Android Apps for Absolute Beginners

Anybody can start building multimedia apps for the Android platform, and this book will show you how! Now updated to include both Android 4.4 and the new Android L, Android Apps for Absolute Beginners, Third Edition takes you through the process of getting your first Android apps up and running using plain English and practical examples. If you have a great idea for an Android app, but have never programmed before, then this book is for you. 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 covers both Android 4.4 (KitKat) and Android L, but is also backwards compatible to cover the previous Android releases since Android 1.5. Front Matter....Pages i-xxx Setting Up Your Android App Development System....Pages 1-32 Configuring Your Android App Development System....Pages 33-60 An Introduction to the Android Application Development Platform....Pages 61-99 Introduction to XML: Defining an Android App, Its Design, and Constants....Pages 101-130 Introduction to Java: Objects, Methods, Classes, and Interfaces....Pages 131-165 Android Screen Design: Writing to the Display Using Activity and View....Pages 167-212 Making Apps Interactive: Intents, Event Handling, and Menus....Pages 213-257 Android UI Design: Using Advanced ViewGroup Layout Containers....Pages 259-300 Android Graphic Design: Making Your UI Designs Visual....Pages 301-351 Android Animation: Making Your UI Designs Move....Pages 353-397 Digital Video: Streaming Video, MediaPlayer, and MediaController classes....Pages 399-446 Digital Audio: Providing Aural Feedback for UI Designs Using SoundPool....Pages 447-473 Android Service Class and Threads: Background Processing....Pages 475-503 Android Content Providers: Providing Data to Applications ....Pages 505-550 Developing for Android Wearable Devices....Pages 551-590 The Future of Android: The 64-Bit Android 5.0 OS....Pages 591-650 Audio Concepts, Terminology, and Codecs....Pages 651-663 Back Matter....Pages 665-677 Anybody can start building multimedia apps for the Android platform, and this book will show you how! Now updated to include both Android 4.4 and the new Android L, [this book] takes you through the process of getting your first Android apps up and running using plain English and practical examples. If you have a great idea for an Android app, but have never programmed before, then this book is for you. 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 covers both Android 4.4 (KitKat) and Android L, but is also backwards compatible to cover the previous Android releases since Android 1.5 Anybody can start building simple apps for the Android platform, and this book will show you how! Now updated to include both Android 4.4.4 (Kit Kat) and the new 64-bit Android 5.0 (Lollipop), Android Apps for Absolute Beginners, Third 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 developmentProvides simple, step-by-step examples that make learning easy, allowing you to pick up the concepts without fussOffers clear code descriptions and layout so that you can get your apps running as soon as possibleThis book covers both Android 4.4.4 Kit Kat and Android 5.0 Lollipop, but is also backwards compatible to cover the previous Android releases since Android 1.5. Anybody can start building multimedia apps for the Android platform, and this book will show you how! Now updated to include both Android 4.4 and the new Android 5.0, Android Apps for Absolute Beginners, Third 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 covers both Android 4.4 (KitKat) and Android 5.0, but is also backwards compatible to cover the previous Android releases since Android 1.5 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. Updated to include both Android 4.4 and the new Android L, this edition takes you through the process of getting your first Android apps up and running using plain English and practical examples. It will teach you how to: download, install, and configure the latest software needed for Android app development; work efficiently using an integrated development environment (IDE); build useful, attractive applications and get them working immediately; develop apps for both Android 4.4 and Android L; create apps with ease using XML markup and drag-and-drop graphical layout editors; use new media and graphics to skin your app so that it has maximum appeal; create advanced apps combining XML, Java and new media content. -- Edited summary from book Install the Android ADT Bundle: Extract Android ADT IDEDigital Image Compositing Software: the GIMP; 3D Modeling, Rendering, and Animation: Blender 3D; UI Design and Wireframing Software: Pencil Project; Digital Audio Editing and Engineering: Audacity; Professional Digital Video Editing: EditShare Lightworks; A Complete Business Software Suite: Apache OpenOffice; Other Open Source Software; Summary; Chapter 2: Configuring Your Android App Development System; Updating Eclipse ADT: Check For Updates!; Configuring Eclipse: Android SDK Manager Repository; Android Virtual Devices: Creating the AVD Creating AVDs: Android Virtual Device ManagerCreating an AVD from a Pre-configured Device Definition; Creating an AVD from Scratch: Pine SmartWatch; What Will Be Covered in this Book; Introduction to Android Application Development Platform; How Android Simplifies Design: Designing Apps Using XML; Android Application Framework: Java Programming Primer; Screen Real Estate: View and Activity Classes; Interactivity: Using Android Intent and Event Handling; UI Design: Adding User Controls to Your Apps; Graphics Design: Add Visuals to Your Apps; Animation: Adding Motion Graphics to Your Apps Digital Video: Captive or Streaming Video for an ApplicationDigital Audio: Adding Audio Media to Your Apps; Services: Adding Background Processing to Apps; Content Providers: Accessing Stored Data Inside of Your App; Android Wearables: Creating a Smartwatch Application; Android Appliances: Creating an Android Appliance App; The Future of Android: 64-bit Android 5.0; Summary; Chapter 3: An Introduction to the Android Application Development Platform; How the Android Platform is Structured: Java, XML, and New Media on Top of Linux; Details Regarding Android's Platform Structure Compiled App: Runtime Executable Java BytecodeAndroid Runtimes: Dalvik VM; Android Runtimes: The Android RunTime VM; Creating Your First Android Application; Using Eclipse ADT to Create a New Android App; Navigating Around an Android Project; Android Resources: Asset Project Folders; Android Drawable: Assets that Draw to a Screen; Android Layout: Assets that Lay Out a UI Design; Android Menu: Assets that Define Menu Options; Android Values: Assets Defining App Constants; Android Anim: Assets Defining Tween Animation; Android Animator: Asset for Property Animation Android Raw: Pre-Optimized Video & Audio Files