Android App Development For Dummies, 3rd Edition

Android App Development For Dummies, 3rd Edition

Released March 2015
Publisher(s): For Dummies
ISBN: 9781119017929

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Book description

The updated edition of the bestselling guide to Android app development

If you have ambitions to build an Android app, this hands-on guide gives you everything you need to dig into the development process and turn your great idea into a reality! In this new edition of Android App Development For Dummies, you'll find easy-to-follow access to the latest programming techniques that take advantage of the new features of the Android operating system. Plus, two programs are provided: a simple program to get you started and an intermediate program that uses more advanced aspects of the Android platform.

Android mobile devices currently account for nearly 80% of mobile phone market share worldwide, making it the best platform to reach the widest possible audience. With the help of this friendly guide, developers of all stripes will quickly find out how to install the tools they need, design a good user interface, grasp the design differences between phone and tablet applications, handle user input, avoid common pitfalls, and turn a "meh" app into one that garners applause.

  • Create seriously cool apps for the latest Android smartphones and tablets

  • Adapt your existing apps for use on an Android device

  • Start working with programs and tools to create Android apps

  • Publish your apps to the Google Play Store

    • Whether you're a new or veteran programmer, Android App Development For Dummies will have you up and running with the ins and outs of the Android platform in no time.

    Table of contents

      1. Cover
      2. Introduction
        1. About This Book
        2. Conventions Used in This Book
        3. Foolish Assumptions
        4. How This Book Is Organized
        5. Icons Used in This Book
        6. Beyond the Book
      3. Part I: Getting Started with Your First Android Application
        1. Chapter 1: Developing Spectacular Android Applications
          1. Why Develop for Android?
          2. Android Development Basics
          3. Hardware Tools
          4. Software Tools
        2. Chapter 2: Prepping Your Development Headquarters
          1. Developing the Android Developer Inside You
          2. Assembling Your Toolkit
          3. Tuning Up Your Hardware
          4. Installing and Configuring Your Support Tools
          5. Installing Android Studio
          6. Installing Java 7
          7. Adding SDK Packages
          8. Navigating the Android SDK
          9. Specifying Android Platforms
          10. Using SDK Tools for Everyday Development
      4. Part II: Building and Publishing Your First Application
        1. Chapter 3: Your First Android Project
          1. Starting a New Project in Android Studio
          2. Responding to Errors
          3. Setting Up an Emulator
          4. Running the Hello Android App
          5. Understanding Project Structure
        2. Chapter 4: Creating the User Interface
          1. Creating the Silent Mode Toggle Application
          2. Laying Out the Application
          3. Adding an Image to Your Application
          4. Creating a Launcher Icon for the Application
          5. Previewing the Application in the Visual Designer
        3. Chapter 5: Coding Your Application
          1. Understanding Activities and the Activity Lifecycle
          2. Creating Your First Activity
          3. Working with the Android Framework Classes
          4. Installing Your Application
          5. Material Design
          6. Uh‐Oh! (Responding to Errors)
          7. Thinking Beyond the Application Boundaries
        4. Chapter 6: Understanding Android Resources
          1. Understanding Resources
          2. Working with Resources
          3. Different Strokes for Different Folks: Using Resource Qualifier Directories
        5. Chapter 7: Turning Your Application into an App Widget
          1. Working with App Widgets in Android
          2. Working with Intents and Pending Intents
          3. Creating the App Widget
          4. Placing Your Widget on the Home Screen
        6. Chapter 8: Publishing Your App to the Google Play Store
          1. Creating a Distributable File
          2. Creating a Google Play Developer Profile
          3. Pricing Your Application
          4. Getting Screen Shots for Your Application
          5. Uploading Your Application to the Google Play Store
          6. Watching the Number of Installs Soar
      5. Part III: Creating a Feature‐Rich Application
        1. Chapter 9: Designing the Tasks Application
          1. Reviewing the Basic Requirements
          2. Creating the Application’s Screens
        2. Chapter 10: Creating the Task Detail Page
          1. Creating the TaskEditActivity
          2. Linking the List View to the Edit View
          3. Creating the TaskEditFragment
          4. You Put the Fragment in the Activity and Shake It All Up
          5. Updating the Styles
          6. A Special Bonus
        3. Chapter 11: Going a la Carte with Your Menu
          1. Understanding Options and Context Menus
          2. Creating Your First Menu
          3. Creating a Long‐Press Action
        4. Chapter 12: Handling User Input
          1. Creating the User Input Interface
          2. Getting Choosy with Dates and Times
          3. Creating an Alert Dialog
          4. Validating Input
        5. Chapter 13: Getting Persistent with Data Storage
          1. Finding Places to Put Data
          2. Understanding How the SQLite ContentProvider Works
          3. Creating Your Application’s SQLite Database
          4. Using ContentProvider URIs
          5. Dealing with CRUD
          6. Implementing the Save Button
          7. Implementing the List View
          8. Reading Data into the Edit Page
        6. Chapter 14: Reminding the User
          1. Seeing Why You Need AlarmManager
          2. Asking the User for Permission
          3. Waking Up a Process with AlarmManager
          4. Updating a Notification
          5. Clearing a Notification
          6. Rebooting Devices
        7. Chapter 15: Working with Android Preferences
          1. Understanding the Android Preferences Framework
          2. Understanding the PreferenceFragment Class
          3. Creating Your Preferences Screen
          4. Working with the PreferenceFragment Class
          5. Working with Preferences in Your Activities at Runtime
      6. Part IV: Android Is More than Phones
        1. Chapter 16: Developing for Tablets
          1. Considering the Differences between Phones and Tablets
          2. Tweaking the Tasks App for Tablets
          3. Configuring a Tablet Emulator
          4. Creating a New Product Flavor
          5. Creating an AndroidManifest for Phones
          6. Creating an AndroidManifest for Tablets
          7. Making the TaskListAndEditorActivity for Tablets
          8. Building the Tablet App
          9. Adding the App Callbacks
          10. One More Thing . . .
        2. Chapter 17: Supporting Older Versions of Android
          1. Understanding AppCompat
          2. Updating the build File
          3. Adding the Toolbar
          4. Using the AppCompat Theme
          5. Testing Your App
          6. Working with Right‐to‐Left Languages
          7. Fixing the Add Task Menu
          8. Fixing the Window Options
          9. Using Newer APIs
          10. Using Android Lint
        3. Chapter 18: Wearing the Tasks App
          1. Preparing Your Development Environment
          2. Creating a New Wear App
          3. Publishing the Data from Your Phone
          4. Running the App without Android Studio
          5. Packaging the App
          6. What’s Next?
        4. Chapter 19: Look Ma, I’m on TV!
          1. Understanding Guidelines for Building TV Apps
          2. Building and Manifesting Changes
          3. Adding the BrowseActivity
          4. Creating the TV Browse Fragment
          5. Creating the CardPresenter
          6. Running Your App
          7. Adding and Editing Items
          8. Creating Backgrounds
          9. Creating More Filters
        5. Chapter 20: Moving beyond Google
          1. Working around Google Features
          2. Setting Up the Fire SDK
          3. Setting Up Your Fire or Emulator
          4. Publishing to Amazon Appstore for Android
      7. Part V: The Part of Tens
        1. Chapter 21: Ten Free Sample Applications and SDKs
          1. Android Samples
          2. The Google I/O App
          3. K‐9 Mail
          4. GitHub Android App
          5. Facebook SDK for Android
          6. Notepad Tutorial
          7. U+2020
          8. Lollipop Easter Egg
          9. Android Bootstrap
          10. The AOSP
        2. Chapter 22: Ten Tools to Simplify Your Development Life
          1. Android Lint
          2. Android Systrace
          3. RoboGuice and Dagger
          4. Translator Toolkit
          5. Hierarchy Viewer
          6. UI/Application Exerciser Monkey
          7. Git and GitHub
          8. Picasso and OkHttp
          9. Memory Analyzer Tool
          10. Travis‐ci
      8. About the Author
      9. Cheat Sheet
      10. Connect with Dummies
      11. End User License Agreement

    Product information

    • Title: Android App Development For Dummies, 3rd Edition
    • Author(s):
    • Release date: March 2015
    • Publisher(s): For Dummies
    • ISBN: 9781119017929