Android Apps for Absolute Beginners, Second Edition

Android Apps for Absolute Beginners, Second Edition

by Wallace Jackson
Released December 2012
Publisher(s): Apress
ISBN: 9781430247883

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Book description

Anybody can start building simple apps for the Android platform, and this book will show you how! Recently updated to include Android Jelly Bean, Android Apps for Absolute Beginners, Second Edition takes you through the process of getting your first Android apps up and running using plain English and practical examples.

This book cuts through the fog of jargon and mystery that surrounds Android apps development, and gives you simple, step-by-step instructions to get you started.

  • Teaches Android application development in language anyone can understand, giving you the best possible start in Android development

  • Provides simple, step-by-step examples that make learning easy, allowing you to pick up the concepts without fuss

  • Offers clear code descriptions and layout so that you can get your apps running as soon as possible

    • This book is Android Jelly Bean compliant, but is backwards compatible to most of the previous Android releases.

    What you'll learn

  • Get yourself and your computer set up for Android apps development

  • Use the Eclipse programming environment to make your Android development efficient and straightforward

  • Follow steps in plain English to build simple apps and get them working immediately

  • Style your application so that it appeals to potential users

  • Make use of the Android's touch screen

  • Use shortcuts and cheat sheets to create apps the easy way

  • Use the basics of Java and XML to move onto more advanced apps

    • Who this book is for

    If you have a great idea for an Android app, but have never programmed before, then this book is for you. You don't need to have any previous computer programming skills—as long as you have a desire to learn, and you know which end of the mouse is which, the world of Android apps development awaits!

    Table of contents

    1. Title
    2. Contents at a Glance
    3. Contents
    4. About the Author
    5. About the Technical Reviewer
    6. Acknowledgments
    7. Introduction
    8. Chapter 1: Preliminary Information: Before We Get Started
      1. Some History: What Is Android?
      2. Advantage Android: How Can Android Benefit Me?
      3. The Scope of This Book
      4. Preparing for Liftoff: SDK Tools to Download
      5. Summary
    9. Chapter 2: What’s Next? Our Road Ahead
      1. Your Android Development IDE
      2. Java, XML, and How Android Works
      3. The Android Application Framework
      4. Screen Layout Design
      5. User Interface Design
      6. Graphics and Animation Design
      7. Interactivity
      8. Content Providers
      9. Intents and Intent Filters
      10. The Future of Android
      11. Summary
    10. Chapter 3: Setting Up Your Android Development Environment
      1. Installing Java, Eclipse, and Android
      2. Setting Up AVDs and Smartphone Connections
      3. Summary
    11. Chapter 4: Introducing the Android Software Development Platform
      1. Understanding Java SE and the Dalvik Virtual Machine
      2. The Directory Structure of an Android Project
      3. Leveraging Android XML (Your Secret Weapon)
      4. Using Your Android Application Resources
      5. Launching Your Application: The AndroidManifest.xml File
      6. Creating Your First Android Application
      7. Summary
    12. Chapter 5: Android Framework Overview
      1. The Foundation of OOP: The Object
      2. An Overview of XML
      3. The Anatomy of an Android Application: The APK File
      4. Android Application Components
      5. Android Intent Objects: Messaging for Components
      6. Android Manifest XML: Declaring Your Components
      7. Summary
    13. Chapter 6: Screen Layout Design: Views and Layouts
      1. Android View Hierarchies
      2. Defining Screen Layouts: Using XML
      3. Summary
    14. Chapter 7: UI Design: Buttons, Menus, and Dialogs
      1. Using Android UI Elements (Widgets)
      2. Using Menus in Android
      3. Adding Dialogs
      4. Summary
    15. Chapter 8: An Introduction to Graphics Resources in Android
      1. Introducing the Drawables
      2. Using Bitmap Images in Android
      3. Creating Animation in Android
      4. Using Transitions
      5. Summary
    16. Chapter 9: Adding Interactivity: Handling UI Events
      1. An Overview of UI Events in Android
      2. Handling onClick Events
      3. Android Touchscreen Events: onTouch
      4. Android’s Right-Click Equivalent: onLongClick
      5. Key Event Listeners: onKeyUp and onKeyDown
      6. Context Menus in Android: onCreateContextMenu
      7. Controlling the Focus in Android
      8. Summary
    17. Chapter 10: Understanding Content Providers
      1. An Overview of Android Content Providers
      2. Defining a Content Provider
      3. Working with a Database
      4. Summary
    18. Chapter 11: Understanding Intents and Intent Filters
      1. What Is an Intent?
      2. Android Intent Messaging via Intent Objects
      3. Intent Resolution: Implicit Intents and Explicit Intents
      4. Using Intents with Activities
      5. Android Services: Data Processing in Its Own Class
      6. Using Intents with Broadcast Receivers
      7. Summary
    19. Chapter 12: Advanced Android Topics
      1. Troubleshooting: Solving Problems on Your Own
      2. Widgets: Creating Your Own Widgets in Android
      3. Location-Based Services in Android
      4. Google Maps in Android
      5. Google Search in Android
      6. Data Storage in Android
      7. Device Administration: Security for IT Deployments
      8. Using the Android Camera Class to Control a Camera
      9. 3D Graphics: Using OpenGL ES 2.0 in Android
      10. FaceDetector
      11. SoundPool
      12. MediaRecorder
      13. VideoView: Playing Video in Your Android Apps
      14. New Features in Android 4.2
      15. Summary
    20. Index

    Product information

    • Title: Android Apps for Absolute Beginners, Second Edition
    • Author(s): Wallace Jackson
    • Release date: December 2012
    • Publisher(s): Apress
    • ISBN: 9781430247883