In just 24 sessions of one hour or less, learn how to build powerful apps for the world’s most popular mobile platform: Android 4.3. Using this book’s straightforward, step-by-step approach, you’ll build complete Android 4.3 apps from the ground up as you master the skills you need to design, develop, test, and publish powerful solutions. Extensively updated for Android’s newest features and tools, every lesson builds on what you’ve already learned, giving you a rock-solid foundation for real-world success!   Highlights of this new Third Edition include: Extensive new coverage: fragments, action bar, SQLite, content providers, Facebook SDK, and more Practical guidance on developing for multiple Android versions How to use open source projects to simplify Android development New topic-focused structure with at least one complete project in nearly every chapter Register your book at informit.com/register to gain access to the Bonus KitKat chapter online.   Learn how to… Quickly set up your development environment and create Android projects Use Android layouts and fragments  to create apps that look great on phones, tablets, and even TVs Develop intuitive user interfaces using Android controls Access the cloud and retrieve data using the Flickr API Create a full-blown app that parses JSON, stores metadata, and displays Flickr images Use a SQLite database and content providers to create responsive, data-driven apps Write social apps using the Facebook Android SDK Use contact and calendar data Build location-based apps using LocationManager APIs or the new Google Play Location Services Internationalize your apps Work with media and cameras Use open-source libraries to add “finishing touches” Package and publish apps to Google Play and other app stores

Table of Contents:
Preface xiv New in the Third Edition xiv Who This Book Is For xv How This Book Is Organized xv Part I: Getting Started HOUR 1: Getting Started: Creating a Simple App 3 Setting Up Your Development Environment 3 Instantly Creating a Simple App 6 Understanding the Java Code and XML Layout 10 Running the App 11 Personalizing the App 13 Summary 17 Q&A 17 Workshop 18 Exercise 18 HOUR 2: Understanding an Android Activity 19 Understanding an Activity 19 Starting an Activity 20 Passing Information Between Activities 28 Understanding Intents 34 Understanding the Activity Lifecycle 38 Summary 41 Q&A 41 Workshop 42 Exercises  42 HOUR 3: Exploring an Android Project and Resources 43 Exploring the Android Project Files 43 Understanding Common Resources 47 Summary 57 Q&A 57 Workshop 57 Exercises  58 HOUR 4: Not Just Smartphones: Supporting Tablets, TVs, and More 59 A Brief History of Android 59 Handling Device Display and Orientation 60 Device Features 67 Platform Versions and the Compatibility Package 68 Launching Apps on a Device 72 Summary 74 Q&A 74 Workshop 75 Exercises  75 Part II: User Interface HOUR 5: Using Layouts 79 Getting Started with Layouts 79 More Layout Basics with LinearLayout 84 Laying Out Child Views 86 FrameLayout 89 RelativeLayout 89 Summary 91 Q&A 92 Workshop    92 Exercises  93 HOUR 6: Working with Basic UI Controls 95 Setting Up the Demo App 95 Using Input Controls 98 Using Controls with Adapters 104 ProgressBars and SeekBars 107 ImageViews 110 Summary 111 Q&A 111 Workshop 112 Exercise 112 HOUR 7: ActionBar and Menu Navigation 113 Understanding the Options Menu 113 Using the Action Bar 120 Strategies for Using the ActionBar and Menus 124 Summary 125 Q&A 125 Workshop 126 Exercises 126 HOUR 8: Activities and Fragments 127 Using Fragments Across UIs 127 Creating and Displaying Fragments 128 Using Fragments for Navigation 132 Fragment and Activity Interaction 136 Summary 139 Q&A 139 Workshop 139 Exercises 140 HOUR 9: Alert! Working with Dialogs 141 Understanding a Dialog Fragment 141 Dialogs for Picking Date and Time 145 Using Alert Dialogs 151 Summary 155 Q&A 156 Workshop 156 Exercise 156 HOUR 10: Lists, Grids, Galleries, and Flippers 157 ListFragments 157 Grids and Galleries 162 Using an AdapterViewFlipper 166 Options for Paging Controls 167 Summary 168 Q&A 169 Workshop 169 Exercise 169 HOUR 11: App Setting: Managing Preferences 171 Using SharedPreferences 171 Setting User Preferences 174 Summary 185 Q&A 185 Workshop 186 Exercise 186 Part III: Data Access and Use HOUR 12: Accessing the Cloud: Working with a Remote API 189 Fetching Remote Data 190 Using and Parsing JSON-Formatted Data 194 Putting the Pieces Together 197 Checking Connectivity 202 Summary 203 Q&A 203 Workshop 203 Exercise 204 HOUR 13: Using SQLite and File Storage 205 Organizing a Database with Tables 205 Managing Data with SQLiteOpenHelper 206 Adding, Updating, and Deleting Data 209 Querying Data and Using Cursors 212 Using a Database in the App 215 Saving an Image File 218 Summary 224 Q&A 224 Workshop 225 Exercises    225 HOUR 14: Creating a Content Provider 227 Using a URI for Data Retrieval 227 Building a Content Provider 228 Using FlickrPhotoProvider in the App 236 Requesting a File from a Content Provider 237 Summary 242 Q&A 242 Workshop 243 Exercises 243 HOUR 15: Loaders, CursorLoaders, and CustomAdapters 245 How Loaders Work 245 Loader Classes 246 Understanding Loader States 246 Creating Custom Adapters 253 Summary 257 Q&A 257 Workshop 258 Exercise 258 HOUR 16: Developing a Complete App 259 Determining App Functionality 259 Developing the App 263 Summary 278 Q&A 278 Workshop 278 Exercise 279 Part IV: Special Topics HOUR 17: Contacts and Calendar: Accessing Device Data 283 All About the Calendar 283 Understanding Contacts 294 Summary 297 Q&A 297 Workshop 298 Exercise 298 HOUR 18: Where Are We? Working with Location-Based Services 299 Determining Location 299 Using Geocoding Services 306 Using the Geo Intent 309 Additional Location Features 311 Using Google Play Services 312 Summary 315 Q&A 316 Workshop 316 Exercise 316 HOUR 19: Bonjour, World! Localizing Your Apps 317 General Internationalization Principles 317 Working with Localization with Android 318 Handling Locales with Android 319 Using Applications to Handle Locales 320 Android Internationalization Strategies 323 Using Localization Utilities 326 Summary 327 Q&A 327 Workshop 327 Exercises 328 HOUR 20: Say Cheese! Working with Cameras 329 Capturing Media 329 Using Intents to Take Photos and Videos 332 Developing a Camera App 338 Summary 345 Q&A 346 Workshop 346 Exercise 346 HOUR 21: Media Basics: Images, Audio, and Video 347 Examining the ImageView Control 347 Bitmaps and Canvas 353 Using VideoViews 357 Playing Audio with MediaPlayer 361 Exploring More Media Options 362 Summary 362 Q&A 362 Workshop 363 Exercise 363 HOUR 22: Using the Facebook SDK 365 About Facebook    365 Setting Up for Facebook Development 366 Using the Facebook SDK in a Project 370 Developing a Facebook Photo Upload App 373 Facebook SDK Features 378 Creating Libraries for Your Own Projects 379 Summary 379 Q&A 380 Workshop 380 Exercise 380 Part V: Wrapping Up HOUR 23: Pro Tips, Finishing Touches, and Next Steps 383 Responsive Apps: Using IntentService 383 Adding Animation 388 Using Open Source 391 Digging Deeper into Android 392 Summary 397 Q&A 397 Workshop 397 Exercise 398 HOUR 24: Publishing Your Apps 399 Preparing for Release 399 Publishing Your App 405 Monetizing Your App 409 Summary 410 Q&A 410 Workshop 410 Exercise 411 Index 413