Free pdf ebook download: Pro Android
Pro Android
This book covers the Android SDK. It’s broken up into 13 chapters, as follows:
Chapter 1, “Introducing the Android Computing Platform”
This chapter introduces you to the Android Platform and its basic building blocks. It
also gives you an overview of the Android subsystems by showing you the high-level
packages within the Android SDK. Plus, we provide information on Android’s special-
ized virtual machine that addresses the limitations of handheld devices.
Chapter 2, “Getting Your Feet Wet”
In this chapter, we show you how to set up a development environment for Android
programming. We then walk you through a basic application and introduce you to
some of the Android components. We also cover the application lifecycle and familiar-
ize you with some debugging tools.
Chapter 3, “Using Resources, Content Providers, and Intents”
Here we cover several of the fundamental pillars of the Android Platform—resources,
content providers, and intents. We explain what resources are and how they function
in an Android application. We demonstrate how to use content providers as a mecha-
nism for abstracting data into services. We define intents and show you how to use
them as a generic way to request action.
Chapter 4, “Building User Interfaces and Using Controls”
This chapter is all about building user interfaces with the Android widget toolkit. We
first cover building UIs programmatically, then cover Android’s preferred way of defin-
ing UIs—in XML layout files. We also discuss Android’s layout managers and view
adapters. Plus, this chapter provides an introduction to the Hierarchy Viewer tool,
which you use to optimize UIs.
Chapter 5, “Working with Menus and Dialogs”
Here we extend our discussion on UI programming in Android by talking about menus
and dialogs. We show you Android’s philosophy on building menus, and then discuss
the various types of menus available in the Android SDK. We also talk about dialog
components.
Chapter 6, “Unveiling 2D Animation”
In this chapter, we discuss Android’s 2D animation capabilities. We show you how to
animate views to make your applications more appealing. Specifically, we cover three
categories of animation: frame-by-frame animation, layout animation, and view ani-
mation.
Chapter 7, “Exploring Security and Location-Based Services”
This chapter covers Android’s security model and location-based services. In the first
part, we show you Android’s security requirements and then show you how to secure
your applications. In the second part, we talk about location-based services, which is a
fundamental aspect of a mobile device. We show you Android’s support for mapping
and then show you how to customize a map with data specific to your application. We
also cover geocoding in this chapter.
Chapter 8, “Building and Consuming Services”
This chapter is about building background services in Android. Here, we talk about
building services that are local to your application, as well as remote services—
services that can be consumed by other applications running on the device. Remote
services are based on Android Interface Definition Language (AIDL), so we show you
how to define AIDL types and files. We also describe how to pass types across process
boundaries.
Chapter 9, “Using the Media Framework and Telephony APIs”
This chapter shows you how to build media-capable applications with the Android
SDK. We talk about playing audio and video and then show you how to record audio.
We cover text messaging in the telephony part of the chapter.
Chapter 10, “Programming 3D Graphics with OpenGL”
Here, you learn how to implement 3D graphics using OpenGL. We show you how to set
up OpenGL with your applications and then cover the basics of OpenGL and OpenGL
ES. We cover some of the essential OpenGL ES APIs and build a test harness that you
can use to exercise those APIs.
Chapter 11, “Managing and Organizing Preferences”
In this chapter, we talk about Android’s preferences framework. We show you that
Android has built-in support for displaying and persisting preferences. We discuss
three types of UI elements: CheckBoxPreference, EditTextPreference, and Ring-
tonePreference. We also talk about organizing preferences within your applications.
Chapter 12, “Coming to Grips with 1.5”
Chapter 12 discusses some of the changes in the Android 1.5 SDK. Specifically, we
talk about some of the SDK’s new tools and a few of the most exciting APIs. For
example, you’ll learn about the new UI wizard that creates Android resources, the
new speech-recognition intent, intents to record audio and video, video capture using
the MediaRecorder, and more. You’ll also get a short introduction to Android’s input-
method framework (IMF) implementation.
Chapter 13, “Simplifying OpenGL and Exploring Live Folders”
This chapter begins by covering the OpenGL-related changes in Android 1.5 and then
discusses the new live-folder framework. As you’ll see, the Android 1.5 SDK offers
some additional abstractions to the OpenGL APIs that make it easier for you to build
applications that utilize 3D graphics. We also talk at length about a new concept called
live folders, which allow you to expose content providers such as contacts, notes, and
media on the device’s default opening screen.
After reading this book, you’ll have a good understanding of the fundamentals of
Android. You will be able to utilize the various types of components available in the Android
SDK to build your mobile applications. You will also know how to deploy and version your
applications.
Download the free pdf ebook: Pro Android
This book covers the Android SDK. It’s broken up into 13 chapters, as follows:
Chapter 1, “Introducing the Android Computing Platform”
This chapter introduces you to the Android Platform and its basic building blocks. It
also gives you an overview of the Android subsystems by showing you the high-level
packages within the Android SDK. Plus, we provide information on Android’s special-
ized virtual machine that addresses the limitations of handheld devices.
Chapter 2, “Getting Your Feet Wet”
In this chapter, we show you how to set up a development environment for Android
programming. We then walk you through a basic application and introduce you to
some of the Android components. We also cover the application lifecycle and familiar-
ize you with some debugging tools.
Chapter 3, “Using Resources, Content Providers, and Intents”
Here we cover several of the fundamental pillars of the Android Platform—resources,
content providers, and intents. We explain what resources are and how they function
in an Android application. We demonstrate how to use content providers as a mecha-
nism for abstracting data into services. We define intents and show you how to use
them as a generic way to request action.
Chapter 4, “Building User Interfaces and Using Controls”
This chapter is all about building user interfaces with the Android widget toolkit. We
first cover building UIs programmatically, then cover Android’s preferred way of defin-
ing UIs—in XML layout files. We also discuss Android’s layout managers and view
adapters. Plus, this chapter provides an introduction to the Hierarchy Viewer tool,
which you use to optimize UIs.
Chapter 5, “Working with Menus and Dialogs”
Here we extend our discussion on UI programming in Android by talking about menus
and dialogs. We show you Android’s philosophy on building menus, and then discuss
the various types of menus available in the Android SDK. We also talk about dialog
components.
Chapter 6, “Unveiling 2D Animation”
In this chapter, we discuss Android’s 2D animation capabilities. We show you how to
animate views to make your applications more appealing. Specifically, we cover three
categories of animation: frame-by-frame animation, layout animation, and view ani-
mation.
Chapter 7, “Exploring Security and Location-Based Services”
This chapter covers Android’s security model and location-based services. In the first
part, we show you Android’s security requirements and then show you how to secure
your applications. In the second part, we talk about location-based services, which is a
fundamental aspect of a mobile device. We show you Android’s support for mapping
and then show you how to customize a map with data specific to your application. We
also cover geocoding in this chapter.
Chapter 8, “Building and Consuming Services”
This chapter is about building background services in Android. Here, we talk about
building services that are local to your application, as well as remote services—
services that can be consumed by other applications running on the device. Remote
services are based on Android Interface Definition Language (AIDL), so we show you
how to define AIDL types and files. We also describe how to pass types across process
boundaries.
Chapter 9, “Using the Media Framework and Telephony APIs”
This chapter shows you how to build media-capable applications with the Android
SDK. We talk about playing audio and video and then show you how to record audio.
We cover text messaging in the telephony part of the chapter.
Chapter 10, “Programming 3D Graphics with OpenGL”
Here, you learn how to implement 3D graphics using OpenGL. We show you how to set
up OpenGL with your applications and then cover the basics of OpenGL and OpenGL
ES. We cover some of the essential OpenGL ES APIs and build a test harness that you
can use to exercise those APIs.
Chapter 11, “Managing and Organizing Preferences”
In this chapter, we talk about Android’s preferences framework. We show you that
Android has built-in support for displaying and persisting preferences. We discuss
three types of UI elements: CheckBoxPreference, EditTextPreference, and Ring-
tonePreference. We also talk about organizing preferences within your applications.
Chapter 12, “Coming to Grips with 1.5”
Chapter 12 discusses some of the changes in the Android 1.5 SDK. Specifically, we
talk about some of the SDK’s new tools and a few of the most exciting APIs. For
example, you’ll learn about the new UI wizard that creates Android resources, the
new speech-recognition intent, intents to record audio and video, video capture using
the MediaRecorder, and more. You’ll also get a short introduction to Android’s input-
method framework (IMF) implementation.
Chapter 13, “Simplifying OpenGL and Exploring Live Folders”
This chapter begins by covering the OpenGL-related changes in Android 1.5 and then
discusses the new live-folder framework. As you’ll see, the Android 1.5 SDK offers
some additional abstractions to the OpenGL APIs that make it easier for you to build
applications that utilize 3D graphics. We also talk at length about a new concept called
live folders, which allow you to expose content providers such as contacts, notes, and
media on the device’s default opening screen.
After reading this book, you’ll have a good understanding of the fundamentals of
Android. You will be able to utilize the various types of components available in the Android
SDK to build your mobile applications. You will also know how to deploy and version your
applications.
Download the free pdf ebook: Pro Android
Subscribe to this blog. 
anonymous
Powered by
Recent comments