp for Developers Using Java, 2 nd Ed. 22
Summary (continued) • Android supports both Java code and XML layout files, although XML is preferred • The Package Explorer contains folders for an Android project • To design a user interface for an Android app, you can create a layout containing widgets (objects) • The Android emulator allows you to test an application and make sure it runs correctly Android Boot Camp for Developers Using Java, 2 nd Ed. 23
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