Android Development Tutorial -Tipster: Introduction
A tip calculator is quite a simple application. When you go with friends to a restaurant and wish to divide the check and tip, you simply add the tip percentage to the total and divide by the number of diners. I have seen this application on my simple cell phone too. So I thought of implementing it in Android as a means to learn how it all works.
When I looked at the various tutorials, each one demonstrated a specific set of features. I tried different tutorials and then set about to write an application which would be as close to a real world application. Obviously this meant using different features of the API. The end result was a good enough application which used lots of features all in one application.
I know that many developers want a short tutorial with just the code pieces and brief explanations. Somehow, I cannot just post code and few comments. I always end up writing such tutorials as if I am speaking out to a live person.
So here it is, whatever I learnt and applied, for your perusal.
Building Blocks
I am assuming that you have read the Google Android website and know a bit about Android applications. At least enough to know how to build and run the Hello World example. It would be best if you read through this set of API examples.
So, lets proceed.
Android uses XML files for the Layout of widgets. In our example project, the Android plugin for Eclipse generates a main.xml file for the layout. This file has the XML based definitions of the different widgets and their containers.
There is a strings.xml file which has all the string resources used in the application. A default icon.png file is provided for the application icon.
Then there is the R.java file which is automatically generated (and updated when any changes are made to main.xml). This file has the constants defined for each of the layout and widget. Do not edit this file manually. The plugin is does it for you when you do a clean build.
In our example we have Tipster.java as the main Java file or the Activity.
Creating the project using the Android Eclipse Plugin
Google tutorials highlight how to use the plugin. Using the Eclipse plugin, create an Android project named Tipster. The end result will be a project layout like the following screen shot.
Fig. 1 – Project layout for Tipster in Eclipse
This Android Tutorial is taken from whyandroid click the link to read the full article.
This Android Tutorial is taken from developer.android
Portions of this page are reproduced from work created and shared by the Android Open Source Project and used according to terms described in the Creative Commons 2.5 Attribution License.
The Android platform With Android’s breadth of capabilities, it would be easy to confuse it with a desktop operating system. Android is a layered environment built upon a foundation of the Linux kernel, and it includes rich functions. The UI subsystem includes: * Windows * Views * Widgets for displaying common elements such as edit boxes, lists, and drop-down lists Android includes an embeddable browser built upon WebKit, the same open source browser engine powering the iPhone’s Mobile Safari browser. Android boasts a healthy array of connectivity options, including WiFi, Bluetooth, and wireless data over a cellular connection (for example, GPRS, EDGE, and 3G). A popular technique in Android applications is to link to Google Maps to display an address directly within an application. Support for location-based services (such as GPS) and accelerometers is also available in the Android software stack, though not all Android devices are equipped with the required hardware. There is also camera support. Historically, two areas where mobile applications have struggled to keep pace with their desktop counterparts are graphics/media, and data storage methods. Android addresses the graphics challenge with built-in support for 2-D and 3-D graphics, including the OpenGL library. The data-storage burden is eased because the Android platform includes the popular open source SQLite database.
Figure 1 shows a simplified view of the Android software layers.
Android Development Tutorial- Developing In Eclipse, with ADT
The Android Development Tools (ADT) plugin for Eclipse adds powerful extensions to the Eclipse integrated development environment. It allows you to create and debug Android applications easier and faster. If you use Eclipse, the ADT plugin gives you an incredible boost in developing Android applications:
It gives you access to other Android development tools from inside the Eclipse IDE. For example, ADT lets you access the many capabilities of the DDMS tool: take screenshots, manage port-forwarding, set breakpoints, and view thread and process information directly from Eclipse.
It provides a New Project Wizard, which helps you quickly create and set up all of the basic files you’ll need for a new Android application.
It automates and simplifies the process of building your Android application.
It provides an Android code editor that helps you write valid XML for your Android manifest and resource files.
It will even export your project into a signed APK, which can be distributed to users.
To begin developing Android applications in the Eclipse IDE with ADT, you first need to download the Eclipse IDE and then download and install the ADT plugin. To do so, follow the steps given in Installing the ADT Plugin.
If you are already developing applications using a version of ADT earlier than 0.9, make sure to upgrade to the latest version before continuing. See the guide to Updating Your ADT Plugin.
Note: This guide assumes you are using the latest version of the ADT plugin. While most of the information covered also applies to previous versions, if you are using an older version, you may want to consult this document from the set of documentation included in your SDK package (instead of the online version).
Creating an Android Project
The ADT plugin provides a New Project Wizard that you can use to quickly create a new Android project (or a project from existing code). To create a new project:
Select File > New > Project.
Select Android > Android Project, and click Next.
Select the contents for the project:
Enter a Project Name. This will be the name of the folder where your project is created.
Under Contents, select Create new project in workspace. Select your project workspace location.
Under Target, select an Android target to be used as the project’s Build Target. The Build Target specifies which Android platform you’d like your application built against.Unless you know that you’ll be using new APIs introduced in the latest SDK, you should select a target with the lowest platform version possible.Note: You can change your the Build Target for your project at any time: Right-click the project in the Package Explorer, select Properties, select Android and then check the desired Project Target.
Under Properties, fill in all necessary fields.
Enter an Application name. This is the human-readable title for your application — the name that will appear on the Android device.
Enter a Package name. This is the package namespace (following the same rules as for packages in the Java programming language) where all your source code will reside.
Select Create Activity (optional, of course, but common) and enter a name for your main Activity class.
Enter a Min SDK Version. This is an integer that indicates the minimum API Level required to properly run your application. Entering this here automatically sets the minSdkVersion attribute in the <uses-sdk> of your Android Manifest file. If you’re unsure of the appropriate API Level to use, copy the API Level listed for the Build Target you selected in the Target tab.
Click Finish.
Tip: You can also start the New Project Wizard from the New icon in the toolbar.
Once you complete the New Project Wizard, ADT creates the following folders and files in your new project:
src/
Includes your stub Activity Java file. All other Java files for your application go here.
<Android Version>/ (e.g., Android 1.1/)
Includes the android.jar file that your application will build against. This is determined by the build target that you have chosen in the New Project Wizard.
gen/
This contains the Java files generated by ADT, such as your R.java file and interfaces created from AIDL files.
assets/
This is empty. You can use it to store raw asset files.
res/
A folder for your application resources, such as drawable files, layout files, string values, etc. See Application Resources.
AndroidManifest.xml
The Android Manifest for your project. See The AndroidManifest.xml File.
default.properties
This file contains project settings, such as the build target. This files is integral to the project, as such, it should be maintained in a Source Revision Control system. It should never be edited manually — to edit project properties, right-click the project folder and select “Properties”.
Android development Tutorial has been taken from developer.android click the link to read the rest of the Android Tutorial
1. Android Development
1.1. Android Operation System
Android is an operating system based on Linux with a Java programming interface. It provides tools, e.g. a compiler, debugger and a device emulator as well as its own Java Virtual machine (Dalvik Virtual Machine – DVM). Android is created by the Open Handset Alliance which is lead by Google.
Android uses a special Java virtual machine (Dalvik) which is based on the Apache Harmony Java implementation. Dalvik uses special bytecode. Therefore you cannot run standard Java bytecode on Android but you have to use the Android compiler to create Android specific byte-code.
Android supports 2-D and 3-D graphics using the OpenGL libraries and supports data storage in a SQLLite database.
For development Google provides the Android Development Tools (ADT) for Eclipse to develop Android applications.
Every Android applications runs in its own process and it isolated from other running applications. Therefore on misbehaving application cannot harm other Android applications.
1.2. Important Android terms
An Android application consists out of the following parts:
*
Activity – A screen in the Android application
*
Services – Background activities without UI
*
Content Provider – provides data to applications, Android contains a SQLLite DB which can serve as data provider
*
Broadcast Receiver – receives system messages, can be used to react to changed conditions in the system
Intends allow the application to request and / or provide services . For example the application call ask via an intent for a contact application. Application register themself via an IntentFilter. Intends are a powerful concept as they allow to create loosely coupled applications.
An Android application is described the file “AndroidManifest.xml”. This files contains all activities application and the required permissions for the application. For example if the application requires network access it must be specified here. “AndroidManifest.xml” can be thought as the deployment descriptor for an Android application.
1.3. Context
The class android.content.Context provides the connections to the Android system. Contexts provides the method get System Service which allows to receive a manager object for the different hardware parts. As Activities and Services extend this class you can directly access the context via “this”.
This Android Development Tutorial taken from vogella.de
Portions of this page are reproduced from work created and shared by the Android Open Source Project and used according to terms described in the Creative Commons 2.5 Attribution License.
If you have got your Android phone recently then you must have been searching for its functionality and terminology. We have started a new android tutorial that will explain the basics of your Android phone allowing you to fully understand the power and functionality that the Google operating system offers.
Notification Panel in Android phone
The beauty of your Android phone or any other smartphone is the ability to show various alerts and notices in a manageable form of icons and buttons. On the top left part of the Android screen there is one Notifications panel which is like a banner that holds all your notifications and alerts.
You can use this notification panel to get updated with things happening on your Android phone. The email you recieve or the SMS messages all are there in the notifications panel. You can even configure your other apps to show messages or alerts in the notification panel.
The notification panel can be pulled down by tapping on it to see detailed information about the notification and then take action accordingly.
This android tutorial is Taken from areacellphone
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Fig. 1 – Project layout for Tipster in Eclipse
