Learning Android Application Programming A Hands-On Guide to Building Android Applications

by Talbot, James; McLean, Justin

• ISBN13: 9780321902931
• ISBN10: 0321902939
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2013-12-26
• Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional

Summary

Learning Android™ Application Programming will help you master modern Android programming by building a fully functional app from the ground up. Working with the Android 4.3 toolset, you’ll solve real-world problems faced by every Android developer and learn best practices for success with any mobile development project.

 
Ideal for developers who have little or no Android experience but have basic Java experience, this tutorial teaches through carefully structured exercises that address the entire development process. Leading Android developers James Talbot and Justin McLean guide you through building a real biking mobile app that can handle everything from mileage tracking to route planning. Each chapter builds your knowledge, step-by-step, and in the end you will have a complete, working app.

Along the way, you’ll gain hands-on experience with writing code that can run on the widest spectrum of devices while still leveraging Android’s newest features. You’ll also discover proven solutions for the occasionally messy realities of Android development, from inaccurate sensor data to inadequate device battery life–pitfalls that most other Android books ignore.

 

Learn how to

• Set up your Android development environment on Windows or Mac operating systems
• Quickly create a simple, working app that demonstrates basic Android principles
• Master core building blocks, such as Activities, Intents, Services, and Resources
• Build a functional user interface, and then make it more intuitive and usable
• Professionally style your Android app
• Make your app location-aware
• Integrate social networking features
• Build highly efficient threaded apps
• Integrate database support to read and write data
• Make your app run faster, while using less memory and power
• Efficiently test and debug your app
• Easily internationalize your app for multiple countries and languages
• Sell your app through Google Play and the Amazon AppStore

Get all of this book’s sample code at www.androiddevbook.com/code.html.

 

Register your book at informit.com/register to gain access to the Bonus KitKat Chapter.

Download the free version of this book’s On Your Bike app from Google Play today.

Author Biography

James Talbot has been with Adobe for over a decade, on both the sales engineering and training teams, and he has many years of experience working with web applications. He is currently working extensively on building web applications with the Adobe CQ content management platform constructing exciting web, mobile web, Android and iOS applications built on top of a Java Content Repository based on open source standards.

Justin Mclean has been writing code from the early days of the Web. For more than 15 years he has managed his own consulting company Class Software and during that time has worked on hundreds of browser, desktop and mobile applications. He has seen significant changes of technology in the industry, surviving the browser wars and the dotcom bubble. He is also an Apache Flex committer and board member, an Adobe Community Professional, runs training courses and has spoken at numerous conferences all over the world. In his spare time he tinkers about with open source electronics. He is currently based in Sydney Australia.

Table of Contents

1. An Introduction to Android Development - Understanding the Android Ecosystem

2. Kicking the Tires - Setting Up Your Development Environment

3. Putting Your Training Wheels on - Developing Your First Application

4. Going for your First Ride - Developing an Android User Interface

5. Customizing Your Bike - Improving the Usability of an Application

6. Pimping Your Bike - Styling an Android Application

7. Are we there yet - Making Your Android Application location aware

8. Inviting Friends for a ride - Using Social Network Integration in an Android Application

9. Tuning Your Bike - Optimizing Memory, Performance and Power

10. Look Mom, no hands - Testing an Android Application

11. Touring with your Bike - Optimizing Your Android Application for Different Devices and Countries

12. Selling Your Bike - Using the Amazon/Google Play Market